The Forgotten Depths
815 Words
Darkness swallowed everything.
The air was cold enough to sting their lungs.
Water dripped steadily from the ceiling, each drop echoing through the endless cavern.
Ronan rose first.
His body ached from the fall, but the strange mark on his wrist pulsed with a warm silver glow.
It was healing him.
Slowly.
He turned immediately.
“Seraphina?”
She was sitting against a rock wall, holding her ankle.
“I’m here.”
Relief washed over him before he could stop it.
He crossed the cave in seconds.
“You’re hurt.”
“It’s just my ankle.”
She tried to stand.
The moment she put weight on it, pain shot through her leg.
She stumbled.
Ronan caught her before she hit the ground.
For a heartbeat…
She found herself pressed against him.
His heartbeat was steady.
Warm.
Very different from the cold stillness of every vampire she had ever known.
Their eyes met.
“You always catch me,” she whispered with a faint smile.
“You should stop falling.”
She laughed softly.
“And ruin your heroic reputation?”
Ronan shook his head.
“I don’t have one.”
She looked at him for a long moment.
“You should.”
He quickly looked away, embarrassed by the compliment.
A low growl echoed through the cavern.
Both immediately became alert.
Ronan helped Seraphina onto a nearby stone.
“Stay behind me.”
“I hate when you say that.”
“Why?”
“Because I can fight.”
“I know.”
“Then stop treating me like I’m fragile.”
Ronan smiled.
“Fine.”
“We fight together.”
She returned the smile.
“Better.”
The growling became louder.
From the darkness emerged creatures unlike anything either of them had ever seen.
They walked on four legs.
Their skin looked as though it had been carved from black crystal.
Their mouths stretched impossibly wide.
No eyes.
Only empty sockets leaking crimson mist.
“What are those?” Seraphina whispered.
Ronan slowly extended his claws.
“I’ve never seen anything like them.”
One creature sniffed the air.
Then lifted its head.
“They’re tracking our scent.”
The creatures shrieked.
All at once, they charged.
Ronan met the first one head-on.
His claws tore through its shoulder.
Instead of bleeding…
The wound released black smoke.
The creature reformed almost instantly.
“It healed!” Ronan shouted.
Seraphina darted behind another creature, snatching a broken crystal spear from the cave floor.
She drove it into the creature’s spine.
This time…
The monster screamed.
It crumbled into ash.
“The crystals!” she called.
“The crystals can kill them!”
Ronan ripped another crystal from the wall.
He plunged it into the next creature.
It disintegrated.
Soon the cavern fell silent once more.
Ash drifted through the air.
Neither of them noticed the silver marks on their wrists glowing brighter with each creature they defeated.
Hidden deeper within the Forgotten Depths…
Someone watched through a wall of black water.
The Hollow King.
His crimson eyes followed Ronan and Seraphina with growing interest.
“They learn quickly.”
Around him stood hooded followers wearing masks carved from obsidian.
One knelt.
“My King…”
“Shall we take them now?”
The Hollow King smiled.
“No.”
“They still believe they’re choosing their own path.”
He leaned back upon his ancient throne.
“Hope is far sweeter…”
“…when you know you’re going to destroy it.”
Hours later…
Ronan and Seraphina reached the edge of an underground lake.
In its center stood a ruined temple.
A single stone bridge connected it to the shore.
As they stepped onto the bridge—
The silver marks on their wrists flared.
The bridge began to glow.
Ancient runes awakened one by one.
Seraphina frowned.
“The temple is responding to us.”
“No…”
Ronan said quietly.
“It’s responding to the bond.”
She looked at him.
“The bond?”
Before either could say another word—
A woman stepped out of the ruined temple.
She wore flowing white robes untouched by time.
Her silver hair reached her waist.
Her pale eyes settled on Ronan…
Then Seraphina.
Tears filled her eyes.
“It really is you.”
Neither moved.
Ronan spoke first.
“Who are you?”
The woman smiled sadly.
“My name…”
“…is Lyssandra Vale.”
Silence.
Seraphina’s breath caught.
“That’s impossible.”
“The princess died a thousand years ago.”
The woman lowered her gaze.
“That’s what the world was meant to believe.”
The cavern suddenly trembled.
From the darkness behind Lyssandra came a voice that froze the blood in everyone’s veins.
“You were supposed to stay dead.”
A tall figure emerged from the shadows.
Their hood fell back.
High Witch Morgana stared in disbelief.
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