chapter6
841 Words
Chapter 6: The Door That Should Not Exist
Sleep never came.
Elara spent the entire night staring at the moonlit ceiling of her chamber, her thoughts circling the hidden door beneath the library.
The symbol.
The pulse.
The strange reaction when she touched the stone.
None of it felt like coincidence.
And after living one life only to die from trusting appearances, she no longer believed in coincidences.
As dawn painted the sky in shades of gold and silver, Elara made her decision.
She would return to the library.
Alone.
The palace was unusually quiet in the early morning.
Most nobles were still asleep, and servants moved through the corridors like silent ghosts.
Perfect.
Elara wore a simple dark dress instead of her usual noble attire. She wanted as little attention as possible.
The library stood empty when she arrived.
Towering shelves stretched toward the ceiling.
Ancient books rested undisturbed.
Dust floated through rays of sunlight.
And behind the collapsed bookshelf...
The hidden door remained.
Waiting.
Elara approached carefully.
The crescent symbol carved into the stone looked dormant now.
Ordinary.
But she knew better.
Nothing about it was ordinary.
She pressed her hand against the surface.
Cold.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then—
A sharp pain shot through her palm.
Elara gasped.
The symbol began glowing crimson.
The entire door vibrated.
A low rumble echoed through the chamber.
And before she could pull away, countless ancient markings spread across the stone like veins awakening after centuries of sleep.
The library darkened.
The air became heavy.
Alive.
Elara stepped back.
"What are you?" she whispered.
The answer came not from the door.
But from inside her mind.
"Return."
She froze.
The voice.
The same voice she had heard before her rebirth.
Ancient.
Neither male nor female.
Powerful enough to make her blood run cold.
"Return what was stolen."
The voice vanished.
Silence rushed back.
Elara's heart hammered against her ribs.
Stolen?
What had been stolen?
And by whom?
A sudden sound interrupted her thoughts.
Footsteps.
Someone was approaching.
Quickly.
Elara spun around.
Prince Lucien emerged from between two bookshelves.
Of course.
Why was he always appearing at the worst possible moment?
His gaze moved from her face to the glowing symbol.
Then back again.
For the first time since she had known him—
The Crown Prince looked genuinely shocked.
"What did you do?" he demanded.
"I could ask you the same thing."
Lucien ignored the response.
He walked closer to the door.
The crimson markings immediately dimmed.
As if refusing to acknowledge him.
His eyes narrowed.
"You activated it."
Elara folded her arms.
"You know what this is."
It wasn't a question.
Lucien remained silent.
Which was answer enough.
Several moments passed.
Finally, the prince sighed.
"You should leave this alone."
Elara almost laughed.
"That sounds exactly like something a person hiding secrets would say."
His expression darkened.
"This isn't a game."
"Then tell me the truth."
"No."
The answer came immediately.
Firm.
Absolute.
Elara stared at him.
In her previous life, she would have backed down.
She would have accepted his authority.
His dismissal.
Not anymore.
"Then I'll discover it myself."
For a brief second, something flickered across Lucien's face.
Concern.
Real concern.
And somehow that frightened her more than anger.
Because Lucien Ravenshade rarely worried about anyone.
That evening, a storm rolled over the capital.
Dark clouds swallowed the sky.
Thunder echoed beyond the palace walls.
Elara stood by her window watching lightning split the heavens.
The empire felt different.
Restless.
Like a beast shifting in its sleep.
Then she noticed movement below.
A cloaked figure crossed the palace gardens.
Fast.
Purposeful.
Heading toward the restricted section beneath the library.
Elara's pulse quickened.
Whoever it was, they knew about the hidden door.
Without hesitation, she grabbed her cloak and slipped from her chamber.
The palace corridors were nearly empty.
Rain lashed against the windows.
Thunder shook the walls.
Elara followed the mysterious figure through shadowed hallways and forgotten passages.
Careful not to be seen.
Eventually, the stranger stopped before an old staircase leading underground.
Elara hid behind a stone pillar.
The figure removed something from their cloak.
A silver key.
Ancient.
Covered in the same crescent symbol.
The hidden door wasn't sealed.
It could be opened.
Before she could move closer—
The figure suddenly turned.
As if sensing her presence.
Elara held her breath.
Lightning flashed.
For a split second, she saw the stranger's face.
And her blood turned to ice.
Because she recognized them.
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
That person should have been dead.
Dead long before her first life had even begun.
Yet there they stood.
Alive.
Watching her.
A faint smile appeared on the stranger's lips.
Then the lights in the corridor went out.
Darkness swallowed everything.
And when the next flash of lightning illuminated the hallway—
The mysterious figure was gone.
Leaving behind only the silver key.
And a terrifying question.
If the dead could return...
Was Elara truly the only one who had been given a second chance?
End of Chapter 6
- Writer
