Chapter 7: The Hidden Archives
1048 Words
Morning arrived beneath gray skies.
Dark clouds lingered above Silvercrest, casting long shadows across the kingdom.
The atmosphere throughout the palace felt tense.
Everyone had heard the rumors.
An army was approaching.
The mysterious girl from the Moon Grove remained within the palace.
And the Supreme Alpha had locked himself away with the kingdom's elders for most of the night.
Aria stood by her window, watching the clouds drift across the horizon.
Her thoughts remained trapped in the vision.
My child.
The woman's voice echoed repeatedly in her mind.
If that woman truly was her mother, then why couldn't she remember her?
Why couldn't she remember anything?
A knock sounded at the door.
Before Aria could answer, it opened.
Alpha Lucas stepped inside.
She immediately straightened.
The Alpha looked exhausted.
Dark circles lingered beneath his eyes.
He clearly hadn't slept much.
Neither had she.
"We're leaving," he said.
Aria blinked.
"What?"
"Get dressed."
Confusion crossed her face.
"Leaving where?"
Lucas turned toward the door.
"You'll see."
And with that, he walked away.
Aria stared after him.
For a ruler known for giving orders, he certainly enjoyed giving incomplete explanations.
---
Half an hour later, Aria followed Lucas through the palace.
The halls were unusually quiet.
Several guards accompanied them.
The deeper they traveled into the palace, the older everything became.
The polished walls gradually gave way to ancient stone.
Dust covered forgotten corridors.
Massive pillars stretched toward the ceiling.
Aria had never seen this part of the palace before.
Eventually, they stopped before an enormous stone door.
Ancient symbols covered its surface.
The markings glowed faintly silver.
Aria frowned.
Something about them felt familiar.
Almost as if she had seen them before.
Lucas noticed her reaction.
"You recognize them?"
Aria shook her head.
"No."
She hesitated.
"But they feel familiar."
Lucas exchanged a glance with Ethan.
The Beta looked concerned.
That wasn't a reassuring reaction.
The stone door slowly opened.
A rush of cool air escaped from within.
Aria's eyes widened.
Beyond the doorway stretched a vast underground library.
Thousands of shelves filled the enormous chamber.
Ancient books.
Scrolls.
Records.
Maps.
Some looked older than the kingdom itself.
"The Hidden Archives," Ethan said.
His voice echoed softly.
"Most people don't even know this place exists."
Aria slowly turned in a circle.
The sight was breathtaking.
"Why bring me here?"
Lucas began walking.
"Because answers might exist somewhere in this room."
Aria hurried after him.
Several elders waited deeper within the archives.
Among them stood Elder Magnus.
The old man looked as though he had aged ten years overnight.
Piles of books surrounded him.
"We found something," Magnus announced.
Lucas immediately became serious.
"What?"
The elder opened an ancient manuscript.
Its pages appeared fragile with age.
"The royal bloodline."
Aria froze.
Royal bloodline?
Magnus looked at her.
"Over one thousand years ago, before Silvercrest existed, the werewolf realm was ruled by the House of Luna."
The name sent a strange shiver through Aria.
"Their descendants were known as Moon Heirs."
Silence filled the archives.
Aria's heart skipped a beat.
Moon Heir.
The same title Damon had used.
Magnus continued.
"The bloodline possessed unique abilities connected to ancient magic."
"What happened to them?" Aria asked.
The elder's expression darkened.
"They disappeared."
"Disappeared?"
"No one knows exactly how."
Magnus closed the manuscript.
"Some records claim they were betrayed."
"Others claim they sacrificed themselves."
"And some claim they were hunted."
The final words echoed through the chamber.
Aria felt cold.
Very cold.
Lucas folded his arms.
"Show her."
Magnus nodded.
The elder opened another book.
Inside was a faded illustration.
Aria leaned closer.
The moment she saw the image, her breath caught.
The woman.
The woman from her vision.
The same silver hair.
The same glowing eyes.
The same face.
Aria staggered backward.
"No..."
Ethan immediately stepped forward.
"Aria?"
Her hands trembled.
"That's her."
Everyone froze.
Magnus stared.
"Who?"
"The woman I saw."
The elder's face lost color.
Slowly, he lowered his gaze toward the name beneath the illustration.
A name written in ancient ink.
Queen Selene Luna.
The Last Moon Queen.
The room became deathly silent.
Aria stared at the image.
Her pulse thundered in her ears.
The woman from her vision wasn't just anyone.
She was a queen.
A queen who had lived centuries ago.
Which made absolutely no sense.
Lucas's expression darkened.
The situation was becoming more impossible by the minute.
Suddenly—
A loud alarm echoed throughout the palace.
Everyone jumped.
The sound was urgent.
Danger.
Immediate danger.
A guard burst into the archives.
His breathing was ragged.
"Alpha!"
Lucas turned instantly.
"What happened?"
"The eastern watchtowers have reported movement."
The guard swallowed hard.
"The Crimson Claw army has arrived."
Silence.
Then chaos.
Ethan cursed.
Several elders stood abruptly.
Magnus nearly dropped his book.
Aria felt her stomach sink.
They were here.
Two days earlier than expected.
Lucas's silver eyes hardened.
"How many?"
"More than five thousand warriors."
The room fell silent.
Five thousand.
An army large enough to threaten entire kingdoms.
Lucas moved immediately.
His voice became that of the Supreme Alpha.
Cold.
Precise.
Absolute.
"Prepare the palace defenses."
"Yes, Alpha."
"Mobilize every warrior."
"At once."
"Close the city gates."
The guard hurried away.
Within seconds, the palace erupted into activity.
Lucas turned toward Aria.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
"You'll remain inside the palace."
Aria shook her head.
"No."
The answer surprised everyone.
Including herself.
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"I'm tired of hiding."
The words escaped before she could stop them.
For the first time, anger burned through her fear.
People wanted her.
People fought over her.
Prophecies surrounded her.
Yet she remained completely ignorant.
"No more secrets."
Lucas stared at her.
The determination in her eyes caught him off guard.
For someone who couldn't remember her past, she possessed remarkable courage.
Or recklessness.
Possibly both.
Before he could respond, the ground suddenly trembled.
A violent shockwave rippled through the archives.
Books fell from shelves.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Aria nearly lost her balance.
The ancient symbols carved into the walls began glowing silver.
Every person in the room froze.
Magnus looked horrified.
"No..."
Another tremor shook the chamber.
Far beneath the palace, something ancient stirred.
Something powerful.
Something imprisoned.
The Shadow Seal had cracked again.
And this time...
Everyone felt it.
- Writer
