Chapter 12: The Traitor's Mask
954 Words
The next morning, Rayna gathered Darius and Adrian in one of the palace's hidden libraries.
Ancient books lined the shelves from floor to ceiling.
Dust danced through the beams of sunlight.
Most importantly, nobody would overhear them.
Rayna spread a map across the table.
"The tower was here."
She pointed to a location deep within the Blackwood Forest.
Darius studied it carefully.
"An abandoned watchtower."
Adrian frowned.
"That's where the vision showed the Shadow Hunters?"
Rayna nodded.
"Then that's where we're going."
By sunset, the three of them had slipped away from the palace.
Only a handful of trusted companions accompanied them.
The fewer people who knew, the better.
The forest grew darker as they traveled.
Twisted branches stretched overhead like skeletal fingers.
An uneasy silence settled over the group.
Even the birds seemed absent.
Finally, after several hours, they saw it.
The ruined tower.
Exactly as it had appeared in the vision.
Broken stone walls rose above the trees.
Vines crawled across ancient masonry.
And hanging from one shattered window was a black banner marked with a crimson eye.
"The vision was right," Adrian whispered.
Darius drew his sword.
"Stay alert."
They approached cautiously.
No guards.
No movement.
Nothing.
Which somehow felt worse.
Inside, the tower appeared abandoned.
Dust covered the floors.
Broken furniture lay scattered everywhere.
Yet something felt wrong.
Rayna could sense it.
As if unseen eyes were watching them.
Then Adrian knelt near a fireplace.
"Found something."
He held up a piece of black cloth.
Shadow Hunter fabric.
Fresh.
Not old.
Someone had been here recently.
Darius searched the room carefully.
His golden eyes narrowed.
"There."
A loose stone.
Together they pulled it free.
Behind it was a hidden compartment.
Inside rested dozens of documents.
Maps.
Messages.
Orders.
Evidence.
Enough evidence to expose the Shadow Hunters.
Rayna's heart raced.
"We did it."
Darius wasn't smiling.
Instead, he looked troubled.
Very troubled.
"What is it?" Rayna asked.
He handed her one of the documents.
The signature at the bottom froze her blood.
General Kael Blackthorn.
"No."
Rayna stared at the page.
Again.
And again.
The signature remained the same.
General Kael.
Commander of the Moonclaw Army.
One of Alpha King Lucian's most trusted advisors.
"It has to be forged," Adrian said.
But even he sounded uncertain.
The documents were detailed.
Too detailed.
Supply routes.
Patrol schedules.
Secret military information.
Information only a high-ranking officer would possess.
Darius clenched his fists.
"I trusted him."
Before anyone could speak again, a slow clap echoed through the tower.
The sound came from above.
Everyone looked up.
A figure stood on the second-floor balcony.
General Kael Blackthorn.
The real one.
His expression was calm.
Almost disappointed.
"I had hoped you wouldn't find this place."
The room instantly erupted into tension.
Moonclaw warriors raised their weapons.
Kael remained completely relaxed.
As though he had expected this moment for a long time.
"Why?" Darius demanded.
Kael's eyes softened briefly.
"Because I was trying to save our people."
"By murdering innocents?"
Kael's jaw tightened.
"You don't understand."
"Then explain."
For several moments, Kael said nothing.
Then he finally spoke.
"The prophecy is dangerous."
Rayna frowned.
"What does that have to do with any of this?"
"Everything."
Kael descended the stairs slowly.
"The last time humans and werewolves trusted one another, it ended in war."
"That was centuries ago," Darius replied.
"And history repeats itself."
Kael stopped in front of them.
"The Dark Sorcerer approached me years ago."
The confession stunned everyone.
"He promised peace."
Darius looked horrified.
"You believed him?"
"No."
Kael's eyes darkened.
"But I believed the prophecy would destroy us."
Rayna felt cold.
The betrayal hurt even more because it wasn't motivated by greed.
Or power.
Kael genuinely believed he was doing the right thing.
Which made him even more dangerous.
Suddenly, the tower shook violently.
Everyone froze.
A second tremor followed.
Then a third.
Kael's expression changed.
Confusion.
Fear.
"No..."
Darius noticed immediately.
"You didn't do that?"
Before Kael could answer, the ceiling exploded.
Dark energy poured into the tower.
The walls cracked.
Stone shattered.
Shadow Hunters emerged from every direction.
And standing among them was the masked leader.
The same one who had attacked the palace.
The same one who served the Dark Sorcerer.
He laughed.
Cold and cruel.
"Thank you, General."
Kael stared at him.
"You said nobody would be harmed."
The masked leader removed his mask.
A scarred smile appeared beneath it.
"Did you really believe that?"
Kael's face went pale.
At last, he understood.
He had never been a partner.
Only a pawn.
The Shadow Hunters surrounded everyone.
Weapons gleamed.
Dark magic filled the air.
The tower began collapsing around them.
Rayna's pendant glowed brightly.
The Moon Heir's power sensed the danger.
But before she could act, the masked leader pointed directly at her.
"Take the girl."
The hunters charged.
Darius stepped forward instantly.
His sword flashed.
Moonclaw warriors joined the fight.
Steel collided.
Magic exploded.
The tower descended into chaos.
Amid the battle, Kael made a choice.
A choice nobody expected.
He drew his weapon.
And stood beside Darius.
"What are you doing?" Darius shouted.
Kael blocked a hunter's strike.
"Making up for my mistakes."
For the first time in years, the general and the prince fought side by side.
Against a common enemy.
Against the darkness Kael had helped unleash.
As the battle raged, Rayna noticed something terrifying.
The tower wasn't simply collapsing.
Dark magic was destroying its foundations.
Within minutes, the entire structure would fall.
And everyone inside would die.
"We have to get out!" Adrian yelled.
The floor cracked beneath them.
Stone rained from above.
The masked leader smiled.
Exactly as planned.
If he couldn't capture the Moon Heir...
He would bury her.
Alive.
To be continued...
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