The island was silent.
Too silent.
Leonhardt stood at the edge of the forest, staring toward the ruins that had once hidden the ancient dungeon.
Behind him, the others were preparing their equipment.
The battle with Kael had ended.
But something still bothered him.
Kael had not come to the island by accident.
He had been waiting for them.
And there was something else.
During the battle, Leonhardt's Eye of Destiny had shown him something he couldn't explain.
For a brief moment, he had seen beyond Kael's movements.
He had seen something hidden inside him.
A strange energy.
An ancient presence.
And when their swords had clashed, Leonhardt had felt something react.
Not Kael.
The ruins.
Leonhardt slowly touched his eye.
The Eye of Destiny was quiet now.
But he could still feel it.
A faint pulse.
Like a heartbeat.
—Are you planning to stare at those ruins all night?
Saya's voice came from behind him.
Leonhardt turned.
She stood with her arms crossed, her daggers secured at her waist.
—I'm thinking.
—That's dangerous.
Leonhardt raised an eyebrow.
Saya smiled.
—What?
—Nothing.
Evelyn approached them, carrying her bow.
—Leonhardt is right.
Saya looked at her.
—About what?
—Something is wrong with this island.
Victoria joined them.
Her expression was serious.
—Kael wasn't interested in fighting us.
Leonhardt nodded.
—He wanted something.
—And he didn't get it —Victoria said.
Leonhardt looked back toward the ruins.
—Are we sure about that?
The three girls looked at him.
Leonhardt took Fate's Edge from its sheath.
The blade gave off a faint glow.
—When I fought Kael, my Eye of Destiny reacted.
Evelyn's expression changed.
—Reacted?
—Yes.
Leonhardt closed his eyes.
—I felt something coming from beneath the ruins.
Saya frowned.
—You mean there's something else down there?
—I don't know.
Victoria looked toward the ruins.
—Then we should find out.
Evelyn hesitated.
—The dungeon almost killed us the first time.
Saya smiled.
—Which means the second time should be easier.
Evelyn stared at her.
—That's not how it works.
—It is if we're lucky.
Leonhardt sighed.
—We're going back.
The group entered the ruins once again.
The path was different now.
The battle had destroyed parts of the dungeon, but the deeper corridors remained intact.
The air was colder.
The walls were covered in ancient symbols.
Leonhardt's Eye of Destiny activated.
The symbols began to glow.
He stopped.
—Wait.
The others stopped as well.
Leonhardt stared at the wall.
—I've seen this before.
Victoria approached.
—Where?
Leonhardt pointed toward a symbol.
An eye surrounded by several lines.
—During my battle with Kael.
Evelyn looked at the symbol.
—What does it mean?
—I don't know.
Leonhardt touched it.
The moment his fingers made contact, his vision disappeared.
He saw darkness.
Then…
A battlefield.
Thousands of soldiers were fighting.
The sky was covered in black clouds.
In the middle of the battlefield stood a lone warrior.
Leonhardt couldn't see his face.
But he could see his eyes.
They were glowing.
The same golden light as his own.
The warrior raised his hand.
The entire battlefield froze.
Then the vision vanished.
Leonhardt pulled his hand away.
He stumbled backward.
Victoria caught him.
—Leonhardt!
He opened his eyes.
Evelyn was staring at him.
—What did you see?
Leonhardt breathed heavily.
—Someone.
—Who?
—I don't know.
Saya looked at the wall.
—But you recognized him.
Leonhardt was silent.
Because she was right.
He had recognized the feeling.
The power.
The presence.
It was the same thing he felt whenever his Eye of Destiny awakened.
—This power…
Leonhardt looked at his hand.
—It wasn't the first time I've seen it.
Victoria's expression became serious.
—What do you mean?
Leonhardt looked toward the deeper corridor.
—I think I've been here before.
Everyone froze.
Evelyn stared at him.
—But you said you've never been to this island.
—I know.
Leonhardt's voice became quieter.
—That's what scares me.
Suddenly…
A loud noise echoed through the dungeon.
BOOM!
The entire corridor shook.
Saya immediately drew her daggers.
—We're not alone.
Leonhardt activated his Eye.
Several energy signatures appeared ahead.
—They're coming.
Three creatures emerged from the darkness.
Unlike the stone guardians they had fought before, these creatures were covered in black armor.
Their eyes glowed red.
Leonhardt raised his sword.
—Stay behind me.
The creatures charged.
Leonhardt moved.
His sword cut through the first one's chest.
But instead of falling, the creature regenerated.
Leonhardt's eyes widened.
—Regeneration.
Saya appeared beside him.
—Then let's cut it faster.
She attacked.
Evelyn fired several enchanted arrows.
Victoria moved forward.
The battle erupted.
The creatures were powerful.
But Leonhardt had something they didn't.
His Eye.
He activated it completely.
The world slowed.
He could see their movements.
Their attacks.
Their energy.
Then he noticed something.
The creatures weren't protecting themselves.
They were protecting something behind them.
Leonhardt looked beyond them.
There was a door.
A massive stone door.
And engraved upon it…
Was the same symbol.
The Eye.
—Everyone!
Leonhardt shouted.
—Don't kill them!
Saya stopped.
—What?
—They're guarding the door!
Victoria understood immediately.
—Then we go around them.
The group changed tactics.
Instead of defeating the creatures, they pushed past them.
Leonhardt reached the door.
His Eye of Destiny activated.
A strange sensation spread through his body.
The door responded.
The symbol began to glow.
Leonhardt placed his hand against it.
The stone moved.
Slowly.
The door opened.
And behind it…
Was a chamber.
At its center stood a giant statue.
A warrior.
With a sword in one hand.
And an eye carved into his forehead.
Leonhardt froze.
He knew that face.
Not from memory.
But from his vision.
The same warrior.
The same eyes.
The same power.
—Leonhardt…
Evelyn's voice was barely a whisper.
He stepped forward.
The statue suddenly spoke.
Its voice echoed through the chamber.
—Bearer of the Eye.
Leonhardt stopped.
—Who are you?
The statue's eyes began to glow.
—That is the question you must answer yourself.
Leonhardt tightened his grip on Fate's Edge.
—Why do you know me?
The statue remained silent.
Then a pulse of energy spread through the chamber.
Leonhardt's Eye of Destiny activated.
Images flooded his mind.
A child.
A battlefield.
A sword.
A woman holding him.
A voice.
"Your destiny is not yours to choose."
Leonhardt fell to his knees.
—Stop!
The vision vanished.
The statue spoke again.
—The Eye has awakened.
Leonhardt slowly stood.
—What does that mean?
The statue's voice became quieter.
—The one who sealed the Eye has failed.
Leonhardt froze.
—Sealed?
The statue disappeared.
The chamber went dark.
Only one sentence remained.
—When the Eye opens completely, the forgotten will return.
Silence.
Then the entire ruin began to shake.
Victoria looked around.
—We need to leave.
Leonhardt stared at the statue.
—What did it mean?
Saya grabbed his arm.
—You can figure that out later.
They ran.
Behind them, the ancient chamber began to collapse.
But Leonhardt had one thought.
Someone had sealed the Eye of Destiny.
And whoever had done it…
Had expected him to awaken it one day.
Outside the ruins, Leonhardt looked back.
The island was silent once again.
But deep beneath the earth…
Something had awakened.
And somewhere far away…
Kael opened his eyes.
He had felt it.
The same power.
The same presence.
He smiled.
—So it has begun.
(Sorry for being away and not uploading a chapter for so long; I had a lot of problems and a million things to do.)