The echo of the voice still lingered.
"Little Flame…Your death is coming."
Lina's blood ran cold.
Kai immediately pulled her behind him, shadow aura curling violently from his arms.
"Show yourself," he growled into the darkness."Come out. NOW."
The chamber trembled.
Dust cascaded from the ceiling.Cracks spiderwebbed through the runes.
Reyon raised a hand. "Kai, I don't think taunting the giant evil thing under the school is the best play—"
Before he could finish—
A pulse of pure pressure slammed through the chamber.
Lina gasped, falling to her knees.Her flame roared inside her chest, bursting chaotically.
Kai dropped beside her instantly."LINA—!"
She clutched her head. "It's— it's reacting to me— to it—"
Seren flinched, pressing her hands over her ears as voices shrieked through her psyche.
"Kai, Reyon— its resonance— it's— it's not human— it's not even alive— it's—"
Her voice broke into a sob.
"It's ancient."
Reyon swallowed hard. "Ancient like… what, old council magic?"
Seren shook her head slowly.
Her voice came out hollow.
"No.Ancient like… older than the Academy.Older than the kingdom.Older than us."
The chamber lights flickered—
A shadow appeared on the far wall.
Not cast by them.Cast by something beneath them.
A towering shape.Long, skeletal limbs.A head with no features—only a crown of runes carved into its silhouette.
Lina grabbed Kai's wrist."Kai… what is that—?"
Kai wrapped his arm around her, pulling her against him."Stay behind me."
But his voice wasn't steady.
Reyon's illusions trembled uncontrollably—and for a moment, his illusions projected the shadow accurately.
Seren screamed.Reyon's face drained of color.
"Oh hell no— no no no— that thing is NOT meant to exist—"
Kai didn't look away from it."What… did the academy seal?"
The shadow didn't move.
It simply watched.
Then it spoke again.
Not through the air.
Through Lina.
Her body jolted forward—Her flame surged—Her eyes widened—And a voice slipped through her lips:
"They built this school to contain me."
Lina's hands flew to her throat."No—stop—STOP—get out—!"
Kai grabbed her shoulders, shaking, terrified."LINA—FOCUS—LOOK AT ME—"
Her flame flared violently in response to him.The voice withdrew from her like a wisp of smoke—
But the shadow grew clearer.
"You are the last key, Little Flame."
Lina trembled."I'm not your key. I won't open anything."
"You do not choose your purpose."
Kai stepped forward, Shadowsteel erupting around him."She chooses EVERYTHING."
The entire chamber shook as if reacting to him.
The shadow tilted its faceless head.
"Oathbreaker…your shadow is cracking."
Kai stiffened.
Reyon whispered, "Kai… your aura—"
Kai looked down.
His own Shadowsteel was… bleeding.Leaking from him like liquid night, pooling at his feet.
Seren gasped. "He's destabilizing— our proximity to this thing is tearing his resonance apart—!"
Lina reached for him immediately.
"Kai, stay with me— look at me— not it."
He met her eyes.
His breathing steadied—but only barely.
The shadow spoke again.
"The first prophecy tear has fallen.The second begins now."
Seren jerked upright as another prophecy line crashed into her mind.
Her voice echoed like multiple people speaking at once.
"When the ancient stirs,one truth will rot.One bond will crack.One heart will lie."
Lina's breath stopped.
Kai grabbed her hand instantly."No. NO. We are not doing this again.Not lies, not illusions— NOTHING breaks us."
But the prophecy wasn't done.
Seren choked, gripping Reyon's arm.
"And betrayal will wear the face you trust."
Silence.
Dead, crushing silence.
Reyon whispered, "Okay, cool, love that. Betrayal. Perfect. Who? Which one of us?"
Seren shook uncontrollably.
"I don't know.I don't know…I can't see who.It's hidden."
Kai looked at Lina.Lina looked at Kai.
And something icy crept through both of them.
The entity beneath the academy exhaled, a rumble like ancient stone grinding.
"The traitor is chosen."
Lina's flame shrieked inside her chest.
Kai's Shadowsteel surged dangerously.
Reyon stepped in front of both Lina and Kai, hands glowing with illusion-light.
"Guys.We need to MOVE.Now."
Seren staggered toward the door."This entire wing is destabilizing— we're going to be crushed—!"
The chamber ceiling cracked.
Runes exploded.
The shadow expanded—
Kai scooped Lina up, lifting her into his arms before she could protest.
"Kai—I can run—"
"Not fast enough," he said, voice raw."Hold on to me."
Reyon grabbed Seren's hand.
"Move, move, MOVE!"
The four sprinted down the Archives corridor as the chamber behind them collapsed in a wave of roar, dust, and darkness.
Just before the tunnel collapsed completely—Lina heard the entity whisper one final sentence:
"The traitor walks with you."
The tunnel sealed.
Darkness swallowed the Archives behind them.
Lina's heart pounded.
Kai tightened his grip around her.
Reyon and Seren stood panting beside them.
Silence.
And then—
Reyon whispered the words they all feared:
"…Which one of us is it?"
To be Continued© Kishtika., 2025All rights reserved.