THE CRIMSON KING
The storm roared above Black Hollow Station.
Lightning illuminated the forest.
Thunder shook the earth.
And standing among the trees was the man from their nightmares.
The man with crimson eyes.
For several moments nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Nobody spoke.
Because his presence alone felt wrong.
The air around him seemed darker than the surrounding night.
As if shadows obeyed him.
As if darkness welcomed him.
---
Elias immediately stepped in front of the girls.
Protectively.
Instinctively.
The movement did not go unnoticed.
The crimson-eyed man smiled.
"A guardian until the very end."
His voice echoed unnaturally through the storm.
"How predictable."
---
Elias's expression hardened.
"Stay behind me."
He didn't take his eyes off the stranger.
The girls obeyed.
Not because they trusted Elias completely.
Because every instinct screamed that the man before them was dangerous.
---
The stranger slowly stepped forward.
Rain never touched him.
Each drop seemed to vanish before reaching his body.
A detail that made Riva's skin crawl.
---
"You've grown old, Elias."
The stranger laughed softly.
"And yet you're still carrying promises made by dead people."
---
"You should have stayed buried with the kingdom."
Elias replied.
---
For the first time, the stranger's smile faded.
Only slightly.
But enough.
Enough to reveal genuine hatred.
---
Eva tightened her grip on the compass.
The needle was spinning wildly.
Faster than ever before.
Almost as if it were afraid.
---
"Who are you?" Aarvi finally asked.
---
The stranger turned toward her.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Almost curiously.
---
Then he bowed.
Mockingly.
---
"My name is Kael."
---
The name echoed through the station.
Even the storm seemed to react.
---
"Once, I was known as the King's closest advisor."
---
Silence.
---
The girls froze.
Even Elias looked grim.
---
"I protected Aurelia."
Kael continued.
"I built Aurelia."
His crimson eyes brightened.
"And in the end, Aurelia betrayed me."
---
Lightning flashed.
For a brief second, anger appeared beneath his calm expression.
Real anger.
Ancient anger.
The kind that survives decades.
---
Riva suddenly experienced another vision.
A throne room.
A royal council.
A younger Kael standing beside the king.
Trusted.
Respected.
Powerful.
Then the vision shattered.
---
"He was part of Aurelia."
Riva whispered.
---
Kael smiled.
"Very good."
---
The girls exchanged uneasy glances.
This wasn't a monster from outside.
This was someone connected to their kingdom.
Someone who knew their past.
---
Suddenly the ancient symbol beneath Black Hollow Station began glowing again.
Brighter.
Stronger.
The ground trembled.
Cracks spread across the platform.
---
Elias's eyes widened.
"No..."
---
The station wasn't reacting to Kael.
It was reacting to the heirs.
---
Hidden beneath Black Hollow, something ancient was awakening.
Something Aurelia had left behind.
---
Kael noticed immediately.
His smile returned.
"Interesting."
---
For the first time, genuine surprise appeared on his face.
Even he hadn't expected this.
---
The station shook violently.
Stone collapsed.
A hidden chamber began opening beneath the platform.
Golden light spilled into the storm.
---
The girls stared.
Another secret.
Another clue.
Another piece of Aurelia.
---
Kael took a step toward the chamber.
Elias moved instantly.
Blocking his path.
---
The two men locked eyes.
Fifty years of history passing silently between them.
---
Then Kael laughed.
A cold, unsettling sound.
---
"Another time, Elias."
---
Dark shadows surrounded him.
The storm intensified.
And within seconds—
He vanished.
---
The forest became silent once more.
But his final words remained.
---
"Find the truth if you wish."
His voice echoed from the darkness.
"But be careful."
A pause followed.
Long.
Heavy.
---
"Some doors should never be opened."
---
Silence returned.
---
The girls stared at the newly revealed chamber beneath Black Hollow.
Elias stared at the place where Kael had disappeared.
And deep underground, hidden beneath decades of dust and forgotten history, another piece of Aurelia waited for them.
The journey had finally begun.