Chapter 17: The Book of Souls

The Eastern Tower had been sealed for a hundred years.

No servant was allowed near it. No noble was permitted to enter, and even the Imperial Guards avoided the ancient tower after sunset. Yet tonight, Evelina walked toward its massive black doors without hesitation.

The palace around her had fallen strangely quiet.

Prince Cedric had escaped.

The Emperor was trapped inside his own palace.

Princess Alice had disappeared.

And somewhere beneath the Imperial Palace, the secrets of the royal family were waiting to be uncovered.

Lucien walked beside Evelina, his ice-blue eyes watching every shadow.

Behind them, Corvin and two Raven's Eye agents followed silently.

Evelina stopped before the ancient doors.

“This tower has been hidden for a century,” she said, studying the strange symbols carved into the stone. “If my grandfather was imprisoned because he discovered the truth, then whatever is inside this place could explain everything—the royal blood pact, the Core Engine, and even why the System chose me.”

Lucien looked at the door.

“And if the truth is something you cannot handle?”

Evelina glanced at him with a faint smile.

“I have already discovered that my death was planned before I was even born. I don't think the truth can frighten me anymore.”

She placed her hand against the door.

The stone suddenly pulsed beneath her fingers.

THUMP.

Red light spread across the ancient carvings.

Then—

[BLOODLINE RECOGNIZED.]

[ROSENTHAL BLOODLINE CONFIRMED.]

[FORBIDDEN ARCHIVE ACCESS GRANTED.]

Lucien's expression darkened.

“It recognized you immediately.”

Evelina slowly lowered her hand.

“My family wasn't protecting this place.”

Her eyes became cold.

“They were guarding its secret.”

The massive doors opened.

A wave of freezing air rushed toward them.

Inside was complete darkness.

Lucien reached for his sword.

“I'll go first.”

Evelina caught his arm.

“No. This place responds to Rosenthal blood, which means if there is a trap inside, it was probably designed for someone like me.”

Lucien frowned.

“You say that as though it makes me less worried.”

“It should.”

“It doesn't.”

Evelina smiled.

“Then stay close.”

They entered the tower.

The doors slammed shut behind them.

BOOM.

Evelina raised one hand.

Purple flames appeared above her palm, lighting the ancient staircase.

They climbed higher.

One floor.

Two.

Three.

The temperature continued to drop.

Then a whisper moved through the darkness.

“Evelina…”

She stopped.

Lucien immediately turned toward the shadows.

“You heard that too?”

“Yes.”

Another whisper followed.

“Don't open the book.”

Evelina's eyes narrowed.

“Now I definitely want to open it.”

At the top of the tower, they found a massive circular chamber.

Hundreds of ancient books filled the shelves.

But Evelina's attention went directly to the center.

A single black book rested on a stone table.

Its cover looked like dark leather, but thin red lines moved across it like living veins.

Evelina approached.

“The Book of Souls.”

Lucien stood beside her.

“You're certain?”

“I've seen that symbol before.”

The System flickered.

[SPECIAL QUEST: THE BOOK OF SOULS.]

[OBJECTIVE: OPEN THE BOOK.]

[WARNING: MEMORY LOSS MAY OCCUR.]

Lucien caught her wrist.

“Evelina, whatever is inside that book could change everything we know about you, the royal family, and the System itself, so if there is even a small chance that opening it could harm you, we should find another way.”

Evelina looked into his eyes.

“I've spent my entire life being controlled by people who knew more than I did. If this book contains the truth, then I'm opening it. I would rather face a terrible truth than spend another day living inside someone else's lie.”

She placed her palm against the cover.

Pain suddenly pierced her hand.

A single drop of blood fell onto the book.

BOOM!

The tower shook.

The Book of Souls opened.

Its pages turned rapidly.

Hundreds of names appeared.

Thousands.

Nobles.

Mages.

Commoners.

Kings.

Children.

Every name had a date and a cause of death.

Evelina's expression slowly hardened.

“They were sacrifices.”

Lucien stared at the pages.

“To the Core Engine?”

“Yes.”

The pages suddenly stopped.

A completely blank page appeared.

Evelina touched it.

Letters slowly formed.

ROSENTHAL, EVELINA.

Her breath caught.

Below her name appeared another line.

YEAR 312 — SOUL HARVEST.

Evelina stared at it.

“That is impossible. I wasn't even born in Year 312.”

Another line appeared.

SOUL FRAGMENT: PRESERVED.

Then—

MEMORY: SEALED.

Lucien stepped closer.

“Evelina…”

She pressed her hand against her temple.

Suddenly, a memory flashed through her mind.

A white room.

Bright lights.

A strange machine.

A woman standing beside it.

Then a voice.

“Begin the transfer.”

Evelina gasped.

Lucien caught her before she fell.

“What did you see?”

She looked at him, shaken.

“I've seen the Core Engine before.”

His expression changed.

“Before you entered this world?”

Evelina nodded.

“Yes.”

The book suddenly slammed shut.

BANG!

A deep voice echoed through the chamber.

“You were never summoned.”

Evelina froze.

The voice continued.

“You returned.”

Lucien drew his sword.

“Show yourself!”

Nothing answered.

The book opened one final time.

A hidden page appeared.

At the top were six words.

THE FIRST SOUL RETURNED AFTER ONE HUNDRED YEARS.

Then another name appeared beneath it.

LUCIEN VALEMONT.

Evelina slowly turned toward him.

Lucien's face had gone completely pale.

“That cannot be possible.”

The page began to burn.

Before the flames consumed it, one final sentence appeared.

THE TWO SOULS MUST MEET BEFORE THE FINAL CHAPTER.

The page turned to ash.

Evelina stared at Lucien.

“This was never just a love story.”

Lucien reached for her hand.

“No matter how many times this world has repeated itself, I will not allow it to take you from me again.”

Evelina tightened her fingers around his.

“Then this time, we make sure there is no next cycle.”

The System suddenly appeared.

[HIDDEN TRUTH UNLOCKED.]

[ORIGINAL STORY STATUS: FALSE.]

[CYCLE NUMBER: 4.]

Evelina's eyes widened.

Then another message appeared.

[CRITICAL ERROR.]

[CORE ENGINE AWAKENING.]

The entire tower shook.

BOOM.

A second heartbeat echoed from beneath the palace.

BOOM.

The floor cracked.

Red light poured through the stone.

Lucien pulled Evelina closer.

“What is that?”

Evelina stared into the widening crack.

Her face turned pale.

“That isn't the Core Engine.”

A gigantic red eye opened beneath them.

Evelina's blood froze.

“The Core Engine is afraid of it.”

The System flickered violently.

[UNKNOWN ENTITY DETECTED.]

[DESIGNATION: THE AUTHOR.]

Then the creature beneath the palace spoke.

“Welcome home, Evelina.”

Her eyes widened.

The voice continued.

“We have been waiting one hundred years for you to return.”

The tower exploded with red light.

Evelina gripped Lucien's hand.

She had thought the System was her enemy.

She had thought the royal family was controlling the story.

She had thought she was rewriting her fate.

But now she understood the truth.

She had never escaped the story.

The story had been waiting for her.

And beneath the Imperial Palace—

the one who wrote her death had finally awakened.