The Queen's Hidden Chamber

The golden door opened slowly.

A deep sound rolled through the underground chamber as ancient locks released one after another.

Aria stood completely still.

Behind her, Kael watched the First King carefully.

The First Guardian remained several steps away, his expression filled with regret.

Then the door opened completely.

A wave of warm golden light rushed through the passage.

Aria shielded her eyes.

When the light faded, she saw a chamber unlike anything she had ever seen.

The walls were covered with enormous paintings.

There was a woman wearing a crown.

A great wolf stood beside her.

Behind them was a kingdom surrounded by golden mountains.

And above them all was a strange symbol divided into three parts.

Aria stepped inside.

“Is this where the First Queen lived?”

The First Guardian nodded.

“Yes.”

Kael followed her.

“What happened to this place?”

“It was sealed when she disappeared.”

Aria walked toward the largest painting.

The woman in the painting looked exactly like the woman she had seen in her visions.

The First Queen.

Aria reached toward the painting.

The moment her fingers touched it, the room changed.

The walls disappeared.

The floor vanished.

Suddenly Aria was standing somewhere else.

A vast golden kingdom stretched before her.

Thousands of wolves stood in the distance.

At the center stood the First Queen.

Beside her was the First Guardian.

But there was another figure.

A man wearing a black crown.

Aria recognized him immediately.

The First King.

The Queen turned toward him.

“You cannot keep doing this.”

The First King smiled.

“The First World belongs to us.”

“It belongs to everyone.”

“No.”

His voice was cold.

“It belongs to those strong enough to rule it.”

Aria watched helplessly.

The First Queen raised her hand.

A golden barrier appeared between them.

“You will not control the bloodlines anymore.”

The First King laughed.

“You think your power is enough to stop me?”

The First Guardian stepped forward.

“I will help her.”

The First King looked at him.

“You?”

The Guardian's expression hardened.

“Yes.”

The vision suddenly changed.

The First Queen was standing before a massive door.

The same door Aria had just entered.

The Guardian stood beside her.

She looked at him.

“If I fail, you must protect the key.”

“I swear.”

“You must never open this door again.”

“I promise.”

The vision faded.

Aria returned to the chamber.

She stumbled backward.

Kael caught her arm.

“Aria!”

She breathed heavily.

“I saw them.”

“The First Queen?”

“And the First Guardian.”

Kael looked toward the Guardian.

“What did you see?”

The Guardian didn't answer.

Aria stared at him.

“You promised her.”

The Guardian lowered his head.

“Yes.”

“You promised never to open the door again.”

“Yes.”

“Then why did you?”

The Guardian's eyes filled with sorrow.

“Because I believed the First King was gone.”

Kael frowned.

“You thought he had been destroyed?”

“No.”

The Guardian looked toward the golden door.

“I thought the seal would hold forever.”

A voice came from the entrance.

“It would have.”

Everyone turned.

The First King stood there.

“But the Forbidden Bride changed everything.”

Kael stepped forward.

“Stay away from her.”

The First King ignored him.

He looked directly at Aria.

“You have her eyes.”

Aria's expression hardened.

“I am not her.”

“No.”

He smiled.

“You are something she could never become.”

Aria felt a strange pressure in the room.

“What do you mean?”

“You are the final choice.”

The First King stepped closer.

“The First Queen believed blood determined destiny.”

Aria shook her head.

“She wanted freedom.”

“She wanted freedom for herself.”

“No.”

“She wanted freedom for the world.”

The First King laughed.

“And look where that brought her.”

Aria remained silent.

The First King pointed toward the walls.

“Do you know why she hid this chamber?”

“To protect the key.”

“Yes.”

“What key?”

The First King looked at the symbol on the wall.

“You.”

Aria froze.

Kael immediately stepped between them.

“You keep saying that.”

“Because it is true.”

The First King raised his hand.

The symbol on the wall began glowing.

Three circles appeared.

One gold.

One silver.

One black.

The First Guardian stepped backward.

“No.”

Aria looked at him.

“What is it?”

“The Three Blood Seal.”

Kael stared at the symbols.

“Explain.”

The Guardian pointed toward the golden circle.

“The Queen.”

Then the silver.

“The Guardian.”

Finally the black.

“The King.”

Aria's eyes widened.

“Three bloodlines.”

“Yes.”

The First King smiled.

“Three powers.”

The Guardian continued.

“If all three are awakened, the First World can be completely opened.”

Kael looked toward the First King.

“That's what you want.”

“It is what I was created to do.”

Aria frowned.

“Created?”

The First King became silent.

For the first time, something changed in his expression.

The First Guardian spoke.

“He wasn't born like us.”

Aria turned toward him.

“What?”

“He was created by the First World.”

The First King looked away.

“I was its first ruler.”

“And its first prisoner,” the Guardian added.

The First King glared at him.

“You know nothing.”

“I know what happened.”

“Then tell her.”

The Guardian remained silent.

Aria stepped forward.

“Tell me.”

The Guardian sighed.

“The First World was created as a sanctuary for the ancient bloodlines.”

He paused.

“But the rulers became afraid that ordinary wolves and humans would eventually become stronger than them.”

“So they changed it?”

“Yes.”

“They turned it into a kingdom ruled by ancient blood.”

The Guardian nodded.

“And the First King became its ruler.”

Aria looked at the First King.

“Why did you want to leave?”

His expression darkened.

“Because they turned their sanctuary into a prison.”

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then the First King continued.

“I tried to break the system.”

“And they stopped you?”

“They sealed me.”

The First Guardian looked down.

“We sealed you.”

The First King laughed bitterly.

“You did more than that.”

Aria looked at the Guardian.

“What did you do?”

“We divided his power.”

“How?”

“His power was placed into three bloodlines.”

Aria looked at the symbols.

“The Queen.”

“The Guardian.”

“And the King.”

The First King nodded.

“And now those bloodlines have returned.”

Kael looked at Aria.

“That's why they want us.”

“No,” the First King said.

“They want her.”

Aria's eyes narrowed.

“Why me?”

“Because you are the first person born carrying the Queen's blood who also possesses the ability to choose.”

“What does that mean?”

“You are not bound by the ancient laws.”

Aria slowly understood.

“That is why the prophecy changed.”

“Yes.”

“The prophecy isn't controlling me.”

“No.”

“You're afraid I can change it.”

The First King smiled.

“Now you understand.”

Suddenly, the entire chamber shook.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Kael immediately moved beside Aria.

“What was that?”

The First Guardian looked toward the entrance.

“The Firstborns.”

The First King smiled.

“They have reached the lower gates.”

Kael's eyes hardened.

“How many?”

“All of them.”

Aria looked toward the door.

“Then we need to find the Queen's secret.”

The First Guardian nodded.

“There must be something else in this chamber.”

Aria looked around.

The walls were filled with symbols.

But one painting caught her attention.

It showed the First Queen standing beside two children.

Aria walked toward it.

“Wait.”

Kael followed her.

“What's wrong?”

She pointed.

“Those children.”

The First Guardian stared.

His expression changed completely.

“What?”

Aria looked at him.

“Who are they?”

He didn't answer.

“Tell me.”

The Guardian finally whispered:

“The Queen's children.”

Aria's eyes widened.

“She had children?”

“Yes.”

“Where are they?”

“They disappeared.”

The First King looked at the painting.

“No.”

Everyone turned toward him.

“They didn't disappear.”

Aria's heart began beating faster.

“Then where are they?”

The First King looked at her.

“One of them became the First Guardian.”

Aria stared at him.

Kael's eyes widened.

“You?”

The First Guardian lowered his head.

“Yes.”

Aria stepped backward.

“You're her son?”

“I was.”

“And the other child?”

The First King remained silent.

Aria looked at him.

“You know.”

“Yes.”

“Who is it?”

The First King smiled.

“You already know.”

Aria's face went pale.

“No.”

The First King pointed toward Kael.

Kael froze.

“Me?”

The Guardian looked at Kael.

“You carry his blood.”

Kael shook his head.

“That's impossible.”

“It isn't.”

The First King laughed softly.

“The First Queen had two children.”

“One became the Guardian.”

“The other became the First Alpha.”

Kael's eyes widened.

“That means…”

The Guardian nodded.

“You are his descendant.”

Aria stared at Kael.

The truth connected everything.

The First Alpha's blood.

The First Guardian's blood.

The First Queen's blood.

The forbidden bond.

The prophecy.

The twins.

Everything.

The chamber suddenly became brighter.

The Three Blood Seal appeared beneath Aria and Kael.

Golden light surrounded Aria.

Silver light surrounded Kael.

And black light rose from the floor.

The First King stepped backward.

“No.”

Aria looked at him.

“What happened?”

His expression had changed.

Fear filled his eyes.

“The seal is choosing.”

“Choosing what?”

The First Guardian looked at the symbols.

“The future.”

The black light moved toward Aria.

Kael grabbed her hand.

“Aria!”

She held on tightly.

The First King shouted:

“LET HER GO!”

Kael refused.

The chamber shook violently.

A voice echoed through the room.

Not the First King's.

Not the Guardian's.

The First Queen's.

“The choice belongs to the Bride.”

Aria looked toward the painting.

The woman's eyes seemed to glow.

The voice continued.

“Do not allow the First World to choose your children's future.”

Aria's eyes filled with determination.

“I won't.”

The First King stepped forward.

“You don't understand what you're doing.”

“I understand enough.”

“If you destroy the First World, you will destroy everything connected to it.”

Aria hesitated.

Kael looked at her.

“Then we find another way.”

The First Guardian suddenly noticed something beneath the painting.

“There!”

A small golden compartment had opened in the wall.

Inside was a single object.

A crown.

But it wasn't an ordinary crown.

It was divided into three sections.

Gold.

Silver.

Black.

The Guardian whispered:

“The Crown of Choice.”

The First King immediately moved toward it.

“Don't touch it!”

Aria reached it first.

The moment her fingers touched the crown, the chamber went silent.

The crown disappeared.

Aria gasped.

“Where did it go?”

The First Guardian looked at her hand.

A new mark had appeared on her palm.

The First King stared at it.

“No…”

Kael looked at the mark.

“What is it?”

The Guardian answered quietly.

“She has taken the crown.”

Aria looked at her palm.

“I don't feel anything.”

The First King stepped backward.

“You have no idea what you've awakened.”

Suddenly, a tremendous roar came from above.

The chamber doors began shaking.

The Firstborns had arrived.

Kael raised his weapon.

“We deal with them first.”

The First Guardian nodded.

“But we must leave this chamber.”

Aria looked toward the passage.

“Why?”

“Because the moment you touched the crown, every ancient bloodline in the world felt it.”

Kael looked at her.

“They'll come for her.”

The First King smiled again.

“No.”

Aria turned toward him.

“They will come for the crown.”

The chamber doors burst open.

A wave of darkness entered.

The Firstborns stood beyond the doorway.

Draven stepped forward.

His eyes were fixed on Aria's hand.

“The crown has chosen.”

Aria stood beside Kael.

Draven raised his weapon.

“Then the hunt begins.”

Kael stepped forward.

“You'll have to go through me.”

Draven smiled.

“That is exactly what we came for.”

The battle beneath Blackwood was about to begin.

And somewhere far beyond the First Gate, something even older had awakened.