CHAPTER SIX: THE LOST HEIR

The creature didn't move at all.

It kept staring at us in a scary way.

The silver dust kept drifting from its antlers dripping to the ground

It was beautiful and terrifying at the same time.Karl moved slowly to me shielding me with his body.

“Don't stare,don't look into its eyes.”

I felt a burning sensation down my throat.

“Help…me,I can't”

The creature kept staring at me. 

It felt like it was reading me.

Every thought in my head. 

It was studying my moves.

Waiting.

Then I heard the voice again.

Inside my mind.

You carry what has been stolen.

A sharp pain exploded behind my eyes.

I staggered backward, clutching my head.

“No...that's not true?"

Karl grabbed me before I could fall.

"Liam!"

The forest vanished

I heard his voice echoeing.

For a split second. 

I wasn't standing in the Moon Realm anymore.

I was somewhere else.

A grand hall stood before me in old white carvings and with white pebbles that shimmered beneath the sky.Towering sculpted wolf creatures and strange human like statues lined in the long corridor, each engraved with Celtic, moon, and stars.

People ran in every direction.

Some carried swords.

Others were screaming.

A woman dressed in flowing silver robes turned toward me.

Her long blue hair let down.

Her ocean eyes ...

They were the same shade as mine.

She was heading towards my direction the she said

"Run."

The single word echoed through the hall.

Behind her came a terrible roar.Silhouttes of these figures showing as they come out moving sneakily in the dark, their silver armor stained with blood.The strange symbol on their shields caught my attention immediately.

A crescent moon pierced by a sword.The same type of symbol Karl shows me in the treehouse.

It was the Order of the Silver Knights.

The woman looked back at me for one last time.

“They must never set their eyes on the heir”

My pulse quickened.

Everything shattered.

I stumbled on the ground, gasping for air"

The vision disappeared as fast as it had appeared 

I could feel cold sweat all over my skin.

Karl was right there, kneeling down beside me.

“Liam!”

“I'm..okayy...Its fine.”

“No you're not, don't tell me that.”

His hands trshaling as he searched all over my face.

“What happened?”

I opened my mouth 

No words 

Nothing came out.

How would I explain something I barely even knew or understood.

"I saw..."

My voice shaking.

"I saw people."

Karl frowned.

"What kind of people?"

"A strange woman"

His expression hardened 

"What kind of woman?"

"I don't know, she looked very strange though."

I squeezed my eyes,trying to remember how she looked like exactly in my head.

"She stared at me for a long time...like she knew me."

Karl's breathing was .

"What else did you see?"

"There were soldiers."

"The Order?"

“Yes” 

I nodded 

"They were attacking someone.”

Before Karl could utter another word, the creature finally moved 

It's paws we're so massive but it barely made a sound against the glowing ground.

Each step it took scattered silver dust from its antlers.

It stopped only a few feets away.

Karl stood upright immediately.

“If you have come to pass judgement on us” he said boldly

“Judge me instead.”

The creature looked at Karl for split second without a reply then turned over to me.

Its gaze remained fixed on me.

Again, I heard that voice echo inside my head.

His blood remembers.

I stared back at it too

"What does that mean.”

Karl looked at me.

"What did it say?"

"You... didn't hear anything?"

"Hear what?"

"The creatures voice."

Karl slowly shook his head.

My heartbeat quickened.

"You mean..."

"I can't hear it."

The realization hit both of us at once.

Whatever was going on ...

It was happening only to me.

The creature lowered its monstrous head until its silver eyes were on the same level with mine.

For one terrifying moment, I thought it was about to pounce on me.

Instead...

Its cold nose brushed lightly against my forehead.

The mark lasted only a second.

A tiny silver symbol appeared on my skin before fading away.

Karl’s eyes widened

“No…no way”

He took a hesitant step backward.

"How did we get to this…It chose you."

"What not true.."

"It never imprint on strangers, so how you?"

I touched my forehead.

"I don't feel anything different."

"Soon enough you will"

The creature lifted its head.

Its antlers were glowing,it looked even more magnificent than before.

The forest seemed to bow in submission.

Every flowing flower in the forest closed.

Every tree that whispered hushed and fell silent.

Finally, for the first time,the creatures spoke aloud.

It's voice shook the entire forest.

“The Moon Throne does not remain empty forever.”

The ground trembled.

We heard a howl echoing somewhere beyond the trees.

This was something different 

Angry.

Maybe hungry.

The creature turned toward the direction the sound came from.

It's quiet expression changed.

The creature has sense something or someone.

Karl’s face looked pale instantly.

“No…”

Another howl answered 

It was closer this time.

Branches snapped in the darkness.

Dozens of glowing golden eyes slowly appeared between the branches of each trees.

Watching us closely.

Waiting.

Karl grabbed my waist immediately.

"We have to go now."

"What are they?"

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"They're not guardians."

One of the strange looking creatures stepped into the moonlight.

It was so strange,I could feel goosebumps lol over my body.

I never imagined a creature like this existed.

Unlike the anci not creature that stood before us,this would was twisted.Its fur looked like it has been burned away with patches all over exposing its dark wretched cracked skin beneath.

I could see hatred burn in its golden eyes.

Around its neck hung a silver broken chain.

The creature growled with spite.

The Black-Antlered Guardian answered with a massive roar so powerful it shook the forest again 

For the first time since entering the Moon Realm...

It looked afraid.

Karl stared at the pack approachung.

His grip became stronger around my wrist.

"They found the heir first."

And like a dream all of a sudden...

We weren't the hunters anymore.

We were the prey.