CHAPTER 23: THE VOICE BENEATH THE TEMPLE

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The Voice Beneath the Temple

The treasure chamber shook again.

BOOOOOOM!

Dust rained from the ceiling. Ancient crystals shattered.

Kevin looked up. “That doesn’t sound good.”

Veyr sat comfortably on his shoulder. “Your ability to identify obvious problems continues to impress me.”

“Can you be serious for five minutes?”

“I am serious.” Veyr pointed at the ceiling. “That is definitely going to fall.”

Kevin looked up.

A massive crack spread across the stone.

“…Oh.”

“EVERYONE MOVE!” Kael shouted.

The chamber exploded into chaos. The researchers bolted for the entrance. Liora threw up both hands. “Water Barrier!” A wall of water formed overhead, and chunks of stone slammed against it. Damon seized one of the researchers and dragged him away from a collapsing wall.

Kevin stood frozen, his eyes locked on his Codex.

The golden mark was still there. One of the five points now carried a faint golden glow.

He touched it.

The instant his finger met the mark—

A whisper entered his mind.

Find the others.

He yanked his hand back. “Who said that?”

Kael looked at him. “Who?”

Kevin glanced around. Nobody else had heard it.

Veyr’s ears twitched. “You heard something.”

“You heard it too?”

“No.” Veyr’s expression turned serious. “But I saw your reaction.”

Kevin looked down at the Codex. “The relic spoke to me.”

Veyr didn’t answer.

“Veyr?”

The dragon looked toward the treasure chamber. “Later.”

“Why later?”

“Because we’re currently standing inside a collapsing ancient temple.” He pointed up. “And unlike you, I prefer not to be crushed.”

Kevin nodded. “Fair.”

* * *

The Falling Temple

The team raced for the entrance as the treasure chamber caved in behind them.

Kael glanced over his shoulder. “Shouldn’t we take the treasures?”

Damon stopped. “What?”

Kael pointed at the floating artifacts. “There are hundreds of them!”

“You’re thinking about treasure right now?”

Kael shrugged. “We came here for treasure.”

Liora sighed. “We came to secure the temple.”

Kevin looked at the artifacts. Something felt wrong.

The treasures weren’t random. They were arranged in circles around the chamber. Weapons on one side. Books on another. Crystals on another.

And at the center…

The empty space where the First Relic had been.

He narrowed his eyes. “Wait.”

Everyone stopped.

“What?” Damon asked.

“The relic was in the center.”

“Yes.”

“But the treasures were surrounding it.”

Liora studied the room carefully. Her expression changed. “They weren’t treasures.”

Kevin nodded. “They were seals.”

The archaeologists began examining the chamber at once. The old researcher looked horrified.

“He’s right.” He walked to the center and touched one of the ancient books. “These objects weren’t stored here. They were placed here. To contain something.”

Silence.

A deep rumble answered from beneath the floor.

THUM.

Everyone froze.

Then—

THUM.

Again.

The whole chamber trembled.

Kael swallowed. “Something is underneath us.”

Veyr’s claws tightened on Kevin’s shoulder. “Yes.”

“What?”

Veyr stared at the floor.

“Something very old.”

* * *

A crack split the floor beneath the archaeologist.

“Move!”

Kevin grabbed him.

The floor collapsed.

They fell.

“KEVIN!”

Kevin’s fingers caught the edge of the stone. The archaeologist clung to his arm. Below them lay complete darkness.

Kevin looked down. “I really hate temples.”

Veyr flew beside him. “You hate everything that tries to kill you.”

“That’s most things!”

“Fair.”

Kael rushed forward. “Hold on!”

He raised an earth platform beneath Kevin. Kevin hauled himself up. The archaeologist collapsed onto the floor.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Then Kevin looked down through the hole.

A faint golden light glowed far below.

His Codex reacted. The golden mark flashed.

His eyes widened. “There.”

Liora stepped closer. “What?”

“Something down there.”

Damon frowned. “Another treasure?”

Kevin shook his head. “No.”

Veyr looked down, his expression darkening.

“Not a treasure.”

* * *

The Enemy

A sudden laugh echoed through the chamber.

Everyone turned.

The stranger Kevin had defeated was standing again. His cloak was torn. Blood streaked his face.

But he was smiling.

Damon raised his weapon. “He’s still alive.”

“How?” Kael demanded.

The stranger looked at Kevin. “Because I wasn’t here to defeat you.”

Kevin frowned. “Then why were you fighting?”

“I needed to see whether the relic would answer you.”

Kevin’s eyes widened. “You knew about the relic?”

The stranger didn’t answer.

Veyr growled.

It was the first time Kevin had ever heard that sound from him.

“Who sent you?”

The stranger looked at Veyr. For the first time, his smile vanished.

“You.”

Veyr’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

“You are still alive.”

The chamber fell silent.

Kevin looked between them. “You know him?”

Veyr didn’t answer.

The stranger laughed. “So the old dragon finally found his bearer.”

Kevin’s face hardened. “What does that mean?”

The stranger stepped back. “I have said enough.”

Damon charged. “You’re not going anywhere!”

The stranger raised his hand. A golden portal opened behind him. Before stepping through, he looked at Kevin.

“You awakened the First Relic.”

Kevin clenched his fist. “Who are you?”

The stranger smiled.

“Someone who knows what happens when all five awaken.”

He vanished.

The portal closed.

Damon stopped. “Should we chase him?”

Orion’s voice came through the communication crystal.

“No.”

Everyone turned. His tone was calm but firm.

“Leave him.”

Damon looked confused. “Captain?”

“Your mission has changed.”

Kevin touched his Codex. “How?”

Orion was silent for a moment.

“Get out of the temple.”

Everyone traded glances.

“Now.”

* * *

The Escape

The temple collapsed faster.

Towers crashed down outside. Ancient statues shattered. Golden energy erupted from the ground. The researchers ran. The recruits followed.

Kevin lingered for a moment and looked back. The treasure chamber was vanishing beneath the rubble.

He could still feel the First Relic.

Not physically. Like a connection inside his Codex. A faint pulse.

Thump.

He touched the golden mark. “I’m coming back.”

Veyr looked at him. “You shouldn’t make promises to ancient relics.”

“Why?”

“They have a terrible habit of taking them seriously.”

Kevin laughed. “Come on.”

They ran.

The team burst through the entrance just as the colossal structure caved in behind them.

BOOOOOOM!

A cloud of dust swallowed the ruins.

Everyone stopped outside. The archaeologists stared in horror. Their greatest discovery had just collapsed.

Kael dropped to the ground. “That…” He looked at Kevin. “…was supposed to be our first mission.”

Damon sheathed his weapon. “It was.”

Liora looked toward the ruins. “No.” She shook her head. “It was never just a mission.”

Kevin stared at the destroyed temple.

Veyr was silent.

That worried Kevin more than anything.

“You know something.”

Veyr didn’t answer.

“Veyr.”

Nothing.

“You definitely know something.”

Veyr finally looked at him. “I know that you have just stepped into something much bigger than yourself.”

Kevin’s smile faded. “Because of the relic?”

“And because someone else is looking for them.”

Kevin looked at the golden mark. “How many people know?”

“Enough.”

“Who?”

Veyr sighed. “That’s the problem.”

Kevin waited.

Veyr looked toward the distant horizon.

“The Five-Point Codex was never supposed to return.”

Kevin froze. “What?”

Veyr immediately looked away.

Kevin reached out gently. “You said it was rare.”

“I said many things.”

“You never said it wasn’t supposed to exist.”

Veyr said nothing.

Kevin’s voice softened. “Why?”

Veyr turned to him.

For once, there was no joke. No insult. No sarcasm.

Only something Kevin had never seen in the dragon’s eyes before.

Fear.

“The last bearer…” Veyr stopped.

“What happened to him?”

Veyr looked toward the ruins.

“He disappeared.”

“How?”

Veyr’s voice dropped.

“Because he awakened all five.”

Kevin’s heart stopped.

Before he could ask another question, the communication crystal lit up.

“Team Seven.” Orion’s voice. “Return to the Veil Order headquarters immediately.”

Kevin straightened. “Understood.”

The crystal went silent.

Kael stood. “So we’re going home?”

Damon nodded. “Looks like it.”

Liora closed her book. “At least we survived.”

Kevin looked at Veyr. “Did we?”

Veyr stared at the distant forest.

“No.”

Kevin frowned. “What do you mean?”

Veyr slowly turned. “We survived the temple.” He pointed at Kevin’s Codex. “But whatever has begun…” His crimson eyes narrowed. “…has only just started.”

Kevin looked down.

The golden mark pulsed once.

Then...

Far away, beyond the Forgotten Region, a second golden light flickered on the horizon.

Kevin’s eyes widened. Veyr’s expression darkened.

Kael saw it. “Was that…”

“Another awakening,” Liora whispered.

Kevin slowly closed his Codex.

The journey home had suddenly become much more complicated.

And somewhere in a place none of them could see…

A second relic waited.