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Chapter 156: The Gate Remembers
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2025-07-03 00:17:55They didn’t rest long.
By morning, the winds from Fortress Valley had shifted, carrying with them a stench of burnt stone and rotting magic. The signs were clear—something had been awakened. And it would not stay quiet. Caine remained unconscious, bound in layers of warded cloth and enchanted cuffs, his body twitching occasionally as if fighting something within. Mira stayed close to him, whispering protection sigils and grounding spells every few minutes. But even she looked exhausted. Serena watched the eastern sky as the others packed. The horizon wasn’t just red anymore. It shimmered—like heat waves, but unnatural. Something was coming. Elias stepped beside her, silent as always, though his gaze lingered on her face a second longer than usual. “We’re not safe,” she said. “No,” he agreed. “But we’re alive.” Serena turned to him. “I saw something in the Gate. Not just the throne—me. Sitting on it. Smiling.” Elias was quiet. “And the worst part?” she whispered. “It didn’t feel like a warning. It felt… familiar.” He exhaled, his voice low. “You’re not her. That version of you—whatever you saw—that’s what they want you to fear.” “What if they’re right?” “Then we fight harder.” She wanted to believe him. Gods, she wanted to. But something inside her was unraveling. That golden fire she unleashed hadn’t come from just her. It came from somewhere deeper—older. The same place the Gate spoke from. They moved west, cutting through the shattered trails beyond the cliffs. Kael led the group with Lyra, keeping them off marked paths. Theron walked behind, his shadows stretched thin like spider webs, sensing anything that tried to follow. No one spoke for hours. Caine moaned once in his sleep, and Mira placed a silencing ward over him—not to block his voice, but to protect his mind. Every time he stirred, silver light flickered at the edges of his eyes. Serena walked in the middle, her head aching. Her body felt too light, like she wasn’t fully anchored to the earth anymore. Halfway through the trek, she stumbled. Elias caught her. “Again?” She nodded, sweat beading her forehead. “The visions… they’re getting worse.” She looked around—but everything had changed. She was standing in a library of black stone. Books floated through the air, glowing softly. A figure approached. Tall. Hooded. No face—just a mask of obsidian etched with runes that pulsed blue. The figure spoke, but its voice was inside her skull. The Gate remembers you, Serena. She shivered. “What are you?” The first. The will behind the wound. You carry our mark. You have only begun to awaken. “I won’t be your vessel.” You already are. The books burst into flame. She screamed— And woke, Elias gripping her arms. “Serena! Breathe.” She gasped, collapsing into him. “It’s getting stronger,” she whispered. Theron stepped closer. “She’s attuned now. The Gate has tasted her magic. It won’t let go easily.” Lyra’s voice came sharp. “Then we have to cut the tie.” “Not yet,” Mira said firmly. “If we sever it without knowing what it’s anchored to, we could destroy her.” Serena sat up slowly. “I saw the entity. The one behind the Gate. It knows me.” “It knows what it wants from you,” Kael muttered. “That’s not the same as knowing who you are.” They made camp as dusk fell, this time deep in the ruins of an ancient outpost once held by the Northern Watch. The walls still bore faded banners. Serena stared at them while the others rested, her thoughts knotted tight. Mira approached after dark, carrying a cup of something herbal and steaming. “Drink,” she said. “It’ll help keep your spirit tethered.” Serena accepted it without protest. “How did they choose me? Out of all the wielders, why me?” Mira sat beside her. “They didn’t choose you. The magic did.” “That’s not comforting.” “I know.” Mira smiled faintly. “But sometimes the storm chooses the ship strong enough to carry it. Even if the ship doesn’t want to.” They sat in silence after that. Midnight. The camp slept. Serena sat alone outside the ward circle, staring at the stars—what little of them she could see through the haze. A soft whisper reached her. Not in her head. Behind her. She turned. Caine stood just outside the circle. Awake. Eyes clear. But wrong. “Caine?” she whispered, standing slowly. He smiled—slow and hollow. “You still look at me like I’m him.” Her heart stuttered. “What are you talking about?” “I remember everything now. The Gate didn’t just take me—it remade me.” He stepped closer. Serena raised her hand, magic sparking faintly in her palm. “Don’t,” he warned. “If you use it, you’ll hear me clearer. And you won’t like what I sound like now.” “What do you want?” “To thank you,” he said softly. “For coming. For trying. But the truth is, I’m not what you’re supposed to save.” His voice changed on that last word—layered, almost inhuman. Serena’s pulse spiked. He kept smiling. “Tell Elias… I remember. Everything.” And then—he collapsed. Elias came running from the tent. “What happened?!” Serena didn’t answer. She stared down at Caine’s unconscious form. And for the first time… she wasn’t sure any of them could be saved.
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