Chapter 3 : The Old Chapel

Xyena's POV

Hindi ako nakatulog nang maayos buong gabi.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the photograph.

Astaroth Valcieri.

Davon Valcieri.

Charlotte Ashworth.

Three people who were supposedly connected to a secret that happened twenty-two years ago.

And now, somehow, I was standing in the middle of it.

I looked at the clock.

6:45 AM.

I sighed and got out of bed.

Today, Cael and I were going to the old chapel.

The place mentioned on the back of the photograph.

September 3, 2004.

Midnight.

The old chapel.

I had a thousand questions.

But one stood above all of them.

What happened that night?

Cael's POV

I was already waiting in the garage when Xyena arrived.

She stopped when she saw the car.

"You're driving?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I don't trust anyone else."

She raised an eyebrow.

"That's reassuring."

I opened the passenger door.

"Get in."

She stared at me.

"You really love giving orders."

"Get in, Xyena."

She rolled her eyes but got inside.

I walked around the car and sat behind the wheel.

For several minutes, neither of us spoke.

Then she broke the silence.

"Are you nervous?"

"No."

"You're lying."

I glanced at her.

"Why would I be nervous?"

"Because you're gripping the steering wheel like you want to break it."

I loosened my grip.

She smiled.

"See?"

I sighed.

"You're annoying."

"And yet you married me."

"Contractually."

"Still counts."

I shook my head.

For some reason, talking to her made the tension disappear.

But the moment I thought about where we were going, my expression hardened again.

The old chapel.

Astaroth's disappearance.

The photograph.

And the warning.

Something was waiting for us there.

I could feel it.

Xyena's POV

After almost an hour of driving, we finally arrived.

The old chapel stood in the middle of nowhere.

It was surrounded by trees and overgrown grass.

The building looked abandoned for years.

I stared at it through the windshield.

"Are you sure this is the place?"

"According to the records."

I looked at him.

"What records?"

"My family's old files."

"Your family knew about this place?"

"Apparently."

We got out of the car.

The air was colder here.

I wrapped my arms around myself.

"Why does this place feel like it's from a horror movie?"

Cael looked at me.

"Stay close."

"Why?"

"I said stay close."

"Okay, bossy."

We walked toward the chapel.

The wooden doors creaked when Cael pushed them open.

Inside, everything was covered in dust.

Old wooden benches.

Broken windows.

A damaged altar.

And a large cross hanging crookedly on the wall.

I looked around.

"This place hasn't been used in years."

Cael nodded.

"Twenty-two years ago, it was still operating."

I walked toward the altar.

"Maybe there's something here."

He followed me.

We searched the chapel for almost thirty minutes.

Nothing.

No documents.

No photographs.

No clues.

I sighed.

"Maybe we're wasting our time."

Cael didn't answer.

He was staring at the floor.

"What?"

He pointed.

There were scratches on the wooden boards.

"Look."

I crouched down.

The scratches formed a strange pattern.

Cael moved one of the boards.

Underneath it was a small metal box.

My heart started beating faster.

"What is that?"

He pulled it out.

It was old.

Covered in dust.

And locked.

"Can you open it?"

"I'll try."

He examined the lock.

Then he noticed something.

"Xyena."

"What?"

"Your necklace."

I touched the necklace around my neck.

"My necklace?"

"The pendant."

I removed it.

It was the necklace Grandma Charlotte had given me years ago.

Cael took it carefully.

There was a tiny symbol engraved on the back.

He compared it with the lock.

"Same symbol."

My eyes widened.

"No way."

He inserted the pendant into the lock.

Click.

The box opened.

Xyena's POV

Inside the box were three things.

A photograph.

A letter.

And a small key.

I reached for the photograph first.

My hands immediately began shaking.

It was the same three people.

Astaroth.

Davon.

Charlotte.

But this time, they weren't smiling.

They looked serious.

Almost frightened.

I turned the photograph over.

There was writing.

"If you're reading this, something has gone wrong."

I swallowed.

"Cael..."

He took the photograph from me.

His eyes moved across the words.

Then he picked up the letter.

The envelope had a name written on it.

Charlotte.

My grandmother.

I stared at it.

"That's for my grandmother."

"Yes."

"Why was it hidden here?"

He looked at me.

"Maybe she never received it."

I reached for the letter.

But before I could open it—

A loud noise came from outside.

We both froze.

Someone was there.

Cael immediately stood.

"Stay here."

"Cael—"

"Stay."

He walked toward the chapel doors.

I followed.

"No."

He turned.

"Xyena."

"I'm coming with you."

"This isn't a game."

"I know."

"Then listen to me."

I stepped closer.

"I won't stay behind while you investigate alone."

He stared at me.

Then sighed.

"Fine. Stay beside me."

We slowly opened the chapel doors.

Nothing.

Only the trees moving with the wind.

"Did you see anyone?" I whispered.

"No."

Then Cael looked down.

There were footprints in the mud.

Fresh ones.

Someone had been here.

Recently.

Cael's POV

My instincts immediately went into overdrive.

Someone knew we were coming.

I looked around.

"Get back in the car."

"Why?"

"Now."

Xyena didn't argue this time.

We hurried toward the car.

But before we could reach it, I heard something.

A branch breaking.

I turned.

A figure was standing between the trees.

I couldn't see their face.

"Hey!"

The figure ran.

I immediately chased after them.

"Cael !"

I heard Xyena behind me.

I ran through the trees.

The figure was fast.

Too fast.

I almost caught them.

Then they disappeared behind a group of trees.

I stopped.

Nothing.

I searched the area.

Then I noticed something on the ground.

A black envelope.

I picked it up.

There was only one word written on it.

VALCIERI.

I opened it.

Inside was a photograph.

My blood ran cold.

It showed Astaroth standing outside the chapel.

But there was something else.

A man stood behind her.

His face had been scratched out.

Underneath the photograph was a message.

"Your family lied to you."

I clenched my fist.

Then I heard Xyena.

"Cael!"

I turned.

She was standing several meters away.

Her face was pale.

"What happened?"

I walked toward her.

"Someone left this."

She took the photograph.

Her eyes widened.

"That's Astaroth."

"Yes."

"Who is the man behind her?"

"I don't know."

She looked at me.

"Maybe my grandmother knows."

"Maybe."

Then she noticed something written on the back.

Her expression changed.

"What?"

She turned the photograph around.

I read the message.

"Ask Charlotte what happened to the child."

I stared at the words.

"The child?"

Xyena's face slowly lost its color.

"What child?"

"I don't know."

Then her phone rang.

She looked at the screen.

Grandma Charlotte.

She answered immediately.

"Grandma?"

No response.

"Grandma, are you there?"

A weak voice finally came through.

"Xyena..."

"Grandma, we found something."

Silence.

Then—

"Where are you?"

"The old chapel."

My grandmother's breathing suddenly became uneven.

"Leave."

"Grandma—"

"Leave that place immediately!"

"Why?"

"Because if you found the box..."

She stopped.

I felt my heart pound.

"Grandma?"

Her voice became a whisper.

"...then they know."

The call ended.

Xyenarius stared at her phone.

"What does she mean?"

I looked toward the trees.

Someone was watching us.

I could feel it.

"We leave. Now."

Xyena's POV

We drove back in silence.

I couldn't stop thinking about my grandmother's words.

If you found the box... then they know.

Who were they?

And what did they know?

I looked at Cael.

He was focused on the road.

"Cael."

"Hmm?"

"Do you trust your family?"

He was silent for a moment.

"Some of them."

"Your grandfather?"

Another pause.

"I don't know anymore."

I looked out the window.

"Neither do I."

Then I remembered the letter.

"Wait."

"What?"

"The letter."

Caelvaris glanced at me.

"We left it in the box."

"No."

I reached into my bag.

"I took it."

His eyes widened.

"You took it?"

"I didn't tell you?"

"No!"

I smiled nervously.

"Surprise?"

He shook his head.

"You're impossible."

"I know."

He pulled the car over.

"Give it to me."

"Why?"

"We need to read it."

I handed him the envelope.

He carefully opened it.

Inside was a handwritten letter.

The handwriting was old.

But the name at the bottom was clear.

Astaroth Valcieri.

Cael started reading.

His expression slowly changed.

"What?"

He didn't answer.

"Cael."

He finally looked at me.

"This letter wasn't meant for Charlotte."

"What?"

He turned the paper around.

At the bottom was another name.

Davon.

I stared at it.

"So Astaroth wrote this to your grandfather."

"Yes."

"What does it say?"

He looked at the first line.

Then read it aloud.

"Davon, if you're reading this, then you failed to keep your promise."

My heart sank.

"What promise?"

Cael continued reading.

"You promised me that the children would never be involved."

We both froze.

The children.

The same words from the photograph.

Cael continued.

"But if you're forcing them into a marriage now, then I know the truth is no longer safe."

My eyes widened.

"Marriage..."

Cael slowly looked at me.

The air inside the car suddenly felt heavy.

I whispered,

"Us."

He didn't answer.

I looked back at the letter.

"Caelvaris and Xyenarius must never know what happened that night."

My heart stopped.

Cael's grip tightened around the letter.

"How..."

My voice trembled.

"How did she know our names?"

He looked at me.

Neither of us had an answer.

Then I saw the final line.

"If they ever marry, the truth will return."

Silence.

I stared at Cael.

"This marriage..."

He looked back at me.

"Wasn't a coincidence."

Cael's POV

For the first time in my life, I felt completely lost.

Our marriage wasn't about the company.

It wasn't about succession.

It wasn't even about a promise between two families.

There was something bigger.

Something planned.

Something that had started twenty-two years ago.

I looked at Xyena.

She looked terrified.

I wanted to reassure her.

But I couldn't.

Because I was terrified too.

Then my phone rang.

Davon.

I answered.

"Grandfather."

His voice was unusually calm.

"Come home."

"Why?"

"Because there's something you need to know."

I looked at Xyena.

"What?"

A long silence.

Then Davon said—

"Your marriage to Xyena was never supposed to happen."

My blood ran cold.

"What do you mean?"

"Come home."

The call ended.

I stared at the phone.

Xyena looked at me.

"What did he say?"

I took a deep breath.

"Apparently..."

I looked at the letter.

"...we were never supposed to get married."

She swallowed.

"Then why did they make us?"

I looked into her eyes.

"I think that's what we're about to find out."

Neither of us knew that when we returned to the Valcieri Estate...

someone would be waiting.

Someone who had been waiting for twenty-two years.

And they had only one goal.

To make sure the secret stayed buried—even if it meant destroying the marriage that had brought Caelvaris and Xyenarius together.