جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 130

'Wake him up, Kian. We need answers before the rest of the southern lords try to flee,' Zephyr said, his voice cold and sharp as frozen steel.The grand throne room was quiet, save for the crackling of torches and the heavy breathing of captured guards tied up near the pillars. Elder Vance lay crumpled at the base of the golden throne, still unconscious from the magical backlash of the shattered bloodstone.Kian stepped forward, holding a bucket of cold water. With a swift motion, he dumped the water directly over Vance's head.Vance gasped, sputtering and coughing violently as he jerked awake. His old eyes blinked rapidly against the torchlight, staring up in terror at Zephyr and me standing above him.'Vance,' I said softly, stepping down the dais with my dagger catching the light. 'Your little rebellion has failed. The bloodstone is broken, your mercenaries have surrendered, and your allies are locked in the courtyard. Now, you are going to tell us one thing: Where is Captain Callu

'Do you truly believe a chained beast will bow to you, Mother?' I shouted, my voice cutting through the deafening roar of the awakening creature beneath the stone altar. The underground cavern shook violently as dust and rock rained down from the dark ceiling. The glowing purple runes around Queen Elena pulsed with erratic, blinding energy, casting wild shadows against the wet granite walls. Beside her, Captain Callum raised his sword, ready to intercept Zephyr as the High King charged forward like a wild storm. Elena did not flinch. Instead, she threw her head back and let out a cold, chilling laugh that echoed like glass shattering in an empty hall. 'The beast does not need to bow, my foolish daughter! It only needs to feed on royal blood to destroy everything in its path!' Zephyr lunged at Callum with blinding speed. His heavy greatsword crashed against Callum's blade with a deafening ring of steel, sending a massive shower of bright orange sparks flying across the damp stone

'We cannot hold the inner gates if the silver frost reaches the main courtyard, High King!' Kian shouted over the roaring wind howling through the upper ramparts.The great war room of the Citadel was packed to the absolute brim. Torches flickered wildly against the stone walls, casting long, frantic shadows across maps, scrolls, and armor plates scattered everywhere. Outside, the morning sky had turned an unnatural, bruised shade of violet as the chilling mist from the catacombs crept higher up the mountain.Zephyr slammed his heavy gauntlet down upon the oak map table, his golden alpha eyes blazing with fierce command. 'We do not need to hold the gates, Kian. We are going to take the fight straight down to the threshold before Queen Elena's ghostly form can solidify completely!'I stepped forward, gripping the edge of the table with both hands, my knuckles white with tension. 'My uncle’s blood seal is weakening because her phantom energy is feeding off the residual dark magic in the

'Veronica! Do not reach for the edge, grab my arm instead!' Zephyr’s voice roared across the widening gap of the fiery chasm, cutting through the deafening noise of shattering stone.Flames licked up from the deep crack in the obsidian floor, casting a fierce, blood-red glow over the subterranean chamber. Across the chasm, Zephyr was fighting desperately to keep his footing as jagged spikes of black rock erupted from the ground all around him.I scrambled backward on my hands and knees, clutching the pulsing golden crystal heart against my chest for dear life. The air was thick with choking smoke and the sharp, freezing chill of Queen Elena’s dark magic, which was wrapping around the upper ledges like icy serpents.'I have you! I am not letting you fall!' I yelled back, my voice cracking with strain as I tried to peer through the thick haze of smoke to find a safe way across.Before either of us could bridge the gap, a tall, armored figure materialized smoothly from the shadows right

Veronica? How is it possible that you are standing here in the First Era courtyard when the blood seal was only broken today?' the young woman asked, her eyes wide with shock as she stepped out from behind the marble pillar.I blinked hard, rubbing my eyes to clear away the blinding crimson flash of the crystal heart. The warm summer air of the courtyard felt entirely too real, carrying the sweet scent of blooming jasmine and wet stone—a stark contrast to the freezing, sulfur-choked cavern we had just been trapped in moments ago.I looked down at my hands. The crystal heart was gone, replaced by empty palms that trembled uncontrollably. I looked back up at the woman standing before me, and my breath caught in my throat. She had my exact face, my exact hair, and wore a silver pendant identical to the one resting against my collarbone.'You... you look just like me,' I whispered, my voice shaking as I took a tentative step forward. 'Who are you? Are you a ghost too?'The woman let out a