جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 210

When the Darkness Speaks Kael's fingers tightened around Zara's wrists. Pain shot through her arms and she held onto him. “Kael.”His head jerked toward her. For one brief second, his eyes returned to their normal color. Then the darkness swallowed them again.“Get away from me. His voice sounded like something wrong was speaking through him.Zara stared at him, refusing to pull away even as his grip tightened. “I know you're still in there.”A bitter smile slowly spread across his face. “You keep saying that as if knowing me is enough to save me.”“It is when you're fighting it.” her grip tightened “I've already lost.”“No.” Zara shook her head. “If you'd lost, you wouldn't be telling me to leave.”Something flickered in his expression, the darkness in him reacted immediately. Kael's grip loosened for half a second before tightening again.“Don't listen to him,” Kieran warned from across the chamber. “That's how it gets inside your head. It uses whatever you already believe.”Kae

The Broken SealThe first statue shattered, stone exploded across the hall.Zara barely ducked before a piece struck the pillar behind her. Kael moved instantly, throwing himself between her and the falling debris.Then the second statue cracked. The sound was deeper this time, almost like a growl coming from beneath the earth.The Keepers stopped fighting. Even the six guardians froze. Everyone looked toward the statues.The woman in the center remained untouched. The six wolf statues around her were breaking one after another.Kieran's face drained of color. “No.”He moved toward the center of the room, but the force coming from the statues threw him backward.Zara felt the ring burn against her finger, she tore it off. It wouldn't come loose.The metal had fused itself to her skin, black veins spread from the ring toward her wrist.Kael saw them. His eyes immediately changed. “Zara.”She barely heard him, something inside her was pulling at her. Her chest tightened as memories beg

: The Road Back They walked until the sun began to rise. The six guardians were exhausted, but none of them suggested stopping. They all understood what was waiting for them in the Lycan Kingdom. Smoke still covered the horizon. Kael had barely spoken since they left the Forgotten Path. Zara noticed the change in him. The closer they moved toward the kingdom, the more restless the darkness inside him became. His shoulders remained tense, and every few minutes his hand would tighten around hers as though reassuring himself that she was still there. The others kept their distance from where they were walking, they watched him with fear and worriedness mixed in their eyes too. Zara understood why. They had spent their entire lives being taught that the Lycan King was the greatest threat to her now they were discovering that the truth was far more complicated. By midday, they reached the edge of a forest. Kieran stopped. “There should be a patrol route ahead.” Damon crouched bes

: Heart of the Prison The passage narrowed as they moved deeper beneath the kingdom.Zara kept one hand against the cold stone wall while following the first guardian. The further they went, the quieter the world became. The sounds of the others behind her faded until all she could hear was the uneven rhythm of their breathing and the distant rumble of something moving beneath the earth.Kael stayed beside her, he hadn't released her hand since they entered the passage.Neither of them had mentioned the woman's warning, they didn't need to.The price will be paid by the one who carries the key.Zara's fingers tightened around his as they got closer to the passage. The passage suddenly opened and they stepped into a circular chamber.Zara stopped.The walls were covered in silver markings, but unlike the symbols in Forgotten Path, these were not memories or warnings. They looked like instructions.Six wolves were carved around the walls. At the center stood a black stone suspended ab

: The Price of the KeyThe barrier cracked again.A sharp burst of silver light tore through the chamber, forcing the darkness away from the six guardians. The impact sent them stumbling, but none of them abandoned their positions. Their weapons remained planted against the stone floor, feeding what little strength remained in the protective circle.Zara barely noticed them, her entire attention was on Kael.He was still on his knees at the center of the chamber, one hand pressed against his chest. His breathing came in uneven bursts. Black veins stretched from beneath his collar and disappeared beneath his clothes, while faint silver light flickered along his skin where their bond connected them.The darkness was still inside him. It was quieter now, but Zara could feel it waiting.She knelt beside him as he lifted his head slowly. His eyes were clearer than before, but exhaustion had hollowed his face.“You need to leave,” he whispered.Zara ignored him. She placed her hand against