The air in Lilia's study lingered, heavy with words unsaid. Mira's arms tightened around me as if the diary itself were a threat she could shield me from. Her breath hitched once, a sharp sound she tried to smother, and I felt the tremor in her chest as her fingers traced small circles into my back.
Lucien's voice broke the silence, clipped and cold. "The Heart of the Crimson Path," he murmured, his eyes locked on the diary as if he could will its contents to change. He tapped a page lightly with his finger, the sound oddly loud in the stillness of the room. "That's where the map leads."
Mira's reaction was immediate. "No." Her voice was low, but the weight behind it silenced even Charlotte, who had opened her mouth to speak. "You're not dragging him into another death trap."
Lucien turned to her, his expression unreadable. "We don't have a choice."
"You always say that." Her arms curled protectively around me, her nails digging slightly into my skin as if to anchor herself. "But this time, it's not an option."
Charlotte shifted, her hand resting lightly on the hilt of her sword as she watched the exchange. "Mira…" she started, her tone hesitant but firm.
"Don't," Mira snapped, her voice cracking. Her eyes flicked to Charlotte, then back to Lucien. "He's a baby. You hear me? A baby. I won't let you treat him like some… tool."
The room grew unbearably quiet. Lucien's shoulders tensed, his jaw tightening as he spoke through gritted teeth. "And if we don't do this? If we sit here and let the fractures spread? What then, Mira? Tell me."
Mira flinched, her gaze dropping to me. I felt the sharp rise and fall of her chest, the conflict radiating off her in waves. "We find another way," she whispered, her voice trembling. "There's always another way."
Lucien exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. "We've tried other ways. This is it. The map points us to the nexus of the Crimson Trail. If we can reach it—"
"And if it kills him?" Mira interrupted, her voice rising. Her eyes burned as she looked at him, her grip on me tightening further. "What then, Lucien? What's your plan for that?"
Charlotte stepped forward, her movements slow and deliberate. "We're all scared," she said softly, her gaze steady. "But the longer we wait, the worse it gets. This trail doesn't stop, Mira. It doesn't care about him, or us. It will keep tearing through this place until there's nothing left."
Mira's breath hitched again, her lips pressing into a thin line. She didn't respond, but her silence felt louder than any argument.
Lucien spoke again, his tone softer now, almost pleading. "I don't want this either. But Caelum is the key. The map—the diary—it all points to him. We can't protect him from this by pretending it isn't happening."
Mira looked down at me, her expression cracking just slightly. Her lips trembled, and for a moment, I thought she might cry. But she didn't. She pressed a kiss to the top of my head, her breath warm and shaky against my hair. "If anything happens to him…" she started, her voice breaking. "If anything happens…"
"It won't," Lucien said firmly. "I promise."
---
The western wing was suffocating. The air grew heavier with every step, thick and cold, pressing against my skin like an invisible weight. Mira's arms wrapped around me like a cocoon, but even her warmth couldn't keep the chill at bay.
Lucien led the way, the amulet in his hand casting faint crimson light across the twisting corridors. The walls seemed to close in around us, their shadows twisting and shifting unnaturally. The metallic scent in the air grew stronger, clinging to the back of my throat.
Charlotte moved beside him, her sword unsheathed and ready. Her steps were precise, her sharp gaze darting to every corner as though expecting the shadows to spring to life. Despite her steady movements, I could see the tightness in her shoulders, the way her breaths came shallow and quick.
Mira followed closely behind, her grip on me unyielding. I could feel the tension in her every movement, the way her gaze flicked constantly between the floor and the walls. Every creak of the floorboards made her flinch, her breath hitching as she tightened her hold on me.
The corridors seemed endless, each turn leading to another stretch of oppressive darkness. The faint pulse of the amulet quickened, its light growing brighter as Lucien stopped abruptly in front of a narrow passage.
"This is it," he said, his voice low.
Charlotte stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she peered into the passage. The walls here were lined with jagged veins of crimson light, pulsing faintly in time with the amulet. The air was colder, heavier, and the metallic scent was almost unbearable.
"Stay close," she said, glancing back at Mira and me.
We moved cautiously, the faint hum of the veins growing louder with every step. The floor beneath us creaked ominously, the sound echoing unnaturally through the narrow space.
Then I felt it—a faint, rhythmic thudding beneath the floor. It wasn't loud, but it was steady, pulsing in time with the veins on the walls. My body stiffened instinctively, and Mira noticed immediately.
"What's wrong?" she whispered, her voice tight with worry.
Before she could say more, the air shifted. The floor beneath us groaned loudly, and the walls seemed to shudder.
"Move!" Lucien barked, grabbing Charlotte's arm and pulling her forward just as the corridor behind us began to collapse.
Mira held me tightly as she sprinted after them, her breaths coming in sharp, uneven bursts. The sound of falling debris filled the air, drowning out everything else.
Charlotte stopped suddenly, her sword slicing through a section of falling rubble. She was panting now, her movements slower, but she didn't stop.
"We're almost there!" Lucien shouted, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
The corridor opened up abruptly into a vast chamber, its walls lined with crimson veins that pulsed in rhythm with the faint thudding beneath us. The air here was heavier, almost suffocating, and the metallic scent was overwhelming.
At the center of the chamber stood an ancient pedestal, its surface inscribed with symbols that mirrored the map from the diary.
Lucien approached it cautiously, the amulet glowing brighter in his hand. "This is it," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.
But before anyone could respond, the air shifted again. The veins on the walls pulsed violently, their light flaring as the chamber filled with a low, resonant hum.
Then it hit me—a sharp, searing pain that shot through my head, blinding and all-consuming. My body stiffened in Mira's arms, and I heard her panicked voice calling my name, but it sounded distant, like it was coming from underwater.
The world around me faded, replaced by a crimson-lit void. A figure emerged from the shadows, its jagged edges shifting and twisting as it stepped closer. It wasn't Valthys, but something older, darker.
I couldn't move, couldn't scream. The figure leaned closer, its form towering over me as its voice echoed in my mind.
"Remember," it said, its tone low and commanding.
And then I saw him—Kael Redthorn. He was standing in this very chamber, his hands outstretched as he chanted in a language I didn't understand. The veins on the walls pulsed violently, their light flaring as a surge of energy erupted from the pedestal.
Kael's face twisted with pain, but he didn't stop. The energy coiled around him, sinking into his skin as he whispered one final word.
The vision faded abruptly, and I was back in the chamber. My body was trembling uncontrollably, and Mira's arms were like a lifeline, holding me tightly as she whispered frantically into my ear.
"What happened?" Charlotte demanded, her voice sharp with urgency.
Lucien's gaze flicked between me and the pedestal, his expression unreadable. "I think…" he started, his voice trailing off as he stepped closer to the pedestal. "I think he saw something."
Mira didn't let go of me. Her hands trembled as she smoothed my hair, her voice breaking as she whispered, "It's okay. I've got you. I've got you."
The chamber grew silent again, the faint hum of the veins the only sound. Lucien's fingers traced the symbols on the pedestal, his brow furrowing as he muttered under his breath.
And then the system flickered into view.
[New Objective: Stabilize the Nexus.]
The words hung in the air, heavy and ominous, as the chamber's light dimmed slightly, the veins on the walls pulsing faster.
"This isn't over," Charlotte said quietly, her hand tightening on her sword.
No one disagreed.