The library felt suffocating, even though the collapsing Core was behind us. The walls, lined with dusty books and cracked shelves, seemed to press closer with every passing second. Mira hadn't moved from her place on the floor, her arms wrapped tightly around me. I could feel the dampness of her tears on my skin, mixing with the feverish heat radiating from my body.
Her fingers trembled as they brushed my hair away from my face, her lips moving in silent, desperate prayers. She kissed my forehead again, her breath uneven against my skin. It wasn't calming me. Nothing was.
My body felt like it was on fire, the crack on my forearm pulsing faintly in rhythm with something deep beneath the estate. It didn't hurt exactly, but the heat was unbearable, and I couldn't stop squirming, my small frame jerking weakly against Mira's hold.
"He's getting worse," she whispered, her voice barely audible but sharp with fear. Her gaze darted toward Lucien, who stood at the window, his back stiff and unmoving. "Lucien, we can't just sit here. Do something!"
Lucien turned slightly, his expression unreadable. The amulet in his hand glimmered faintly, casting fleeting light across his face. "I'm thinking," he said, his tone measured but carrying an edge.
"Thinking?" Mira snapped, her voice rising. "While you think, he's burning up! Look at him, Lucien!"
Lucien's jaw tightened, and he finally turned fully, his eyes locking onto Mira. His voice was calm, but there was a tension simmering beneath the surface. "Do you think I don't see that? Do you think I don't care? I'm trying to figure out how to fix this before it's too late for all of us."
Mira's grip on me tightened, her arms curling protectively as if shielding me from Lucien's words. "He's not some tool you can fix and throw back into this nightmare," she said, her voice cracking. "He's our son!"
Lucien flinched, the weight of her words hitting him like a blow. He opened his mouth to respond but stopped, his gaze flicking to me. His face softened, just for a moment, before hardening again. "If we don't move forward," he said quietly, "the estate will take him anyway."
---
Charlotte had been silent up until now, her focus locked on Lilia's diary. She looked up, her expression grim as she closed the book with a soft thud. "There's something else," she said, her voice low but firm enough to cut through the tension.
Mira shot her a sharp look. "What now?"
Charlotte stood, her movements slower than usual, and walked to the far side of the room where the wall seemed… wrong. The veins beneath the surface pulsed faintly, like they were alive. She ran her hand along the stone, her fingers tracing an almost invisible seam. "The estate's shifting again," she said.
Lucien stepped closer, his brow furrowing. "A new passage?"
Charlotte nodded. "It wasn't here before." She pressed against the seam, and the wall shuddered slightly before sliding open, revealing a narrow tunnel lined with pulsating crimson veins. The air that seeped out was thick and damp, carrying the faint metallic tang of the Crimson Trail.
Mira recoiled instinctively, pulling me closer. "No," she said firmly, her voice trembling. "We're not going in there."
Charlotte turned to face her, her expression both sympathetic and resolute. "We don't have a choice, Mira. The estate is leading us deeper. If there's any chance of stabilizing him, it's down there."
"You don't know that!" Mira snapped, her voice rising again. "You're just guessing, and you're willing to gamble his life on it!"
Charlotte hesitated, her gaze flicking to me, then to Lucien. "It's not a gamble," she said softly. "The estate doesn't create these passages for nothing. It's guiding us."
Lucien nodded, his expression grim. "She's right. The estate is tied to the Crimson Trail, and so is he. If we stay here, the Trail will spread. If we move forward, we might find a way to stop it."
Mira's body shook, her tears falling silently as she held me tighter. "And if you're wrong?"
Lucien didn't answer immediately. He stepped closer to Mira, his gaze steady. "If I'm wrong, we'll still find a way to save him," he said quietly. "But we can't do that sitting here."
---
The tunnel was suffocating. The walls seemed to pulse with life, the crimson veins glowing faintly as they twisted and writhed beneath the surface. The air was damp, heavy, and the metallic scent grew stronger with every step. It clung to my skin, to Mira's clothes, to everything.
Lucien led the way, his sword drawn, the amulet in his other hand casting weak light ahead of us. Charlotte followed closely, her movements careful but tense, her sword held at the ready. Mira stayed at the back, clutching me tightly as she moved hesitantly, her breaths shallow and quick.
The crack on my forearm pulsed again, brighter this time, sending another wave of heat through me. I twitched weakly, my head lolling against Mira's chest. She gasped softly, her arms tightening around me. "He's burning up again," she whispered, her voice thick with panic.
Lucien glanced back, his eyes narrowing as he took in my state. "We're close," he said, though there was a hint of doubt in his voice.
"Close to what?" Mira shot back, her tone sharp. "To killing him? To losing him completely?"
Lucien didn't respond, his gaze snapping back to the path ahead.
The tunnel narrowed, the walls pressing closer until it felt like we were being swallowed. The veins grew brighter, their pulses matching the faint whispers that seemed to echo from somewhere deep within.
"The anchor breaks…"
"The vessel falters…"
The voices were faint, fragmented, but they sent chills through the air. Charlotte stiffened, her grip on her sword tightening as her eyes darted around. "Do you hear that?"
Lucien nodded, his expression dark. "It's coming from the Trail."
Mira's steps faltered, her breath hitching as the voices grew louder. "Make it stop," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Please, make it stop."
---
The tunnel suddenly widened, opening into a small chamber lined with more veins. The air here was colder, the metallic scent sharper, almost stinging. At the center of the chamber was a faintly glowing pool of crimson liquid, its surface rippling despite the stillness of the air.
Lucien approached cautiously, his sword raised. The amulet in his hand pulsed faintly, its light dimming as he neared the pool. "This is it," he murmured, his voice barely audible.
"This is what?" Mira demanded, her voice strained. She stood at the edge of the chamber, her arms curled protectively around me. "What is this supposed to be?"
"The heart of the Trail," Charlotte said, her tone grim. "Or at least part of it."
Mira shook her head, her tears falling again as she stepped back. "No. I'm not letting you take him anywhere near that."
Lucien turned to face her, his expression hard. "Mira, we need to do this. The Trail is tied to him. If we can stabilize this—"
"You don't even know if it'll work!" Mira shouted, her voice breaking. "You're guessing again, Lucien. And if you're wrong—if you're wrong, we lose him!"
Lucien flinched but held his ground. "If we don't try, we lose him anyway," he said quietly.
Mira's body trembled, her tears falling faster as she looked down at me. "I can't," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I can't lose him."
The system's text flickered into view suddenly, cold and unyielding:
[The anchor bends but must endure. Stabilize the vessel.]
Lucien's voice was soft but firm. "We don't have time, Mira. The estate is giving us this chance. We have to take it."
The chamber seemed to hold its breath, the whispers from the veins growing louder, more insistent.
"The anchor bends…"
"The vessel falters…"
Mira closed her eyes, her body shaking as she pressed her lips to my forehead. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
With trembling hands, she stepped into the chamber.
---
The moment Mira stepped into the chamber, the air shifted. It was subtle at first—a faint, almost imperceptible change in pressure—but then it hit like a wave. The temperature plummeted, leaving frost to creep along the edges of the pulsating veins that lined the chamber walls. The whispers grew louder, no longer fragmented but weaving together in an ominous chant.
Mira's grip on me tightened instinctively, her arms trembling as she took another hesitant step forward. The veins reacted to her presence, glowing brighter, their pulsations syncing with the erratic beat of her heart. Every step she took sent ripples of crimson light cascading through the chamber, as if the estate itself was watching, waiting.
Lucien followed closely behind, his sword unsheathed and held low, the blade gleaming faintly in the eerie light. His face was drawn, his expression unreadable, but the tension in his posture betrayed his unease. "Stay close," he murmured, his voice barely audible over the relentless hum that now filled the air.
Charlotte brought up the rear, her movements cautious, her eyes scanning every corner of the chamber for threats. She looked worse than before—paler, her breath coming in short, shallow bursts—but her grip on her weapon was steady, and her gaze sharp. "This place feels wrong," she muttered, her voice low but laced with unease.
---
The center of the chamber was dominated by a large, circular platform. Its surface was etched with intricate patterns that seemed to move, shifting and twisting like living things. Crimson veins snaked across the platform, converging at its center where a faintly glowing orb hovered, suspended in mid-air. The orb pulsed with the same rhythm as the veins, its light waxing and waning like a heartbeat.
Mira hesitated at the edge of the platform, her breaths uneven as she stared at the orb. "What is this?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Lucien stepped beside her, his gaze fixed on the orb. "It's a conduit," he said after a moment, his tone heavy with certainty. "A way to stabilize the connection between the anchor and the vessel."
"Stabilize?" Mira's voice rose, sharp with disbelief. "You're talking about him like he's some… tool. He's not a part of this. He's not."
Lucien turned to her, his expression hard. "Mira, look at him." His gaze dropped to me, and for a moment, his mask slipped, revealing a flicker of worry. "He's connected to this place, whether we want him to be or not. If we don't do something now, the Trail will consume him. You've seen what it's doing to him."
Mira's lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she looked down at me. The crack on my arm had spread further, faint tendrils of crimson light spidering across my skin. My tiny body was limp in her arms, my breaths shallow and labored. The faint whispers emanating from the veins on my skin grew louder, echoing Valthys's words with chilling clarity.
"The anchor bends… The vessel falters… The Trail sharpens…"
"I'm not risking him," Mira said, her voice breaking. "I won't let this place take him."
"And if we do nothing, it will," Lucien said, his tone sharper now, though there was no malice in his voice—only desperation. "You think I want this? You think I don't care about him? But this is the only way. We have to stabilize him, or we lose him."
Charlotte stepped forward then, her movements slow and deliberate. "We don't have time to argue," she said, her voice strained but firm. "The orb—it's reacting to him. Look."
All eyes turned to the orb. Its glow had intensified, the pulsations growing erratic, chaotic. The veins on the platform writhed like living things, their light flickering as if caught in a storm. The whispers in the chamber grew louder, overlapping until they became a deafening roar.
---
Mira hesitated, her gaze darting between me and the orb. Her lips trembled as she whispered, "What if this hurts him more?"
Lucien stepped closer, his voice softer now. "We don't know what it will do. But we know what happens if we don't try."
Mira closed her eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks as she held me close. "I'm sorry, baby," she whispered again, her voice breaking. "I'm so sorry."
Slowly, she stepped onto the platform. The veins flared brightly beneath her feet, and the orb pulsed in response, its light casting long, jagged shadows across the chamber walls. Lucien and Charlotte followed, their movements cautious, their weapons at the ready.
As Mira approached the center of the platform, the orb began to descend, its light growing blindingly bright. The whispers crescendoed into a single, deafening voice that echoed through the chamber.
"Stabilize the vessel. Endure the Anchor. Sever the Trail."
The orb stopped just above me, its light enveloping my small frame. Mira gasped as a wave of heat radiated from the orb, forcing her to tighten her grip on me. "What's happening?" she cried, her voice tinged with panic.
Lucien stepped forward, his sword raised defensively. "It's starting," he said grimly.
Suddenly, the veins beneath the platform writhed violently, and a surge of crimson energy shot upward, enveloping us all. Mira screamed, clutching me tightly as the energy coursed through the platform, sending shockwaves through the chamber.
Charlotte staggered, her sword clattering to the ground as she fell to one knee. "It's… feeding on him," she gasped, her voice strained.
Lucien's eyes widened as he looked down at the veins. "No," he said, his voice low but filled with dread. "It's stabilizing him. It's pulling the energy out of the Trail and into the vessel."
The realization hit Mira like a physical blow. She looked down at me, her tears falling freely as she whispered, "Is this what you meant? Stabilizing him by… by turning him into this?"
Lucien didn't answer. His focus was entirely on the orb and the veins, his expression grim as the energy continued to surge.
---
Then, without warning, the orb shattered.
The chamber was plunged into darkness, the crimson light extinguished in an instant. The silence was deafening, the oppressive weight of the Trail suddenly gone. For a moment, none of us moved, too stunned to react.
Then, the faint glow of the veins returned, dimmer now but still present. Mira's breaths came in sharp, uneven gasps as she looked down at me. The crack on my arm had stopped spreading, the faint whispers silenced. My body was still feverish, but the energy that had been consuming me was gone.
Lucien let out a slow, shaky breath, his sword lowering as he looked at Mira. "It worked," he said quietly. "He's stable."
Mira didn't respond. Her tears fell silently as she held me close, her lips pressing against my forehead. "I'm so sorry," she whispered again, her voice breaking. "I'm so sorry, baby."
Charlotte rose unsteadily to her feet, her gaze sweeping over the chamber. "This isn't over," she said grimly. "The Trail is still here. It's weaker, but it's not gone."
Lucien nodded, his expression hardening. "We need to keep moving," he said. "The Trail won't stop. Not until we sever it completely."
Mira looked up at him, her eyes red and swollen. "Then you'd better pray you're right," she said, her voice cold. "Because if you're not, I'll never forgive you."
The chamber seemed to hold its breath as we turned toward the narrow passage leading deeper into the estate. The veins pulsed faintly, their light casting eerie shadows that seemed to follow us as we stepped forward.
The Trail was waiting. And it wasn't done with us yet.