"I don't know!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "I don't know what's happening!"
Marcus's expression softened slightly, but his urgency didn't waver. "We need to get you out of here. Now."
He led her through a series of hidden passages, his grip firm but not painful. The whispers began to fade, replaced by the sound of her own ragged breathing.
"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"To the archives," Marcus replied. "If we don't find answers there, we're as good as dead."
They emerged into a vast chamber filled with shelves that stretched to the ceiling, each one packed with books, scrolls, and artifacts. Marcus wasted no time, pulling a dusty tome from one of the shelves and flipping through its pages.
"Here," he said, pointing to an illustration of the same symbols Elara had seen in the room.
"What does it mean?" she asked, her eyes scanning the intricate designs.
"It's a binding spell," Marcus explained, his voice grim. "A powerful one. It's meant to seal something—or someone—away."
Elara's blood ran cold. "Seal what?"
Before Marcus could answer, the chamber door burst open, and Liora strode in, her presence commanding. "You led her here?" she snapped at Marcus, her tone accusatory.
"I didn't have a choice," he shot back. "She activated the symbols. The connection is already forming."
Liora's gaze shifted to Elara, her eyes filled with both anger and pity. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Elara's voice trembled as she spoke. "No. But I want to know. I deserve to know."
Liora stepped closer, her expression softening slightly. "You're not ready for the truth, Elara. But if you keep pushing, you'll unleash something none of us can control."
Elara's hands clenched into fists. "Then help me. Don't keep me in the dark."
Before Liora could respond, the ground beneath them rumbled again, and a deafening roar echoed through the chamber. The three of them turned toward the source, their faces pale with dread.
A fissure split the floor, and from it rose the same shadowy figure, its presence more menacing than before. "You cannot escape the past," it said, its voice reverberating through the air.
Elara's heart raced as she backed away, her mind spinning with questions and fear. Marcus and Liora moved to protect her, their combined power creating a barrier of light.
But the figure didn't falter. It pushed against the barrier, its shadowy tendrils seeping through the cracks.
"Elara," it hissed, its gaze locking onto her. "The choice will be yours."
And with a final burst of energy, the barrier shattered, plunging the chamber into darkness.
Elara's chest heaved as she stood frozen at the edge of the broken glass, her reflection scattered in jagged shards across the marble floor. The air was thick, almost suffocating, as the distant sound of footsteps closed in. Somewhere, deep in her gut, she knew it wasn't Sebastian returning.
"Who's there?" she called, her voice trembling despite her best effort to sound firm.
No answer. Just the eerie echo of her own words ricocheting down the empty corridor.
She turned, her bare feet skimming over the cool surface, and began to back away, one slow step at a time. The door behind her creaked ominously, still ajar from when Sebastian had disappeared into the chaos moments before.
The flicker of movement to her right made her stop. "Show yourself!"
And then he stepped forward.
A figure cloaked in shadow, his face obscured but his presence undeniable. His aura was cold, oppressive, and familiar in a way that made her stomach churn.
"Elara," the man said, his voice deep and deliberate, as though tasting each syllable of her name.
She gripped the edge of the nearest table for support, her knuckles whitening. "Who are you?"
The figure tilted his head, and the faintest glimmer of a smirk crossed his shadowed face. "You should be asking what you are."
The words cut through her like ice. Before she could respond, the sound of glass crunching underfoot snapped her attention behind her. Another figure emerged from the corridor, this one larger, bolder.
"Back away from her."
It was Sebastian, his golden eyes blazing like fire in the dim light. His presence filled the room as though he were a storm threatening to break.
The shadowed man chuckled, low and cruel. "Still playing the protector, are we?"
Sebastian stepped closer, positioning himself between Elara and the man. "You have no business here, Victor. Leave before I make you."
Victor's smirk widened. "Make me?" He let the words hang in the air, dripping with mockery. "You don't even realize what she's capable of, do you? You're shielding her from the truth, Sebastian. It's pathetic."
Elara's head swam with questions, each one louder than the last. She stepped forward, her voice firm this time. "Enough! Someone needs to tell me what's going on."
Victor turned to her, his dark eyes locking with hers. "You want the truth? Fine. Ask yourself why you've been hearing the whispers. Why you can't remember anything before waking up here."
Her heart pounded. "What do you mean?"
Victor leaned in slightly, his voice a low rasp. "You're the key, Elara. And they'll stop at nothing to use you."
Sebastian moved faster than she could follow, grabbing Victor by the collar and slamming him against the wall. The impact sent a shudder through the room.
"I told you to leave," Sebastian growled, his voice dangerously low.