Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Secrets of the Shattered Heart

The midnight air hung heavy over the ruins of the Forgotten Temple, where Alaris and Calla stood in the moonlight, their breath shallow and their hearts pounding. The journey to this desolate place had been fraught with danger—shadows lurking in every corner, the whispers of unseen eyes following their every move. But nothing could have prepared them for what lay within those ancient stones.

"Are you sure this is it?" Calla's voice trembled slightly as she looked up at the crumbling archways, vines curling around the stones like skeletal fingers.

Alaris, ever the silent observer, simply nodded as his piercing eyes scanned the worn inscriptions at the temple's entrance. The markings were faded but unmistakable.

He traced the seals with a steady hand, feeling the weight of forgotten history weighing on his soul.

"This temple... was built before the kingdoms were divided," he muttered, half to himself. "Before the Heartstone shattered."

Calla crossed her arms and tried to ignore the growing unease that ran down her spine. "And you think whatever is inside can give us answers?"

Alaris didn't answer. Instead, he pushed open the heavy stone doors, the groan of the ancient hinges echoing through the desolate halls beyond. Dust swirled in the cold air, carrying the smell of ancient magic and long-buried secrets. Glancing at Calla, he entered, his movements calculated and careful.

The inner chamber of the temple was vast, with towering pillars that seemed to stretch to infinity. In the center of the room stood a massive, cracked stone pedestal, upon which rested a broken crystal that pulsed with an eerie blue light—the remains of the Heartstone.

Calla inhaled sharply. "That's it? That's… what's left of it?"

Alaris approached the pedestal reverently, his fingertips brushing the cool surface of the crystal. The moment his skin touched the pedestal, a flood of images flooded his mind—bolts of war, a betrayal in the dark, and five figures standing in a circle, each holding a shard of the stone. Their faces were obscured, but one thing was clear: the Heartstone had not been broken accidentally. It had been broken… on purpose.

He stumbled back, his poker face crumbling ever so slightly.

"Alaris? What did you see?" Calla asked, concern in her voice.

He calmed down, his mind racing. "It's not just a relic. It's a prison."

Before Calla could ask any more questions, a voice came from the shadows.

"And prisons are made to be destroyed."

Alaris whirled around and narrowed his eyes as a figure emerged from the darkness. Nyx, the Silent King's notorious agent, moved with feline grace, her dark cloak billowing like a ghost. A cruel grin played on her lips as she gazed upon the broken crystal.

"You meddle in matters beyond your understanding, scholar," Nyx purred, drawing two daggers that glittered in the dim light.

Alaris remained calm, his expression giving nothing away. "Understanding is why I'm here."

Nyx's eyes flickered with amusement. "Then let me enlighten you. The fragment you touched so carelessly? It's just a part of the whole. And once it's reunited, the true power of the Heartstone will be unleashed."

Calla took a defensive stance, her hand slowly moving to the hilt of her sword. "And let me guess... your king wants that power?"

Nyx's grin widened. "Oh, sweet girl, everyone wants that power."

Before they could react, Nyx lunged at him with incredibly fast movements. Alaris barely managed to duck as one of her daggers sliced ​​through the air where his throat had been moments before. Calla drew her sword and struck Nyx's other blade with a loud clang.

Alaris used the distraction to focus on the crystal. Fragments of ancient texts he'd studied for years swirled in his head. The Heartstone was never meant to be used—it was meant to contain something. Something much worse.

His mother's words echoed in his head. He looked down at the crystal and whispered the sentence to himself. The stone pulsed in response, faint tendrils of light snaking out of its cracks, revealing symbols hidden from the naked eye.

Nyx pulled away from Calla in one fluid motion and narrowed her eyes when she saw the glowing sigils. "No..." she hissed "You're not supposed to see that."

Alaris realized with a start that the markings were coordinates—locations scattered across Elarion that led to the remaining shards. And one of them... was hidden in the royal courtyard of Solmara.

Nyx lunged at him again, but this time Alaris was ready. He dodged to the side and knocked over an old brazier, sending a thick cloud of smoke billowing through the chamber. "Calla, run!"

Without hesitation, they ran toward the temple's exit, Nyx's curses following them into the night. As they stepped out into the cool air, Alaris felt the weight of what they had discovered on his chest.

"Solmara," he murmured. "We must go to Elyra.""

Calla nodded grimly. "And quickly. If the Silent King wants the shards, we're already running out of time."

Alaris cast one last glance at the temple behind them, unanswered questions racing through his mind. Who had shattered the Heartstone? What could it really contain? And most importantly, why did he feel like a part of him had always known the answers?

As they disappeared into the forest, the shattered crystal in the temple pulsed one last time and a whisper echoed through the empty halls: