Chapter 6: The Shattered Trust
After a night of worry, Eric and Celeste finally find some peace. But it is only temporary. The feeling of unease that surrounds them grows stronger, like a dark shadow that can never be avoided.
They walked down the wide corridors of the castle, their steps filled with anxiety. Behind every door, every corner, they felt eyes lurking. Whether it was from a sense of paranoia, or from the reality that their enemy might be closer than they thought.
"There is no safe place here, Celeste," Eric said, his voice soft but determined. "We must act quickly. If we are late, everything will be destroyed."
Celeste looked at Eric with concern, but there was a determination in her brother's eyes that made her feel more at ease. "I know. But what's our next step? Father doesn't know what's going on. Leon and Seraphina have eaten away at his power too far."
Eric lowered his head, his mind wandering. "I know. I have to find out what they're hiding. I have to face them, even if it means betraying my father."
Tensions rose as they reached the end of the corridor, where a hidden door led to a secret room. Only a few people knew about this place, and one of them was Celeste. Eric nodded to his sister, signaling her to stay calm. They slowly opened the door, entering a room filled with various devices that appeared to be no longer in use.
In this space, there is only one thing they must do: find answers.
However, before they could proceed any further, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed, growing louder with each step. Eric's gaze fixed on the slightly ajar door, his breath hitching as shadows crept closer. It seemed they weren't the only ones guarding secrets within this castle.
The door suddenly swung open, startling Eric and Celeste. In the doorway stood a tall man, wearing a black robe that covered most of his face. The light from the oil lamp in the corner of the room created shadows that added to the mysteriousness of the figure.
Eric was shocked, his eyes sharply staring at the man. "Who are you? What do you want?"
The man didn't answer right away. He just stood there, watching them with a sharp, enigmatic gaze. After a few seconds that felt like hours, he finally spoke in a low, mysterious voice.
"I didn't come to threaten you. I came to warn you," the man said quietly. "There's more you don't know. And time is running out."
Eric and Celeste exchanged glances, confusion and anxiety hanging in the air. Who was this man? Why did he seem to know so much about their situation?
"What do you mean?" Celeste asked, her tense voice echoing throughout the room.
The man slowly approached, then placed his hands on the table in front of him, facing Eric. "Leon and Seraphina are not the only threats you face. There is another, greater power waiting to take over this kingdom."
Eric grasped Celeste's arm, his eyes burning with deep curiosity. "What power? Who are you?"
The man took a deep breath, then raised his head, signaling Eric to come closer. "I am someone who knows more about the Everia family than you think. And if you want to protect everyone, you must stop trusting the people around you. Including your father."
Too much information was being delivered so quickly, making Eric feel dizzy and anxious.
However, those last words, mentioning his father, made his heart even heavier. Did this mean that Duke Alaric was also involved in something much bigger than just a power struggle within the family?
The man touched the chest of his robe, taking out a small, ancient-looking scroll. "This is a clue. Find this, and you will know the truth."
Without giving them a chance to speak further, the man turned and walked away quickly, disappearing into the darkness of the castle corridor.
Eric and Celeste stand still, feeling trapped in a puzzle far more complicated than they thought.
But one thing is for sure: they must find out more soon. This isn't just about power—it's about survival.
And maybe, they will soon find out who they can trust.
---
Eric and Celeste stared at each other for a moment, confusion and anxiety creeping into every corner of their minds. The tension in the room grew as if something was stalking them from the shadows.
After the mysterious man disappeared, they could only stand there in silence, trying to comprehend what had just happened. The man's words echoed in Eric's head, disturbing his peace. "Leon and Seraphina aren't the only threats you face..." It was a warning they couldn't ignore.
"What happened, Eric?" Celeste finally asked, her voice shaking slightly. "Why did he say we can't trust Dad? And who is he?"
Eric gripped the scroll now in his hand, trying to process every word written on it. "I don't know who he is, Celeste. But what he said..." Eric paused, staring at the scroll with increasingly sharp eyes.
"There's something bigger than we think. And I don't think we can wait much longer."
"So, what should we do now?" Celeste asked again, deep worry evident on her face.
Eric took a deep breath. "We have to find out what's hidden. We have to reveal everything that's going on, even if it means facing a reality that's darker than we imagined."
However, before they could continue their conversation, the sound of footsteps suddenly approached. Eric immediately raised his head, looking at the door that had just opened. The figure of Duke Alaric appeared in the doorway, his face looking more serious than before, and his eyes conveying deeper tension.
"What are you talking about?" Duke Alaric's voice was flat, yet full of undeniable power.
Eric and Celeste looked at each other for a moment. The anxiety that was weighing on them was becoming more and more real. Eric knew that if they weren't careful, their father could be more dangerous than they thought.
"Dad..." Eric said, his voice cautious. "We just heard reports of an outside threat. We want to make sure everything is safe."
Duke Alaric stepped further into the room, his eyes watching the two of them intently. "You two already know more than you can comprehend," Duke Alaric said, voice low and deep. "There are things you cannot know. I will handle this."
Suddenly, Eric felt an unspoken tension between them. His father's face no longer showed the usual affection, but a fragility that was hard to ignore. Eric began to feel how thin the line between family and enemy was.
"What are you hiding, Dad?" Eric asked, his tone sharper than he intended.
Duke Alaric didn't answer immediately, just stared at Eric with eyes that seemed to hide many things. A few seconds passed, and the atmosphere became more and more tense.
"This is no time for questions," Duke Alaric said in a colder voice. "You are not ready for the truth, Eric."
But even as his father's words seemed to stop him in his tracks, Eric sensed that something bigger was happening—something he could no longer ignore.
With heavy hearts, Eric and Celeste could only nod. But in their hearts, a decision had already begun to sink in: they had to dig deeper. They had to uncover the truth, even if it meant going against the one they considered their protector.
---
Duke Alaric looked at Eric and Celeste with increasingly heavy eyes, as if there was an invisible pressure behind every word spoken. Eric felt something was wrong, but he couldn't express it fully yet.
"I want you both to stay here," Duke Alaric said, his voice firm. "I will not allow this to get any worse. You have no idea what threat we face."
Eric stared at his father deeply. These words were too familiar, too similar to what they had heard from the mysterious person. However, he knew he couldn't just confront his father with such accusations.
"If that's what you want…" Eric said quietly, trying to hold back the feelings bubbling in his chest. "But we need to know what happened."
Duke Alaric stared at her with an unreadable expression. Then, with a swift movement, he turned and walked towards the exit, leaving the two of them in a room that was increasingly heavy with questions.
After what felt like a long few seconds, Celeste finally took a breath and approached Eric. "We can't just wait, Eric. This whole thing feels like an act. Dad… he knows more than he lets on."
Eric nodded, his eyes still on the door that had just closed. "I know, Celeste. But we have to be careful. We can't rush anything."
They both stood in the room in silence, thinking about what to do next. Every movement they made, every word they said, felt like a small step towards greater uncertainty.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard approaching from the corridor. Eric raised his head and saw someone familiar. Leon, Eric's half-brother, appeared at the door of the room. His face was cold, as usual, but there was something different this time. His eyes were sharp as if he knew more than he was saying.
"Eric, Celeste," she said in a warning tone. "There's something I want to talk to you about."
Eric felt tension immediately course through his body. On one hand, Leon was his brother, but on the other, he was the one involved in an escalating power struggle. What did he want now?
"What's wrong, Leon?" Eric asked cautiously, his eyes alert.
Leon studied them closely as if judging whether they were ready to hear what he had to say. "I know you two are looking for the truth," he said finally. "But be careful. There is more to you than you know. Our family… is not what you think it is."
Celeste looked at Leon suspiciously. "What do you mean?" she asked, voice tense.
Leon took a deep breath, then stepped closer to them. "I didn't come to scare you, but the situation is getting complicated. Other parties want to control this kingdom. And they will do anything to achieve it."
Eric felt the tension rising. "Who do you mean?" he asked, a voice a little higher than usual.
Leon looked at him with a serious expression. "There are forces greater than our family, Eric. And they have already begun to move. You must be careful."
Leon then walked towards the door and turned around for a moment, looking at them with an unreadable gaze. "I just want you guys to be ready," he said before finally walking away.
After Leon disappeared from view, Eric and Celeste looked at each other again. What they had just heard only added to their confusion. There was more to uncover, and time was running out.
"What do we do now, Eric?" Celeste asked in a low, but determined voice.
Eric gripped the scroll in his hand tighter. "We have to find out who we're dealing with. This is bigger than just our family. This is about the entire kingdom."
The two of them then left the room with hearts full of questions, but also a stronger determination.
They knew that their journey had only just begun, and every step they took would take them deeper into the darkness that enveloped their kingdom.
---
The darkening night brings no comfort to Eric and Celeste. Although they try to find a solution, the feeling of anxiety and uncertainty deepens. Every step they take feels like a minefield, with threats lurking around every corner.
After the mysterious man left, the room was silent. Eric and Celeste stood stiffly, unable to fully accept the information they had just heard.
"What should we do now?" Celeste asked in a low voice, still trying to understand the meaning of the man's words.
Eric gripped the small scroll the man had given him tightly, his eyes full of determination even as his heart held doubts. "We have to find out about this. About father... about Leon and Seraphina. Everything we believe may be wrong."
Celeste bit her lip, unable to hide the worry on her face. "But... can we fight them? Our father is involved in this, and Leon and Seraphina are too. They are no longer strangers to our family."
Eric stared at the scroll intently, as if searching for the answer hidden within it. "I don't know. But we have to find out more. If we can't trust our father, who else can we trust?"
With those words, they exited the hidden room and headed toward the library, where they had hidden a lot of information. This room filled with ancient books and old records was the only place where they felt a little safer. Even so, there was still a sense of unease, as if the entire castle had become a place full of threats.
On the large table in the center of the room, Eric carefully unrolled the small scroll. The scroll looked very old, with faint, almost illegible writing. Celeste stood beside it, looking at it with curiosity and tension.
"There's something strange here…" Eric muttered, his eyes darting around for more clues. The writing wasn't easy to read, but one part was written: "Beware of father's games. Everything he does is part of a grand plan."
The sentence felt like a bolt of lightning. Was their father involved in something bigger than they thought? Or was this just a mind game played by the mysterious person?
"What does he mean by daddy's game?" Celeste asked, her eyes looking confused.
Eric took a deep breath. "I don't know, Celeste. But this clearly shows that we are wrong to believe too much in what we have always thought was true."
As they continued to examine the scroll, heavy footsteps were heard from outside the library. Eric and Celeste looked at each other, knowing full well that they could not be left to continue searching unsupervised. There was a greater danger than the external threat they had heard earlier.
"Quick, hide the scroll," Eric ordered, quickly hiding the scroll in the desk drawer, and covering the book.
The library doors opened, and a familiar figure appeared in the doorway: Duke Alaric.
His face was serious, but his eyes were sharp as if he knew something. "What are you doing here?" Duke Alaric asked in a deep voice that emphasized his position.
Eric tried to remain calm, looking at his father carefully. "Just reading old books, Dad. Nothing important."
But even as those words came out of Eric's mouth, there was tension flowing between them. Duke Alaric stared at them for a moment longer, as if searching for something hidden. Nothing could escape the scrutiny of a Duke.
"Don't lie to me, Eric," Duke Alaric's voice lowered, like a warning. "I know you and Celeste know more than you're letting on. I don't like being kept in the dark. What are you looking for?"
Celeste felt the tension in the air growing. Eric stared at his father, deep in thought. If they revealed what they knew, would it make things worse? Was his father involved in all of this?
"Dad," Eric finally spoke in a more steady voice. "We're not looking for anything. We're just worried about the situation."
Duke Alaric nodded, though his eyes still held doubt. "Your concerns are understandable. However, do not let anxiety get in the way of our progress. Trust me, I know what I am doing."
Meanwhile, in Eric's heart, doubts were growing. His father's words brought no peace. Everything they tried to build in this family now feels fragile. Everything depends on one decision: will they continue to trust the person they have always considered their protector?
With hearts full of doubt, Eric and Celeste follow Duke Alaric out of the library, but their minds wander deep into increasingly complex and threatening plans.
End of Chapter