The air inside the hidden chamber was heavy. Dust swirled in the dim torchlight, and the scent of something long dead clung to the stone walls. Zayne's heartbeat was still erratic, his mind reeling from the vision he'd seen. The massacre, the red-eyed man, the whispers—none of it made sense.
Kai was the first to speak. "We need to leave. Now."
Malo scoffed. "We just got here."
Kai shot him a glare. "You don't feel it? Something woke up the moment Zayne touched that book."
Zayne clenched his fists. The sensation from earlier was still there, like something unseen pressing against his skin.
Seraphina ran a finger over the bloodstained pages. "This book might have answers."
Tallesia stepped closer, her grip tightening on her twin daggers. "Then let's take it and go. I don't like this place."
As if on cue, the torches flickered. A whisper, faint yet chilling, slithered through the room.
"Leave."
Zayne's breath caught. "Did you hear that?"
Malo swallowed. "Yeah. Yeah, I did."
Kai moved toward the door. "We're done here."
Seraphina grabbed the book and tucked it under her arm. The moment she did, the air shifted—a low, guttural growl echoed from deeper within the archives.
Tallesia's eyes darted toward the darkness. "Something's coming."
Malo unsheathed his sword, his stance tightening. "About time we got a fight."
The shadows along the walls thickened, pooling together into a massive, writhing form. Glowing white eyes blinked open within the darkness.
Then it lunged.
Escape Through the Archives
Zayne barely had time to react before Kai shoved him aside, drawing his daggers. The shadowy creature crashed into the spot where Zayne had been standing, its clawed limbs slamming into the stone floor with a deafening crack.
Seraphina was already chanting, her fingers glowing with arcane energy. "Ignis Ardentia!"
Flames erupted from her palms, searing through the dark mass. The creature let out a shriek, recoiling from the fire—but only for a moment. The shadows reformed instantly, tendrils lashing toward her.
Tallesia intercepted, her lightning-coated blades slicing through the tendrils. Sparks flew as the severed limbs dissipated into mist.
"Move!" Kai shouted.
The group sprinted for the exit, but the creature was fast. It reared up, its body shifting into a monstrous shape with jagged edges and countless limbs.
Malo turned, planting his feet. "Zayne, go! I'll hold it off."
Zayne hesitated. "Malo—"
"Don't argue. Run!"
Zayne clenched his teeth but obeyed, sprinting toward the iron door with Kai and Tallesia. Seraphina was the last through, slamming her hands against the frame. "Sigillum Claustra!"
A barrier of glowing runes formed over the entrance just as the creature slammed into it. The force sent shockwaves through the corridor, but the spell held.
For now.
Malo stumbled back, breathing heavily. "Okay. That was worse than I expected."
Zayne helped him up. "What the hell was that?"
Seraphina frowned. "A guardian."
Tallesia wiped sweat from her brow. "A guardian of what?"
Seraphina's grip on the book tightened. "That's what we're going to find out."
The Professor's Warning
Back in the academy's dorms, Zayne sat in his room, the book resting on the desk before him. His fingers hovered over the cover, but he hesitated.
What if touching it again triggered another vision?
A knock at the door startled him.
He turned as Solomon Lewis, one of Mystic Heights' most respected professors, stepped inside. His sharp gaze landed on the book immediately.
"You've been reckless, Zayne."
Zayne tensed. "You know what this is?"
Solomon crossed his arms. "More than you do."
Zayne's jaw clenched. "Then start talking."
The professor sighed, stepping closer. "Eldric Voss was a dangerous man. Thirty years ago, he experimented with magic that shouldn't exist. Magic that could tear the balance between life and death apart."
Zayne felt a chill. "And the academy let him?"
Solomon's expression darkened. "They needed his research. Mystic Heights has always been a place of knowledge, but knowledge comes at a price."
Zayne frowned. "What happened to him?"
Solomon hesitated. Then, quietly, he said, "He was consumed by his own experiments."
The room fell silent.
Zayne's hands curled into fists. "Then who was that man in the shadows? The one who knew me?"
Solomon hesitated. "I don't know."
Zayne didn't believe him.
The professor placed a firm hand on the book. "This knowledge is dangerous, Zayne. You should destroy it."
Zayne shook his head. "Not until I have answers."
Solomon studied him for a long moment before sighing. "Then be careful. You might not like what you find."
With that, he turned and left.
Zayne stared at the book, the weight of it pressing down on him.
Who was Eldric Voss? And why do I feel like this is only the beginning?