Tears burned behind her eyes but she pressed forward, she couldn't stop...not yet. The air grew colder as the tunnel sloped downward, a bitter chill crawling up her spine.
At last, the corridor opened into a small chamber, cracked stone balls framed a forgotten shrine, the remnantas of a fresco long faded. At its center stood a broken pedestal, half swallowed by moss, as though nature itself had claimed it.
Elena staggered forward, collapsing to her knees before the pedestal.The Codex slipped from her arms onto the cold stone.
For a moment, she simply breathe. The silence pressed in heavy and suffocating. She was alone.
Her gaze drifted to the book. Its cover gleamed faintly in the dim light filtering through a crack above moonlight, pooling in a narrow beam across the rose emblem.
Elena hesitated, then almost against her will, she reached out.
Her fingers brushed the rose.
The world shuddered.
A pulse of warmth surged through her vein, like a heartbeat not her own. The chamber blurred, shadows twisting, reforming. Suddenly she was no longer real kneeling in damp stone, but standing in a garden bathed in silver moonlight. Roses stretched in endless rose, their petals darker than night glistening as though wet with dew— or blood.
At the center of the garden stood a single bloom, taller than her, glowing faintly under the moonlight. It's petals shimmered crimson and black, a flower both beautiful and terrifying.
The Midnight Rose.
Elena's breath caught. She step forward, unable to resist the pull. The air vibrated with whispers—voices that weren't hers, overlapping ancient.
The Rose chooses —the Rose remembers— the Rose demands.
Her hand lifted trembling, reaching for the flower. But before she could touch it, a figure stepped between her and the bloom.
A woman....
Her face was hidden by a veil, her dress flowing like ink when she spoke, her voice was both gentle and commanding.
"You are not ready".
Elena froze "Who..... who are you?"
The woman tilted her head "The keeper.....The Guardian..... the Rose knows you Elena, it has always known you."
A chill swept through her "What do you mean?"
But before the women could answer, the vision shattered.
Elina gasped, the chambe snapping back into focus. She was still on her knees.The Codex beneath her hands. Sweat dampened her brow, her chest rising and fallling in frantic rhythm.
Her fingers trembled as she flipped the book open.
The pages had changed.
Before, they were filled with symbols and script she couldn't understand. Now sketches bloomed across the parchment—rose twined around moons, rivers of ink shaped like blood, a map she hadn't seen before stretching across the pages.
Her throat tightened. She wasn't imagining it. The Codex had responded to her.
But why her?
The crack above widened with a groan, a silver of outside world breaking into the chamber. Elena flinched at the sudden noise, clutching the book close again. She had no answers, only questions that clawed at her mind.
And still— Adrian.
Her chest ached at the thought of him. Was he alive? Had Cassian killed him? The idea of never seeing him again was a hollow knife twisting deep inside her.
Her trembling eased, replaced by a flicker of resolve. She couldn't stay here. The Codex had shown her something, but she couldn't face it alone. She needed him.
She rose unsteady, wiping her palms agar dress. She picked up the dagger he had given her, its blade catching the thin light, and forced herself toward the far end of the chamber where another narrow passage beckoned.
The tunnel climbed upwards, winding sharply, until finally it spilled her into the open night.
The city was quiet, eerie under the blood-stained glow of a clouded moon. The streets were deserted, save for the wind that carried whispers of distant unrest. Elena clutched the book tighter, her eyes scanning the shadows.
And then—movement.
Her heart leapt into her throat. A figure staggered into view, emerging from an alley. His coat was torn, his cheek marked with blood, but his stride was purposeful, unbroken.
"Adrian!"
Her voice cracked, raw with relief. She ran towards him, the Codex pressed to her chest.
He caught her in his arms, pulling her close, his breathing ragged. For a moment, they simply clung to each other, alive, together.
"I thought—" she whispered against him, her voice breaking.
"So did I—" he murmured, his grip fierce though he would never let her go.
When they finally pulled apart, his storm-gray eyes searched for her face, lingering on the Codex in her hands "You have it."
Elena nodded, swallowing hard "Adrian.....it responded to me...I saw something....A garden...The Rose....A woman—"
His gaze sharpened, a muscle tightening in his jaw "What did she say?"
"That the Rose knows me" Elena's voice shook "that it has always known me."
For the first time since she met him, Adrian looked shaken, truly shaken. He stepped back, running a hand through his blood-matted hair.
"This changes everything" he whispered
Elena frowned "what does it mean?"
Adrian's met hers, fierce and conflicted "It means you are not just caught in this Elena...you're a part of it.... maybe the most important part"
Her stomach dropped "No... I can't."
"You can" he cut in his voice sharp...urgent "If the codex chose you.... if the Rose knows you... then the order won't stop until they have you.You are not leverage anymore.You are the key."
The night air seemed colder heavier, pressing in on her from all sides. Elena's mind spun with disbelief... with terror.
But beneath it all a seed of resolv, begin to root.
If the rose had chosen her, then she couldn't hide from it. She would face it with Adrian beside her.
She tightened her crip on the Codex.....lifted her chin and whispered "then we find it before they do."
Adrian's storm-gray grey eyes met hers and for the first time she saw not just the weight of his past but the spark of something new— hope.
And under the blood-stained moon, they made a silent vow.
Together they would chase the Rose.
Or be destroyed by it.
Tears burned behind her eyes but she pressed forward, she couldn't stop...not yet. The air grew colder as the tunnel sloped downward, a bitter chill crawling up her spine.
At last, the corridor opened into a small chamber, cracked stone balls framed a forgotten shrine, the remnantas of a fresco long faded. At its center stood a broken pedestal, half swallowed by moss, as though nature itself had claimed it.
Elena staggered forward, collapsing to her knees before the pedestal.The Codex slipped from her arms onto the cold stone.
For a moment, she simply breathe. The silence pressed in heavy and suffocating. She was alone.
Her gaze drifted to the book. Its cover gleamed faintly in the dim light filtering through a crack above moonlight, pooling in a narrow beam across the rose emblem.
Elena hesitated, then almost against her will, she reached out.
Her fingers brushed the rose.
The world shuddered.
A pulse of warmth surged through her vein, like a heartbeat not her own. The chamber blurred, shadows twisting, reforming. Suddenly she was no longer real kneeling in damp stone, but standing in a garden bathed in silver moonlight. Roses stretched in endless rose, their petals darker than night glistening as though wet with dew— or blood.
At the center of the garden stood a single bloom, taller than her, glowing faintly under the moonlight. It's petals shimmered crimson and black, a flower both beautiful and terrifying.
The Midnight Rose.
Elena's breath caught. She step forward, unable to resist the pull. The air vibrated with whispers—voices that weren't hers, overlapping ancient.
The Rose chooses —the Rose remembers— the Rose demands.
Her hand lifted trembling, reaching for the flower. But before she could touch it, a figure stepped between her and the bloom.
A woman....
Her face was hidden by a veil, her dress flowing like ink when she spoke, her voice was both gentle and commanding.
"You are not ready".
Elena froze "Who..... who are you?"
The woman tilted her head "The keeper.....The Guardian..... the Rose knows you Elena, it has always known you."
A chill swept through her "What do you mean?"
But before the women could answer, the vision shattered.
Elina gasped, the chambe snapping back into focus. She was still on her knees.The Codex beneath her hands. Sweat dampened her brow, her chest rising and fallling in frantic rhythm.
Her fingers trembled as she flipped the book open.
The pages had changed.
Before, they were filled with symbols and script she couldn't understand. Now sketches bloomed across the parchment—rose twined around moons, rivers of ink shaped like blood, a map she hadn't seen before stretching across the pages.
Her throat tightened. She wasn't imagining it. The Codex had responded to her.
But why her?
The crack above widened with a groan, a silver of outside world breaking into the chamber. Elena flinched at the sudden noise, clutching the book close again. She had no answers, only questions that clawed at her mind.
And still— Adrian.
Her chest ached at the thought of him. Was he alive? Had Cassian killed him? The idea of never seeing him again was a hollow knife twisting deep inside her.
Her trembling eased, replaced by a flicker of resolve. She couldn't stay here. The Codex had shown her something, but she couldn't face it alone. She needed him.
She rose unsteady, wiping her palms agar dress. She picked up the dagger he had given her, its blade catching the thin light, and forced herself toward the far end of the chamber where another narrow passage beckoned.
The tunnel climbed upwards, winding sharply, until finally it spilled her into the open night.
The city was quiet, eerie under the blood-stained glow of a clouded moon. The streets were deserted, save for the wind that carried whispers of distant unrest. Elena clutched the book tighter, her eyes scanning the shadows.
And then—movement.
Her heart leapt into her throat. A figure staggered into view, emerging from an alley. His coat was torn, his cheek marked with blood, but his stride was purposeful, unbroken.
"Adrian!"
Her voice cracked, raw with relief. She ran towards him, the Codex pressed to her chest.
He caught her in his arms, pulling her close, his breathing ragged. For a moment, they simply clung to each other, alive, together.
"I thought—" she whispered against him, her voice breaking.
"So did I—" he murmured, his grip fierce though he would never let her go.
When they finally pulled apart, his storm-gray eyes searched for her face, lingering on the Codex in her hands "You have it."
Elena nodded, swallowing hard "Adrian.....it responded to me...I saw something....A garden...The Rose....A woman—"
His gaze sharpened, a muscle tightening in his jaw "What did she say?"
"That the Rose knows me" Elena's voice shook "that it has always known me."
For the first time since she met him, Adrian looked shaken, truly shaken. He stepped back, running a hand through his blood-matted hair.