The air in Lilia's study lingered, heavy with words unsaid. Mira held me tighter, as if the diary itself was something she could protect me from. Her breath caught for a moment, and I felt her chest tremble while her fingers traced small circles on my back.
Lucien finally spoke, his voice sharp and cold. "The Heart of the Crimson Path," he said, staring at the diary like he wanted its words to change. He tapped a page, the sound loud in the silence. "That's where the map leads."
Mira reacted instantly. "No." Her voice was quiet but firm enough to silence Charlotte before she could speak. "You're not dragging him into another death trap."
Lucien looked at her, his face unreadable. "We don't have a choice."
"You always say that." She pulled me closer, her nails pressing into my skin. "But this time, we're not doing it."
Charlotte shifted, her hand resting lightly on the hilt of her sword as she watched the exchange. "Mira…" she started, her tone hesitant but firm.
"Don't," Mira snapped, her voice cracking. Her eyes flicked to Charlotte, then back to Lucien. "He's a baby. You hear me? A baby. I won't let you treat him like some… tool."
The room grew unbearably quiet. Lucien's shoulders tensed, his jaw tightening as he spoke through gritted teeth. "And if we don't do this? If we sit here and let the fractures spread? What then, Mira? Tell me."
Mira flinched, her gaze dropping to me. I felt the sharp rise and fall of her chest, the conflict radiating off her in waves. "We find another way," she whispered, her voice trembling. "There's always another way."
Lucien exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. "We've tried other ways. This is it. The map points us to the nexus of the Crimson Trail. If we can reach it—"
"And if it kills him?" Mira interrupted, her voice rising. Her eyes burned as she looked at him, her grip on me tightening further. "What then, Lucien? What's your plan for that?"
Charlotte stepped forward, her movements slow and deliberate. "We're all scared," she said softly, her gaze steady. "But the longer we wait, the worse it gets. This trail doesn't stop, Mira. It doesn't care about him, or us. It will keep tearing through this place until there's nothing left."
Mira's breath hitched again, her lips pressing into a thin line. She didn't respond, but her silence felt louder than any argument.
Lucien spoke again, his tone softer now, almost pleading. "I don't want this either. But Caelum is the key. The map—the diary—it all points to him. We can't protect him from this by pretending it isn't happening."
Mira looked down at me, her expression cracking just slightly. Her lips trembled, and for a moment, I thought she might cry. But she didn't. She pressed a kiss to the top of my head, her breath warm and shaky against my hair.
"Nothing will happen," Lucien said firmly. "I promise."
---
The western wing felt suffocating. Each step made the air heavier, cold and pressing against my skin. Mira held me close, but even her warmth couldn't drive away the chill.
Lucien walked ahead, the amulet in his hand glowing faint red and casting light over the winding halls. The walls seemed to close in, their shadows shifting strangely. A sharp metallic scent filled the air, sticking to the back of my throat.
Charlotte moved at his side with her sword drawn. Her steps were steady, but her eyes darted everywhere, sharp and watchful. I could see the strain in her shoulders and hear her shallow, quick breaths.
Mira stayed behind them, clutching me tightly. Her gaze kept flicking between the floor and the walls, every creak of the boards making her flinch and tighten her grip.
The corridors felt endless, each turn only leading to more darkness. The amulet's glow pulsed faster, brighter, until Lucien stopped at a narrow passage.
"This is it," he said quietly.
Charlotte stepped ahead, studying the passage. The walls were streaked with jagged crimson veins, glowing faintly in rhythm with the amulet. The air was colder here, heavier, and the metallic scent was almost choking.
"Stay close," she warned, glancing back at us.
We moved carefully. The veins gave off a low hum that grew louder with each step. The floor creaked under us, the sound unnaturally sharp in the narrow space.
Then I felt it—a faint, steady thudding beneath the floor. It matched the rhythm of the glowing veins. My body went rigid, and Mira noticed at once.
"What is it?" she whispered, worry tightening her voice.
Before she could say more, the air shifted. The floor beneath us groaned loudly, and the walls seemed to shudder.
"Move!" Lucien barked, grabbing Charlotte's arm and pulling her forward just as the corridor behind us began to collapse.
Mira held me tightly as she sprinted after them, her breaths coming in sharp, uneven bursts. The sound of falling debris filled the air, drowning out everything else.
Charlotte stopped suddenly, her sword slicing through a section of falling rubble. She was panting now, her movements slower, but she didn't stop.
"We're almost there!" Lucien shouted, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
The corridor opened up abruptly into a vast chamber, its walls lined with crimson veins that pulsed in rhythm with the faint thudding beneath us. The air here was heavier, almost suffocating, and the metallic scent was overwhelming.
At the center of the chamber stood an ancient pedestal, its surface inscribed with symbols that mirrored the map from the diary.
Lucien approached it cautiously, the amulet glowing brighter in his hand. "This is it," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.
But before anyone could respond, the air shifted again. The veins on the walls pulsed violently, their light flaring as the chamber filled with a low, resonant hum.
Then it hit me—a sharp, searing pain that shot through my head, blinding and all-consuming. My body stiffened in Mira's arms, and I heard her panicked voice calling my name, but it sounded distant, like it was coming from underwater.
The world around me faded, replaced by a crimson-lit void. A figure emerged from the shadows, its jagged edges shifting and twisting as it stepped closer. It wasn't Valthys, but something older, darker.
I couldn't move, couldn't scream. The figure leaned closer, its form towering over me as its voice echoed in my mind.
"Remember," it said, its tone low and commanding.
And then I saw him—Kael Redthorn. He was standing in this very chamber, his hands outstretched as he chanted in a language I didn't understand. The veins on the walls pulsed violently, their light flaring as a surge of energy erupted from the pedestal.
Kael's face twisted with pain, but he didn't stop. The energy coiled around him, sinking into his skin as he whispered one final word.
The vision faded abruptly, and I was back in the chamber. My body was trembling uncontrollably, and Mira's arms were like a lifeline, holding me tightly as she whispered frantically into my ear.
"What happened?" Charlotte demanded, her voice sharp with urgency.
Lucien's gaze flicked between me and the pedestal, his expression unreadable. "I think…" he started, his voice trailing off as he stepped closer to the pedestal. "I think he saw something."
Mira didn't let go of me. Her hands trembled as she smoothed my hair, her voice breaking as she whispered, "It's okay. I've got you. I've got you."
The chamber grew silent again, the faint hum of the veins the only sound. Lucien's fingers traced the symbols on the pedestal, his brow furrowing as he muttered under his breath.
And then the system flickered into view.
[Stabilize the Nexus.]
The words hung in the air, heavy and ominous, as the chamber's light dimmed slightly, the veins on the walls pulsing faster.