Time passed slowly in Valoria's underground dungeon. Only the trickle of water signaled the changing of the clocks, and in between, Kael stared at the stone walls, his thoughts racing. Elina's words kept echoing in his head—"That secret could shake the entire kingdom."
He knew that if there was truly something hidden beneath the palace, then it might be the reason why Valoria was as powerful and feared as it was now. And if he wanted to uncover it, he had to get out of here—alive.
Kael took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind. He memorized every step the guards took in the hallway, calculating the time between each step. Every clink of chains, every click of keys, became part of a map in his mind. He was no longer a desperate prisoner; he was now a soldier reading the battlefield.
The old man beside him watched with dim eyes. "You're planning to escape, aren't you?" His voice was a whisper of dust.
Kael didn't answer directly. "If you've been here this long, you'll know of an airlock or a crack in the wall. Something you can exploit."
The old man smiled sadly. "There are cracks, but not all of them lead to freedom. Some lead to something darker."
"Darker than this place?" Kael asked coldly.
"Too dark even for those who claim not to fear death," the old man replied softly.
The next night came with an unusual silence. There were no additional patrols, just two guards at the end of the hallway. One of them—the same young soldier—glanced at Kael. As the shift changed, he dropped a small key hidden under the belt of his belt, letting it slide near the bars. The movement was barely noticeable.
Kael waited until their footsteps faded, then slowly reached for the key. His hands trembled slightly with fear.
He carefully picked up the key. A soft click sounded, followed by the sound of the chain slowly loosening. The air seemed to change—cooler, freer. But Kael wasn't reckless. He knew Valoria wasn't stupid; every path had its traps.
The old man watched him. "If you're really going out, take this." He tossed a small object toward Kael—a shard of black metal, as thin as paper. "This is a fragment of an old seal. Long ago, they sealed it to seal off the underground passage to the ruins of Asterion."
Kael eyed the object with curiosity and wariness. "Asterion?"
The old man nodded slowly. "They say... beneath Valoria's palace, the roots of the valley grow. And that's where the true secret of this kingdom lies buried."
The name echoed in Kael's mind—Asterion Valley.
A place that shouldn't be connected to a human palace, yet it seemed as if the entire world was drawn there.
Carefully, Kael opened the grate and stepped into the stone passage. His footsteps were barely audible. He moved through the shadows, pressed against the damp walls. At the end of the passage, a spiral staircase descended—not up, but deeper, into a darkness that felt alive.
A faint whisper came from below, like the breath of the earth itself.
Kael stared down and whispered, "If Valoria's secret comes from there... then I must take it."
He stepped down.
Each step felt like an invitation to another world. The light from the small torches on the walls began to dim, replaced by a faint glow that seemed to emanate from the stone walls themselves—a living blue light, like the veins of the earth.
Kael paused. Down below, the passage opened into a large chamber with stone arches carved with ancient symbols. In the center, a giant black iron seal was embedded in the floor, with chains forming a circular pattern. The symbol matched the piece of metal he had received from the old man.
Kael stepped closer, his fists clenched. But before he could investigate further, heavy footsteps sounded from the stairs. He quickly hid behind a stone pillar, his breath holding.
Several guards in black appeared—not ordinary guards. Their gazes were blank, their faces half-covered with masks bearing the Valoria symbol. They carried no torches, but their bodies emitted the same dim light as the walls—as if they were not human, but artificial creatures.
Kael stared in horror. "Valoria guards…" he whispered softly, remembering the old man's words.
One of the guards stopped in front of the seal, pressing a hand to its surface. A low buzzing sound was heard, and the seal glowed a brighter blue for a moment—as if being inspected. Then everything went out again.
Kael waited until they were gone before emerging from hiding. His face was tense, but his eyes were now full of determination.
"So this is what they're hiding… the power behind their thrones."
He knew now that the secret wasn't just about Valoria—it was about something much bigger, something that held this kingdom together.
As he returned to the stairs, a distant sound above broke the silence—an alarm.
Chains jangled. Red lights flickered on the walls. They had discovered a prisoner's escape.
Kael ran, breathing heavily, toward the exit.
He whispered to himself, "I won't die here. Not until I learn the truth."
Kael ran through the narrow, winding hallway. His breath was ragged, his chest heaving, but his mind remained focused. Behind him, the sound of steely footsteps echoed, followed by the blast of an alarm horn that shook the entire Valoria dungeon.
"Towards the main cell! The prisoner escaped!" someone shouted in the distance.
Kael leaped over the narrow stone bridge, descending the moss-covered steps that led directly to the ancient tunnel. From a distance, he could see pale moonlight filtering through a gap at the end of the tunnel—the way out.
But his steps suddenly slowed. Something stabbed at his mind—not fear, but awareness.
My sword… Astralis.
He stopped, staring at another hallway branching off to the right—the hallway leading to the royal armory. That was where the sword had been confiscated upon his capture.
Kael took a deep breath. "If I lose Astralis… then I might as well die here."
He turned, walking quickly down the right hallway. The sound of guards approaching from the other direction, but Kael was already hidden behind a wall. Two soldiers passed by, talking rapidly.
"Is the armory secured?"
"Yes. But the captain said there was a strange light beneath the palace seal. Everyone was summoned there."
As soon as they were out of sight, Kael moved again.
He found a large iron door engraved with the serpent symbol of Valoria's guardians. A magic lock coiled around its surface. But Kael still held the black metal fragment the old man had given him. He pressed it against the lock, and as soon as the magic pattern faded, the door slowly opened with a soft hiss.
Inside, rows of gleaming weapons lay neatly arranged on metal racks. But Kael's gaze immediately fell on one object in the center of the room—a longsword with a silver blade that reflected a soft blue light, as if responding to his presence.
"Astralis…"
He reached for the hilt. As his fingers touched the metal, heat shot through his palm, but it also rekindled his spirit. The blade glowed, emitting a warm glow that pierced the darkness.
But then a second alarm sounded. Kael knew his time was running out. He dashed out of the armory, now with Astralis in hand.
He passed through corridor after corridor, cutting through the chains and iron barriers blocking his path. When he reached the end of the tunnel, which opened onto an underground river, he glanced back briefly—at the tower of Valoria that stood above him.
"Valoria hides the truth beneath her throne… and I will be the one to reveal it."
With a single swing, he slashed through the chains of the iron gate, then leaped into the raging current that flowed out of the city. The sound of the water swallowed all traces of him.
Upstairs, the guards found only the open door, the broken chains, and a faint blue glow lingering in the air—the remnants of Astralis, who had just awakened from his long slumber.