The training yard was almost silent that morning.
The clatter of wood and laughter of squires was gone; the only sound left was of wind brushing over the sand. Elara stood at the center of the yard, breathing heavily, her fingers white around the hilt of the practice blade. She'd been swinging at ghosts, her own doubts, Kaiven's words, that awful gleam in his eyes.
Alex sat by the fence, watching her every move. He could still feel the echo of the chest deep beneath the palace, faint but persistent-a heartbeat that wasn't human.
It's calling to something.
Thistle emerged from the garden gate, her paws dusty, ears pinned back. "It hasn't stopped pulsing," she murmured, voice carrying on their private link. "It's in the vault now, but the rhythm's spreading. Like roots."
Alex cocked his head. "Roots?"
Thistle nodded. "Through the walls. Through us."
Elara stopped, lowering her blade. Sweat beaded her brow. "You two are restless," she whispered, half to herself. "What's wrong?"
Alex met her gaze. She wouldn't understand words, but she could read his eyes. He pawed the ground then, turning toward the inner courtyard, bleating softly — urging.
Elara hesitated. "The vault? That's off-limits.
Another pulse-stronger this time-rippled like a second heartbeat through the floor. The torches on the walls flickered in response.
"That's not normal," she said quietly. "All right, little one. Lead the way."
They slipped into the western corridor when no one was looking. The hall narrowed, its ceiling lowering until Elara had to crouch to fit through the ancient archways. Dust motes spun in the light of her lantern.
Alex's hooves made no noise; his senses were sharp, tracing faint magical trails in the air. Whispers clung to the stones, distorted echoes of Kaiven's voice.
".creatures marked by bells and old symbols."
Elara froze. "That voice—"
Alex's wool bristled. The whisper wasn't just memory; it was present, repeating itself like a living curse.
They followed the sound down a spiral stair, past rusted gates and murals eaten by time. At the bottom, two heavy doors barred the way, marked with the royal seal. Beyond them was the vault — and the thing they feared.
Thistle squeezed underneath, through the crack. "No guards inside," she said. "But something's humming. Wrongly.
Elara pressed her palm to the door. Her heartbeat thundered in Alex's mind. "If my father finds out I was here—"
"He'll be proud you stopped a trap," Alex said silently, though she couldn't hear him. He nudged her hand.
The lock gave with a low click.
Inside, the air was cold and sharp as metal. Shelves of treasures and relics glimmered faintly in the lamplight. But at the center of the room stood the crystal chest, humming in rhythm with the palace's heart.
Elara stepped closer. "It's beautiful…"
Alex growled softly. "It's bait."
The chest's glow deepened to a poisonous blue. Cracks spidered across its surface. A faint mist seeped out, swirling upward into a small orb that hovered between them-breathing, watching.
Thistle's fur rose. "Back away."
Too late. The orb pulsed once, and the air shifted. Within the mist, a figure began to form - a twisted reflection of Alex himself, only larger, darker, crowned with curling horns of shadow. Its eyes glowed the same icy blue as Kaiven's.
It was not its voice when it spoke.
"Found you."
Elara gasped, stumbling backward. "What—what is that?!
Alex's instincts roared to life. The phantom lunged-and he met it head-on. The impact wasn't physical, but spiritual; a collision of echoes. Sparks of light burst from his wool as he pushed back against the voice trying to claim him.
The whisper of Kaiven filled the room. "You can't hide forever, little echo; we made you."
Alex's mind burned white-hot. "Then you should've made me stronger."
He let it all go. The orb exploded, the shockwave from it radiating through the vault. The relics rattled; walls groaned.
Elara shielded her face and called his name, "Alex!"
Smoke thick and choking filled the room. Shouts of guards were heard outside the door. Elara moved fast, clutching Alex and turning her back to the blast just as the doors burst open.
A captain burst in, "What happened here?!"
Elara didn't hesitate. "It was me," she said, out of breath. "My training spell went wrong."
The captain frowned, his glance going to the shattered chest. "We'll report this to the King."
When he was gone, Elara sank to her knees, still cradling Alex. "You're shaking," she whispered. He looked up at her — eyes faintly glowing gold. "So are you." The last of the smoke curled upwards. In the stillness that followed, a faint echo rolled through the stones, almost like laughter. The echo wasn't gone. It had already found another voice to speak through.