Kael heard the boots before he saw them—heavy, fast, echoing down the tunnel like a storm chasing him.
He looked at his hand. The ring was gone, yet his skin still glowed faintly where it had been. A strange warmth crawled up his arm, almost like the memory of fire.
Then a word slid through his head, quiet but sharp.
Move.
He jerked his head up. "Who's there?" His voice bounced off the stone. Nothing answered—just that same thought again, firmer this time.
Move.
Fine. He moved.
The tunnel bent and twisted. Faint blue light pulsed along the walls, showing him where to run. Each time he slowed, the light flickered impatiently, like the place itself was telling him to hurry. The Enforcers' voices followed close behind, muffled but angry.
At a fork, Kael hesitated. The left path tilted upward toward a gray hint of daylight. The right sank deeper into shadow. He had maybe a heartbeat to decide. The warmth in his hand burned, tugging him right.
He sighed. "Sure. Let's follow the creepy glow again."
The slope dropped fast. He half-slid, half-ran, boots scraping against the wet stone. His lungs ached, but when the passage opened out, all breath left him for another reason entirely.
A cavern spread before him—huge, glittering with blue crystals that hummed faintly. An underground lake lay in the middle, its surface so smooth it looked solid.
He took one step inside. The air here was different. Older. Thicker.
Then the water stirred. Ripples spread outward, and from the center, a shape rose—a figure woven from light and shadow, its face shifting like smoke.
Kael froze. "Please tell me you're friendly."
The figure tilted its head. When it spoke, its voice wasn't loud; it just was, echoing both in his ears and in his chest."At last, the bloodline stirs."
Kael blinked. "What bloodline? Look, I think you've got the wrong guy."
"You wear the mark," it said. "The heir has awakened."
He laughed once, shaky. "Heir? I don't even have rent money."
The light flared suddenly, flooding the cavern. "Deny it if you must. The bond is sealed."
Pain lanced up his arm. The ring flashed back into view, burning blue. Symbols spun around him, faster and faster until they blurred into a circle of light. He shouted, reached out, and then—everything went still.
The figure faded. The glow dimmed. The only sound was his breathing.
Kael dropped to his knees, gasping. The ring still shimmered faintly, a single blue line pulsing like a heartbeat.
Voices echoed again—closer this time. Torches flared at the far end of the tunnel.
"Not again," he muttered.
He turned, spotted a narrow crack in the cavern wall, and slipped through just as steel scraped behind him.
The ring glowed once more, lighting his way. He didn't know where the path led—only that stopping now wasn't an option.
And somewhere, deep in that new darkness, the same voice whispered again:
Keep moving, heir.