The Midnight Key

The knock echoed in the silence.

No wind.

No movement.

Just stillness, thick and suffocating.

Rene held her breath.

Then—

A soft click.

The door opened.

Not creaking, not hesitant—just an effortless glide into darkness.

Lucien let out a low whistle. "Well. That's ominous."

Nyra shot him a glare before gripping the hilt of her blade. "Stay close."

Adrian and Adriel didn't need to be told. They stepped in first, silver light pulsing faintly around them as they moved through the threshold.

Rene hesitated, adjusting her grip on Rena. The child—who had been quiet since their encounter with the faceless being—shifted slightly in her arms. Her tiny fingers curled into Rene's cloak.

But she wasn't scared.

She was waiting.

Rene stepped inside.

The darkness swallowed them whole.

---

Inside the Forgotten Sanctum

It wasn't cold.

But it wasn't warm either.

It felt like stepping into a place untouched by time. A place that shouldn't exist—but did anyway.

Faint blue light lined the walls, tracing symbols Rene didn't recognize. They pulsed, like a heartbeat, as if aware of their presence.

Lucien ran a hand over one of the markings, golden eyes narrowing. "Huh."

Nyra was already on edge. "What?"

Lucien smirked. "Oh, nothing. Just admiring the prison we just walked into."

Rene stiffened. "Prison?"

Lucien nodded toward the carvings. "These aren't just markings. They're seals." His voice lowered. "This place was built to hold something."

Adriel's silver eyes gleamed. "Or someone."

Before Rene could respond, a voice cut through the space.

Soft.

Amused.

"You took your time."

A figure stood at the center of the room.

She was tall, draped in robes of deep blue. Her hair, a cascade of midnight strands, framed sharp, intelligent features.

Her eyes—violet—locked onto Rene.

Selene.

Nyra tensed. "You are here."

Selene tilted her head. "Where else would I be?"

Lucien leaned casually against a wall. "You tell us. You don't exactly advertise your location."

Selene ignored him, her gaze shifting to Rena.

And for the first time—

Her calm expression broke.

A flicker of something deep, something old, flashed in her violet eyes.

She inhaled sharply.

"So it's true."

Rene's stomach twisted. "You know what she is."

Selene didn't answer immediately.

Then—

She smiled.

Not warmly.

Not kindly.

But in a way that sent chills down Rene's spine.

"Oh, little warrior. I know exactly what she is."

A pause.

A beat.

Then, softly—

"And now, so do they."

The seals on the walls flickered.

Then—

They shattered.

To Be Continued…

—