The Midnight Key

Silence.

A suffocating, unnatural silence.

The air in the chamber felt heavier than the ruins above, thick with something that made Rene's skin prickle.

The silver markings on the walls pulsed like a heartbeat, casting an eerie glow over the figure sitting on the throne.

Selene.

Or at least… someone who looked like her.

Rene's pulse pounded. She clutched Rena tighter, her little sister still unnervingly calm in her arms.

Lucien stepped forward first. His golden gaze remained unreadable, but his grip on his sword tightened.

"You've been expecting us." His voice was flat, carefully controlled.

The figure on the throne didn't move.

Then—slowly—her head tilted.

A smile.

Chills ran down Rene's spine.

"Yes," Selene said softly. "I have."

Her voice was exactly as Rene remembered. Smooth. Cold. A whisper that carried more weight than it should.

Nyra stiffened beside Rene. "You should be dead."

Selene chuckled. "Should I?"

Her silver eyes gleamed in the dim light. "And yet, here I am."

Lucien's jaw clenched. "Where have you been?"

Selene sighed as if the question bored her. "Here."

Kieran, who had been oddly quiet, finally let out a low laugh. "That's funny. Because I swear we just got here, and this place was supposed to be abandoned."

Selene's gaze slid to him. "Abandoned? No."

She glanced around the chamber, her fingers tracing the armrest of the throne. "Forgotten, perhaps. Buried, certainly. But never abandoned."

Rene's fingers curled into Rena's cloak. "Why are you here?"

Selene smiled again. "Why are you?"

The air shifted.

Like something unseen had moved.

Lucien reacted instantly. His sword was raised, golden energy crackling along the blade. "Enough games."

Selene's expression didn't change. She simply tilted her head.

The silver markings pulsed.

And the shadows stirred.

Adrian and Adriel stepped in front of Rene, their silver light flaring. Nyra's hand tightened around her blade, her stance tense.

Selene let out a slow breath. "You're afraid."

"Afraid?" Nyra snapped. "You disappeared for years. You let us think you were dead."

Selene raised a brow. "And now you've come all this way… for what?"

Her gaze flickered to Rena.

Rene tensed.

Selene's silver eyes gleamed. "For her?"

The shadows twisted violently.

Then—

Rena spoke.

"She knows."

Everyone froze.

Selene's smile didn't waver. "Yes. I do."

Lucien's voice was sharp. "What do you know?"

Selene didn't answer him. Instead, she looked directly at Rene.

"Did you ever wonder why she was locked away?"

Rene's breath hitched.

Of course, she had wondered.

Of course, she had asked herself that question over and over again.

But the truth had always remained just out of reach.

Selene leaned forward slightly. "What do you think happens when a being like her is sealed away?"

Rene swallowed hard. "Tell me."

Selene exhaled softly. Then, in a voice that was far too gentle, she said:

"She dreams."

The chamber shuddered.

Rena blinked up at Selene. "And I woke up."

Selene's gaze flickered. "Yes."

Nyra frowned. "What does that mean?"

Selene's fingers tapped lightly against the throne. "It means… the world should be very, very afraid."

The silver markings on the walls brightened.

And then—

The chamber collapsed.

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