The door slammed shut behind us.
Sofia screamed.
Rohgah immediately turned and grabbed the handle.
He pulled.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Harder.
The ancient stone door didn't move.
"Rohgah…"
"Stay calm."
"I'm trying."
He looked at her.
She was trembling.
Her eyes were still fixed on the black mirror.
Our mother had been alive.
We had seen her.
We had heard her call us by the names she gave us.
Liora.
My son.
Then Vaelor had appeared.
And now we were trapped.
Rohgah placed both hands against the door.
Silver magic exploded from his palms.
The chamber shook.
But the door remained sealed.
He stepped back, breathing heavily.
"It's protected by ancient magic."
Sofia wiped her tears.
"Can you break it?"
"I don't know."
"Then try again."
Rohgah looked at her.
She was crying.
Not because she was afraid for herself.
Because she had finally found her mother only to have her taken away again.
"I just found her," she whispered.
Rohgah's expression softened.
"I know."
"I spent my entire life believing she abandoned me."
Her voice cracked.
"And she was alive."
Rohgah moved closer.
"We'll get her."
"But Vaelor has her."
"We'll get her."
"What if he hurts her?"
Rohgah didn't answer.
Sofia grabbed his arm.
"What if he kills her before we reach her?"
"He won't."
"You don't know that!"
Her voice echoed through the chamber.
Rohgah stared at her.
Sofia immediately covered her mouth.
"I'm sorry."
"No."
He shook his head.
"Don't apologize."
She lowered her hands.
"I'm scared."
Rohgah nodded.
"So am I."
That admission surprised her.
Rohgah was always arrogant.
Always confident.
Always convinced he could handle anything.
But now his voice was shaking.
"I'm scared too."
Sofia looked at him.
"What are we going to do?"
Rohgah looked toward the mirror.
"Find a way out."
Above them, Nicole, Ashbel, and Bella waited outside the abandoned house.
Ten minutes passed.
Then twenty.
Bella looked toward the entrance.
"They should have returned."
Nicole nodded.
"Something happened."
Ashbel closed her eyes.
She reached for the water flowing beneath the river.
"I can't feel them."
Bella immediately stood.
"What?"
"Their magical presence."
Nicole's eyes turned crimson.
"Then we go inside."
They rushed into the house.
The hidden staircase was still open.
They descended.
At the bottom, they found the empty chamber.
The door was gone.
Nicole touched the wall.
"Where did they go?"
Bella examined the floor.
"There's no passage."
Ashbel walked toward the mirror.
She touched its surface.
The mirror suddenly rippled.
A voice whispered,
"Too late."
Ashbel jumped backward.
"What was that?"
The mirror showed an image.
Rohgah and Sofia.
Trapped inside the chamber.
Nicole gasped.
"They're alive."
Bella stepped closer.
"Can they hear us?"
Nicole shouted,
"Rohgah!"
Inside the mirror, Rohgah suddenly turned.
His eyes widened.
"Nicole?"
Sofia ran toward the mirror.
"Can you hear us?"
Nicole placed her palm against the glass.
"Yes!"
Sofia's eyes filled with relief.
"Get us out!"
"We're trying!"
The mirror flickered.
Then Vaelor appeared.
Nicole stepped back.
Vaelor smiled.
"You shouldn't have come."
Bella drew her sword.
"Where are they?"
Vaelor laughed.
"Still trying to play the hero?"
Bella's eyes narrowed.
"Release them."
"No."
Ashbel stepped forward.
"What do you want?"
Vaelor's eyes moved toward her.
"Nothing from you."
He looked at Nicole.
"Nothing from her."
Then his eyes settled on Sofia.
"I want the key."
Sofia stepped backward.
"What key?"
Vaelor smiled.
"You."
The mirror went black.
Inside the chamber, Sofia stared at the mirror.
"Who is he?"
Rohgah looked at her.
"I don't know."
"He knows us."
"Yes."
"He knows our mother."
"Yes."
"He called me the key."
Rohgah clenched his fists.
"I won't let him take you."
Sofia looked at him.
"What if he can?"
Rohgah stepped closer.
"Then he'll have to get through me first."
She smiled sadly.
"You always did that."
"What?"
"Protect me."
A faint memory returned.
Two children beside the river.
Rohgah standing in front of Sofia.
A little girl hiding behind him.
A creature approaching.
Rohgah raising a tiny wooden sword.
Sofia laughed through her tears.
"You tried to protect me from everything."
Rohgah smiled.
"And apparently I still do."
Then the chamber shook.
The mirror cracked.
A dark hand emerged from its surface.
Sofia screamed.
Rohgah pushed her behind him.
The hand grabbed the edge of the mirror.
A voice followed.
"You cannot hide from your blood."
Rohgah's magic exploded.
The hand disappeared.
But something remained.
A black mark had appeared on Rohgah's palm.
He stared at it.
Sofia grabbed his wrist.
"What is that?"
"I don't know."
The mark began spreading.
Black lines crawled toward his wrist.
Rohgah gasped.
"Sofia…"
She touched the mark.
Immediately, silver light burst from her hand.
The blackness stopped.
Both stared at their hands.
Sofia whispered,
"Our powers react to each other."
Rohgah nodded.
"The prophecy."
"The son carries the power."
"The daughter carries the key."
They looked at each other.
Then Sofia remembered something.
"The key."
Rohgah frowned.
"What?"
"The necklace."
"What necklace?"
"The one Mother wore."
Sofia closed her eyes.
"I remember now."
She saw Seraya standing beside the river.
She was holding the necklace.
Then she placed it around Sofia's neck.
But Sofia wasn't wearing it now.
Her eyes widened.
"Where is it?"
Rohgah looked around.
"Maybe Mother hid it."
"No."
Sofia shook her head.
"She gave it to me."
She touched her neck.
"I had it when they took me."
Rohgah looked at the floor.
"Then it should still be somewhere."
They searched the chamber.
Nothing.
Then Sofia noticed a symbol carved beneath the mirror.
She knelt.
There was a tiny indentation shaped like a circle.
She touched it.
The floor opened.
A small compartment appeared.
Inside was the necklace.
Sofia gasped.
"Mother…"
She lifted it.
The black stone began glowing.
The entire chamber shook.
Rohgah stepped back.
"What is happening?"
Sofia couldn't answer.
The necklace rose into the air.
Black light surrounded her.
Then a voice filled the chamber.
Not the Hollow.
Not Vaelor.
Seraya.
"My daughter, if you are hearing this, then you have found the key."
Sofia began crying.
"Mother."
The voice continued.
"Do not trust Vaelor."
The chamber became colder.
"He will tell you that he wants to save the kingdoms."
The necklace glowed brighter.
"He will lie."
Rohgah stepped closer.
"Why?"
Seraya's voice answered.
"Because Vaelor is the one who awakened the Hollow."
Rohgah froze.
Sofia stared at him.
The voice continued.
"He did not steal my power to become stronger."
A pause.
"He stole it to control the Hollow."
Rohgah's face hardened.
"Then why did he need the children?"
The answer came softly.
"Because the Hollow cannot be controlled without the blood of the twins."
Sofia's heart stopped.
"The twins…"
The necklace flashed.
"You and your brother."
The mirror suddenly shattered.
And behind the broken glass stood Vaelor.
He was no longer smiling.
He looked furious.
"You should never have heard that."
Rohgah stepped in front of Sofia.
"You're not touching her."
Vaelor raised his hand.
The chamber filled with darkness.
"You still don't understand."
His silver eyes glowed.
"I don't need to touch her."
He looked at Rohgah.
"I only need you."
Rohgah's magic ignited.
Vaelor smiled.
"Good."
The walls began collapsing.
"Show me how powerful the son has become."
And for the first time, Rohgah realized that Vaelor had never intended to kill him.
He wanted to awaken him.