The tunnel swallowed them in silence.
Selene moved carefully, her hand gliding along the damp stone as they descended deeper into the ruins of the Court of Shadows. The passage twisted like a serpent beneath the fortress, the air growing colder with every step. A strange hum vibrated through the walls—not sound, not wind, something else entirely.
Magic.
Old. Forgotten. And awake.
Lucian's fire burned low in his palm, casting flickering light against the stone. Dain led the way, his movements quick but cautious. He didn't trust this place. Neither did Selene.
Something was watching them.
She could feel it.
"I don't like this," Lucian murmured, his golden eyes shifting between the shadows. "It's too quiet."
Dain smirked. "You prefer our enemies announcing themselves?"
Lucian's jaw tightened. "I prefer knowing what I'm about to kill."
Selene exhaled slowly. "Keep your voices down."
They pressed on.
The passage eventually opened into a vast chamber. High above, the remains of a crumbling ceiling barely held together, allowing pale moonlight to spill in through jagged cracks. But what truly caught Selene's attention was the structure in the center of the room.
A doorway.
Not a normal one.
It was an arch of black stone, etched with symbols that pulsed faintly, as though they were breathing. Shadows curled around it, thick and alive, shifting like restless smoke.
Selene's stomach twisted.
She knew what this was.
A gate.
Dain moved toward it, his expression unreadable. "He's already here."
Selene shivered. The ice inside her stirred.
Lucian stepped beside her, eyes locked onto the shifting darkness. "Elaris is trying to open it."
Dain nodded grimly. "No. He's already succeeded."
A cold dread settled over Selene. The Remnants—the ancient, sealed horrors that had been locked away—were on the other side of that gate. And now, the seal was breaking.
She stepped forward, reaching out. The shadows recoiled at her presence, curling inward like something afraid.
Lucian's fire flared. "We need to stop this now."
But before they could move, a voice slithered through the chamber.
"You're too late."
The shadows deepened, swirling like a storm.
And from within them, Elaris stepped forward.
His crimson cloak billowed as if caught in an unseen wind, his silver hair gleaming in the half-light. His once-handsome face was gaunt, hollowed, and yet his violet eyes burned with something inhuman.
Selene clenched her fists. "Elaris—"
He smiled. "Do you hear them, Selene?" His voice was almost gentle. "They're calling for you."
She did hear them.
Whispers.
Dark and endless.
Lucian moved in front of her, fire roaring to life in his hands. "Step away from the gate."
Elaris chuckled. "And why would I do that? The old world is dying, prince. You should embrace what's coming."
Dain unsheathed his blade. "You're insane."
Elaris tilted his head. "No. I'm simply free."
The air in the room changed.
The gate groaned.
The seal was shattering.
And whatever was on the other side… was coming through.
Selene's breath caught.
The war had just begun.
End of Chapter Ninety-One