Beyond the second door, the air changed. It was colder, yet thick with energy that pulsed through the stones. Aria stepped forward, her hand instinctively tightening around the glowing bracelet. Kael followed closely, eyes scanning the walls carved with strange runes.
"This place feels… alive," he murmured.
The corridor opened into a circular chamber lit by floating crystals. In the center stood an obsidian pedestal, and atop it—an orb, pulsing with light and shadow.
Aria approached it slowly. The orb hummed in response.
As she placed her fingers upon it, a wave of memory crashed into her mind.
She saw a woman—her mother—kneeling in a chamber just like this one, whispering incantations in a language Aria didn't recognize. Three small lights orbited her, warm and protective. Then… shadows came. A figure cloaked in darkness reached for the lights.
"No—" Aria gasped aloud.
The memory changed.
Now she saw the three brothers—Tristan, Darius, and Ethan—standing in front of her as children. They were laughing, holding her hand, promising to always protect her.
But then the memory warped again—blood on the floor, their bodies fading into light, and her mother screaming as a dark force sealed them inside a hidden vault of magic.
Aria stumbled back, eyes wide with tears. "They… they sacrificed themselves."
Kael steadied her. "What did you see?"
She wiped her eyes. "They weren't just my brothers. They were chosen. They gave up everything to protect me. And… I think my mother bound their souls to me."
Kael frowned. "That means you've carried their power since the day they vanished."
Aria nodded slowly. "This bracelet, the necklace—it's all connected. My bloodline, the vault, the echoes of their sacrifice…"
The orb pulsed again. A new symbol appeared above it—three interlocking circles surrounded by flame.
Kael narrowed his eyes. "That's a seal. A magical one."
Suddenly, the chamber trembled. The orb cracked.
From the shadows behind them, a low hiss echoed. A figure emerged—tall, wrapped in dark armor, face hidden by a silver mask.
"I see the daughter has arrived," the voice rasped. "You've unlocked what should've stayed buried."
Aria stood, anger rising in her chest. "Who are you?"
The masked figure lifted a blade made of shadow. "The end of your bloodline."