The old man led them through the village and toward the looming mountain, his steps slow but deliberate. Each footfall seemed to carry the weight of centuries. The villagers watched in silence as they passed, their faces a mixture of awe and reverence. Some bowed their heads. Others pressed their hands to their hearts. They knew what was happening. They had been waiting for this moment their entire lives.His name was Aldric. Not the Aldric from the tournament. An older Aldric. A man who had spent his entire existence guarding secrets that the world had long forgotten. His face was weathered like old leather, his eyes sharp and clear despite his age. He carried himself with a quiet dignity, the kind that came from knowing you had fulfilled your purpose."The mountain has been sacred to us for generations," Aldric said as they walked. His voice was low and rough, like stones grinding together. "Our ancestors were the ones who helped seal the Primeval Beasts. Not because they wanted to.

The pendant pulsed in Kael's hand like a second heartbeat.He stood at the entrance of the mountain, the cool night air washing over his face. Behind him, the tunnel stretched into darkness, a reminder of the secrets they had uncovered. Ahead, the village of Thornwood lay quiet and still, its windows dark, its people sleeping. They had done what they came to do. They had found Lira. They had formed a new bond. But the weight of what they had learned pressed down on Kael's shoulders like a physical burden.Seven Primeval Beasts. Seven seals. Seven Keepers scattered across the land. And only two had been found. The journey ahead was overwhelming. But he could not give up. He would not give up.Mira appeared beside him, her footsteps soft on the grass. She was holding a small piece of bread she had saved from their supplies. She broke it in half and handed him a piece."You have not eaten all day," she said. Her voice was gentle. "You need to keep your strength up. We have a long road ah

The cave felt smaller now, the ancient walls pressing in as Kael unrolled the map again. His hands trembled slightly, not from cold, but from the weight of what he held. A complete map. A map showing the locations of all seven Primeval Beasts. A map that would guide them to the other Keepers and the seals that needed to be broken.Mira leaned over his shoulder, her breath warm against his cheek. "I cannot believe it. After all this time, after all the searching, we finally have something solid. Something real."Seraphine was on his other side, her eyes scanning the map with an intensity that bordered on obsession. She traced her finger along the faded lines, following the paths that connected the seven marked locations. "These symbols," she said. "They match the ones on Zephyr's scales. And the ones on Lira's. Each location is marked with a different symbol. Fire. Moon. Earth. Wind. Shadow. Light. Void. They are all here."Kael studied the map. The symbols were arranged in a circle, e

The dagger sank into the seal with a sound like shattering glass.A shockwave of energy exploded outward, throwing Kael backward. He crashed against the stone wall, the impact driving the air from his lungs. The dagger clattered to the ground, its blade dark with something that looked like dried blood. The seal on the platform cracked. Fissures spread across its surface like spiderwebs, glowing with a pale blue light.The Primeval Beast of the wind stirred.Its body convulsed. Its wings twitched. Its eyes snapped open, revealing pupils the color of a stormy sky. It gasped, a sound that was half roar and half sob. The frost that covered its scales began to melt. The pale translucence of its skin began to fade, replaced by a deep, vibrant blue.And then it screamed.The sound was terrible. It was the sound of centuries of pain, of imprisonment, of loneliness. It echoed through the chamber, shaking the walls. Kael clapped his hands over his ears. Mira did the same. Seraphine stumbled bac

The wind bit at Kael's face like a thousand tiny needles.He had been flying for hours, hunched low against Zephyr's back, his cloak pulled so tight around his body that he could barely breathe. But even that was not enough to keep out the cold. It was a different kind of cold here, a deep, bone-penetrating chill that seemed to come from the very earth itself. It seeped through his clothes, through his skin, deep into his bones. He could not remember the last time he had been this cold. Even during the worst nights on the streets of Verathis, when he had huddled in abandoned buildings with nothing but rags for warmth, the cold had never felt quite so personal. Quite so relentless.Mira was shivering behind him. Her arms were wrapped around his waist so tightly that he could feel every tremor that ran through her body. She was trying to be brave, trying not to show how much she was suffering. But he knew her too well. He could feel her teeth chattering against his back, her breath comi