2026-10-15 23:09:40
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
72
Julius stood frozen.Across the ancient courtyard of the Sanctuary, Avaron stood beside the woman he had seen in the vision of his birth.His mother.She looked exactly as she had appeared in the memory: long dark hair falling over her shoulders, a calm expression, and eyes that seemed to carry years of untold sorrow.But something was different.She was not chained. She was not struggling. She stood beside Avaron as though she belonged there."Mother?" Julius whispered.The woman slowly turned towards him.For a moment, her expression softened. Her lips trembled, and Julius thought she was about to run towards him.Instead, she raised one hand."Don't come closer, Diego."Julius felt the amulet against his chest grow warm."How do you know that name?" he asked.Avaron smiled."Because she has known it longer than you have."Vera stepped forward, placing herself slightly in front of Julius."Stay away from him, Avaron.""Still protecting the boy, Vera?" Avaron replied. "After everythi
71
The journey through the northern passage began under a sky filled with dark clouds.Julius walked behind Draevyn, occasionally looking back to ensure that everyone was following. The attack on the Castle had left him exhausted, but the thought of finding his mother kept him moving.Beside him, Elias remained unusually quiet.Julius noticed that the young man kept pulling down his sleeve to cover the silver mark on his wrist.“Elias.”The young man looked up.“What?”“Is something wrong?”“No. Why do you ask?”“You have barely spoken since we left the Castle.”Elias forced a smile.“I'm just tired.”Julius looked at him suspiciously but said nothing.Ahead of them, Vera was speaking with Draevyn.“We cannot afford another surprise,” she said. “Avaron already knows we are coming.”Draevyn nodded.“He wants us to reach the Sanctuary. That is what concerns me.”Caelan joined their conversation.“Perhaps he believes the two bearers are necessary to open the third seal.”“They are,” Draevyn
70
The silver light above the mountains grew brighter.Julius stood by the window, watching it spread across the distant sky. It was unlike anything he had seen before. The light did not simply illuminate the forest; it seemed to pull the darkness towards itself.Elias stood beside him, holding his wrist.“The third seal is responding,” he said.Draevyn turned towards him.“How can you be certain?”“Because I can feel it. The moment Avaron reached the Sanctuary, the connection between the three seals became active.”Julius looked at his wrist.“Three seals? I thought we were only dealing with the seventh seal beneath the Castle.”Elias shook his head.“The seventh seal is the covenant itself. The other seals protect the path leading to its heart. The first seal was beneath the Castle. The second is connected to the memory of the first bearer. The third is beneath the Sanctuary.”Caelan frowned.“Then why did the voice say the third seal was waiting?”“Because it cannot be opened by one p
69
The voice echoed through the Castle, leaving everyone motionless.“The second bearer is awake. The third seal is waiting.”Julius looked towards the eastern corridor.He could still remember the young man from his vision. The silver mark on his wrist had been identical to the one that had appeared on Julius's own hand.But there was something more disturbing about the message.The person you trust most is the one who brought me here.Who could that person be?Vera?Draevyn?Caelan?He quickly pushed the thought aside.“Dominic,” Draevyn called, “take the remaining servants to the northern wing. Nobody is to move around the Castle alone.”“Yes, my lord.”“And double the guards at every entrance.”Dominic bowed and hurried away.Draevyn turned towards Julius.“We need to investigate the eastern hall.”“I am coming with you.”Vera immediately objected.“Julius, you have been through enough today.”“And someone is being held beneath this Castle. If that person is the second bearer, then I
68
The silence that followed the final whisper was more frightening than the battle itself.Julius remained beside the shattered seventh pillar, staring into the darkness where Avaron had disappeared.The second bearer has awakened.The words kept repeating in his mind.He turned towards Draevyn.“What does that mean? Who is the second bearer?”Draevyn looked at the broken pillar before answering.“I was hoping that question would never have to be asked.”“Why does everyone keep hiding things from me?” Julius demanded. “First, it was the truth about my birth. Then the first bearer. Now there is a second bearer. How many secrets are there?”Vera placed a hand on his shoulder.“Julius, I understand your frustration.”“No, Vera. You don't understand. Every time I discover something, another mystery appears. How am I supposed to fight an enemy when I don't even know what is happening to me?”Draevyn approached him.“You are right. You deserve answers. But there are some truths that even I do
67
The three knocks came again.This time, they were louder.Julius stood motionless in the western archive, staring at the floor beneath the table. The map had vanished, but the last symbol it had revealed remained burned into his memory.The seventh seal.Somewhere beneath the Castle, something had awakened.And it had recognized him.“The bearer has returned.”The voice echoed through the room, low and ancient. It did not sound as though it came from a living throat. It seemed to rise from the very stones beneath their feet.Vera moved beside Julius.“Do not answer it.”Julius looked at her. “Why?”“Because whatever is beneath this Castle has been sealed for a reason.”Lord Draevyn approached the table. His expression was unusually grim, and Julius noticed that his hands were trembling slightly.“You knew about this place,” Julius said.Draevyn did not respond immediately.“Lord Draevyn?”“Yes,” he finally answered. “I knew there was something beneath the Castle. I never knew it could
You may also like
Underrated Son-In-Law
Estherace110.1K viewsThe Almighty Dominance
Sunshine2.5M viewsThe Ultimate Doctor
Sammy X95.5K viewsHand of God
Anakin Detour140.8K viewsWhat You Owe Me
Eze145 viewsThe Man Every Family Owes
Tunde109 viewsThe Disgraced Heir: A Trillion-Dollar Revenge
M.A193 viewsTHE DRAGON SOVEREIGN TAMER
Luciel174 views