THE ARCHIVE OF THE SUPREME

CHAPTER 2 - THE ARDENT BLOOD

The glass exploded inward.

Kael threw himself to the floor.

Fragments scattered across the bedroom like frozen rain.

He expected the woman to enter.

She didn’t.

Instead, she remained standing on the roof, completely untouched by the violent wind that swept through the broken window.

Kael slowly lifted his head.

Seraphina was watching him.

Those violet eyes.

That impossible familiarity.

“Who are you?” he demanded again.

She tilted her head.

“You really don’t remember?”

“Remember what?”

Something like sadness crossed her face.

“Everything.”

Before Kael could respond, footsteps thundered down the hallway.

His bedroom door burst open.

His older brother, Adrian, stood there holding a metal baseball bat.

“What happened?”

Kael pointed toward the window.

“There’s someone outside.”

Adrian rushed forward.

He looked through the broken window.

Nothing.

The roof was empty.

“What are you talking about?”

Kael stared.

She had disappeared.

“No…”

Adrian turned toward him.

“Kael, are you okay?”

Kael didn’t answer.

He walked toward the window.

Twenty-two floors below, the city continued sleeping.

No body.

No footprints.

No woman.

Nothing.

But on the broken glass lay a single object.

A black feather.

Kael picked it up.

The instant his fingers touched it, pain exploded through his skull.

He saw fire.

A golden city burning beneath a red sky.

Millions of wings falling from heaven.

A woman standing beside him.

The same woman.

Seraphina.

Except she was wearing silver armor.

Blood covered her face.

She looked at Kael and whispered:

“Don’t become what you were.”

Then the vision disappeared.

Kael dropped the feather.

Adrian grabbed his shoulder.

“You’re shaking.”

“I’m fine.”

“You are obviously not fine.”

Kael looked at his brother.

Adrian was twenty-seven, broad-shouldered, and serious. He had always been the responsible one in the family.

“Grandfather wants to see me.”

Adrian’s expression changed.

“Now?”

“Before sunrise.”

Adrian stared at him.

“Did he tell Mother why?”

“Something about a seal.”

The color drained from Adrian’s face.

Kael noticed.

“You know what that means.”

“No.”

“You reacted.”

“I said I don’t know.”

Adrian turned away.

Kael followed him.

“Adrian.”

“Forget it.”

“What are you hiding?”

Adrian stopped.

For several seconds, neither brother spoke.

Then Adrian looked over his shoulder.

“Our family has secrets.”

“What kind?”

“The kind that are better left buried.”

---

The Ardent estate stood on a hill overlooking the city.

It had belonged to the family for more than two hundred years.

At least, that was what the official records claimed.

Kael had always found the house strange.

The oldest section was built from black stone.

There were no architectural records explaining where the stone came from.

The walls were covered with symbols nobody in the family could translate.

And beneath the house was a locked chamber.

Kael had asked about it once when he was twelve.

His grandfather had slapped him.

Not hard.

But hard enough for Kael to remember.

Now, standing outside that same house at 4:03 a.m., Kael felt something beneath his feet.

Something was calling him.

His grandfather was waiting in the study.

He was an old man with white hair and eyes that seemed much younger than his face.

“Come in.”

Kael entered.

The door closed behind him.

His grandfather looked at him for a long time.

Then he asked:

“Did you dream?”

Kael froze.

“How do you know?”

“What did you see?”

Kael hesitated.

“Three moons.”

His grandfather’s eyes narrowed.

“Continue.”

“An ocean.”

“Continue.”

“An army.”

His grandfather’s breathing became shallow.

“And?”

“A woman.”

“What did she look like?”

“Violet eyes.”

The old man closed his eyes.

For the first time in Kael’s life, he saw genuine fear on his grandfather’s face.

“She has returned.”

“Who?”

“Your grandmother called her the Keeper.”

“Keeper of what?”

“The door.”

“What door?”

His grandfather stood.

“Come.”

They walked through the study and entered a hidden passage behind a bookshelf.

Kael had never known it existed.

They descended a spiral staircase.

The deeper they went, the colder the air became.

Eventually, they reached a massive stone door.

Seven circular markings were carved into it.

Kael stared.

His heart began pounding.

He had seen this door.

In his dream.

His grandfather noticed his reaction.

“You recognize it.”

“I’ve seen it.”

“Where?”

“In my dreams.”

The old man stepped aside.

“Then perhaps it is time you knew the truth.”

Kael approached the door.

His hand hovered over the first seal.

A voice whispered inside his mind.

One.

The first symbol began glowing.

His grandfather stumbled backward.

“No.”

Kael touched the door.

The entire underground chamber shook.

A crack appeared across the first seal.

His grandfather whispered:

“Impossible.”

Kael looked at him.

“What?”

The old man’s face had gone pale.

“The seal wasn’t supposed to break for another ten years.”

Kael looked down at his hand.

Black veins briefly appeared beneath his skin.

Then vanished.

His grandfather stared at him.

“Kael…”

“What?”

The old man swallowed.

“You aren’t awakening.”

Kael frowned.

“What does that mean?”

His grandfather looked toward the ancient door.

“You are remembering.”