THE DRAGON SWORD

Chapter Four

The collapse of the Wailing Caverns was a deafening cacophony of stone and shadow. Gideon sprinted through the crumbling tunnels, the black crystal clutched tightly in his hand. The Dragon Sword flickers erratically at his side, its once-steady glow dimmed, as if recoiling from the artifact’s dark energy.

The mark on his chest burned hotter with every step, pulling him forward like an unseen guide. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his legs trembling from exertion, but the instinct to survive overpowered his fatigue.

As he rounded a final corner, the exit loomed ahead, a faint glimmer of moonlight cutting through the suffocating dark. With a desperate leap, he burst into the open air just as the entrance caved in behind him, a wall of dust and debris billowing out in his wake.

Gideon staggered to his knees, coughing and clutching the crystal. Its surface pulsed rhythmically, emitting a faint, sinister hum that resonated in his bones. He stared at it, unease gnawing at his gut. What had he unleashed?

“Gideon!” Roderic’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding. The commander appeared over the ridge, flanked by two knights. Relief flashed across his face as he reached Gideon’s side, but it quickly turned to alarm as his eyes fell on the crystal.

“You…you weren’t supposed to take it,” Roderic said, his voice barely above a whisper. “What have you done?”

Gideon’s jaw tightened. “I had no choice. The council sent me here to retrieve it.”

“They sent you to test your resolve, not to bind yourself to that,” Roderic snapped, pointing at the crystal. “Do you even know what it is?”

“No,” Gideon admitted, his voice steady despite the storm raging inside him. “But it spoke to me. It promised answers.”

“Answers?!” Roderic’s face darkened. “That’s how it starts, Gideon. Promises, whispers, lies it twists you until you can’t tell what’s real.”

Before Gideon could respond, a low, mocking laugh echoed around them. The shadows stretched unnaturally, coalescing into a familiar figure. Lysandra stepped into the moonlight, her obsidian armor gleaming.

“My dear brother,” she said, her tone both amused and menacing. “You’ve taken your first step. How does it feel to embrace the truth?”

Roderic drew his sword, stepping protectively between Gideon and Lysandra. “Stay back, shadowspawn.”

“Always so quick to violence,” Lysandra said with a smirk, her eyes never leaving Gideon. “Tell me, Gideon, do you feel it? The power coursing through you? The lies unraveling?”

Gideon hesitated, his grip tightening on the crystal. “What are you talking about?”

“The mark, the sword, the crystal it’s all connected,” Lysandra said, her voice dripping with conviction. “The council, the academy, even Roderic they’ve been hiding the truth from you. From us.”

“That’s enough!” Roderic roared, charging at her.

But Lysandra didn’t flinch. With a wave of her hand, the shadows erupted, forming a barrier that sent Roderic sprawling. The commander hit the ground hard, but before he could rise, Lysandra was gone, her laughter lingering like a taunt.

Back at the academy, Gideon was confined to his quarters. The council convened immediately, their voices echoing through the stone halls as they debated his fate. Word of the black crystal spread quickly, whispers of fear and suspicion shadowing Gideon wherever he went.

Roderic visited him that night, his expression grim. “They want to strip you of the sword. They think the crystal has corrupted you.”

“Do you?” Gideon asked, his voice laced with defiance.

Roderic sighed. “I don’t know. But I do know this: the crystal is dangerous, and Lysandra’s influence is growing. You need to tell me everything she said.”

Gideon hesitated, then relayed her words. Roderic listened intently, his face growing darker with every sentence.

“She’s planting seeds of doubt,” Roderic said when Gideon finished. “Twisting the truth to turn you against us.”

“What if she’s not twisting anything?” Gideon countered. “What if she’s right? You’ve kept secrets from me, Roderic. The mark, the sword, the truth about my bloodline none of it came from you.”

Roderic’s jaw tightened. “Some truths are too dangerous to share.”

“That’s not your decision to make,” Gideon said, his voice rising. “If I’m supposed to fight this war, I deserve to know what I’m fighting for.”

Roderic studied him for a long moment, then nodded. “Tomorrow. Meet me in the sanctum. I’ll tell you everything.”

The next morning, Gideon followed Roderic to a chamber deeper than any he had seen before. The air was colder here, the stone walls damp and ancient. Roderic carried a torch, its flickering light revealing carvings that depicted the rise and fall of empires.

At the end of the corridor stood a massive iron door, engraved with symbols Gideon couldn’t read. Roderic pressed his hand to the center, muttering a phrase under his breath. The door groaned as it swung open, revealing a vault filled with relics.

“This is the Vault of Truth,” Roderic said, his voice reverent. “Everything the academy has ever known about the Dragon Sword, the Blade of Shadow, and the Dark Lord’s return is here.”

Gideon’s eyes roamed the room, falling on a massive tapestry depicting a battle between light and dark. At the center stood two figures: a man wielding the Dragon Sword and a woman wielding the Blade of Shadow. The resemblance to Gideon and Lysandra was uncanny.

“They were siblings too,” Roderic said quietly. “Aerioneth and Lysara, the first heirs of the Light and Shadow. Together, they defeated the Dark Lord, but at a terrible cost. Lysara was consumed by the Blade’s power, and Aerioneth…well, he was never the same.”

“What happened to Lysara?” Gideon asked.

“She became the first Shadow Empress,” Roderic said. “And now, Lysandra seeks to follow in her footsteps.”

As they left the vault, Gideon’s mind raced. The truth was overwhelming, but it also brought clarity. The choices before him weren’t just about survival—they were about legacy, destiny, and the balance of power.

But as they emerged into the sunlight, a distant horn shattered the calm. Roderic’s face turned pale as another knight sprinted toward them.

“Commander!” the knight shouted. “The Dark Lord’s forces have breached the outer defenses. They’re here!”

Roderic cursed under his breath, his hand instinctively going to his sword. “Gideon, stay close.”

But Gideon’s mark flared suddenly, a searing pain that dropped him to his knees. Images flooded his mind: fire, blood, and a shadowed figure standing atop the academy’s ruins. In the vision, Lysandra’s voice echoed, soft but insistent:

“Come to me, brother. Let us end this…together.”

The vision faded, leaving Gideon gasping for air. When he looked up, Roderic was staring at him, his expression a mixture of fear and determination.

“What did you see?” Roderic demanded.

Gideon’s voice was barely a whisper. “The academy…falling.”

And in that moment, he realized the truth: the battle wasn’t just coming. It was already here.