THE BLOOD KEY
Author: Unwana Akpe
last update2026-07-15 07:31:20

Stone dust filled the room. Aria covered her face with her arm as rock pieces scattered on the floor. The lantern a guard had dropped rolled slowly. Hit the wall casting shaky light.

Three armed men entered first. Then two more joined them. They wore uniforms without royal insignia. Their faces were hidden behind scarves showing only their eyes.

The front man smiled. Not because he had won. Because he thought he already had.

"There you are, " he said calmly. His eyes never left Aria.

Rowan step
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  • THE JUDGMENT OF TRUTH

    The Heart Chamber was completely silent.Aster stood to Arias' left. His body was made of light.Orion stood to her right. He was wearing someone's body.Between them were the pieces of the Heart of Shadow.Neither of the brothers said a word.Neither of them moved.It was Aria who finally spoke up."I will not choose, " she said.Orion raised an eyebrow."No?" he asked."Not until I know everything, " Aria replied.Aster smiled a little.He looked like he approved of her decision."You have already started, " he said.Aria took a step forward."If I am supposed to judge..." she said,"...then neither of you can hide anything from me."She turned to Aster first."You put your brother in prison, " she said."Why did you do that?"Aster's face looked sad."I loved him, " he said."That is not what I asked, " Aria said."No, " Aster replied."But this is the start of the answer, " he said.He looked at Orion."When we made the River we thought memories would help people be wise, " he sai

  • THE HEART OF SHADOW

    The hand was gripping the edge of the crystal. It had fingers and pale skin. Dark mist was curling around them like they were alive. Aria raised the brass key without thinking. The silver light from the key got brighter. Made the mist go back for a moment. Eryn did not move. He was standing in front of the broken sphere with his hands still on it."Stay back!" he shouted. He was not calm anymore."This chamber still holds!"The hand got tighter. Then another hand came out of the darkness. A shoulder came out too. A figure started to pull itself out like it was climbing out of a hole. The air got heavy. It was hard to breathe. Aria felt pressure in her mind. It was not pain. Whispers. Thousands of voices were talking at the time.You were abandoned...You are alone...No one will survive...Aria grabbed Liam's whistle without thinking. The warm wood made her feel better. The whispers got weaker. Eryn looked at her."Don't listen.""It feeds on fear."The figure laughed."So you still r

  • THE PORTRAIT OF BROTHERS

    Aria walked through the Final Gate.Soon as she did the gate closed behind her with a loud boom.This room felt different from the others.It felt alive.There was a silver light floating around in the air.It looked like stars moving slowly around the big round room.The walls had lots of pictures carved into them.Aria saw cities being built and rivers being formed.She saw people gathering near stone buildings.In the middle of the room there was a table.On the table there was a picture of two men.Aria approached the picture slowly.The picture was old. She could still see everything clearly.One of the men was Aster.He looked calm and wise.The other man was a little taller. Had darker hair.He was. Aria thought he looked a bit like Liam.The two men had their arms around each other.They looked like brothers.At the bottom of the picture it said:Aster and Orion, the men who built the First Sanctuary.Aria looked puzzled."Orion..." she said.Adrian had never mentioned his nam

  • THE LAST WARDEN

    Aria stopped at the edge of the bridge.The abyss beneath her seemed to have no bottom.It wasn't dark.It was filled with stars.Thousands of lights drifted below like memories on an endless night.The cloaked figure didn't move.One hand rested on a wooden staff.The other hung by his side.His face was still hidden.Only his voice was in the air.It was Rowan's voice."Only one of us can cross the gate, " he said.Arias heart started beating"You're not Rowan, " she said.The figure chuckled softly."No, " he said."But your heart heard him, " Aria said.He slowly lifted his head.The hood still covered his face.Aria could see there was no face beneath it.Only shifting light."I am the Warden, " he said."I guard the path between sacrifice and destiny."Aria stepped onto the bridge.The stone beneath her feet glowed faintly with every step."I've already passed the Gate of Sacrifice " she said.The Warden nodded his head."You passed the lesson, " he said."You have not yet paid

  • THE GATE OF SACRIFICE

    The corridor past the First Gate felt different.It was warmer.The heavy weight that was in the Hall of Truth was gone.An unsettling calm replaced it.Aria walked slowly.The silver feather was still warm inside her chest.She could not see it. She could feel it.It was like a part of her that she had forgotten had come back.Ahead the second gate was tall.It was not made of stone like the first gate.It was made of marble with silver lines that glowed softly.There were handprints on it.Some were big. Some were small.Some were from people and some were from old people.Each handprint seemed frozen in time.Above the gate there was an inscription that glowed.THE GATE OF SACRIFICEAs Aria went closer the big doors opened quietly.What she saw next was not what she expected.It was not another corridor or another room.It was her home.It was the house where she grew up.Smoke was coming out of the chimney.Wildflowers were moving gently in the breeze.The old wooden fence that El

  • THE GATE OF TRUTH

    The big gate stood open in front of Aria.Its huge stone doors went so high up that they disappeared into the dark.Old symbols shone on their surface. Then faded one by one.Now two words were carved into the black stone:ENTER ALONE.Behind her Rowan took a step forward without thinking.The moment his foot crossed the shining line on the floor the gate made a noise.Silver light flashed.A gentle force. Not violent. Strong. Pushed him back.He. Caught himself before he fell.Caelan put his staff down."The gate has spoken " he said."It won't let anyone in, " he added.Rowan looked at Aria.Every part of him wanted to ignore the warning and fight it.Aria just smiled."I'll be back, " she said.He wanted to promise that he would wait for her.Instead he said the words that mattered:"I'll be here."She nodded.Then she turned toward the gate.The whistle was over her heart.The compass Rowan gave her was safely in her pocket.The brass key glowed softly in her hand.She stepped acr

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