The stillness of the Crystal Caverns had settled like a weight over the group, thick and oppressive. The faint glow of the crystals cast long shadows across the jagged rocks, but everything remained quiet, save for the occasional skitter of a crystal spider moving through the webs above. Hayden could feel the pressure of waiting—it gnawed at him, his heart beating faster with every passing moment. His body was hidden in the central cavern, covered by a cloaking spell cast by the assassins, blending him into the surrounding rock like a shadow within the stone.

Argent had been pulled further into one of the deeper tunnels by one of the assassins, his quiet bleating barely audible in the distance. The goat would be safe, for now, though Hayden hated not having him close by. But in the chaos of the upcoming ambush, Argent could make them vulnerable, and they couldn’t afford that.

His breath came slow and deliberate, the tension tightening every muscle in his body. Around him, Lyra and her assassins were also hidden, their figures cloaked in magic that shimmered faintly before vanishing into the darkness. Their panthers lay in wait, eyes gleaming faintly as they crouched in the shadows, utterly silent and still. The room felt like a coiled spring, ready to snap.

Then, there was a faint echo—the sound of metal boots on stone.

The knights had arrived.

They entered cautiously, their footsteps measured and deliberate, the clank of their armor reverberating off the cavern walls. There were about twenty of them, each one armed and armored in the colors of Crystalspire, their helms gleaming in the low purple light.

The knight captain, a tall man with a dark plume on his helm, led the group, his sharp eyes scanning the caverns as they moved deeper inside.

But it wasn’t the captain that caught Hayden’s attention—it was her.

At the head of the group, cloaked in deep blue robes and holding a staff tipped with a glowing gem, was his sister—Seraphine Harstan. Hayden’s heart lurched in his chest as he recognized her slender figure, her long silver-blonde hair tied back in a braid, the gem at the top of her staff casting faint shadows across her face. Her expression was focused, her eyes narrowing as they moved into the cavern, her sharp features unreadable. She was the mage leading the group, and the sight of her sent a shiver of fear through Hayden’s veins.

Seraphine had always been the most gifted among their siblings, her magical talent surpassing even their father’s expectations. She was brilliant, cold, and unyielding. And now, she was here—hunting him.

Hayden held his breath, watching as Seraphine stopped in the center of the cavern, her brow furrowing in confusion. Her staff pulsed faintly with magic, her eyes scanning the dark tunnels that spread out from the cavern like the legs of a spider. She hesitated, lifting her staff higher as if testing the air.

“Captain,” she called out, her voice echoing slightly in the vast space. “The trail has split.” Her eyes flicked over the branching tunnels, her frustration barely contained. “They’ve tried to confuse us.”

The knight captain moved to her side, his expression grim. “Are you certain your brother is here, my lady?” His voice was respectful but tense, clearly aware of the stakes.

Seraphine’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes cold. “I’m confident, Captain. He’s here. The trail led directly to this place, but they’ve used magic to try and throw us off.”

The captain sighed, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword as he looked around. “If the trail’s split, how do we know which way to go?” he asked, his voice low. “We can’t search every tunnel in these caverns. We’ll be here for days, and those spiders won’t let us go deeper without trouble.”

Seraphine’s eyes narrowed, her hand tightening on her staff. “There’s no need to search every tunnel,” she said sharply. “I’ll find him.”

Hayden swallowed, his heart pounding in his chest. He watched her with a mix of fear and awe, knowing that if anyone could break the enchantments masking him and the assassins, it would be Seraphine. Her magical ability was second to none—if she sensed even a hint of their presence, the ambush would fall apart before it began.

He tried to calm his breathing, pressing himself further into the shadows. He had never been able to hide from her when they were children, not truly. She had always known where he was, always sensed him somehow. Now, as he watched her from the darkness, he prayed that the assassins’ magic would be enough to keep him hidden.

Seraphine raised her staff slightly, her eyes glowing faintly as she reached out with her magic, testing the air, searching for any trace of her brother’s life force. The air around them seemed to hum with power, the crystals lining the cavern walls reflecting the faint pulse of her magic.

Hayden tensed. He could feel the weight of her presence, the power she wielded like a blade. If she found him now, there would be no escape.

But Lyra’s enchantments held.

Seraphine’s brow furrowed again, frustration flickering in her eyes as she lowered her staff. She glanced at the knight captain, her expression tight with barely restrained anger. “They’re here, but the magic is masking them well. We’ll need to flush them out.”

The captain nodded, his grip tightening on his sword. “Understood, my lady. We’ll begin the search.”

Seraphine took a step back, her eyes scanning the cavern once more, her frustration growing. The knights began to fan out, preparing to search the tunnels one by one, and Hayden could feel the tension in the air spike. This was it—the moment they had been waiting for.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

The ambush was about to begin.

The tension in the cavern grew unbearable as the knights split up, their armor clanking softly as they moved down the branching tunnels, leaving only Seraphine and two knights in the central chamber.

Hayden watched from the shadows, his heart pounding in his chest. Lyra and her followers were still hidden, their cloaking magic blending them into the rock and shadows. Every second felt like an eternity as he waited, helpless, knowing what was coming.

Seraphine stood in the middle of the cavern, her expression tight with focus, her staff glowing faintly. Her eyes scanned the space, her brow furrowed as if sensing something just out of reach. The knights flanked her, weapons drawn, their stances rigid as they kept their eyes on the dark tunnels ahead.

For long, agonizing minutes, nothing happened.

Then, a scream pierced the air.

The sound echoed through the cavern, followed by the low predatory roar of a panther. Hayden’s breath hitched in his throat.

The ambush had begun.

From deep within the tunnels, more screams echoed—desperate, frantic cries from the knights being hunted by Lyra’s squad and their panthers. The sounds of battle reverberated through the caverns, the clash of steel and the unmistakable growls of panthers hunting their prey.

The two knights near Seraphina shifted nervously, their grips tightening on their swords, but Seraphina remained still, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the magic around her.

And then, in a blur of motion, Lyra struck.

She sprang from the shadows like a viper, her twin daggers gleaming as she lunged toward the nearest knight. Her blade found its mark, sinking deep into his neck before he had a chance to raise his sword. The knight’s eyes widened in shock, a gurgled cry escaping his lips as he collapsed, his body crumpling to the ground in a heap of armor and blood.

At the same time, Slink, Lyra’s panther, leaped from the darkness and pounced on the second knight, its powerful jaws closing around the man’s throat in a swift, brutal motion. The knight barely had time to scream before the panther brought him down, dragging him into the shadows with a sickening crunch.

Hayden watched in horror, his body frozen as his sister stood, now alone in the center of the cavern, her back straight, her eyes blazing with fury. Seraphine wasted no time, swinging her staff with precise calculated strikes, her movements fluid and graceful. Lyra lunged at her, but Seraphine deftly blocked the blow, spinning her staff with ease. It was clear that she wasn’t just a mage—she was a fighter, and her skills with the staff were formidable.

Lyra’s strikes came fast, but Seraphine seemed to anticipate where they would land, her staff always in place to parry the blows. The faint glow of magic around her staff hinted at her skill in divination—she wasn’t just reacting, she was predicting.

Her movements were efficient, her gaze unyielding as she fought off her assailants. Even when Slink darted in from the side, claws flashing, Seraphine dodged and spun, striking out with her staff, driving the panther back.

But even as she held her own, Hayden could see the signs of fatigue beginning to set in. Serpahine’s breaths were coming faster now, and the glowing light at the tip of her staff flickered faintly. She was powerful, yes, but this fight was wearing on her.

Lyra, on the other hand, was tireless, her attacks relentless. The leader of the smugglers pressed her advantage, moving with the deadly grace of a predator.

Seraphine gritted her teeth, sweat beading on her brow, but she didn’t relent. She fought with everything she had, spinning her staff in a wide arc that forced Lyra to back off, but even then, Hayden could see that his sister’s strength was waning. He wasn’t familiar with the battle tactics of mages, but he imagined that the fighting on the surface was just a part of the overall conflict.

Serpahine’s movements were slowing, her steps just a little heavier. And as the fight dragged on, more of Lyra’s followers joined the fray, emerging from the shadows one by one, their faces cold and emotionless as they surrounded Seraphine like a pack of wolves.

Hayden’s heart raced in his chest. His mouth was dry, his body frozen in place as he watched the scene unfold. His sister—his brilliant, powerful sister—was being cornered, surrounded by enemies and it was all his fault. He knew how this would end. They were going to kill her, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. His hands clenched into fists, his body trembling with the hatred he felt for himself.

“No,” he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible.

Seraphine fought on, but she was slowing, her defenses weakening with every passing second. Lyra circled her like a predator stalking its prey, her daggers flashing in the dim light. Hayden could see it in Lyra’s eyes—the killing intent. He knew at that moment that she was no smuggler. This is what she lived for. She was going to finish it.

And then, in one swift, deadly motion, Lyra lunged.

Her dagger arced through the air, aimed directly at Seraphine’s heart.

“No!” Hayden’s scream tore from his throat, louder this time, his voice echoing off the cavern walls and cracking the crystals embedded in them. His body moved without thinking, his arm outstretched, and in that moment, something shifted deep within him.

The ground beneath him trembled, and the violet glow of the crystals around the cavern intensified. The air grew thick with energy, a pulsing, raw power that thrummed through the stone. Hayden felt it surge through his veins, and before he could fully comprehend what was happening, his outstretched hand seemed to command the earth itself.

With a sudden, violent crack, a burst of purple crystal erupted from the ground beneath Seraphione, rising up in jagged, spiraling formations. The crystal shot up with impossible speed, encasing her in a cocoon of shimmering purple, hard and impenetrable. Seraphine froze inside the crystal, her eyes wide with shock, her body locked in place like an insect trapped in amber.

Lyra’s dagger slammed into the crystal’s surface, but it didn’t penetrate. The force of her strike ricocheted off, and she staggered back, her eyes wide in surprise. Her followers stopped in their tracks, staring at the crystalline formation in stunned silence.

The cavern fell deathly still.

Hayden stood frozen, his hand still outstretched, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He couldn’t move, couldn’t think. All he could do was stare at the glowing, purple crystal that had erupted from the ground—his crystal. It shimmered faintly in the dim light, its surface smooth and cool, and inside, Seraphone was perfectly preserved, her expression frozen in shock.

The power that had coursed through him began to fade, leaving him weak, trembling.

He had saved her.

But at what cost?