The frigid wind bit at Aurora's face as she and her team ascended the jagged mountain trail. Every step was treacherous, the terrain slick with ice and shadow beasts lurking in the foggy periphery. Cassian moved just ahead of her, his blade ready, while Anica clutched a
weathered map in one hand and a glowing rune stone in the other.noveldrama
"This is it," Anica announced, her voice barely audible over the howling wind. She pointed to a rocky outcrop where a faint, unnatural light shimmered. "The Abyssal Citadel lies beneath us. Solara's warning-it aligns with these inscriptions. Light and shadow converge here." Aurora gazed at the ominous light, a chill that had nothing to do with the weather creeping down her spine. "What are we walking into?"
"Answers," Anica replied cryptically.
The team pressed on, their breaths visible in the freezing air. The closer they came to the light, the more the landscape seemed to shift around them. Rocks whispered as though alive, and shadows coalesced into vaguely humanoid shapes before dissipating. As they reached the outcrop, the ground trembled beneath their feet. A fissure opened, revealing a spiral staircase that descended into darkness. Aurora hesitated, glancing at Cassian.
"I'll go first," he said firmly, his protective instincts kicking in.
Aurora nodded, but her hand brushed his arm as he moved past her, a silent exchange of gratitude.
The descent was suffocating. The air grew thick, and the faint glow of celestial energy that guided them became their only light. Anica murmured translations of ancient glyphs etched into the walls.
"The Pact was forged here," Anica whispered, running her fingers over an inscription. "This place... it was once a sanctuary, long before the Lycan King corrupted it."
As the team pressed deeper, they came upon a grand chamber. The walls were carved with intricate depictions of wolves and celestial beings, their forms locked in eternal battle. At the center stood a massive door, its surface pulsing with a silvery light that seemed to resonate with Aurora's heartbeat.
"It's alive," Aurora murmured, stepping closer.
Anica's brow furrowed as she examined the glyphs surrounding the door. "Only one bound to the Pact can open it."
Aurora hesitated. The Pact's connection to her had been tenuous since her last encounter with the Lycan King. What if she couldn't open it?
Cassian's hand found hers, steadying her. "You can do this."
Drawing a deep breath, Aurora extended her hand toward the door. The moment her fingertips touched the surface, the pulsing light intensified, spreading outward in rippling waves. The door shuddered, groaned, and slowly creaked open, revealing a cavernous chamber bathed in an otherworldly glow.
Aurora stepped inside, her breath catching at the sight.