The next night, they returned.
Kael brought an old map he secretly borrowed from the library. Mikaho carried the lantern again. Zehr had snacks. "In case it turns into a sleepover with ghosts," he said with a grin.
But none of them were laughing deep down.
The sealed wing was too quiet. Even the air felt heavier.
They reached the locked iron door once more.
Kael ran his fingers over the rusted metal. "We have to get through."
Zehr pulled out a metal pin. "Let me try."
He fiddled with the lock, whispering, "If I wasn't a Veilbreaker, I'd make a good thief."
Click.
The lock dropped with a soft thud.
The iron door creaked open.
A cold gust blew into their faces.
Inside was a massive room—dark stone walls, strange symbols glowing faintly, and a giant mural painted across the ceiling.
The mural showed demons falling from the sky.
Below them were humans with glowing swords. And at the center…
A boy with silver hair.
Kael froze. "That… looks like me."
Even Mikaho was shocked. "Is this a prophecy?"
Kael stared at it for a while, then turned away. "No. Just coincidence."
But he didn't believe that.
Suddenly, the floor trembled.
The back wall began to open slowly, revealing stairs leading even deeper underground.
Zehr scratched his head. "Why is everything always down?"
"Maybe secrets like hiding in the dark."
They walked carefully, step by step.
The underground passage looked ancient. Walls cracked, roots growing through the stone. At the end of the path, they reached a door covered in glowing blue chains.
A strange force pulsed from it.
Mikaho whispered, "This is sealing something… dangerous."
Kael stepped closer. His head hurt. Visions flashed.
Screams.
Blood.
His hand shaking.
He stepped back.
"I've seen this before…"
Zehr looked confused. "When?"
"In my dreams…"
They didn't open the sealed door.
Not yet.
But they marked the location and returned.
As they stepped back into the dorm area, someone was waiting.
Ashen.
He leaned against the wall, arms crossed—his one arm.
"You kids really think you're the first ones to find it?" he said with a grin.
Kael asked, "You knew?"
Ashen's eyes grew serious. "More than you can imagine."
Then, he turned and walked away.
Mikaho stared after him. "He's hiding something."
Kael nodded slowly. "And someday… we'll know what."
Next Episode Preview:
The truth sleeps behind chains, but not for long. As shadows rise in the island, the trio begins their training with new weapons—and something old awakens in Kael's blood.