Chapter 25: The Ancient Carvings
Lucian stood in the center of the hidden circular chamber deep beneath the Valeria palace. His torchlight danced along the damp stone walls, casting moving shadows that seemed almost alive. The air here was heavier, filled with the scent of wet earth and centuries-old dust.
His gaze swept the room, examining every crevice and groove. This was no ordinary storage space—it was a place forgotten by history, hidden within the underground labyrinth known only to a select few.
He stepped closer to the altar he had found earlier. His fingers traced the various carvings on its surface, feeling the rough engravings worn down by time. Strange symbols were etched into the stone, forming patterns that felt oddly familiar.
His eyes focused on the carvings.
"This is not just decoration," he muttered.
Lucian reached into a leather pouch at his waist, pulling out a piece of ancient parchment he had stolen from the archives of Eloria's palace. He unrolled the scroll and compared it with the carvings on the altar.
Amidst the circular patterns forming the sun and moon emblem, something different caught his eye—a carving almost invisible to the untrained eye. Quickly, he wiped away the dust covering it. Faint lines began to appear, forming the image of a sword with a hilt adorned by a gem shaped like an eye.
The Magic Sword.
Lucian held his breath, as if afraid the carving would vanish if he moved too quickly.
"In the endless darkness, the guardian sword of fate lies hidden. It shall rise only for those who remember the ruin of the past."
He read the small inscription beneath the carving aloud in a hushed voice. It was part of an ancient legend he had once studied, a tale of a weapon that could only be found by those who understood the history of the old kingdoms' wars.
A thin smile crossed his face. He had found the clue he had been searching for.
But before he could ponder it further, faint footsteps echoed again from the stone staircase above. Lucian quickly pressed himself against the shadow of a pillar, dimming his torch to avoid detection.
"Why do I feel like someone's down here?" a guard's voice echoed through the chamber. Two figures entered the underground room, their torches illuminating every corner.
Lucian watched intently, waiting for the right moment. As one of the guards turned his back to the altar, Lucian moved swiftly toward the right side of the room, where the walls were adorned with ancient reliefs.
From where he stood, his eyes caught something else—a small circle at the center of the carvings that didn't match the rest. He reached out and pressed it.
A soft sound echoed, as if an ancient mechanism had been triggered. Part of the wall shifted slowly, revealing a narrow passageway leading into an even darker corridor.
Lucian grinned wickedly.
"There it is," he whispered.
He slipped through the opening just before the guards noticed anything amiss.
From the other side of the stairwell, Evelyn peered out from the shadows. She had witnessed the wall slide back into place as if it had never moved.
"Lucian, you're cunning. But I'm smarter."
**
Seraphina had never liked Valeria Palace at night. Its towering walls, soaring pillars, and the shadows cast by torches along narrow corridors created a chilling and eerie atmosphere. She shivered slightly, not from the cold, but from an odd feeling that had gnawed at her since she woke up in the middle of the night.
Something was pulling her, calling her out of bed with a soft, irresistible summons. Her steps were cautious as she wandered through the empty halls, eventually reaching the spiraling staircase leading down into the underground.
She didn't know why she felt the need to be there, but the urge was too strong to ignore.
Upon reaching the bottom step, Seraphina found herself in a wide, silent room, dimly lit by old torches mounted on the stone walls. Dust swirled in the air, casting subtle shadows that danced around her.
But it wasn't the atmosphere that made her catch her breath—it was the figure standing near the ancient altar in the center of the room.
Lucian?
Seraphina immediately withdrew behind a pillar, pressing a hand to her thudding chest.
"What is he doing here?" she thought.
She peeked carefully. Lucian appeared focused, his hands moving over the carvings on the altar as if he were deciphering a language lost to time. In front of him, an ancient parchment lay open, its faded writings gleaming faintly in the torchlight.
Then something happened.
Lucian pressed one of the symbols on the altar, and a soft grinding sound echoed—the sound of an ancient mechanism coming to life. Seraphina clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle any noise. A section of the wall at the side of the room shifted slowly, revealing a hidden dark corridor behind it.
Lucian smiled, his eyes gleaming with triumph.
Seraphina didn't know what Lucian was looking for, but she was sure it wasn't something he should find.
At that moment, her foot brushed against something—a loose stone from the floor. The stone rolled, tapping against the wall with a faint clink.
Lucian turned sharply. Seraphina held her breath.
With movements barely perceptible, Lucian drew a dagger from his belt. His gaze sharpened, sweeping across the room.
"Who's there?" he called out.
Seraphina squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, hoping the shadows would be enough to hide her.
But her hope faded when Lucian started approaching.
"There's no use hiding," he said, suspicion thick in his voice. "I can hear you breathing."
Seraphina decided to step out from behind the pillar. Staying hidden would only make things worse.
"Lucian?" she said evenly, pretending not to understand what was going on.
Lucian stared at her for a few seconds before slipping his dagger back into his belt.
"Seraphina," he replied, his tone softer but laced with calculation. "What are you doing down here?"
"I should be the one asking you," she countered quickly. "Why are you in the palace's underground chambers at midnight?"
Lucian smiled faintly, his steps closer but not threatening.
"I often take night walks. This palace holds many secrets worth exploring."
Seraphina fought the urge to scoff. Night walks? In the underground vaults?
Her eyes darted to the altar behind Lucian.
"Were you studying something?" she asked, feigning innocence.
Lucian nodded nonchalantly.
"Old history," he said, patting the altar lightly. "This palace was built atop the ruins of an ancient kingdom, and these carvings fascinate me."
Seraphina wasn't sure if she could trust him. There was something unsettling in the way his eyes gleamed.
"If that's true," she said, probing, "then you must know a lot about the legend of the magic sword?"
Lucian paused briefly before offering a crooked smile.
"Of course."
He circled the altar, seemingly trying to divert her attention from the wall that had shifted moments ago.
"According to the ancient tales, the magic sword cannot be possessed by just anyone. It chooses its wielder."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow.
"So, you're searching for it?"