Chapter 7 : Light at the End of the Snow
The wind from the north carried the scent of death.
The sky hung gray, and along the slopes of Mount Artheon, snow fell gently, even though the season had yet to arrive. Xebec's small group looked like dark specks moving uphill, their horses weary, breath steaming in the cold air.
Astrid stared silently toward the peak veiled in mist. "This place… it feels untouched by time."
"And because of that, ancient secrets can slumber undisturbed," Aelra replied, glancing at Xebec who led the way in silence.
They arrived at a flat stretch near the base of the mountain. There stood an old stone structure, half-buried in snow, its walls covered in primitive carvings and ancient writing that only Aelra could read. Above the gate, it read:
"Ash'Thara. Keeper of the Light, Keeper of the Key."
"This is the temple once guarded by the Servants of Light before Baal came," Aelra whispered. "The kingdom once had strong ties with this place. Now… only its shadow remains."
Xebec dismounted, his long cloak brushing against the snow. His eyes locked onto the slightly ajar temple door, as if it beckoned him.
Astrid also dismounted, but her steps halted when she saw something on the wall—a symbol similar to the seal on Bastian's body, but twisted… as if incomplete.
"Baal's seal," she murmured.
"But this is the original seal," Aelra said quietly. "The one used to imprison Baal thousands of years ago."
The three of them slowly entered the temple. The high ceilings were supported by stone pillars, and at the center of the main chamber stood an ancient altar. Atop it rested a cloudy crystal orb, glowing faintly.
As Xebec approached, the crystal shone bright. A flash of light streaked across the room, and the temple walls came to life—projecting shadows of an ancient battle between light and darkness. In the vision, warriors fought to seal a towering, cloaked figure—Baal.
Among the warriors was someone who looked just like… Xebec.
"Is that… you?" Astrid asked, nearly breathless.
Aelra remained silent. "Not him… but his ancestor. One of the Three Lights."
The light dimmed. The crystal faded, but Xebec stood frozen, breath heavy.
"I… have been here before. A part of me somehow knows this place."
"There's a reason Baal wants to possess noble blood like Bastian's," Aelra said. "Because to counter the blood of Light… there must be blood of Darkness. Only then can the seal be broken."
"What do you mean?" Xebec asked sharply.
"Bastian isn't the only key. You… are the gate."
Silence filled the temple. Only the whisper of wind outside reminded them that time still moved.
Astrid clenched the edge of her sleeve. "Then… what must we do?"
Xebec looked to the altar, then to the symbol on it—faintly cracked.
He drew a deep breath.
"We reopen the legacy of Light. And prepare… to burn the darkness before it consumes everything."
The atmosphere in the temple shifted. The light from the crystal dimmed again, and strange echoes rose from the corridor behind the altar—whispers, barely comprehensible, but as if they recognized them.
"The Heir of Light… has returned…"
Aelra gripped her staff tightly. "This temple was never fully abandoned. Guardian spirits are still bound here."
Xebec stepped toward the corridor. Its walls were lined with ancient murals depicting betrayal, war, and the sealing of Baal. At the end of the passage stood a stone door, sealed with three glowing sigils.
Astrid stepped closer. "Three seals… three Lights."
Aelra explained softly. "Each can only be opened by one who carries true Light in their blood. The first seal… will open only if you, Xebec, fully accept your legacy."
Xebec placed his only hand on the first seal. A golden light flared, and with a faint click—the seal dissolved into glowing dust.
But as the seal vanished, a freezing wind rushed through the corridor, and the soft whispers turned into a scream:
"He has awakened!"
Aelra flinched. "Quickly! We can't open the others now! If we rush it, the seals will collapse!"
"Who has awakened?" Astrid asked, panic in her voice.
"The shadow of Baal," Aelra replied. "We've stirred something we weren't ready to face…"
The entire temple shook. Stones crumbled from the ceiling. They ran, escaping the collapsing passage. As they emerged, the temple's light faded, and the snow began to fall heavier than before.
Xebec gazed at the mountain.
"I feel… this is only the beginning."
Astrid stood beside him. "So what do we do now?"
Xebec looked south, toward the capital. "We return. I must speak with Father. And warn the court… before the darkness seeps deeper."
Their journey resumed. But the northern wind now carried more than snow. It carried a war long delayed… and finally ready to begin.
…
In the distance, thunder rolled behind the snow-covered peak of Mount Artheon. The air grew colder—but not just from the weather. Something had awakened, something long asleep.
Xebec stood at a cliff's edge, watching the temple ruins slowly disappear beneath the snow once more. Astrid stood quietly beside him. Aelra closed her eyes, whispering a sealing chant to calm the guardian spirits now roused by the breaking of the first seal.
"That seal… was not just a key," Astrid finally whispered. "It was also a warning."
Xebec looked at his trembling hand. Not from cold—but from something else—something in his blood had awakened when he touched that ancient symbol. As if the seal not only recognized him… but demanded something of him.
"The power behind the seal is not just Baal," Aelra murmured. "But the legacy of the First Light. What remains in your bloodline, Xebec."
She turned toward them. "And if Baal rises, the Light must rise too. That means you must fully accept your fate…"
Xebec didn't reply, but his steps were firmer as he turned from the temple. The wind pulled his cloak behind him. He knew they could wait no longer.
"We return to the capital," he said at last. "Before the next seal is opened… by the wrong hand."
Behind them, the ruins glowed faintly through the cracks in the stone. Inside, the third symbol began to pulse red… slowly… as if welcoming another presence.
Bastian.
---
The sky above Mount Artheon grew grayer as Xebec's group left the ancient temple buried in snow and forbidden history. The air was biting cold, but the weight pressing on Xebec's chest was heavier.
That temple held more than secrets. It held proof.
Proof that Astrid's father, Duke Malefic, had indeed broken an ancient seal—and conspired with something humanity should never have touched.
Xebec could still hear the echoes in the final altar chamber—the walls bearing ancient symbols, and an inscription naming Baal… and a human who betrayed the kingdom for eternal power.
Theral.
"My father." Astrid said it bitterly.
Xebec looked at her, seeing the turmoil behind her usually cold expression.
"You are not responsible for your father's sins," he said quietly.
"But his blood runs in me," she replied.
"And you choose to fight against him. That's enough."
For a moment, there was no sound. Only the fall of snow from the branches, the soft rustle cloaking a heavy silence.
Aelra descended the last step of the temple, her face paler than usual.
"One thing is certain," she said, turning to Xebec and Astrid. "They are preparing something. And we don't have much time."
Xebec clenched his fist—his one remaining hand.
"Then we must return. The court must know what we've found."
He turned to Astrid. His gaze was sharp, but no longer mistrustful.
"Are you with me in this?"
Astrid nodded slowly. "Until the end."
And with that, the small party began their descent from the snow-covered slopes, toward the road back to the capital.
But none of them realized that deep in the darkness behind them, Baal's eyes had watched them since they first entered the temple.
And the throne… was drifting toward a storm darker than the night on Mount Artheon.
(To be continued)