Kael stood before the sealed chest, its ancient engravings pulsating faintly in the dim torchlight.
Behind him, the Keeper of Secrets loomed, his voice cold and measured.
"That chest is forbidden, Kael Veyne."
Kael didn't turn. His mind was set. He needed to know what was inside.
Slowly, he reached for the lock.
A Test of Will
The moment his fingers brushed the cold metal, a force surged through his body—an unseen energy pressing against his very soul.
It wasn't just a lock. It was a seal. A powerful one.
"This is no ordinary chest," Kael realized. "It's a prison for knowledge."
The Keeper stepped forward, his presence almost unnatural. "You do not know what you are doing."
Kael exhaled slowly. "Then enlighten me."
Silence.
The Keeper's gaze remained unreadable. Then he spoke.
"What lies within is the past you have long sought. But pasts are not always meant to be reclaimed, Kael. Some doors, once opened, cannot be closed."
Kael's grip on the lock tightened. He had spent too long in the dark. If the answers were here, he would claim them.
The shadows around him responded to his will, slithering into the engravings, pressing against the unseen force that held the chest shut.
And then—a crack.
Unsealing the Past
A sharp, deafening sound echoed through the chamber as the seal shattered. The torches flickered violently, casting eerie shapes against the walls.
Kael pushed open the chest.
Inside, a single item lay waiting.
A black leather-bound journal. Its cover bore the insignia of the Nightfall Syndicate—the same symbol the masked figure had worn.
Kael reached inside, but the moment his fingers touched the book—
Flashes of memory exploded in his mind.
A guild hall bathed in blood.
The smiling face of a man in a high-ranking assassin's robe.
The ritual chamber. His own screams. A voice whispering in his ear:
"We will make you stronger, Kael. Even if it kills you."
Kael staggered back, breathless. His head throbbed, his vision blurred.
The memories… they weren't just fragments anymore.
They were returning.
The Keeper's Warning
The Keeper of Secrets sighed.
"You have chosen your path," he murmured. "There will be no turning back now."
Kael steadied himself. He clutched the journal, his heart pounding.
"No turning back? Good."
He opened the first page.
And read the truth.
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