Episode 28 – "The Silent Vaults"
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The Silent Vaults were located deep in the hills south of Emberrange, a secluded region plagued by cursed winds and eternal fog. Legends said that those who ventured too close would hear whispers in their minds—echoes of forbidden knowledge—and soon, their hearts would stop beating in fright.
Kael and his team had already been traveling for hours, their path shrouded in mist, the atmosphere heavy with an unsettling energy. Despite their best efforts to prepare, the sense of dread only grew stronger as they neared the Vaults.
Kael clenched his fist, feeling a pulse of power inside him. The bite of the Alpha werewolf had already begun to show its effects, his senses sharper, his strength growing. But there was still something off—something gnawing at the back of his mind. He glanced at Lana, who walked silently beside him, her eyes still distant. The mark on her back seemed to shimmer in the light, but it was faint now, as if the vortex itself was waiting.
Felix, walking behind them, broke the silence.
"Great. If this place is really what we think it is, it's going to be… complicated." He adjusted his glasses, squinting into the fog. "We'll have to navigate through the Silent Runes. If you speak, the Vaults will know. If you breathe too loud, they'll know. If you even think too loudly—"
"You'll die," Tunde interrupted with a grin. "I like the sound of that. Very… mysterious."
"Don't joke about it, Tunde," Felix shot back, his tone serious. "The Vaults aren't something you can joke through. People go in and never come out."
"Sounds like a party," Tunde replied, completely unbothered.
Kael remained silent, but his brow furrowed as they approached the entrance. The ground trembled underfoot, the sound of distant, resonating chimes ringing in the air. A pair of stone doors, black as the night, loomed before them. They were adorned with markings—ancient and unreadable, a cryptic language long lost to time. A low hum came from the doors as if they were alive, waiting.
Lana stumbled slightly but caught herself.
"Are you alright?" Kael asked, concerned.
She nodded quickly, her expression unreadable. "I feel… strange. Like something is watching me."
"It's probably the Vaults themselves," Felix muttered, pulling a map from his bag. "Or maybe it's the guardians. Either way, we're not alone here."
Without another word, Felix stepped forward and pressed his palm against the stone. The door creaked but didn't move. Felix adjusted his position, muttering under his breath, and placed both hands on the ancient runes.
A blinding flash of light exploded outward from the door. Kael raised his arm to shield his eyes, and Felix fell back with a yelp.
"Alright, that wasn't supposed to happen!" Felix exclaimed, blinking in confusion. "I think I triggered something."
The stone doors slowly began to open, revealing the black, shadowed hall beyond. An unnatural chill ran through the air.
Kael stepped forward cautiously, the others following close behind. The atmosphere felt suffocating as they entered the Vaults. Walls lined with massive, ancient bookshelves stretched into darkness, with nothing but flickering candles illuminating their path.
"I don't like this," Tunde muttered. "Too quiet."
The deeper they went, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. The air was thick with the sense that they weren't just walking through an ancient library. The Vaults were more than that—they were a tomb for forgotten knowledge, and the knowledge inside was alive.
Felix led the way, his fingers lightly brushing the rows of books. The Silent Runes glowed faintly on the walls, an eerie reminder that silence was more than just a matter of politeness here.
"We need to find the Grimoire of Lost Souls," Felix said, his voice barely a whisper. "It's the only book that contains information on the rituals tied to Lana's resurrection."
"Alright, well, let's hurry up before something else tries to eat us," Tunde joked, though his usual cocky demeanor was replaced by genuine tension.
They continued down the endless hallways, the flickering light of their candles casting strange shadows along the walls. It wasn't long before they reached a massive stone chamber—its walls lined with an enormous black tome, taller than any of them.
Felix approached it slowly, but Kael stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Wait," Kael said, his voice low. "There's something wrong with this room. I can feel it."
Just as Kael spoke, the air in the room seemed to grow heavier. The ground rumbled beneath their feet as a piercing shriek filled the air—like a thousand voices wailing in agony.
Lana stepped back, clutching her head. "It's… It's inside me. The mark—it's calling."
The book on the pedestal began to glow with dark energy, its pages turning by themselves. A shadowy figure emerged from the pages, its form shifting and twisting, taking on the shape of a man with glowing red eyes and tattered robes. It stared at them with an ancient, knowing gaze.
"You dare to seek knowledge from the Silent Vaults?" the figure's voice boomed, shaking the very foundation of the room. "You will pay the price of knowledge."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "We didn't come here for your power, spirit. We came here for answers."
The figure laughed, an unsettling sound. "Answers? You believe that I hold answers for you? Foolish mortals. The only answer I can give is the one that binds you to this place."
The ground shook again, more violently this time, as black chains shot up from the floor, wrapping around their legs. A vortex appeared above them, swirling with energy and pulling at their bodies.
Lana screamed, her eyes flashing black again. "No! I won't be taken!"
But the spirit wasn't done. With a sweep of its hand, it sent a blast of dark magic at Kael, sending him flying across the room into the far wall.
"You will remain silent, as the Vaults demand," the figure said, voice echoing in their minds. "Your fate is sealed."
Kael stood slowly, his body aching, but his resolve unbroken. The Alpha werewolf's bite burned in his veins, and the power within him was becoming more difficult to control.
"Get out of here, now!" Kael roared.
Felix reached into his bag, pulling out a strange red crystal. He hurled it at the figure, and it exploded in a flash of blinding light. For a moment, the figure faltered, its form flickering like a candle in the wind.
"Run!" Felix yelled, grabbing Tunde by the arm.
Kael stood, shaking off the pain. "Not yet. We're not leaving without answers."
Lana's voice cracked as she spoke, filled with both defiance and desperation. "Kael… we can't stop it. Not like this."
Kael looked at her, his gaze fierce. "We don't have a choice. We fight, or we die here. Together."
The dark figure hissed in fury. "You're meddling in things that should never be awakened."
But Kael, with the strength of a thousand wolves coursing through him, raised his hand.
And with the sudden crack of thunder—the ground shook violently.
Lightning split the sky overhead as the Velmorth'Rael sword materialized in Kael's hand, its presence causing the heart of the Vaults to tremble. The sword crackled with divine energy, its blade glowing with a strange, ethereal light.
The figure recoiled. "No… it cannot be!"
Kael grinned through clenched teeth. "You're wrong. I'm just getting started."