Chapter XXV

Thoughts swirled like a maelstrom within me, a tempest of questions with no anchor. Was I being hunted? And if so, was the theft of the ancient artifact from the castle's heart the reason for this relentless pursuit? Would my pursuer resort to violence, or worse? And why—why did he demand the unthinkable, to spill Alec's blood? Or the shadow has some past connections with Alec.

Did something like this ever happened with Alec and Eli...somehow, they know something about it that's why he always grasp the situation faster than me? Did Eli saw the shadow lurking and overpowering my mind?

But after all this why? Just why am I dreaming about this kier and Nyx? At first it was all just ignorable but now I am dreaming about them more interactively and what that saying meant. I would write it later once I reach in my personal space.

Should I confide in Alec about the castle that loomed in my dreams, resplendent in its untouched glory? That statue, with its piercing gaze, seemed to see through me, transforming a dream of beauty into a grotesque nightmare.

"What's going on in that little head of yours?" Alec's voice sliced through my reverie, and I met his gaze with a fleeting glare before stepping out of the car. I was determined to uncover the truth—was the statue more than mere figment of subconscious mind?

"You have broken the spell," a voice whispered, as if the wind itself carried secrets from a time long forgotten.

"What?" The word escaped my lips, a sharp and sudden shard of confusion, mirroring the shock that rippled through me.

Alec's gaze lingered, his eyebrows arching in silent inquiry, a wordless probe into the tumult of my thoughts.

I held the truth close, a secret not yet ready to bloom in the light of his scrutiny.

"Are we going to stand here or are we actually going inside?" my voice broke the stillness, a nudge towards action, towards the unknown that awaited us beyond the threshold.

"Eager much, I see," He teased, a playful dance of words to mask the storm of anticipation and dread that churned within. The moment hung between us, charged with the weight of unspoken questions and the gravity of what lay ahead.

With a solemn nod, I embraced the quest for the elusive enigma, I saw that Lucas and Lou, as Alec said that they would accompany us for the excavation, yes indeed they came along after we entered the premise but only Me and Alec went inside, and they both remain outside for the excavation. And to my relief no matter how much I despised them but seeing them alive makes me to feel weirdly happy because I just saw them in a very different situation.

And oh, the sweet irony! The candle stand, once forgotten in the fervor of discovery, now stood by our side, as if drawn by the gravity of our adventure. It seemed even inanimate objects were eager to partake in our journey into the depths of history.

The air hung heavy with the scent of early morning cold mist, and the flickering torches cast elongated shadows on the snow-covered stones. 

"Alec, can I ask you something?" The words hung in the air, charged with an electric tension. His eyes, sharp as a blade, bore into mine. I could feel the weight of his scrutiny, the unspoken questions lurking behind those calculating irises. It was as if he could see straight through me, dissecting my thoughts, unraveling the secrets I dared not utter.

He nodded, just once, a curt acknowledgment that sent shivers down my spine. It was permission granted, but at what cost? The hall seemed to close in on me once again. I took a deep breath, steadying myself, and plunged into the abyss of uncertainty.

"What happened to Nyx and Kier?" The words slipped out, raw and desperate. Alec's eyebrows shot up, surprise flickering across his face. For a moment, I thought he might relent, spill the truth hidden beneath layers of silence. But then, his expression hardened, and he leaned back, distancing himself from my inquiry.

"This is not the right time for this talk," he said, his voice low, almost a growl. The weight of unspoken history hung heavy between us—the fractured bonds, the shattered loyalties. Nyx and Kier—their names echoed like ghosts, haunting the edges of our existence. Alec's gaze held mine, a silent warning. Some secrets were better left buried, locked away in the recesses of memory.

But I couldn't stop now. Not when the truth beckoned, tantalizingly close. The room pulsed with anticipation, and I leaned in, my voice a mere whisper. "When will it be the right time, Alec? When will we face what is actually happening? we... we need to talk about it, and aren't this is what we are here for...?"

His lips tightened; a grim line etched across his face. And in that charged silence, I knew—I had crossed a line, stepped into forbidden territory. But sometimes, the forbidden held the answers we sought, even if they scorched our souls. Alec's eyes bore into mine, and for a fleeting moment, I glimpsed the depths of his turmoil—the battle between duty and desire, loyalty and betrayal.

"Not now," he finally said, his voice a blade slicing through the tension. "But soon." And with that cryptic promise, he turned away, leaving me standing in the same hall I was screeching for help two days ago, teetering between revelation and oblivion. The hall closed in once more, and I wondered—did I dare take that final step into the abyss? who is trying to contact with me? how am I even related to all of this mess?