Chapter 12: the secret of the crypt

The hidden staircase was narrow and cold, its stone steps worn from centuries of use. The deeper they went, the thicker the air became, heavy with dust and the faint scent of parchment long forgotten.

Aria stayed close to Jax, though she wasn't sure if it was for protection or to keep an eye on him. The revelation that Riven was part of the Order of the Veil only made her more suspicious. If Jax had known about this passage and Riven, what else was he keeping from them?

Riven moved with practiced ease, as if she had walked these halls a hundred times before. At the bottom of the staircase, she pressed her hand against an unmarked section of the wall. A low, mechanical click echoed through the passage, and a doorway slid open, revealing a vast underground chamber.

Lila sucked in a breath. "This place is massive."

Rows of towering bookshelves stretched into the shadows, filled with ancient tomes bound in cracked leather. The walls were lined with carved stone reliefs depicting figures cloaked in long robes, their faces obscured. At the center of the chamber stood a massive circular emblem embedded in the floor—the Lumina crest.

"The Order has been guarding this place for centuries," Riven said, stepping forward. "This is where the truth about the academy's past is hidden. And where you'll find the answers you're looking for."

Aria eyed her. "Then start talking."

Riven knelt beside the crest, tracing a finger over the intricate carvings. "The crypt isn't just a resting place for the founders. It's a vault. A prison, in a way."

Eryn frowned. "A prison for what?"

Riven glanced up, her amber eyes dark. "A being of immense power. One that was never meant to be awakened."

A tense silence followed.

Jax shifted uncomfortably. "You mean a person?"

Riven hesitated. "Not exactly. More like... an entity. A force. Something ancient."

Aria's mind raced. "And the Book of Secrets—does it say how to stop it?"

Riven stood, exhaling. "No. But it does say how to release it."

Jax cursed under his breath. "Which means someone else could be after it."

Riven nodded. "And if they succeed, the entire academy—no, the entire realm will be in danger."

A chill ran down Aria's spine. They had been chasing a mystery, but now they were standing at the edge of something far bigger than they had imagined.

Lila looked between them. "So what do we do?"

Aria squared her shoulders. "We find out who's after the crypt. And we stop them before it's too late."

Riven nodded, but her expression remained unreadable. "Then you'd better prepare yourselves. Because whoever is behind this... they're already one step ahead of us."

The team exchanged wary glances.

Aria tightened her grip on her dagger. They had no choice but to move forward.

And whatever waited for them in the crypt, she knew one thing for certain.

They weren't ready.

But they had to try.

The weight of Riven's words settled over the group like a heavy fog. No one spoke for a moment, the reality of their situation sinking in. The crypt wasn't just a resting place—it was a prison. And someone was trying to unlock it.

Aria tightened her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She had been so focused on Jax's secrecy that she hadn't considered the bigger picture. If someone was truly after whatever was locked away beneath the academy, they needed to move quickly.

Jax exhaled sharply. "So where do we start? We don't even know who else is after the crypt."

Riven's gaze flickered toward the Book of Secrets still clutched in Jax's hands. "Actually, we might."

She knelt beside the crest, tracing a finger over one of the carved symbols—a serpent entwined around a sword. "This symbol belongs to the Shadow Concord. A faction that broke away from the Order centuries ago. They believed knowledge should be used, not hidden."

Lila paled. "You're saying the Shadow Concord is still around?"

Riven nodded grimly. "If they are, and they've found a way to open the crypt, we have little time."

Eryn rubbed the back of her neck. "So what's in the Book that they need?"

Riven hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "The incantation to unseal the vault is written within its pages. But it requires more than just words. It needs a catalyst."

Aria's brow furrowed. "What kind of catalyst?"

Riven met her gaze. "Blood."

A silence fell over them, heavier than before.

Jax's grip on the book tightened. "You mean a sacrifice?"

Riven shook her head. "Not necessarily. The blood of a descendant from the academy's founders would be enough."

Aria's pulse quickened. "The Lumina family."

Riven nodded. "And considering the headmistress is the last known descendant…"

Lila gasped. "Then she's in danger."

Aria didn't waste another second. "We have to get to her. Now."

Without hesitation, the group turned and rushed back up the hidden staircase, moving as swiftly and silently as possible through the underground corridors. The flickering torches cast shifting shadows against the damp stone walls, making every corner feel like a potential ambush.

As they neared the exit, Jax suddenly stopped. "Wait."

Everyone froze.

Jax's eyes darted toward the darkness just beyond the passageway. "We're not alone."

A second later, a crossbow bolt embedded itself in the stone beside them.

"Run!" Aria shouted.

They bolted into the academy halls, their footsteps echoing against the cold floor. Shadows flickered ahead—figures moving swiftly, cutting off their escape.

Eryn skidded to a stop. "They're surrounding us!"

Jax gritted his teeth. "Split up! We'll regroup at the headmistress's office."

There was no time to argue. Aria sprinted down a side corridor with Lila, while Jax and Eryn took another path. Riven stayed back, moving with precise, practiced motions, disappearing into the darkness as if she had done this before.

Aria's lungs burned as she ran, her heart hammering in her chest. She risked a glance behind her—two hooded figures were gaining on them.

Lila cursed. "They're fast!"

Aria didn't slow. "We have to lose them."

The two girls rounded a corner and burst into a study chamber filled with towering bookshelves. Aria grabbed Lila's arm and yanked her behind one of the shelves just as their pursuers entered the room.

She held her breath. The figures moved cautiously, their footsteps muffled by the thick rugs.

A pause.

Then—

A crash.

One of the figures upended a desk, searching.

Aria tightened her grip on her dagger. If they were caught, they wouldn't get another chance.

She glanced at Lila, who nodded, understanding. They needed a distraction.

Aria slowly reached into her belt and pulled out a small glass vial. A flashbomb.

She met Lila's gaze. Three… Two… One.

Aria hurled the vial toward the center of the room. The moment it shattered, a burst of blinding white light exploded outward.

The figures cried out, staggering backward.

"Go!" Aria grabbed Lila's hand, and they sprinted toward the exit, leaving their pursuers disoriented.

They didn't stop running until they reached the headmistress's office. The grand oak doors were slightly ajar, candlelight flickering within.

Aria's stomach twisted. Too quiet.

She pushed the door open.

The office was in chaos—bookshelves overturned, papers scattered across the floor. And in the center of the room—

The headmistress lay motionless, blood pooling beneath her.

Lila gasped. "No…"

Aria rushed forward, kneeling beside her. The headmistress was still breathing, but barely. A deep gash ran along her shoulder, staining her robes crimson.

Her eyelids fluttered. "They… took it…"

Aria leaned closer. "Took what?"

The headmistress struggled for breath. "The key… the vault key…"

Aria's blood ran cold.

Lila's voice was barely a whisper. "They have what they need to open the crypt."

The headmistress reached up, gripping Aria's wrist weakly. "Stop them… before it's too late.

Her body went limb.

Aria clenched her jaw, forcing back the panic rising in her chest. "We have to get to the crypt. Now."

Before Lila could respond, footsteps pounded from the hall.

Jax and Eryn burst into the room, panting. "They got away," Jax said grimly. "And I'm pretty sure they're heading for the crypt."

Aria didn't hesitate. "Then we stop them."

She rose to her feet, heart hammering. They had come too far to fail now.

The crypt held a secret that could change everything.

And if the Shadow Concord got there first, the world as they knew it would never be the same.

Without another word, they ran.

The entrance to the crypt loomed before them, a massive stone archway covered in ancient runes. The air was thick with tension, charged with something unseen.

They weren't alone.

Shadows moved at the far end of the chamber—figures in dark cloaks, standing before the massive vault doors. And at the center of it all—

A man in deep crimson robes, holding an ornate key.

Riven cursed under her breath. "That's their leader. Kael Valen."

Aria's grip tightened on her dagger. "We have to stop him."

Kael turned, his gaze sweeping over them. A slow, knowing smile spread across his face.

"You're too late....

 ...................

Let's divert a Little to understand the shadow concord

The Shadow Concord was once a revered faction of scholars, historians, and magi who sought to uncover the deepest secrets of existence. But their thirst for knowledge turned into obsession. They delved into forbidden texts, ancient relics, and the echoes of a lost era—until they found something they were never meant to. and there goal is to unseal the dark entity which they see as there ruler.