Chapter 24: The Awakening

The vault's presence lingered in Karima's mind long after they had left it behind. Even as they moved deeper into the tunnels, she could feel the whisper at the edge of her thoughts, a ghostly echo waiting for acknowledgment. She clenched her fist, feeling the familiar pulse of the ring against her skin. Whatever had been inside that chamber, it knew her. And it wanted her to know it.

Eryn led the way, her lantern casting flickering light along the damp stone walls. The air was thick with moisture, carrying the scent of something old—something forgotten.

"We should have destroyed that door," Haytham muttered beside Karima. He had been tense since they left the vault, his jaw clenched, his movements stiff.

Karima exhaled. "You felt it too."

He didn't deny it. Instead, he kept his gaze forward, scanning the shadows ahead. "I don't like things that call to you from the dark."

Eryn glanced back at them. "Neither do I. But we don't have time to worry about something buried beneath a city when the Council is still after us."

She wasn't wrong. The only reason they had come this deep was to escape detection, but if they didn't find a way out soon, they would be as good as trapped.

As they continued forward, Karima's fingers brushed against the stone carvings lining the tunnel. The symbols were different here—more intricate, layered, almost alive. The whisper in her mind grew stronger.

Then the walls trembled.

Karima barely had time to react before the tunnel shook violently, dust and debris raining down around them. Eryn cursed, steadying herself against the wall. Haytham grabbed Karima's arm, pulling her back as cracks splintered through the stone beneath their feet.

"What's happening?" Karima shouted over the rumbling.

Eryn's eyes darted to the carvings. "Something's waking up."

The whisper became a voice.

Karima.

She gasped, stumbling back. It wasn't a whisper anymore. It was clear, deliberate. And it was inside her head.

Haytham noticed her sudden movement. "Karima?"

She pressed a hand to her temple, breathing heavily. "Something's… talking to me."

Eryn's face darkened. "We need to leave. Now."

But it was too late.

The walls shuddered again, and this time, something shifted within them. A faint glow emanated from the carvings, spreading like veins of molten light. The tunnel ahead of them cracked open, revealing a passageway that hadn't been there before.

Karima swallowed hard. "It's showing us a way out."

Eryn shook her head. "Or it's leading us somewhere worse."

Haytham stepped forward, his fingers twitching toward his weapon. "We don't have a choice."

The ground beneath them trembled once more, as if urging them forward. Karima took a deep breath and stepped through the opening.

The new passage was unlike the rest of the tunnels. The walls were smooth, polished black stone that absorbed the light rather than reflected it. The air was different too—thinner, charged with something unseen.

Karima's footsteps echoed unnaturally, as though the space around her bent sound in ways it shouldn't. Haytham and Eryn followed close behind, their movements careful.

At the end of the corridor stood another door, but this one wasn't carved from stone. It was metal, ancient yet untarnished, with no visible handle or keyhole. The whisper in her head grew louder.

You are here.

Karima exhaled. "I think… I think this place is waiting for me."

Haytham frowned. "Then maybe you shouldn't touch it."

But Karima had already stepped forward. Her fingers brushed the surface of the door, and instantly, a surge of energy shot through her.

She gasped as images flooded her mind—visions of a world long past, of people wielding the power of Aura in ways she had never imagined. Of war. Of destruction. And of a hand, wearing a ring just like hers, sealing this very door centuries ago.

She staggered back, Haytham catching her before she collapsed.

Eryn's voice was sharp. "What did you see?"

Karima took a shaky breath. "This place… it's connected to the First Wielders."

Haytham's expression darkened. "And the ring?"

Karima looked down at the band wrapped around her finger. It felt heavier now, as though the knowledge she had glimpsed had made it more real. "It's not just a weapon." She met Haytham's gaze. "It's a key."

Eryn inhaled sharply. "Then we need to decide if we open that door."

The words sent a chill down Karima's spine. She wasn't sure she was ready for what lay beyond.

But she knew one thing for certain.

Whatever was on the other side, it was waiting for her.