THE PRICE IF THE AWAKENING

Chapter 14

The air was thick with silence. Aya remained on her knees beside the shimmering pool, her breath still uneven from the encounter. The golden symbols beneath the water pulsed, slower now, as though the oasis itself was regaining its breath after what had just transpired.

But Aya knew better.

That thing, the shadow that had emerged from the depths, was not truly gone. She could still feel its lingering presence in the air, a whisper at the edge of her senses. The black stone in her palm had gone cold again, its energy spent, but its warning remained.

Behind her, Idris paced. His boots scuffed against the stone, his body tense. He was still gripping his dagger, his knuckles white from how tightly he held it.

He finally broke the silence. "What the hell was that?"

Aya didn't answer immediately. She ran her fingers along the surface of the pool, watching the ripples distort the symbols below. The water was once again still, but for how long?

She closed her eyes. Seal it away. The voice from her vision echoed in her mind, heavy with urgency and fear.

Aya looked up at Idris, her voice quieter than usual. "Something was trapped here. And I set it free."

Idris turned sharply toward her. "What do you mean, you set it free?"

Aya swallowed hard, feeling the weight of her decision. "The oasis… it was never just a source of water. It was a prison."

Idris frowned. "A prison for what?"

Aya shook her head. "I don't know. But whatever it was, it was meant to stay sealed."

Idris cursed under his breath and turned away, dragging a hand through his hair. "Of course. Of course, it wasn't just some ancient sanctuary. It had to be hiding something dangerous." He exhaled sharply. "And now we have scholars poking around, trying to dig up its secrets. Fantastic."

Aya felt the same unease coil in her stomach. The Order of the Eternal Archive was already a problem, Kael Verin wanted to unearth the oasis's knowledge, but now Aya feared what else he might awaken if he dug too deep.

Footsteps echoed behind them.

Aya turned to see Kael approaching, his expression as calm and composed as ever. But his sharp eyes flickered with something, curiosity? Suspicion?

"I assume neither of you were responsible for the disturbance?" he asked, voice measured.

Aya forced herself to stand. "Something came out of the pool. Something ancient."

Kael tilted his head slightly. "And is it still here?"

Aya hesitated. "Not… physically."

Kael's gaze lingered on her, as if he could sense she wasn't telling him everything. Aya refused to look away. She wasn't about to give him more than necessary.

Eshra appeared at his side, arms crossed. "If you two are done being cryptic, maybe you'd like to tell us whether this thing is going to be a problem?"

Aya exhaled slowly. "I don't know yet."

Kael smiled, but there was no humor in it. "Well, I do love a mystery."

Aya fought the urge to step between him and the pool. The oasis had been hidden for centuries, its knowledge protected. If Kael got too close, if he understood too much, there was no telling what he might unleash.

But Kael wasn't her only concern.

Aya's eyes drifted to the sky, where a storm was forming on the horizon.

And in the wind, she swore she heard whispers.

The Gathering Storm

Later that day, Aya found herself at the oasis's edge, watching as the desert beyond it stretched endlessly into the horizon. The storm was coming.

She wasn't sure how she knew, but she felt it.

A shift in the air. A heaviness pressing against her skin.

Idris joined her, silent for a moment before he finally spoke. "That thing in the pool, what if it wasn't the only one?"

Aya's throat tightened. She had asked herself the same question.

The shadow had been bound for centuries. But what if there were more?

What if they had only unlocked the first door?

Idris pulled his scarf tighter around his neck. "We need to start thinking about how to keep this place sealed instead of exposing it."

Aya nodded. "We will. But first, we need to figure out what we're up against."

A gust of wind swept through the oasis, carrying with it the scent of rain and something else, something old. Aya's fingers curled around the black stone as the whispers in the air grew louder.

She wasn't sure whether it was the wind speaking… or something else.

The Second Awakening

That night, as the storm raged outside the oasis's boundaries, Aya stood once again at the reflecting pool.

She wasn't alone.

Kael was there, standing at the opposite end, watching the shifting golden symbols with quiet fascination.

Aya approached cautiously. "Couldn't sleep?"

Kael glanced at her, a small smirk forming. "Could you?"

Aya didn't answer. She kept her eyes on the water. The symbols were moving faster now, the patterns erratic. Something was coming.

Kael's gaze followed hers. "Do you feel it?"

Aya hesitated, but then nodded. "Yes."

Kael exhaled, his expression unreadable. "I've spent my life studying lost knowledge, Aya. I've read of places like this, but never have I stood in one." His voice lowered. "Do you know what kind of privilege that is?"

Aya tightened her grip on the black stone. "Some knowledge is dangerous."

Kael chuckled softly. "And that is why it must be understood."

Aya turned sharply to him. "Understanding and unleashing are not the same thing."

Kael met her gaze, something dark flickering in his eyes. "Perhaps not."

Before Aya could respond, the water stirred.

The wind howled through the oasis.

A deep rumble resonated from the ground, shaking the stone beneath their feet.

Aya's pulse spiked. It's happening again.

Kael took a slow step forward. "Fascinating."

The golden symbols pulsed violently. The water trembled.

Then, from the depths, something rose.

This time, it wasn't a shadow.

It was a figure.

A man, his body wrapped in ancient armor, his eyes glowing with golden light. Water dripped from his form as he slowly lifted his gaze to Aya.

The wind ceased. The oasis held its breath.

Then the figure spoke, his voice a low, echoing whisper:

"Who dares awaken the Forgotten?"

Aya's blood ran cold.

The shadows had only been the beginning.

Something far older had just risen from the depths.

And it was looking directly at her.

What's Next?

Who is the armored figure?

What does he mean by 'The Forgotten'?👇