Chapter 23: The Forgotten Path

Noah's heart raced as he descended the stone steps, the air growing cooler and heavier with every step. Avery followed close behind, her excitement palpable, but even she couldn't hide the flicker of nervousness in her eyes.

The passage was narrow, the walls rough-hewn and ancient, as if this place had been untouched for centuries. A faint breeze moved through the tunnel, carrying with it the scent of earth and something… old.

"How far do you think this goes?" Avery whispered, glancing around.

"I don't know," Noah muttered, his voice barely above a breath. "But my dad… he wanted me to find this. He wouldn't have left it behind if it wasn't important."

The glow from the plaque had faded, but Noah and Avery kept moving forward, using the faint moonlight filtering in from above to guide their steps. The deeper they went, the more the tunnel seemed to stretch out before them.

Then—

The tunnel suddenly opened into a large chamber.

Noah stepped into the space, his eyes widening as they adjusted to the dim light. The chamber was far bigger than he had expected—a circular room with high stone walls. At the center stood an altar, stone and weathered, surrounded by intricate carvings and symbols that seemed to shimmer in the faintest light.

Avery gasped. "This is insane. It's like something out of a fantasy novel."

Noah felt a strange pull in his chest as he moved closer to the altar. The symbols on the walls seemed to match those in the journal, the ones his father had written about.

"This place…" Noah's voice trailed off as he touched the edge of the altar.

Suddenly, a soft hum filled the air, and the symbols on the altar glowed.

Noah stumbled back, eyes wide. "Did you hear that?"

Avery was staring at the altar, her mouth slightly open. "That… that wasn't just me, right?"

The hum grew louder, a low vibration underfoot, almost as though the room itself was coming alive.

And then, as if in response to Noah's touch, a single stone panel on the altar shifted.

A secret compartment opened in front of them.

Inside, nestled on a velvet cushion, was a glowing stone.

It was unlike anything Noah had ever seen—blue and radiant, pulsing with an energy that seemed almost… alive.

"This is it," Noah whispered, stepping forward. "This is what my dad wanted me to find."

Avery was frozen in place, her voice barely a whisper. "But… what is it?"

Noah didn't know. He reached out slowly, his fingers brushing the cool surface of the stone.

The moment he touched it, a blinding flash filled the room.