Chapter 25: The Path Revealed

Noah's fingers curled around the stone as its glow pulsed like a heartbeat. The voices had gone quiet, but he could still feel them—like an unseen presence lingering just beyond his senses.

Avery shifted beside him, her gaze darting between Noah and the carvings on the chamber walls. "Okay, so… now what?"

Noah swallowed hard. "I don't know."

The truth was, he had no clue what had just happened or what this all meant. But something deep inside him whispered that this stone—this message from his father—was leading him somewhere.

Somewhere important.

A gust of air swirled through the room, flickering the torchlight. Then—click.

A deep rumbling sound echoed through the chamber.

Noah spun around just in time to see the wall behind the altar start to move. The ancient stone ground against itself, dust and debris tumbling to the floor as a passageway slowly revealed itself.

Avery grabbed his arm. "Uh, Noah? I think you just activated something."

Noah's breath hitched. The passage wasn't just opening—it was inviting him in.

Avery let out a nervous laugh. "So, let's recap: you touch a glowing stone, hear creepy whispers, and now we've got a secret tunnel straight out of an adventure movie. Am I the only one freaking out right now?"

Noah's pulse pounded in his ears, but he forced himself to stay calm. "We came this far. We need to see what's inside."

Avery exhaled. "I knew you were gonna say that."

Without another word, they stepped forward.

The tunnel stretched ahead, dark and endless. The air was heavy with the scent of damp stone, and each step echoed off the walls. Noah held the stone tight, its faint blue glow casting eerie shadows along the passage.

Then—another whisper.

Soft. Almost gentle.

"You are close."

Noah stopped dead in his tracks. His breath hitched. "Did you hear that?"

Avery frowned. "Hear what?"

Noah's fingers tightened around the stone. He wasn't sure if he was losing it or if something… someone was truly guiding him.

The tunnel opened into a wide underground chamber. Stone pillars stretched high into the darkness, and at the center of the room, a pedestal stood waiting.

On top of it sat a second stone.

Identical to the one in Noah's hand.

Avery gasped. "No way."

Noah's heart pounded as he stepped forward. This was it.

This was what his father had hidden for him.

But why?

And more importantly…

What happens when he touches it?