CHAPTER 9:THE PRICE OF POWER

A storm brewed over Castle Vaeloria, thick clouds churning like ink against the night sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a foreboding herald to the forbidden ritual about to unfold deep beneath the castle's foundations.

King Aldric Valeria stood at the entrance of the Forgotten Crypts, a torch in one hand and his sword in the other. The crypt was a place of ancient horrors, sealed for generations, its existence known only to the royal bloodline.

Yet tonight, he would break that seal.

Behind him, Lord Cedric Valerius waited in silence, his expression unreadable. At his side stood Maelor the Shadowed, a figure cloaked in deep violet robes, his eyes hidden beneath a hood.

"A king should not meddle with such things," Maelor whispered, his voice as dry as ancient parchment. "Not without understanding the cost."

Aldric's grip on his sword tightened. "My daughter is missing. I will pay whatever price is necessary."

Maelor's lips curled into something resembling a smile. "So be it."

With a wave of his hand, the air around them shifted, growing heavy with unseen power. The runes on the crypt door flickered to life, casting eerie blue light across the stone walls. A deep groan reverberated through the ground as the entrance unsealed itself, dust and darkness spilling forth like a long-held breath.

Aldric hesitated only for a moment before stepping inside.

The Crypt of Kings

The air within the crypt was stale and thick with the weight of the past. Ancient sarcophagi lined the walls, their surfaces covered in forgotten sigils. The flickering torchlight cast elongated shadows, making it seem as though the carved figures of dead kings and queens watched them from beyond the veil.

At the heart of the chamber stood a black altar, its surface etched with bloodstained symbols. It pulsed faintly, as though something beneath it still breathed.

Aldric's eyes flickered to Maelor. "What must be done?"

The sorcerer stepped forward, laying a single, jagged dagger upon the altar. "A sacrifice."

Cedric's brow arched. "Blood magic."

Aldric did not flinch. He had long known that true power did not come without cost. Without hesitation, he removed his gauntlet, exposing his palm.

The dagger's edge bit into his flesh, and a single drop of royal blood splashed onto the altar.

The effect was immediate.

The chamber shuddered violently, the stone walls groaning as unseen forces stirred. The air crackled with an unnatural chill, and the torches snapped out one by one, plunging them into near-total darkness.

Then, from the depths of the altar, a voice rose—a guttural whisper that slithered through the room like smoke.

"Who calls upon the forsaken?"

Aldric stood firm. "I am King Aldric Valeria of Vaeloria. I seek power to reclaim what is mine."

A pause. Then, laughter—low and reverberating, like the grinding of ancient bones.

"A king who begs… how amusing."

Aldric clenched his fists. "I do not beg. I command."

The shadows shifted, swirling together into the shape of a towering figure with hollow, ember-like eyes. It was neither living nor dead, its form half-substance, half-nightmare.

"You seek the lost one. The girl who defies fate."

Aldric's breath caught. This entity—whatever it was—it knew of Seraphina.

"I can find her," the being rasped, its voice dripping with malice. "But my power is not given freely."

Aldric exhaled. "What do you want?"

The figure leaned closer. "A soul."

Aldric stiffened, but Cedric merely smirked. "A fair trade, wouldn't you say?"

Aldric's mind raced. He had known there would be a price—but a soul? Whose?

His thoughts were interrupted as Maelor stepped forward without hesitation.

"I offer myself," the sorcerer murmured.

Aldric and Cedric both turned to him in shock.

"You would give up your life?" Cedric asked, intrigued.

Maelor's hooded gaze met the shadowed entity's. "I have walked this path for too long. My soul is of little consequence now."

The entity chuckled, a horrible, rattling sound.

"Then the pact is sealed."

The moment the words were spoken, Maelor collapsed, his body crumbling to ash as an unseen force ripped his soul from his mortal shell.

Aldric barely had time to process what had happened before a searing pain ignited in his mind—visions flashing before his eyes.

A forest bathed in moonlight. A cabin hidden deep within ancient trees. A silver-haired woman gripping a dagger. A warrior standing beside her, storm-gray eyes scanning the darkness.

Seraphina.

Kael.

Their location was revealed to him in perfect clarity.

The entity's ember-like eyes burned brighter. "Your prey is found, O King. Now go... and take what is yours."

Then, in a rush of shadow and cold, the presence vanished.

Aldric stumbled, gripping the altar for support, his breath ragged. He had seen them. He knew exactly where they were.

He turned to Cedric, fire rekindling in his gaze.

"Ready the hunters. We ride for the Veilwood at dawn."

The Forest's Warning

Far away, deep within the Veilwood, Seraphina jolted awake, a sharp chill spiking down her spine. The fire in their small clearing had nearly burned out, casting long shadows across the mossy ground.

Something felt wrong.

Kael stirred beside her, instantly alert at her sudden movement. "What is it?"

Seraphina shook her head, pressing a hand to her chest. "I… don't know. It felt like—"

Before she could finish, the runes on the surrounding trees flickered violently, their glow turning a deep, warning crimson.

Kael was on his feet in an instant, drawing his sword. "We've been found."

The forest itself seemed to groan in protest, the wind howling through the trees like a desperate warning.

Seraphina's heart pounded. Something was coming.

And this time… it would not stop until it had her.

To Be Continued…