The Hidden Truth

Chapter 15: The Hidden Truth

The sky was heavy with clouds. Cold wind rustled the trees as if nature itself was warning of something dark approaching.

Sera had barely closed her eyes the night before. She kept seeing Lucifer's red eyes — glowing, watching. And every time she tried to sleep, she heard something whispering.

"Seraa..."

At first, she thought it was a dream. But by morning, she was sure it wasn't.

She sat up and touched the glowing stone near her pillow. Its light was weak — flickering like a candle about to die. That scared her. The stone had never done that before.

A soft knock pulled her from her thoughts. It was Lira.

"Sera," Lira whispered, "I had a strange dream. The forest… it was calling us."

"You too?" Sera blinked. "I heard whispers. Something is wrong."

They gathered the others — Kael, Riven, Valen, Selene — all of them had felt the same thing: the forest whispering, the air turning colder, something watching them.

Selene's face was pale. "There's only one place this could be coming from… the Whispering Grove."

Kael frowned. "You mean that cursed place?"

"It's not cursed," Selene said quietly. "It's hidden. The oldest spirits sleep there. They guard truths that even the gods have forgotten."

"Like the truth about Lucifer?" Valen asked.

"Possibly," Selene said. "Or about the light-bearer… Sera."

Everyone looked at Sera. Her fingers tightened around the stone.

"We need to go," she said. "I need to know what's happening to me. And what he wants."

Without another word, they set off.

The forest was darker than usual. No birds sang. No animals moved. The fog was thick and cold. It wrapped around them like fingers trying to pull them back.

They walked for hours. Shadows danced between trees. Every few steps, someone thought they saw something moving. But when they looked — nothing.

Suddenly, Valen stopped. "Do you hear that?"

Everyone went quiet.

Whispers. Dozens of them. All around.

"She is close… the stone has awakened… balance must return…"

They followed the whispers until they found a giant tree surrounded by floating blue flames. The flames didn't burn, but they made the air colder.

"We're here," Selene whispered.

A circle of ancient stones lay ahead, and in the middle, a statue of a winged woman with a crown of stars. Sera stepped forward.

The moment she entered the circle, the stone in her hand blazed with bright white light.

The statue's eyes opened.

"I am Elyra," the statue said, slowly turning into a living being. "Guardian of the Whispering Grove."

Everyone stepped back.

"You were asleep?" Kael asked.

"I was waiting," Elyra said. "Waiting for the stone to return. And now… it has."

Sera showed the glowing stone. "What is this really? Why is Lucifer after it?"

Elyra looked sad. "Because this stone holds the last piece of true balance — the power to restore or destroy everything. Lucifer was once its protector… before he fell."

The group gasped.

"He was… good?" Valen asked.

"Yes," Elyra said. "But he touched forbidden magic, and it broke him. He believes the world must be ruled, not balanced."

"And what about me?" Sera asked quietly. "Why am I connected to all this?"

Elyra stepped closer. "You were born with light inside you — pure, untouched. The stone chose you because only your heart can guide its power. You are the last light-bearer."

Sera's heart beat faster. "So I have to defeat him?"

"No," Elyra said. "You have to understand him. That's the only way to stop this war."

Suddenly, the flames around the stones turned red.

Riven shouted, "Something's coming!"

From the trees, a thick black fog rushed toward them. In the middle of it, two red eyes appeared.

Lucifer.

He stepped into the circle, calm and confident.

"Well, well," he said with a slow smile. "The stone speaks again."

Kael raised a fireball. Valen lit the air with holy magic. Selene drew a silver blade. But Lucifer didn't flinch.

"I didn't come to fight," he said. "Not today."

Sera stared at him. "Why are you following me?"

"Because," he said, eyes narrowing, "you're the only one who can unlock what I need. And now… you're close."

He took a step forward.

Elyra stepped in front of Sera. "You will not harm her here."

Lucifer smirked. "I don't need to. She's already coming to me."

"What do you mean?" Sera asked.

Lucifer looked into her eyes. For a second, something soft flickered behind his cruel gaze.

"Come to the Realm of Ash," he whispered. "I'll show you everything — who I was, and why I must become what I am."

He stepped back into the shadows.

"Wait!" Sera called, but he was already gone.

The circle was quiet again. But the whispers didn't stop. They grew louder. Angrier.

"Too late… too late…"

Suddenly, the glowing stone in Sera's hand cracked.

Everyone froze.

A bright flash lit the sky — and then darkness.

When the light returned, Sera was gone.

Only her cloak lay on the ground.

Kael shouted, "SERA!"

Lira screamed, flying in circles. "She's gone! Where did she go?!"

Selene picked up the cracked stone. "He didn't take her."

Riven looked around. "Then who did?"

Everyone stared at the center of the circle in silence.

No one noticed the dark shadow hiding behind the trees.

It wasn't Lucifer.

It was something older.

And it had finally awakened.