No one moved. The two red lights remained still in the darkness. Behind Kael, Darius had already placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. Ethan stepped forward. “Kael…” “I know.” The voice behind the door said nothing else. Somehow, the silence was even more unsettling than its words. Noah looked around. “Does anyone else find it weird that a door that's probably centuries old is talking to us?” Adrian answered without taking his eyes off it. “No.” “Great. That's reassuring.” Lysandra moved slightly closer to Kael. “Do you recognize that voice?” Kael slowly shook his head. “No.” And yet… Something about it felt familiar. Not the voice itself. The way it said his name. As if whoever was behind that door had known him for a very long time. A faint metallic sound echoed through the corridor. Click. Then another. Click. The door began to open. Darius immediately stepped in front of Kael. “Everyone, move back.” They obeyed. The door opened a few inches. Red light spilled into the corridor. Then a figure appeared behind the opening. Tall. Motionless. Completely hidden in shadow. Noah whispered, “Uh…” The figure slowly raised one hand. An aura spread through the corridor. Kael felt it immediately. Powerful magic. Darius drew his sword. “Identify yourself.” The figure didn't answer. It took one step forward. The ground trembled. Then a second figure appeared behind it. Darius tensed. “Kael.” “I see them.” Two people. Maybe three. It was impossible to tell. The first figure raised its hand. A wave of dark energy tore through the corridor. Darius swung his sword. BOOM! The impact shook the walls. Ethan stepped back. “That is definitely not normal.” Adrian raised one hand. An aura barrier appeared in front of Noah and Lysandra. The second wave struck. The barrier cracked. Adrian gritted his teeth. “It won't hold much longer!” Kael stepped forward. “Then don't make it hold.” Adrian looked at him. “What?” Kael extended his hand. The aura around him changed. The air seemed to distort. A thin darkness crawled across his fingers. Lysandra immediately looked at him. “Kael…” “I've got it under control.” The dark energy vanished. Kael looked back toward the door. Something was wrong. These people weren't trying to kill them. They were trying to keep them from going inside. “Darius.” “Yeah?” “They don't want us through the door.” Darius understood immediately. “Then we'll do the opposite.” He charged. His sword collided with the first figure's weapon. The impact echoed through the entire passage. Ethan followed. He attacked the second figure, who barely managed to dodge. Noah froze for a second. “Are we seriously doing this?” Lysandra grabbed his arm. “Noah!” “Right, right!” He focused. His aura flared around him. Adrian joined the fight. Within seconds, the corridor descended into chaos. Darius exchanged rapid blows with the first opponent. Ethan kept the second one away from the door. Adrian used his aura to block incoming attacks. Lysandra cast several spells that struck the ground in front of their enemies, forcing them backward. Noah supported the others without putting himself directly in harm's way. Kael watched. He was looking for something. A detail. A weakness. Then he saw it. On the first figure's wrist. A strip of black fabric. With a symbol. A V. The same one from the box. The same one from the V-18 system. Kael rushed forward. The opponent turned his head. For the first time, their eyes met. Kael saw two pale eyes beneath the shadow. The figure whispered: “You really did become like him.” Kael stopped. “Like who?” But the opponent struck. Kael dodged. The fist passed inches from his face. He countered. A burst of aura sent the man crashing into the wall. The stranger's mask cracked. He raised a hand to his face. Then looked at Kael. “Your father was right.” Kael felt his heart race. “About what?” The man smiled faintly. “You'd come back eventually.” Then he threw something onto the floor. A small capsule. Darius shouted: “Back!” The capsule exploded. Thick black smoke flooded the corridor. Kael coughed. “Darius!” “I'm here!” “Ethan?” “Here!” “Lysandra?” “I'm fine!” Adrian shouted: “Noah's with me!” The smoke began to clear. The two figures were gone. But the door was still open. Kael looked down. A small metallic object had been left behind. He moved toward it. Darius joined him. “Don't touch it.” Kael stopped. He studied the object. A metal plate. Old. And engraved on it… A-01. Adrian approached. His expression changed. “A-01…” Kael looked at him. “You know it?” Adrian slowly shook his head. “No.” Then he added, “But I've seen that notation before.” “Where?” “In an old academy document.” Kael waited. Adrian continued. “The archives mentioned several systems classified by letters and numbers.” Darius looked at the door. “V-18.” Then at the plate. “A-01.” Lucian, who had remained farther up the passage with several knights, finally arrived. He looked at the plate. Then the door. The color drained from his face. Kael noticed immediately. “You know what this is.” Lucian remained silent. “Lucian.” He slowly raised his eyes. “Yes.” Darius turned toward him. “Then explain.” Lucian looked at the three students. Then at the door. “This isn't just a door.” Kael frowned. “What is it?” Lucian hesitated. “A boundary.” Silence filled the corridor. “A boundary between what?” Lysandra asked. Lucian finally answered: “Between Asteria's old protection system…” He looked at the A-01 mark. “…and whatever that system was built to protect.” Kael stared into the opening. The two red lights were still there. But now something else had appeared. A faint white light. At the center of the chamber. As if someone had just turned on a lamp. Then the voice returned. This time, much closer. “Kael.” He froze. “If you want to know the truth about your father…” The voice paused. “…you'll have to enter alone.” Darius immediately stepped forward. “Absolutely not.” The voice answered: “You're not the one he's waiting for.” Darius clenched his jaw. Kael looked at the doorway. Then at his friends. Noah shook his head. “Not happening.” Lysandra added: “You're not going in alone.” Adrian crossed his arms. “And if he really wants to talk to you, he can start by telling us who he is.” Kael looked at all three of them. Then at Darius. A moment of silence passed. Finally, Kael gave a faint smile. “That's exactly what I thought.” He turned toward the door. “I won't go in alone.” The red lights went out. The voice said nothing. But something began moving behind the door. A deep sound. Like an enormous machine waking up. Then the ground trembled. And this time… The entire Asteria Academy felt it.

The Voice Behind the Door