The door to the upper level remained still for several seconds. Kael stood before it, his eyes fixed on the glowing inscription. AUTHORIZATION: KAEL VEYRON No one spoke. Behind them, the enormous Asteria chamber continued to operate in an almost unnatural silence. Metal plates floated slowly around the black columns, some of them lighting up from time to time. Kael placed his hand against the door. It opened. A cold breeze immediately swept through the group. It wasn't the stale air of a room that had been sealed for centuries. It was fresh. As if someone—or something—had continued breathing behind the door. Darius naturally moved in front of Kael. “I’ll go first.” Kael didn't argue. They moved forward. The corridor was much older than the installations below. The walls were no longer made of metal and carefully carved stone like the rest of the system. They were black. Smooth. Thin silver lines ran across them, forming strange patterns. Adrian moved his fingers close to one of the inscriptions without touching it. “This isn't classical Imperial script.” Lysandra turned toward him. “Can you read it?” “Parts of it.” He narrowed his eyes. “But it's much older than the archives I've studied.” Noah looked up at the ceiling. “So even you don't know what we're doing here.” Adrian gave him a look. “I never said I knew everything.” “You certainly make it seem that way.” “That's because you read three books a year.” Noah looked offended. “Three? I've read four.” Lysandra covered a small laugh. Even Kael's lips almost curved into a smile. For a few seconds, the tension disappeared. Then a sound echoed from the end of the corridor. Tap. Everyone froze. A second sound. Tap. Darius immediately raised his weapon. “Something's there.” Kael stared into the darkness. He couldn't sense anything hostile. And yet… Something was definitely there. A strange sensation moved through his body. A feeling that he knew this place. Not just the corridor. Himself. He had been here before. Or at least, something in this place had already been part of his life. Kael moved forward. They entered an enormous circular chamber. The ceiling was incredibly high. Black columns surrounded the room, and in the center stood a stone platform surrounded by several circles carved into the floor. But the platform wasn't what caught Kael's attention. It was the other side of the room. A massive archway opened into a space swallowed by darkness. And in front of that archway… something had been built. A vast sanctuary of some kind. Veyron symbols covered the walls. Adrian approached. “This is ancient.” He looked at one inscription. Then another. His expression changed. “Very ancient.” Kael approached. “What does it say?” Adrian spent several seconds deciphering the characters. “I'm not completely sure about the translation. But…” He stopped. “It talks about the patriarch.” Darius looked around. “The Veyron patriarch?” “Yes.” Adrian pointed toward a series of carvings. They showed several human figures. Beside each of them stood a different creature. Some looked like enormous birds. Others resembled felines, serpents, or creatures Adrian couldn't even identify. Kael studied the carvings. “What are those?” Adrian remained silent for a moment. Then he answered. “I think they're the ancient companions of the patriarchs.” Ethan frowned. “Companions?” “Not exactly pets.” Adrian shook his head. “Beings bonded to the patriarch. They accompanied and protected them. Some texts even describe a bond that could last their entire lifetime.” Kael stared at the carvings. “Why has no one ever told me about this?” Lucian, who had remained slightly behind them, studied the inscriptions. “Because the tradition disappeared a long time ago.” He sighed. “Even the Veyron archives contain almost nothing about it anymore.” Silence settled over the room. Then Kael heard something. A breath. Slow. Deep. He turned his head. “Did you hear that?” Darius immediately nodded. A sound came from the darkness. Something scraped against stone. Then two red eyes appeared. Noah took a step backward. “…Ah.” Darius fully drew his weapon. Ethan did the same. Lysandra raised one hand, ready to use magic. Adrian didn't move. He was staring at the eyes. An enormous silhouette slowly emerged from the darkness. First the ears. Then the horns. Then the face. And finally the rest of its body. The creature was enormous. Its black fur seemed to absorb the light in the room, though subtle midnight-blue highlights appeared whenever it moved. Its eyes were red. Just like Kael's. Two small black horns curved slightly backward from its head. Its paws were massive, ending in long black claws. Its thick tail trailed behind it before slowly rising. It didn't growl. It simply watched. First Darius. Then Ethan. Lysandra. Noah. Adrian. And finally… Kael. The atmosphere changed. The creature stopped. Kael felt his heart skip a beat. He knew that look. He didn't know why. But he knew it. The creature took a step. Darius immediately moved in front of Kael. “Don't move.” Kael placed a hand on his arm. “Wait.” Darius turned his head slightly. “Kael—” “She isn't going to attack us.” No one answered. Even Kael didn't know how he could be so certain. The creature moved closer. The aura surrounding her was overwhelming. Noah struggled to breathe normally. “She’s… huge.” Adrian didn't answer. He seemed completely absorbed by what he was seeing. The creature stopped several feet from Kael. Then she lowered her head slightly. Kael felt something. A strange warmth. A memory without an image. A sensation from childhood. A voice he couldn't quite hear. He took a step. Darius tried to stop him. “Kael.” “I'm fine.” He moved closer. The creature didn't move. Kael slowly raised his hand. His fingers touched her forehead. And suddenly— An image. A garden. Flowers. His father's laughter. A little boy sitting in the grass. Kael. Much younger. Much, much younger. He was looking at the same creature, but she was smaller then. Young Kael stared at her with wide eyes. “She’s really big…” His father laughed. “She'll be even bigger when you're older.” The memory vanished. Kael slowly pulled his hand back. He was breathing faster. “I…” He looked at the creature. “I know you.” Nyxara closed her eyes. Adrian suddenly took a step backward. “Wait.” Everyone turned toward him. His face had gone pale. “I know what species she is.” Noah blinked. “You know that thing?” Adrian looked at Nyxara as if he had just watched a legend come to life. “Not her personally. Her species.” He slowly approached one of the ancient inscriptions. “I read about them once. In a manuscript that was almost completely destroyed.” His eyes moved rapidly across the carvings. “The Nocterys.” Lucian turned around. “The Nocterys?” Adrian nodded. “A species believed to have disappeared centuries ago. The descriptions match perfectly. Their appearance, their size, their aura…” He looked at Nyxara. “Even the red eyes.” Noah looked at Kael. Then at Nyxara. “So… this thing is supposed to have been extinct for centuries?” “According to the books, yes.” Adrian paused. “But there was something special about them.” Kael waited. “They were bonded to certain Veyron patriarchs.” Darius frowned. “Certain ones?” “The texts don't say which ones. A lot of the pages were destroyed. But one sentence appears several times.” Adrian concentrated, trying to remember. “The Nocterys does not receive its master. It recognizes him.” Silence filled the room. Kael looked at Nyxara. She was still watching him. Adrian suddenly understood. “She didn't just recognize you.” Kael slowly turned toward him. Adrian looked at the creature. Then at Kael. “She recognized you from the beginning.” Kael remained silent. Nyxara moved closer. Then she lowered her head completely before him. Not like a submissive animal. Like someone finally reunited with a person she had been waiting for. Kael placed his hand against her forehead. This time, no memory came. Only certainty. She knew him. She had known him when he was a child. And she had waited. Behind them, Lucian was studying the inscriptions. His expression had become serious. “Your father knew she was here.” Kael turned. “You're sure?” Lucian slowly nodded. “Yes.” He pointed toward a small, almost-erased inscription. “There's something written here.” Adrian moved closer. He read it slowly. Then his eyes settled on Kael. “The guardian will await the return of the one she swore to protect.” Kael looked at Nyxara. “My father asked you to protect me?” Nyxara opened her eyes. At that exact moment, a deep growl echoed behind them. This time, her entire posture changed. She straightened. Her aura exploded through the chamber. Darius immediately drew his weapon. “Something's coming.” A violent impact echoed through the corridor. Then another. Nyxara moved in front of Kael. Her claws struck the stone. Her red eyes glowed. Noah stepped backward. “I take back what I said earlier.” Adrian looked at him. “What?” “This isn't a pet.” A nervous smile appeared on his face. “This is a catastrophe that decided to protect us.” Kael stared at Nyxara. For the first time, something resembling a smile appeared on his face. “I think she’s a little like me.” Darius exhaled. “Far too much.” A heavy impact shook the chamber. Kael moved to Nyxara's side. She briefly turned her head toward him. He gave her no order. She didn't need one. They both looked toward the entrance. Something was coming. And for the first time since he had begun searching for the truth about his parents, Kael no longer felt like he was moving forward alone. He had recovered something from his childhood. Something his father had deliberately left behind. And now… Nyxara was at his side again.

The One Who Waited