Kael placed his hand on the handle. For several seconds, no one moved. Behind him, Darius had already drawn his weapon. Ethan stood slightly to the side, ready to react. Lysandra carefully watched the walls. Adrian had stopped looking at the door. He was now examining the floor, as though searching for a hidden mechanism. Noah, meanwhile, had lost his usual smile. Even Nyxara seemed tense. Kael took a slow breath. Then he turned the handle. A deep rumble immediately echoed through the chamber. The door opened. Not into another room. But onto a staircase. A narrow staircase descended into darkness. The steps were made of a black stone unlike anything else in the complex. Small lines of light began appearing along the walls. One. Then two. Then three. Until they formed a long red line descending alongside the staircase. Noah swallowed. — I think I preferred it when the doors stayed closed. Adrian looked at the inscriptions. — They just activated. — Thanks, Noah replied. I noticed. Kael placed one foot on the first step. Darius lightly caught his arm. — Carefully. Kael turned toward him. — I know. — I prefer to remind you. Kael gave him a faint smile. — As always. Darius released him. — As always. Kael began descending. The others followed. This time, no one stayed behind. Just as Kael had said. They would not separate. --- The staircase seemed much longer than it should have been. They descended for several minutes. The red lines continued lighting up ahead of them, revealing the steps one by one. Kael led the way. Darius and Ethan followed behind him. Lysandra walked beside Adrian while Noah brought up the rear with Nyxara. After a while, Noah looked upward. — Are you sure we're still going down? Adrian answered: — Yes. — How do you know? — Because we're not going back up. Noah sighed. — I hate it when you're right. A small smile appeared on Lysandra's face. Even Kael heard it. For a few seconds, the tension eased. Then a metallic sound suddenly echoed beneath their feet. Kael stopped. Everyone froze. — What was that? Ethan whispered. Darius looked around. — Nothing visible. Nyxara gave a low growl. Kael raised a hand. — Wait. He closed his eyes. His aura slowly gathered around him. Something was moving through the walls. Not a presence. Energy. As though the staircase itself were functioning. Kael opened his eyes. — It's not alive. Darius nodded. — A mechanism? — Yes. Adrian studied the walls. — It's reacting to our presence. Kael looked at the red lines. — Not our presence. His eyes dropped to his own hand. — Mine. No one answered. Ethan sighed. — Of course. Kael continued down the stairs. — Keep moving. --- Ten minutes later, the staircase opened into a vast circular chamber. The ceiling was much higher than those of the other underground rooms. Massive stone pillars surrounded the chamber. At the center stood a metallic structure. It looked like an incomplete circle. Exactly like the ancient symbols they had seen in Asteria, at Veyron, and in the forest of Lorn. Kael approached. Darius studied the surroundings. — That symbol again. — Yes. Ethan walked around the structure. — But this one is different. Kael looked closer. Ethan was right. The circle was divided into three sections. Two were illuminated. The third was completely dark. Lysandra stepped closer. — Asteria. She pointed to the first section. Then the second. — Veyron. Finally, the last one. — Lorn. Kael slowly nodded. — Three origins. Adrian examined the inscriptions surrounding the circle. — There's a fourth. Everyone turned toward him. Adrian pointed to a tiny mark that was almost invisible. A white line. No name. No symbol. Just a different shape. Kael approached. He held his hand above it. The structure vibrated. An inscription appeared. UNKNOWN ORIGIN Kael immediately pulled his hand back. Darius frowned. — Unknown? — To them, maybe. Kael looked at the structure. — Or deliberately left unidentified. Lucian had spoken of three origins. But perhaps Kael's father had discovered a fourth. An origin he had never written about in his records. An origin he may have deliberately hidden. Noah looked around. — I have a feeling this story is about to get way too complicated again. Ethan answered: — It already was. — Yeah, but I still had hope. Lysandra smiled. Kael remained focused. He was looking at the dark section of the circle. Something was missing. He could feel it. Not a piece. Not a key. A presence. He gently placed his hand against the center of the structure. The entire thing lit up. A projection appeared above the circle. Kael stepped back slightly. A map. Not of Eldoria. Not exactly. The projection showed three glowing points. Asteria. Veyron. Lorn. Then a fourth point appeared. Far to the north. Beyond the territories controlled by House Veyron. Even beyond the Imperial borders. Darius frowned. — Where is that? Adrian studied the map. — I don't know. Kael stared at the point. He felt a strange pressure in his chest. As though his aura recognized the place. A voice echoed through the chamber. Not his father's. Not his mother's. A recorded voice. Older. — If you can see this map, then the three doors have been opened. Kael froze. Darius looked around. The voice continued. — But do not seek the fourth one yet. The projection flickered. The fourth point darkened. — It must only be reached once the heir has found those who disappeared. Kael felt his heart quicken. Those who disappeared. His parents. The voice continued: — The fourth door does not lead into the past. A pause. — It leads to those who left it behind. The projection vanished. No one spoke. Kael continued staring at the place where it had been. Ethan was the first to react. — Those who disappeared... Kael answered quietly: — Our parents. Darius looked at the structure. — So someone knew they could be found. — Yes. Lysandra stepped closer to Kael. — And this fourth door... Kael looked at the point that had disappeared. — It could be where they went. --- A violent noise suddenly echoed through the chamber. The central structure began to rotate. The three sections of the circle started moving. Darius immediately drew his weapon. — Everyone, back! The pillars began to shake. A crack appeared in the floor. Noah stepped backward. — Ah. Here comes the part where everything gets dangerous. — Noah! Lysandra shouted. — I know! A stone slab rose in front of them. Then another. The entire mechanism seemed to be rearranging itself. Kael quickly studied the movement. — Darius! — Yes? — The structure is going to collapse. Darius looked toward the ceiling. — How long? — Less than a minute. — Everyone, out! They started running. Kael stayed behind for one second. The dark section of the circle had lit up. A small blue light. Then an inscription appeared. L-02 Kael stopped. Darius turned around. — Kael! Kael stared at the symbol. L-02. A second level beneath Lorn. There was no time. The ceiling shook. A stone fell beside him. Darius immediately came back. — Now! Kael nodded. They ran. Nyxara moved ahead of Noah and gently nudged him when a slab shifted beneath his feet. — Thanks! Noah regained his balance. — I owe you one more. Nyxara growled. — Yeah, yeah. They reached the staircase. A tremendous rumble erupted behind them. Kael grabbed Lysandra's arm to help her up a step that had partially collapsed. — Are you okay? — Yes. She turned toward him. — What about you? — I'm fine. They kept moving. A second later, the upper door slammed shut. The mechanism stopped. Everything became silent again. Kael stood motionless in front of the door. Darius placed a hand on his shoulder. — Everyone okay? Ethan answered immediately. — Yes. Adrian nodded. Noah raised a hand. — Still alive. Lysandra gave a small smile. Nyxara sat beside Kael. Kael looked at each of them. No one was missing. He slowly exhaled. — Good. Darius looked at him. — You knew that was going to happen? — No. — Then why did you keep watching that structure until the last second? Kael thought for a moment. — Because it wanted me to see something. Darius didn't answer. He knew that tone. Kael wasn't only talking about the mechanism. --- They eventually made their way back to the main chamber. Eryan was still waiting beside the fire. When he saw them return, he immediately stood. — What did you find? Kael stopped. He studied the man for several seconds. Then: — Far too much. Eryan gave him a faint smile. — Then you found what your father wanted you to find. Kael frowned. — Not yet. Eryan stepped closer. — What did you see? Kael hesitated. He looked at Darius. Then Ethan. Then Lysandra. Finally, Nyxara. — A map. Eryan waited. — Three known origins. He paused. — And a fourth unknown one. Eryan's expression changed slightly. Kael noticed. — You know it. It wasn't a question. Eryan remained silent. — Eryan. The man finally sighed. — Yes. Kael took a step toward him. — What is it? Eryan looked toward the forest behind them. — A place your father didn't want you to go until you had learned the truth about Lorn. Kael clenched his jaw slightly. — You know its name? Eryan hesitated. — Yes. — Then tell me. The man raised his eyes. — Auralis. Kael repeated the name silently. Auralis. He had never heard it before. Eryan continued: — It was once an ancient territory. — Does it still exist? — Yes. Darius stepped in. — Where? Eryan shook his head. — Far to the north. Kael immediately understood. The fourth point on the map. — And my parents? Eryan looked at Kael. — I don't know if they're there. Kael didn't like the answer. But it was honest. — Then how do you know my father knew about this place? Eryan hesitated. — Because he asked me never to take you there. Kael lowered his eyes slightly. Once again. A door. An instruction. A secret. But this time, he wasn't feeling only frustration. He felt something else. Hope. A hope he didn't dare name yet. His parents might be somewhere. They might still be alive. They might not. But now there was a direction. A place. A possibility. And for the moment, that was enough. --- Later that evening, everyone gathered around the fire. Noah was eating in silence. Which was unusual. Adrian was studying the maps recovered from L-01. Lysandra was quietly talking with Ethan. Eryan remained off to the side. Kael barely spoke. Darius had been watching him for several minutes. He knew this silence. It wasn't Kael's usual silence when he was thinking. This was the silence of someone trying to hold too much inside. Darius stood. — I'm going to get some air. Kael didn't answer. Darius left the tent. A few minutes later, Kael followed him. --- They walked away from the camp. The forest was quiet. The glow of the fire disappeared behind the trees. Darius didn't speak. Neither did Kael. They simply walked. Then Kael stopped. He looked at the sky between the branches. — Darius. — Yeah? Kael remained silent for several seconds. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter. — I heard her voice. Darius understood immediately. His mother. He said nothing. Kael kept staring at the sky. — After sixteen years. His throat tightened slightly. — I had forgotten. Darius slowly turned toward him. Kael lowered his eyes. — I had forgotten what she sounded like. He inhaled. But this time, the air seemed to catch in his chest. He raised a hand to his face. — I thought I remembered. His voice trembled slightly. — But I didn't. Darius stayed beside him. No questions. No advice. Kael quickly wiped away a tear that had slipped down his cheek. He immediately turned his head away. As if he wanted to keep Darius from seeing it. But Darius already understood. He made no comment. He simply stepped closer and gently placed a hand on Kael's shoulder. Kael closed his eyes. A second tear fell. Then another. He took a deep breath. — I want to find them. Darius gently squeezed his shoulder. — Then we'll find them. Kael remained silent. Then, after a few seconds: — Do you really think they're alive? Darius looked up at the sky. — I don't know. Kael gave a faint laugh. — At least you're honest. — Always. Kael lowered his head. This time, he didn't try to hide his tears. Not in front of everyone. Not in front of his friends. Only here. With him. Darius stayed by his side. He didn't need to say anything else. After a few minutes, Kael wiped his face. He took a slow breath. Then looked at Darius. — Thank you. Darius gave him a faint smile. — You don't need to thank me. Kael nodded. They remained beneath the trees for a little while longer. Then Kael looked toward the camp. — I don't want them to see me like this. — They won't. Kael looked at him. — Promise? Darius simply answered: — Promise. Kael took one last breath. Then they returned to the camp. Behind them, the forest remained silent. But far to the north... a red light briefly appeared in the night. Then a second. As if something, somewhere, had just sensed that the heir had finally heard the call.

The Secondary Door