NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 4: The Door That Breathed
Climbing down the cliff was rough. The rocks were slippery from the rain, and thick fog made it hard to see. Ardyn followed Kaela carefully, watching each step.
As they got closer to the ruined tower, the air grew colder. The building looked like it had been forgotten for centuries. Most of the upper floors were broken, and vines covered the old stone walls. But even in ruin, the tower felt... alive.
Kaela stopped in front of a strange door. It was tall, smooth, and black. No handle. No keyhole.
But it moved, slowly, in and out. Like it was breathing.
"Don't touch it," Kaela said softly.
Ardyn stared. "What is this place?"
"It's ancient," she replied. "And it remembers everything. Including you."
He stepped closer. The air around the door was freezing. His heartbeat slowed just by standing there. Above them, the red light pulsed again, like a warning.
Then, the door opened by itself.
Inside was darkness. No light. No stairs. Just a narrow tunnel of black stone.
Kaela walked in like she wasn't afraid. Ardyn hesitated, then followed.
Their footsteps echoed loudly. Strange symbols glowed on the walls, just like the glowing scars on Ardyn's hands. The deeper they went, the colder it became.
At the end of the tunnel was a round room.
In the center stood a tall figure wearing a cloak made of black and silver feathers. His face was hidden behind a mask shaped like a bird's face.
Kaela bowed her head. "Watcher."
The figure said nothing.
Ardyn stepped forward. "Do you know who I am?"
The Watcher raised one hand and pointed to Ardyn's chest.
Pain flared across the curse mark. It began to glow.
"You are broken," the Watcher said. His voice was hollow and cold. "And broken things remember… painfully."
The walls suddenly lit up with moving images.
Stars falling from the sky. A throne made of chains. A crown of bone. And in the center of it all, Ardyn.
But older. And glowing with fire.
Ardyn's eyes widened. "What is this?"
The Watcher replied, "Your past. And your future."