The underground chamber pulsed with the dim flicker of torchlight, casting eerie shadows across the damp stone walls. The air was thick with the scent of burning oil and ancient dust, the weight of history pressing down on Lior like an unseen force. He could feel the tension in the room—a tangible, suffocating thing, coiling in the silence between each breath.
Something was wrong.
Their last mission had ended in disaster. The ambush outside the palace had been too precise, too well-coordinated. The king’s enforcers had not only known their movements but had predicted their escape routes. That wasn’t coincidence. That was betrayal.
Lior scanned the faces of his companions. The Keepers of the Unseen—his only allies in this crumbling kingdom ruled by deception and fear.
Sera stood with her back to the wall, arms crossed over her chest, her dagger still stained with the blood of the last enforcer they had fought. Her sharp green eyes burned with fury, her knuckles white with the force of her grip. She had always been the first to act, the first to fight—but now she held herself back, waiting. Watching.
Aldric, the silent strategist, leaned against the stone table at the center of the chamber. His thick, battle-worn hands tapped against the hilt of his sword in slow, measured beats, his gaze unreadable beneath his hood.
Joren, the oldest among them, sat at the far end, his face creased with both wisdom and exhaustion. His fingers traced the edge of a silver pendant resting against his chest—a relic from the old kingdom, before the rise of the Veiled King.
And then there was Kellin.
Lior’s gaze lingered on the youngest of the Keepers. The flickering light revealed the sheen of sweat on Kellin’s brow, the twitch of his fingers as he rubbed his palms together. The others were tense, wary—but Kellin was afraid.
A deep unease settled in Lior’s stomach.
Something wasn’t right.
A Rift Among the Keepers
Lior stepped forward, the soft echo of his boots against the stone floor the only sound in the chamber. “We were ambushed,” he said, his voice steady, though the weight of the words pressed against his chest. “Not by chance. Someone told the king’s enforcers where we would be.”
A ripple of unease passed through the group. Sera’s jaw tightened. Aldric exhaled through his nose, but his expression remained unreadable. Joren bowed his head slightly, as if considering the weight of Lior’s accusation.
Kellin flinched.
Sera’s hand went to her dagger. “Someone in this room is a traitor.”
Silence fell like a blade.
The torches crackled, their flames casting jagged shapes against the cavern walls. Lior could feel the tension coiling, tightening. The Keepers had fought together for years, bound by their defiance against the king’s tyranny. But now, that bond was splintering.
Joren sighed, rubbing his temples. “If we begin accusing each other without proof, we will destroy ourselves faster than the king ever could.”
Lior nodded. “That’s why we need to be sure.”
He turned to Aldric. “The dispelling rune. Do you still have it?”
Aldric’s brow furrowed, but he reached into his cloak and withdrew a small stone disc etched with intricate glowing symbols. The markings pulsed faintly, the air around it humming with quiet magic.
“The king’s power thrives on illusion,” Lior said, watching as the others stared at the rune. “If one of us is under his influence, this will reveal them.”
Sera didn’t hesitate. She stepped forward, passing through the rune’s glow. Nothing happened. The light remained steady, undisturbed.
Joren followed. Then Aldric. Then two more Keepers.
Still, nothing.
Lior exhaled. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe—
Kellin took a step back.
Lior’s breath caught.
The shadows on Kellin’s face seemed darker now, his eyes shifting from one Keeper to another, his breathing ragged. The flickering torchlight reflected in the sweat on his skin.
“Kellin,” Lior said, voice steady.
Kellin swallowed hard. “I… I don’t see the point of this.” His voice wavered.
Lior’s chest tightened. “Step forward.”
Kellin hesitated.
And then, the moment his foot crossed into the rune’s glow, the chamber erupted with violent light.
Unmasking the Betrayer
A deep, shattering hum filled the air. The stone table rattled. The torches flickered wildly.
Kellin screamed.
The illusion around him peeled away like burnt parchment, revealing dark, pulsing veins running up his arms, glowing with unnatural energy. His entire form flickered—one moment his familiar face, the next, something else. Something tainted by the king’s magic.
Sera was the first to react. In a flash, her dagger was against Kellin’s throat. “You liar.”
Kellin choked on his breath, his body trembling. “I—I didn’t have a choice.”
Aldric grabbed him by the collar, slamming him against the wall with bone-crushing force. “You sold us out.” His voice was calm, but his eyes burned with fury.
Kellin’s chest heaved. His fingers clawed at Aldric’s grip. “You don’t understand. The king—he knew. He knew everything already.”
Lior stepped closer, his voice low. “What did you tell him?”
Kellin shut his eyes. “Everything.”
Sera’s knife pressed harder against his skin.
Joren let out a slow breath. “We should kill him now. End it.”
Lior hesitated.
The logical part of him agreed. Kellin had betrayed them all. He had led them into a trap, cost them lives, shattered their trust. But something in Kellin’s expression—desperation, regret—made Lior pause.
“No,” Lior said.
Sera snapped her gaze toward him, fury flashing in her eyes. “No?”
Lior exhaled. “We don’t kill him. Not yet.”
Aldric’s grip on Kellin’s collar tightened. “And why the hell not?”
“Because we can use him.” Lior’s voice was steel. “The king thinks he’s his pawn. Let’s make him ours.”
Kellin’s breath hitched. “You… you would let me live? After what I’ve done?”
Lior’s gaze was cold. “Not because I trust you. But because you owe us. And you’re going to make it right.”
Joren let out a slow sigh. “The Keepers have survived worse.” He turned to Lior. “What now?”
Lior clenched his fists. His voice was quiet but filled with resolve.
“We turn the king’s own spy against him. And we take back our future.”
To Be Continued…
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