Chapter 96: The Lost City
Melissa’s POV
With caution, I moved ahead, my boots digging a little into the soft, unkempt dirt. This place had a dense atmosphere that hummed with an ancient force that I couldn’t comprehend.
In front of us, half-buried behind broken stone and vines, was a city I had never seen before. Symbols glowed softly on the surfaces of towering spires that reached toward the sky. The structures were enormous, and the eerie glow of a veiled moon shone on their dark stone.
Kane was standing next to me, scanning the ruins with his keen eyes. He had a tight, defensive stance. “This location…” he whispered. “It hasn’t changed in centuries.”
With her fingertips following one of the odd carvings on a nearby wall, Lydia inhaled deeply. “Not unaltered. Simply forgotten.
I felt a chill go through me. “Where are we?”
With an enigmatic expression, Kane turned to face me. “A city that has been lost.” A place where secrets are kept.
I took a deep breath. “We must then look for answers.”
The concept sparked something deep and restless inside me. Although I had no idea what we were searching for, I was certain of one thing:
The truth about me was in this area.
We ventured farther into the city, over twisted roots and broken stone. The ruins themselves seemed to be waiting for something, as evidenced by the deep silence.
Then we discovered it.
At the city’s center was a huge archway, adorned with symbols that glowed in the golden light. A prophecy was engraved into the stone in the middle.
As Lydia read it out loud, she took a sudden breath:
“The Forsaken Queen will rise when the stars fall and the moon bleeds. The world will either fall to its knees or rise from the ashes because of her. The fate of everything will be determined by her emotions.
A shiver ran down my spine. I stepped back and shook my head. “No. I’m not like that.
Lydia slowly turned to face me. “This prophecy isn’t about any queen, Melissa. It concerns you.
Kane’s face grew serious. “It has no significance. Prophecies are merely tales.
However, I was aware.
Those remarks caused an internal reaction in me that I was unable to identify. My bones throbbed with a faint murmur that summoned something profound and concealed.
I balled my fists up. “I’m not going to ruin the world.”
Lydia paused. According to the prophecy, the queen has an option. Preserve or destroy.
Kane snarled. “Melissa isn’t going to destroy anything.”
But I kept thinking about the question.
What if I had no other option?
We continued our search for fresh hints by pushing farther into the ruins. I felt as though something invisible was dragging me down with each step.
Then it took place.
A sharp jolt of anguish pierced my skull. I clutched my head as I gasped. My surroundings became hazy.
Whispers of voices entered my head.
I initially believed it to be Darius. But then I understood…
This voice was unique.
Stronger and darker.
He was merely a ship. Just a piece of my will.
My breathing was labored as I stumbled. I was about to fall, but Kane grabbed me. “Elissa!”
Seeing him, I blinked up, my eyes swimming. “Darius isn’t the only one,” I muttered. “The strength within me… Something else is involved. Something more ancient.
Lydia had a pallid face. “Darrius doesn’t have that voice.”
I gave a headshake. “No. It is a part of something much bigger. Much worse.
A loud laugh reverberated in my head.
“At last, you are starting to grasp.”
My heart grew tight with fear.
What was I turning into if this power wasn’t Darius?
The voice within me became louder, permeating every fiber of my existence.
The ruins then changed.
The ground shook with a heavy rumbling. Something-someone-came out of the darkness, and dust fell off the old stone.
A protector.
He was towering, with eyes that gleamed like molten gold and armor as black as midnight. His eyes were sharp as he studied me. Then, to my dismay-
In front of me, he knelt.
“I’m Melissa,” Lydia muttered. “Why is he on his knees?”
With a powerful and steady voice, the guardian bent his head.
“You are a reincarnation of the Dark Queen.”
My throat tightened with each breath.
Kane’s whole body stiffened. “No,” he snarled. “She isn’t.”
However, the guardian remained still.
He just said it again: “You are the Dark Queen.”
My heart was racing.
Because I sensed it in my heart as well.
The reality.
The strength.
The shadows.
Furthermore, I wasn’t sure if I could resist it.