Chapter 32 Chapter 32
Sable’s POV
The ground didn’t just crack.
It screamed.
A deafening sound tore through the temple as the stone beneath our feet split wide open again, deeper than before—violent, jagged, and unstoppable. The ancient symbols shattered completely this time, their silver glow flickering out as if whatever protected this place had finally given up.
And from the darkness below—
Something answered.
Just like before it wasn't a roar nor was it a howl.
It was something far worse.
A sound that did not belong in this world.
My breath caught in my throat as the air turned cold–unnaturally cold–like the warmth in me had been ripped out of existence itself. Every instinct inside me screamed the same thing.
Run.
But I couldn’t move.
None of us could. Even the dragon froze.
Its massive wings stiffened, its silver eyes narrowing as it stared into the widening abyss beneath the temple.
The thing below shifted again.
Slow and deliberately moving.
Watching. Waiting.
"What...is that?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.
No one answered–they couldn't as we all have no idea what it was.
Not even Caius.
And that terrified me more than anything.
Because for the first time—
They didn’t have the answers.
The darkness below pulsed slowly once, twice and then—
A hand emerged.
My heart almost stopped.
It wasn’t a claw, not like the dragon or like the wolf one.
But a hand.
Human–shaped hand.
But it was wrong–too long, pale and too still.
It gripped the edge of the broken stone slowly. Its fingers curling against the surface as if it was testing it. As if testing this world.
"No..", the dragon’s voice echoed in our minds, low and shaken for the first time.
"It cannot be".
The hand pulled.
And something began to rise.
The temperature dropped further. Frost spread across the cracked stone, creeping outward from the fissure like veins of ice.
My breath fogged in front of me. Even Leonidas stiffened while Kael took a step back.
Caius didn’t move.
His expression darkened.
"They woke up faster than I thought".
My chest tightened.
"They?"
But I already knew the answer.
Deep down inside of me, I already knew.
The thing pulled itself higher as a second hand appeared.
Then a head.
And when I saw its face–
I wished I had not looked at it. Because it looked human.
Almost–with a pale skin and a sharp features.
Dark hair falling across its forehead.
But its eyes–
They were completely black.
No whites and no other color.
Just endless darkness.
Like staring into a void.
It climbed out fully now, its movements unnaturally smooth, almost too controlled.
Too be precise, it stood tall.
Taller than any of us with its head tilted slightly.
Observing.
Studying.
Then–
It smiled.
My stomach dropped instantly.
Because there was no warmth in that smile. No emotion.
Just.. curiosity.
"Interesting", it said.
Its voice wasn’t loud.
But it echoed everywhere.
Inside the temple.
Inside my head.
Inside my bones.
The dragon stepped forward immediately, placing itself between me and the creature, its wings spreading wide.
"You should not exist here", the dragon growled.
The creature’s head tilted slightly again.
"And yet... I do".
Its gaze shifted.
Slowly. Deliberately.
Until it landed on me.
And the moment it did–
Everything inside me froze.
The power in my chest reacted violently.
Not fear or from anger but from recognition.
My breath hitched.
No.
"No, no, no–
That’s not possible", I whispered to myself not understanding what was going on again.
The creature’s smile widened slightly.
"There you are".
The words hit like a blade.
"You’ve grown up",it said.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"I don’t know you", I whispered.
But even as I said it—
Something inside me stirred.
Something old.
Something that has long been buried.
The creature stepped forward making the ground froze beneath its feet with every step, ice spreading outward like it was claiming everything it touched.
Leonidas moved instantly, blocking its path.
"You’re not getting near her".
The creature stopped.
Looked at him.
And for a second–
It just stared.
Then it laughed.
Soft. Quiet. But still wrong.
"Alpha", it said, almost amused. "You still think you matter".
Leonidas’s eyes flared.
"Try me".
The creature didn’t even move. But the next second—
Leonidas was thrown back.
Violently. Like he’d been hit by something invisible.
His body slammed into a pillar with enough force to crack the stone.
"Leonidas!" I shouted.
Kael lunged forward immediately, faster than I could track.
But the same thing happened.
He didn’t even reach the creature.
Something stopped him mid–air–
And slammed him into the ground. Hard.
The temple shook again.
My chest tightened in panic.
"What are you?!" I demanded.
The creature looked at me again.
Calm. Interested.
"Something you were never meant to meet this early".
The dragon roared, stepping forward again, its claws digging into the stone.
"You will not touch her".
The creature’s gaze shifted to it.
And for the first time—
Its expression changed.
Slightly to recognition.
"Ah", it said softly. "The First Guardian".
The dragon didn’t respond.
But its body tensed further.
"You remember", the creature continued. "Then you understand why I’m here".
"I will not allow it", the dragon answered.
The creature sighed.
Almost like it was bored.
"You don’t have a choice".
The air snapped.
The next second—
The dragon was pushed back.
Not far. But enough.
Enough to prove something terrifying.
This thing was strong.
Way too strong.
Caius finally moved.
Stepping forward slowly, placing himself slightly in front of me.
And for the first time–
I felt something shift in him.
Not the usual cold and distant.
But something protective.
"You shouldn’t have come", he said quietly to the creature.
The creature looked at him.
And smiled again.
"Oh, I had to".
Its voice dropped slightly.
"She called us".
My stomach twisted violently.
"No.... I didn’t–"
"Yes", it said gently. "You did".
The power inside me surged again.
Unstable and reacting to its words.
"I didn’t mean to!"
"You didn’t have to".
The creature took another step forward.
And this time–
Caius didn’t let it.
The ground beneath him cracked as his power exploded outward, dark energy clashing violently against the creature’s cold aura.
The air between them warped, distorted and dangerous to get close to.
"Stay back", Caius said.
The creature paused.
Studying him.
Then—
It smiled again.
Wider this time.
"Now this is interesting".
My breath shook.
"What is going on?!" I shouted.
Caius didn’t look at me.
"Get ready to run".
"I’m not leaving–"
"You don’t have a choice".
The creature’s gaze flicked back to me.
"And neither do you".
The words sent a chill straight through me.
"What do you want from me?" I asked.
For a moment, there was total silence.
Then—
It answered.
"Everything".
My heart stopped.
The power inside me exploded again.
Brighter. Wilder.
More unstable than before.
And this time–
The creature didn’t resist it. It welcomed it.
Its eyes darkened further.
"Good", it whispered.
"That’s exactly what we need".
The dragon roared again, louder this time, its wings spreading fully as it prepared to attack.
But the creature didn’t even look at it.
It was focused on me.
Only me.
"You don’t understand yet", it said softly. "But you will".
My chest tightened.
"What...am I?"
The creature tilted its head.
And for the first time–
There was something almost like pleased in its expression.
"You’re not just a Queen".
The world seemed to stop.
The words echoed in my mind.
Heavy. Unavoidable.
"Then what am I?" I whispered, desperate to know the answer.
The creature stepped closer.
And this time—
Nothing stopped it. Not Leonidas, Kael or even the dragon.
It leaned in slightly.
Too close as its voice dropped to a whisper only I could hear.
"You’re the key".
My breath hitched.
"To what?", I asked even though I couldn't understand what it was saying but I needed the answers badly.
The creature smiled one last time.
And its answer—
Shattered everything.
"To ending this world... and creating the next".
Silence fell.
Complete and terrifying silence.
And in that moment—
I realized something worse than fear.
Worse than war.
And far more worse than everything we had faced so far. I wasn’t just the center of this conflict.
I was the reason it existed.
And whatever had just awakened–
Wasn’t here to fight me.
It was here to use me.