Chapter 134 Chapter 134

Chapter 134 Chapter 134


Damon's POV 

Everyone looked at him.

He seemed irritated that he'd said it aloud.

“What Seal?” Hayley demanded.

Ares looked towards the glowing floor.

“The one underneath this fortress.”

Damon's head snapped towards him.

“You built your fortress over it?”

“I didn't build it.”

Ares's voice lowered.

“It was here long before me.”

Another tremor shook the chamber.

A section of the wall collapsed.

Beyond it was a narrow passage.

Zyran looked at me.

“That's our way out.”

I nodded.

“Everyone move.”

Ares stepped into our path.

“No.”

Damon smiled.

“Try stopping me.”

Ares's eyes flashed and he attacked.

I met him halfway.

His fist connected with my shoulder but I barely moved.

Ares looked surprised.

I grabbed his arm and threw him across the chamber.

He landed on his feet.

Zyran stepped beside me.

“You've improved.”

Ares wiped the blood from his lip.

“So have you.”

He rushed us.

This time, Zyran moved first.

He caught Ares's wrist while I struck his ribs.

Ares stumbled and Zyran twisted his arm behind his back.

Ares growled and released a burst of magic.

The force pushed us apart.

He stared at us.

“You don't understand what you're awakening.”

Zyran straightened.

“Then perhaps you should stop trying to kill us long enough to explain.”

Ares laughed.

“You still think I'm the biggest threat in this place.”

Ariel stepped forward.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Ares looked at the glowing floor.

“You're standing on something that hasn't awakened in centuries.”

Hayley looked down.

The light beneath her feet grew brighter.

The chamber went completely silent and then a deep sound travelled beneath us.

The stone trembled with each beat.

Leo tightened his grip on his sword.

“Please tell me that's normal.”

“No,” Ariel said.

Kai looked at her.

“What is it?”

Ariel stared at the floor.

“I don't know.”

That answer frightened me more than anything Ares had said.

I looked at Zyran and he nodded.

Whatever was beneath us, we weren't leaving Hayley or the boys behind.

“Through the passage,” I ordered.

Hayley shook her head.

“Damon—”

“Now.”

She looked at my face.

Something softened in her expression.

“You're different.”

“I feel different.”

She touched my cheek.

“So do I.”

Ares suddenly stepped backwards.

“Wait.”

Everyone turned.

He wasn't looking at us anymore.

He was staring at the floor.

“What's wrong?” Zyran asked.

Ares swallowed.

“The awakening wasn't supposed to happen yet.”

Ariel's face tightened.

“Who told you that?”

Ares didn't answer.

A hand emerged from the darkness of the split open floor.

Something covered in blackened scales, with long claws dragging against the stone.

I moved in front of everyone and Zyran stood beside me.

The thing below slowly lifted its head.

Ares whispered,

“No...”

I looked at him.

“What?”

He stared at the creature.

“That isn't the Seal.”

The creature opened its eyes.

Ares's voice dropped.

“It's what was guarding it.”

Zyran's POV

The creature pulled itself out of the crack and nobody moved.

It was larger than a wolf but didn't have the shape of one. Black scales covered its shoulders and chest, while long claws scraped against the stone as it climbed into the chamber.

Ariel stared at the creature as though she had seen it somewhere before.

Ares was the only one who looked genuinely unsettled.

“You know what that is?” I asked.

“No.”

Ares kept his eyes on it.

“I know what it isn't.”

Damon scoffed. “Very helpful.”

The creature lifted its head.

Its eyes moved from Damon to me.

Then Hayley.

Then the twins.

It stopped.

Something strange happened.

The marks on our backs burned at exactly the same time.

I clenched my teeth from the pain I felt.

But the creature didn't attack.

Instead, it lowered its head.

Ares stared.

“What?”

Damon looked at him.

“You've seen this before.”

“No.”

“You're lying.”

Ares shook his head.

“I've never seen that creature.”

The thing suddenly turned towards Ares.

Its lips pulled back, revealing rows of sharp teeth.

Ares took a step backwards

.
“Apparently, it doesn't like you.”

Leo picked up his sword.

“I don't like it either.”

Kai gave him a sideways glance.

“You haven't even done anything.”

“I don't need to.”

The creature's attention returned to us.

It took one step forward.

Damon immediately shifted into position.

“Stay behind me.”

Hayley shook her head.

“No.”

He glanced at her.

“I can fight.”

“I know.”

“Then don't order me around.”

Damon smiled despite the situation.

“There she is.”

Ariel stepped between them.

“Enough.”

She looked at the creature.

“Wait.”

Everyone turned towards her.

Ariel slowly approached.

“Mom?” Hayley asked.

“Stay where you are.”

Ariel stopped several feet away.

The creature watched her.

She lowered her weapon.

“I don't think it wants to kill us.”

Ares laughed under his breath.

“That's your conclusion?”

Ariel ignored him.

“It would have attacked already.”

The creature moved closer.

Its claws dragged over the stone.

Ariel didn't retreat.

“You're guarding something.”

The creature's head tilted.

Ariel looked down at the glowing floor.

“The Seal.”

The creature growled.

The sound vibrated through the chamber.

Ares immediately stepped away from the crack.

“So we're agreed.”

Damon looked at him.

“Agreed on what?”

“We leave.”

Damon stared at him.

“You kidnapped us, threatened Hayley and locked us in a cell. Now you're suggesting we simply walk away together?”

“I've changed my mind.”

Leo muttered, “Convenient.”

Ares looked at him.

“You have no idea.”

“Neither do you.”

Kai quietly said, “Leo.”

“What?”

“Look.”

Kai pointed towards the creature.

It had moved closer to Damon.

Damon remained still.

The creature lowered its head until its snout was almost against his chest.

Damon frowned.

“What are you doing?”

It sniffed him.

Then stepped away.

It approached me next and I didn't move.

Its nose touched my shoulder.

The mark beneath my shirt became hot.

The creature then stepped back.

It wasn't afraid or trying to fight.

It was checking us.

Hayley slowly approached.

The creature looked at her.

She stopped.

“Can I?”

Damon caught her wrist.

“Wait.”

She looked at him.

“If it wanted to hurt us, we'd already be dead.”

He released her.

Hayley moved forward.

The creature lowered its head and she reached out.

Her fingers touched one of the scales along its neck and nothing happened.

The creature closed its eyes.

Ariel watched closely.

“It's accepting you.”

Ares looked irritated.

“Why?”

Nobody answered.

Then Kai approached.

The creature opened its eyes.

Kai didn't touch it.

He simply stood there.

“You're not angry,” he said.

Leo blinked.

“How can you tell?”

Kai shrugged.

“It's breathing normally.”

Leo looked at the creature.

“That's your evidence?”

“Yes.”

Leo considered this.

“Fair.”

The creature suddenly turned towards the broken section of the floor.

A low growl came from its throat.

Zyran's attention sharpened.

“Something's coming.”

Ares looked down the passage.

“That's impossible.”