The world felt too still.
Adrian's breath was ragged, his hands clenched into fists. Adriel stood frozen beside him, his expression unreadable, but Rene knew—she felt—the way his power was twisting beneath the surface.
Lucien's golden eyes flickered between them, calculating. "So the first key—your sister—was locked away inside the door?"
The Watcher didn't confirm it. Didn't have to.
Rene swallowed hard. "But why?"
Nyra took a step closer, her blade still in hand, though her grip had tightened. "We assumed the ones who sealed Rena away were our enemies. But if they locked away your sister too…" She hesitated. "What if we were wrong?"
A cold silence settled between them.
Adrian exhaled sharply, his voice barely above a whisper. "What if the ones who locked her away weren't trying to keep her power from the world?" His silver-black eyes burned with realization. "What if they were trying to protect the world from her?"
Rene's chest tightened.
It made sense. Too much sense.
If their lost sister was a key, then she wasn't just important—she was the very thing standing between the world and whatever lay beyond that door.
And if she was locked inside…
Then something else was locked inside with her.
The Watcher's gaze was unreadable. "You have finally begun to understand."
A deep, unnatural groan shuddered through the ruins. The ground trembled beneath them, cracks forming in the stone.
Lucien's hand went to his blade. "What's happening?"
The Watcher turned their head toward the distance. "She is waking up."
Then—
The door began to open.
A violent force ripped through the air, sending a wave of black and silver energy surging outward. Rene barely managed to shield Rena before the impact sent them all staggering.
And then—
A figure stepped forward.
Not a Hollow One. Not a Watcher.
A girl.
The same girl from the memory.
Silver-black eyes, long flowing hair.
But now, up close—she was wrong.
Her presence was too vast, her power spilling into the air like something that had been waiting to be freed.
Adrian and Adriel stood frozen, staring at her like she was a ghost.
She tilted her head, her gaze sweeping over them before settling on Rena.
A small smile tugged at her lips.
And then—
In a voice that shouldn't have been possible—
"I've been waiting for you, little sister."
Rene's heart stopped.
Because she wasn't looking at Adrian or Adriel.
She was looking at Rena.
To Be Continued…