Full Chapter – The Truth That Was Buried
Location: Outskirts of Velthar – Two days after the mercenary ambush. Wounds have healed. But questions remain. And beneath the silverstoned city, something ancient stirs...
The Approach
Velthar shimmered like a frozen jewel under the rising sun.
White towers carved from mineral glass. Bridges of arcanite. Canals that whispered with quiet magic. Floating ships drifted between spires like silent birds.
The city looked untouched by war.
But Max's shadows kept twitching.
"There's something wrong here."
Tristan nodded. "I feel it too. The air's too still. And the guards… they keep watching us."
Even Seris seemed on edge as they passed the third checkpoint.
"My father won't like what we've uncovered."
"Then he'll really hate what's still to come," Rael muttered.
Royal Welcome… With Sharp Edges
The Flameborn were greeted by Queen Arisya — mother of the twins — and High Regent Fallow, an icy man with half a dozen medals and half a dozen less emotions.
"Your escort was late," Fallow said. "And bloodied."
"Alive though," Tristan answered smoothly. "Which I hear is uncommon these days."
Arisya raised a brow. "You did well… but your presence here is temporary. You are not to speak of what occurred. The court is not ready."
"The court," Max said flatly, "never is."
The Whispering Catacombs
That night, Max woke to the sound of humming.
Not music. Not magic.
Memories.
He followed the trail with Seris and Rael until it led to the old noble quarter—now sealed off.
Seris palmed an ancient glyph.
Stone peeled back, revealing stairs leading down.
"This place was once the heart of Velthar," she whispered. "Before the Culling. Before the Court."
Beneath the city were catacombs of memory — stone etched with names, flamecores long extinguished… but still echoing.
The Visions Begin
As they walked, the walls began to glow.
Not with light but emotion.
Sparks of old battles. Screams of forgotten wars. Laughter turned bitter. Rage turned cold.
Seris stumbled, gripping a wall.
Rael stared at a statue it blinked back.
Max collapsed briefly holding his head.
"They… experimented down here," he muttered. "Twisting flame cores. Trying to… rip memory from emotion."
"Why?" Seris asked.
"To find the Original Flame," he said. "And bury those who carried it."
A mural peeled into focus a blazing figure in black and red, surrounded by four siblings.
"That… that's Grim."
Then let's shatter the veil of lies.