“Elias?”
Noah looked at the Keeper.
“Is that…
your real name?”
The Keeper didn’t answer.
His eyes remained fixed on the diary.
For the first time…
Elara saw something she never thought she would.
Fear.
Not fear of the Forgotten King.
Not fear of the Heartwood.
Fear of a name.
The diary slowly closed by itself.
The glowing words disappeared.
The clearing became silent once again.
Adrian picked up the diary carefully.
“It hasn’t written anything in twenty years.”
He looked at the Keeper.
“Who wrote that last message?”
The Keeper finally spoke.
“I don’t know.”
“You do.”
Adrian’s voice was firm.
“You recognized the handwriting.”
A long silence followed.
Finally…
“I hoped she was gone.”
“Who?” Elara asked.
The Keeper looked toward the forest.
“The first Keeper.”
Noah frowned.
“I thought you were the first Keeper.”
“So did I.”
The Keeper slowly removed his wooden mask.
Everyone froze.
His face looked younger than Elara expected.
But his eyes…
His eyes looked ancient.
“Twelve hundred years ago…”
“I wasn’t chosen.”
“I was saved.”
No one interrupted him.
Even the soldiers remained silent.
“There was another Keeper before me.”
“A woman.”
“She protected the Heartwood long before my time.”
“What happened to her?” Elara asked.
“She disappeared.”
“I searched for centuries.”
“I never found her.”
He looked down at the diary.
“But if she remembers my name…” The source of this chapter is g.com.
“Then she’s still alive.”
Rose slowly shook her head.
“That’s impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible anymore.”
The Keeper replied quietly.
A loud crack echoed through the clearing.
Everyone looked toward the Heartwood.
Another branch had turned black.
The corruption was spreading.
Faster than before.
Adrian checked the sky.
“We’ve already lost half a day.”
“The second key.”
Elara whispered.
“Mirror Lake.”
He nodded.
“If the diary is right…”
“That’s where we have to go.”
Evelyn stepped in front of Elara.
“You’re not going.”
“Mum—”
“No.”
“You’ve already risked enough.”
“The Heartwood chose me.”
“It chose me first.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Silence followed.
Mother and daughter stared at each other.
Evelyn slowly smiled.
A sad smile.
“I know.”
“And I prayed every day…”
“…that it never would.”
Noah adjusted his backpack.
“So…”
“Where exactly is Mirror Lake?”
One of the soldiers answered.
“No map can find it.”
Noah blinked.
“Very helpful.”
“It only appears…”
“…to those carrying a key.”
Everyone looked at Elara.
She reached into her pocket.
The silver key was glowing.
Without warning…
The key floated into the air.
It pointed toward the northern side of the forest.
Then shot forward like an arrow.
Elara ran after it.
“Noah!”
“I’m coming!”
The others followed.
The forest felt different.
The deeper they went…
The darker it became.
The trees grew taller.
The air turned colder.
No birds sang.
No insects buzzed.
Only the sound of footsteps echoed between the trees.
After nearly an hour…
The silver key suddenly stopped.
It hovered in front of a massive wall of stone covered in thick green moss.
No path.
No cave.
Nothing.
Noah looked around.
“Did it bring us to a rock?”
Before anyone answered…
The key touched the stone.
A low rumble echoed through the ground.
Golden lines spread across the rock like cracks in glass.
Then…
The entire wall disappeared.
Not by breaking.
By becoming transparent.
Behind it…
A hidden valley stretched farther than anyone could see.
In its center was the most beautiful lake Elara had ever seen.
Its water looked like polished glass.
The mountains, clouds, and trees reflected perfectly on its surface.
Not a single ripple moved across it.
“It…”
Noah whispered.
“It’s like a mirror.”
“The Mirror Lake.”
The Keeper nodded.
“We’ve found it.”
As Elara stepped closer…
She noticed something strange.
The reflection in the lake wasn’t copying her.
She looked down.
Her reflection…
Was smiling.
Elara wasn’t.
Before she could step back…
The reflection slowly raised its hand.
And whispered—
“Don’t trust the girl named Iris.”
if I stopped updating this novel after a week it does not mean that i am going to drop off the novel or I am going to delete it but I will dispear after 1-2 weeks and i promise i will comeback after 2-3 months actually I am goinn hostel so I am only able to update it on vacation hope you understand