Lyra didn’t speak.
The smile on the Forgotten King’s face slowly disappeared.
The lake became still again.
Only the sound of Elara’s heartbeat filled the silence.
“What…”
Elara looked between them.
“…is he talking about?”
Neither of them answered.
The Forgotten King sighed.
“You see?”
He looked at Elara.
“She still can’t tell the truth.”
Lyra finally spoke.
“You lost the right to speak about truth a long time ago.”
His eyes darkened.
“And you didn’t?”
Elara stepped between them.
“Enough.”
Her voice echoed across the lake.
“I’m tired of everyone hiding things.”
She looked at Lyra.
“You said he betrayed you.”
Then she turned to the Forgotten King.
“You said she wasn’t telling the truth.”
“So one of you is lying.”
The Forgotten King slowly shook his head.
“No.”
“What?”
“We’re both telling the truth.”
Elara frowned.
“That’s impossible.”
“It isn’t.”
Lyra whispered.
“There are two sides to every story.”
“And sometimes…”
“…both people believe they’re right.”
The crystal around Elara’s neck suddenly glowed.
A beam of golden light shot into the lake.
The water began to move.
Not with waves.
With memories.
Images appeared beneath the surface.
Like watching an old movie.
A beautiful forest.
Brighter than Blackwood.
The Heartwood stood in the middle.
Only…
It looked younger.
Its branches stretched across the sky.
Golden leaves covered the ground.
Children laughed beneath its roots.
There was no corruption.
No darkness.
No fear.
A younger Lyra stood beside the Heartwood.
She smiled as she placed her hand on the trunk.
A young man stood beside her.
He laughed at something she said.
Elara immediately recognized him.
Only…
He looked completely different.
No black coat.
No cold expression.
No darkness in his eyes.
He looked happy.
“They knew each other.”
Elara whispered.
“They loved each other.”
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Neither Lyra nor the Forgotten King denied it.
The memories continued.
The two of them protected the forest together.
They planted young trees.
Helped lost travelers.
Laughed.
Argued.
Dreamed.
They looked…
Normal.
Noah would never believe this.
“What happened?”
Elara whispered.
The images changed.
Dark clouds covered the sky.
The Heartwood began losing its light.
Its roots cracked.
Golden leaves turned black.
The Forgotten King stood in front of the tree.
“There has to be another way.”
Lyra slowly shook her head.
“There isn’t.”
“We can save it.”
“Not without a sacrifice.”
The vision became blurry.
Voices echoed through the water.
“The forest needs a Keeper.”
“It needs both of us.”
“It only needs one.”
Silence.
Then…
“No.”
The Forgotten King stepped back.
“I’m not letting you do this.”
Lyra smiled through her tears.
“You don’t have a choice.”
The memory shattered.
The lake became still again.
Elara looked at Lyra.
“So…”
“You chose to become the Keeper.”
Lyra nodded.
“Yes.”
The Forgotten King closed his eyes.
“I begged her not to.”
“Then where did everything go wrong?”
Elara asked.
No one answered.
Until…
The lake showed one final memory.
Golden light surrounded her.
She slowly disappeared into the tree.
The Forgotten King ran toward her.
He reached for her hand.
But he was too late.
The light exploded.
When it faded…
Lyra was gone.
The Heartwood had a new Keeper.
The Forgotten King fell to his knees.
Crying.
Elara stared at him.
“You didn’t betray her.”
He looked away.
“I failed to save her.”
Lyra’s eyes filled with tears.
“You couldn’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.”
For a moment…
No one spoke.
Then the Forgotten King whispered,
“Tell her the rest.”
Lyra’s face changed.
“There is no need.”
“There is.”
She looked at Elara.
Then slowly lowered her head.
“I wasn’t trapped inside the Mirror Lake.”
Elara frowned.
“What?”
“I chose to hide here.”
“Why?”
“Because…”
She hesitated.
“…I was afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
Lyra looked directly at Elara.
“Afraid…”
“…of what I became.”
Before Elara could ask another question…
The entire lake shook.
The water beneath the bridge split apart.
A glowing island slowly rose from the center.
On top of it rested a stone pedestal.
And on the pedestal…
Was a crystal key.
It shined brighter than the first one.
The Second Key.
Elara instinctively took a step toward it.
But before she could move…
A cold voice echoed across the lake.
“Only one of them is leaving with that key.”
The bridge behind Elara began to disappear.
Piece by piece.
She was trapped.
Between the First Keeper…
And the Forgotten King.