The golden eye didn’t blink.
It simply stared at Elara.
The entire lake had turned black.
Not a single reflection remained.
The crystal bridge beneath Elara’s feet began to crack.
Tiny fractures spread in every direction.
“Elara!”
Noah’s voice echoed from the other side.
She looked up.
The bridge had returned, but everyone was standing at the edge of the lake.
Noah.
Evelyn.
Adrian.
The Keeper.
They were shouting something.
She couldn’t hear them.
It was as if an invisible wall stood between them.
The Forgotten King stepped in front of Elara.
“Don’t look into its eye.”
She immediately looked away.
“What is it?”
He didn’t answer right away.
Instead, he watched the water.
“It has many names.”
“The spirits call it the Watcher.”
“The Keepers called it the First Guardian.”
“And I…”
He paused.
“I call it my greatest mistake.”
The water began to rise.
Not like waves.
Like hands.
Long streams of black water twisted into the air, surrounding the island.
The Second Key in Elara’s hand glowed brighter.
The Watcher’s eye narrowed.
It had noticed the key.
“What does it want?” Elara asked.
“You.”
The answer came from behind her.
Lyra.
Elara spun around.
“I thought you were gone.”
“I can’t stay for long.”
Lyra’s body was almost transparent now.
“The Watcher only wakes when someone carries more than one key.”
“Why?”
“Because the keys were never meant to be separated.”
The Watcher let out a low sound.
It wasn’t a roar.
It sounded almost like…
A whale’s song.
Deep.
Ancient.
Sad.
The sound echoed across the lake.
The water trembled.
The Heart Crystal around Elara’s neck began to vibrate. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
The Second Key pulled toward the lake.
As if something below was calling it.
“Hold on to it!”
The Forgotten King shouted.
Elara tightened her grip.
The light from the key grew stronger.
But so did the pull.
It felt like someone was trying to tear it from her hands.
She dropped to one knee.
“I can’t—”
“You can!”
Lyra reached toward her.
“Listen to the Heartwood!”
“I can’t hear anything!”
“Don’t listen with your ears.”
“Listen with your heart.”
Elara closed her eyes.
Everything disappeared.
The shouting.
The waves.
The darkness.
Then…
She heard it.
A heartbeat.
Slow.
Steady.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
It wasn’t her own.
It belonged to the Heartwood.
The sound wrapped around her like a warm blanket.
The fear slowly disappeared.
The pull on the key weakened.
When Elara opened her eyes…
The Second Key was calm again.
The Watcher’s eye widened.
For the first time…
It looked surprised.
A beam of golden light burst from the two keys.
The light shot across the lake and struck the Watcher’s eye.
The creature let out another deep cry.
This one was louder.
The black water collapsed back into the lake.
The crystal bridge repaired itself.
Piece by piece.
The path was open again.
“Run!”
The Forgotten King shouted.
Elara didn’t hesitate.
She ran.
Her footsteps echoed across the crystal bridge.
Halfway across—
A loud crack sounded behind her.
She turned.
The Watcher was rising.
Its body stretched beneath the surface for what seemed like miles.
She couldn’t see all of it.
Covered in dark stone-like scales.
Golden lines glowed between them.
Its single eye never left her.
It wasn’t angry.
It was…
Watching.
Waiting.
Elara reached the other side.
Noah grabbed her arm.
“Come on!”
They ran together as the crystal bridge shattered behind them.
Thousands of sparkling pieces fell into the black lake.
Then…
The valley disappeared.
The mountains.
The lake.
The bridge.
Everything faded like morning mist.
Within seconds…
They were standing in the middle of the forest again.
Only a wall of stone stood behind them.
Mirror Lake was gone.
Everyone was silent.
Noah finally looked at Elara.
“You got it?”
She opened her hand.
The Second Key rested in her palm.
Still glowing.
She smiled.
“We did.”
For the first time in days…
Hope returned to everyone’s faces.
Everyone’s…
Except the Keeper’s.
He was staring at the two keys.
His expression was unreadable.
“What is it?” Elara asked.
The Keeper slowly looked up.
“When you claimed the Second Key…”
“You awakened something else.”
Adrian frowned.
“What do you mean?”
The Keeper didn’t answer.
Instead, he pointed toward the sky.
Everyone looked up.
High above Blackwood Forest…
Three stars that had always shone over the Heartwood suddenly went dark.
One.
After another.
After another.
Rose whispered the words no one wanted to hear.
“The Third Key…”
“…has already been found.”
And somewhere deep in the forest…
A familiar voice laughed.
The Forgotten King wasn’t alone anymore.