Chapter 16 - Descent into the Catacombs
Jesse didn’t hesitate. He grabbed his heavy royal sword from its stand by the bed, his face hardening into a mask of lethal determination. With Jane close behind him, carrying a glowing orb of golden magic in her palm, they descended the winding stone staircase leading into the ancient catacombs beneath the palace.
The air grew bitterly cold, smelling of ozone and decayed magic. Cobwebs choked the corners, and the walls were covered in ancient runes that began to glow a toxic green as they approached the deepest chamber.
“Stay behind me,” Jesse commanded softly, his massive frame shielding Jane from the darkness ahead.
As they stepped into the hidden vault, they found the source of the dark energy: a massive stone altar inscribed with Morana’s crest, hovering above a vortex of black liquid. Floating in the center of the vortex was a glowing crystal shard—a Horcrux-like anchor of the witch’s dark soul.
“A tether,” Jesse realized, his jaw clenching. “Morana didn’t act alone. She had a master, or an apprentice hidden within the royal bloodlines of the past.”
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Suddenly, the shadows around them twisted and coalesced into a towering specter—a dark apparition shaped like a horned wolf, radiating pure malice.
“You destroyed her body, King Jesse,” the specter hissed, its voice echoing with a thousand overlapping tones. “But the blood-bond between you and your precious omega is our gateway to consume this kingdom from within!”
