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CHAPTER 12
Helheim
Aria
For the first time that night, I slept without pain. I stretched beneath the covers, savoring the rare sensation of a full belly and blinking away the last vestiges of sleep in such a comfortable bed.
I sighed as the events of the past few days came reeling back.
My mind whirled with thoughts of the conversation with Liora yesterday, the secret passages, especially the part about the king being a dragon. Dragons were rare, fearsome creatures and the idea that the king possessed such a powerful gift made him even more formidable. Strangely, it made me want to know even more about him.
And then, there were the words of the seer.
You have a power within you to save the world, a light that can pierce through the darkness. But be cautious. The darknesswill fight back. Follow your heart, trust your instincts, and remember that even in the darkest places, there is always a glimmer of hope, maybe even love.
Love.
How could she even suggest such a thing? She must be out of her mind. I couldn’t love a man like the Dark King. He was cruel, a merciless bastard, a monster. He was feared by all who knew his name. The stories I’d heard, the rumors that had spread far and wide—they painted a picture of a man who was heartless, ruthless, and void of any compassion.
And yet…
Since the moment he’d taken me, I had seen none of those things. He hadn’t hurt me. In fact, he had been almost…kind.
He could have killed me for what I had done to him, but he had provided for me, ensuring I was fed and clothed. Maybe he was not just the cruel tyrant I had imagined. Maybe there was something more, something human beneath the layers of darkness.
I didn’t know. Maybe there wasn’t.
The more I thought about it, the more confused I became. How could the same man who was rumored to be so evil also be the one who had shown me such kindness? Was it possible that the rumors were wrong? Or was I just seeing what I wanted to see, blinded by whatever it was that tied us together?
The seer’s words haunted me—love, hope—but they felt like dangerous illusions, and I couldn’t let myself be taken by them. I needed to stay focused, to remember who he was, what he represented.
He was evil.
His cruelty was legendary, whispered in fearful tones across the realms. He took pleasure in the suffering of others. The shadows were his allies, the screams of the damned his symphony. Mercy was a concept foreign to him, replaced by a thirst for control and domination.
I had to escape. Whatever the seer meant, I couldn’t allow myself to fall into it. I needed to be strong, to find a way out of Helheim and away from the king before I lost myself completely.
Determined, I pushed the thoughts of him away and forced myself out of bed, my bare feet sinking into the plush carpet. The room was quiet, the only sound the pounding beat of my own heart.
I wandered over to a large painting hanging on the far wall. It depicted a fierce battle scene. Something about the painting seemed off, though, as if it didn’t quite belong. I stepped closer, examining the frame and the wall behind it.
My fingers brushed against the edge of the frame, and I felt a slight give. With my curiosity piqued, I pressed harder, and the painting swung outward, revealing a hidden switch embedded in the wall.
My heart raced and my palms grew sweaty. Was this one of the hidden passages Liora had alluded to? Was this my way out?
Taking a deep breath, I pressed the switch. A soft click echoed through the room, and a section of the wall beside the painting slid open, revealing a narrow, dimly lit passageway. The air that wafted out was cool and slightly musty, carrying with it the scent of old stone and stagnant water.
I glanced back at the door to the room, ensuring it was still closed, then stepped into the passage. The walls were lined with ancient, crumbling bricks, and a faint light emanated from sconces that seemed to burn with an eternal flame. The passage was narrow, just wide enough for me to walk comfortably, and it twisted and turned, leading deeper into the heart of the castle.
As I stepped forward, my mind raced with possibilities. Where did this passage lead? What would I find at the end of it? Could I find a way out?
After what seemed like an eternity, I happened on another door. I pushed it open, and my breath caught in my throat as I stepped into what appeared to be a massive library.
The walls were lined with towering shelves, each one filled with books and scrolls of all shapes and sizes. The scent of aged parchment and leather filled the air, and soft, flickering light from the lanterns scattered all over the room created a warm, inviting glow.
I wandered through the aisles, my fingers trailing along the spines of the books. Titles in languages I didn’t recognize caught my eye, and I pulled a few from the shelves, flipping through pages filled with intricate illustrations and detailed scripts. With a sigh, I slid them back into place and continued on.
One book in particular caught my attention. Its cover was made of dark, worn leather, and it seemed to pulse with a faint energy. I opened it carefully, my eyes widening as I read the title:The Reign of the Dark King: A History of Helheim.
