The Arcane Chronicles: Unveiling the Lost Secrets (On-Going)

Chapter 18: Athena Darkmore

Aiden

My hands, coated with dirt, dug deeply into the soil, each stroke driven by rage. Louisito stood nearby with a worried expression on his face.

"This is my fault... All of it. Innocent people... getting buried alive because of me. What have I done?!" I’m gritting my teeth, my jaw clenched tight as angry mutters escape through barely parted lips, frustration boiling beneath the surface

I slam my hand into the ground with a force that rattles through my body, my breath coming in ragged gasps as sweat trickles down, mixing with the dirt smeared across my face.

"Aiden, stop. This isn't your fault. You didn’t know... you couldn’t have known." Louisito said gently.

"How can you say that? She’s here... because of me! The Path Slayers... they used her to bait me!" I shouted with my fists clenching the shovel on my hand. "I can't let his happen again.. I won't." I throw the shovel aside, burying my hands into the ground with trembling fingers.

Louisito kneels beside me, his hand resting gently on my shoulder, offering silent comfort as his calm and steady voice breaks through the tension in the air.

"You’re not alone in this, Aiden. We’ll fix this, together. Blaming yourself won’t change the past. Focus on what we can do now." Louisito is trying to calm me down.

I pause for a moment, my body shivering with emotion. As I dig through the last layer of dirt, a wooden coffin slowly emerges from the ground, its weathered edges barely discernible. My breath freezes in my throat, and a cold dread sets in. Without hesitation, my freshly awakened power pours through me, wild and untamed, and my hand ignites in chaotic, brilliant energy. In a second, I unleash it, blasting the top of the coffin away, sending splintered wood flying in all directions.

A limp body lies within, a woman's face pale and calm in her unconscious state. I stagger back, my pulse racing in my chest, my gaze fixated on her as surprise and confusion overwhelm me. Her silence is unsettling, a stark contrast to the chaos racing in my mind.

"Athena Darkmore.... I'm so sorry." I whispered.

Louisito, now fully embracing his Seraphel nature, does not waste any time. He rushes to her side, his hands shining with holy light as he infuses healing magic into her frail body. A delicate, dazzling pulse of energy envelops Athena's body, making it glow with warmth. After a tight, breathless moment, her eyes flutter open, wide with uncertainty and fear, as if she were waking up from a nightmare from which she could not yet escape.

"Wh-who are you? Where am I?!" With a sudden, desperate gasp, Athena shoots up, her eyes wide and frantic.

I take a hesitant step forward, my voice faltering, though the sincerity behind it is undeniable.

"I'm Aiden Blake Carter, and this is Louisito. We—uh—we found you." I introduced ourselves to the real Athena Darkmore.

As Athena's eyes race around her environment, desperately trying to absorb everything, her confusion deepens, casting a shadow over her expression.

"Found me...? Where is this? Where is Lysandra Nightfall?" She speaks with a hoarse tone, the words barely escaping her lips, thick with emotion and exhaustion.

Her question lingers in the air like a thunder cloud. I swallow hard and exchange a short glance with Louisito.

"You’re in Luminara City. Lysandra... and the other Arcane Sentinels... they’re gone. Nowhere to be found." I answered her question.

Athena blinks, caught off guard, her brow deeply furrowed as she attempts to reconcile the shocking words she just heard.

"Luminara? I’ve never heard of such a place. Is this... part of Abyssia Kingdom?" Athena's eyes are puzzled, as if she is struggling to make sense of the weird and bewildering environment around her.