Chapter Seven: The Forbidden Library
The Moonvale Sanctuary shimmered under a veil of twilight, its spires tall and crystalline, carved from lunar glass and bound with ancient enchantments. It was beautiful, serene and silent as a tomb. Here, Kael now lived.
He had agreed, for Lysaria's sake. And she kept her word. Every evening, she visited him, sometimes to talk, sometimes to sit in comfortable silence.
But in the days that followed the Council's ultimatum, Lysaria found herself restless, haunted by questions that had no answers. There was one place the Council forbade even her to go. One place that might hold the truth about Kael, his powers, and the ancient curse that named him dangerous.
The Forbidden Library.
Hidden deep beneath the palace, behind a sealed vault of truthfire and stardust, it was said to house the oldest scrolls in all the Realms. Some said even the first words spoken by the gods were transcribed there.
Lysaria had only seen the outer gate once, as a child. But now she had to return.
---
By dusk, the palace was quiet. Court was adjourned. Her mother, Queen Elurienne, was in council with the envoys of the Flame Isles. Her father had long since retired from public life. No one would miss her for an hour.
Lysaria slipped through the lesser halls, her robes dimmed with illusion powder. She had memorized the path: down the Hall of Echoing Stars, past the Chamber of Petal Flame, and into the vault stair hidden behind a mirrored pillar.
At the base of the stair lay the gate.
Twelve runes circled it, glowing softly as she approached. Her hand hesitated.
She whispered, "In the name of truth, and in pursuit of peace."
The runes pulsed. Slowly, the heavy door of moon-iron parted with a hiss of magic.
Inside was no ordinary library.
Shelves twisted into impossible curves, containing tomes bound in bark, bone, silk, or flame. Scrolls floated midair, tethered to lightstrings. Some books whispered warnings when her gaze lingered. Others flapped closed like birds startled by her steps.
She navigated by instinct, moving toward the farthest corner, where a pedestal of jetstone held a black volume.
It had no title.
As she touched it, the room dimmed. The book opened on its own. A single sentence bloomed across its first page:
"To see the Invisible One, know first the story of the unseen."
Lysaria turned the pages, breath caught.
---
It was a tale buried by time:
Long ago, five were born beneath a bleeding moon each with a power of balance: flame, thought, time, mirrors, and memory. But the fifth, the bearer of memory, was cursed to remember not just his life but all lives.
He went mad.
To protect the world, the elders split the powers, embedding them in vessels throughout the Realms. But one child Kael's ancestor was born containing them all. A vessel too complete. Too dangerous.
That child was the first Invisible.
The pages spoke of fear, betrayal, and a ritual meant to erase his form from reality itself. The spell worked making him invisible but it did not erase his power. And so the cycle began. Every few generations, the bloodline emerged again.
Lysaria's heart pounded.
The Council knew. They always knew.
And worse, there was a final prophecy:
"When the fifth awakens, the past shall rise. The Invisible shall not walk, but become the Gate. And through him, the Realms shall shatter or heal."
---
She slammed the book shut, heart racing.
The Mirror above the Council Chamber had shown flickers of this Kael becoming a gate to something ancient. Something forgotten. But the Library said more.
It said he could be salvation.
Behind her, the air shifted.
She spun, wings flaring only to see Kael.
No guards. No chains.
"You followed me," she whispered.
He stepped forward, his form shimmering faintly in the enchanted light. "I felt you call. Not with words. Something deeper."
She reached for his hand. He didn't pull away.
"You were never cursed," she said. "You were chosen."
He shook his head. "Then why does it feel like every step I take is one closer to destruction?"
Lysaria held up the book. "Because the Council only told half the story. There's more. So much more. And I think... I think you're the key. Not the danger."
Kael closed his eyes. "Then we'll find the rest together."
Behind them, the black book pulsed.
Its final page began to write itself.
And somewhere, deep beneath the library, something ancient stirred.