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THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 97
Victor pressed on through the city's winding streets, the map's details etched firmly in his mind. He felt the weight of the Council’s pact, the looming price of his fealty hanging over him. The Eye of Eternity wasn’t just a relic—it was the key to a much larger game, one that everyone was playing: the Council, the Legion, and even Selene. But as much as it gnawed at him, he knew there was no time to waste on doubts. The Legion was closing in, and the destruction of the Eye was his only chance to stop them.He reached the meeting point where Elena and Lucian had been waiting for him, their faces etched with impatience and concern. Lucian was the first to speak. “What did the Council say? Do they know where the Eye is?”Victor nodded, his expression grim. “They had the map. It’s hidden in the mountains, in an old fortress. The Legion is already making their way there. We need to move quickly.”Elena, ever the strategist, frowned. “How heavily guarded do you think the fortress is? If th
THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 98
The mountains loomed ahead as Victor led the group through the narrow pass. Every step felt heavier, the pressure mounting with each breath of cold air. The fortress, hidden among jagged peaks and ancient stone, stood ominously at the end of the trail. Snowflakes drifted down, coating the ground and muting the sounds of their footsteps.Lucian trudged beside him, his brows furrowed in concentration. “It’s too quiet,” he muttered, breaking the silence. “The Legion’s forces should have left more signs—tracks, guards, something.”Victor scanned the landscape, his instincts on high alert. He could sense the presence of magic, a web of enchantments woven around the fortress, but Lucian was right. The lack of obvious defenses was unnerving.“We’re walking into a trap,” Elena said, her voice low but steady. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, ready for anything.Victor nodded. “I know. But we don’t have a choice. The Eye is too dangerous to leave in anyone’s hands, especially Selene’s.
THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 99
The air in the chamber seemed to thrum with a terrifying energy. Victor staggered to his feet, still reeling from the explosion of power. Lucian and Elena were regaining their balance, though the shock in their eyes mirrored Victor’s own.Zion stood in the center of the destruction, his expression unreadable, but his aura had shifted — darker, more imposing. The Eye of Eternity had vanished, but its power now coursed through him. The once-lighthearted man was now something entirely different, something more dangerous than they had anticipated."Zion," Victor began, his voice tight with a mix of anger and disbelief. "You’ve crossed a line you can’t come back from. You don’t understand the power you’ve unleashed."Zion turned to him slowly, his eyes glowing faintly, like stars flickering in a dark sky. "Understand? I understand perfectly, Victor. This is what I’ve been waiting for all along."Lucian, blade still drawn, stepped forward, his voice edged with fury. "You betrayed us! You we
THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 100
The cold wind stung Victor’s face as they emerged from the collapsing fortress, the rubble behind them groaning under the weight of its own destruction. The stars above seemed distant, indifferent to the chaos they had just escaped.Victor stopped, his chest heaving as he looked back at what was once Zion's domain. The ground still trembled, small aftershocks rippling through the earth as if the fortress itself was mourning its demise. Dust and debris hung in the air like a thick cloud, and the last remnants of Zion’s energy dissipated into the night sky.Elena fell to her knees beside Lucian, who was slowly coming to consciousness. His brow furrowed in pain, but his eyes fluttered open."Lucian," Elena whispered, shaking his arm gently. "Are you alright?"Lucian winced, pressing a hand to the side of his head where blood had dried. "I feel like I got hit by a building," he muttered, then let out a weak chuckle. "Maybe because I did."Elena gave him a tight smile. "You're lucky to be
THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 101
Victor, Elena, and Lucian trudged forward, their footsteps crunching over the gravel-strewn path as they entered the outskirts of the city. The night air was dense with silence, and the towering skyscrapers loomed like ancient sentinels, their lights flickering against the velvet sky. The city seemed deceptively calm, but Victor knew better—the calm always came before a storm.Lucian leaned heavily on Elena, his wounds slowing him down. He grinned weakly. "Do you think we'll ever have one peaceful night?"Elena shot him a playful glare. "Not with you around."Victor, walking ahead of them, turned his head slightly. “Stay focused. Something’s off.”Lucian straightened, his playful demeanor vanishing. “What do you mean?”Victor scanned the streets ahead, his heightened senses tingling. "The Council has eyes everywhere. I can feel it."They quickened their pace, weaving through dim alleys and narrow streets, each shadow a potential threat. Just as they reached the entrance to a safehouse
THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 102
Victor’s heartbeat drummed in sync with the ticking clock in his mind. Time was slipping through his fingers, and the scent of looming war was thick in the air. The first crack of sunlight had barely touched the rooftops when he gathered the others.“Ready?” he asked, his tone sharp but calm.Lucian, now armed and bandaged, smirked. “Ready to run, fight, or die. Preferably the first two.”Elena pulled her cloak tight over her shoulders, her face hard with determination. “Don’t you dare die on me, Victor.”Victor gave her a rare smile. “I won’t. Not before I burn that council hall to the ground.”They moved swiftly through the back alleys, using the city's shadows as cover. The streets were still quiet, but Victor knew it wouldn’t last. Every corner they turned brought them closer to danger—and to the heart of the Council’s web.As planned, Elena and Lucian would head toward the central square to create a distraction. Victor, meanwhile, would infiltrate the Council’s inner sanctum—a cr
THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 103
Victor stepped into the sunlight, its warmth unfamiliar against his cold skin. The cathedral doors groaned shut behind him as the tolling bells echoed across the city. Chaos was already unfurling—smoke billowed from distant quarters where Lucian and Elena had set their traps, and the shouts of soldiers filled the air.He inhaled deeply, tasting the scent of fire and freedom, but he knew the hardest part was still ahead. A city freed from the Council’s grip was not a city yet at peace. Factions, power-hungry remnants of the old regime, would rise like weeds. He would need to act quickly to cement his rule—or everything would crumble again.Elena and Lucian appeared through the haze, panting and disheveled.Lucian grinned, wiping soot from his face. “We lit quite the bonfire, eh, Prince?”Elena’s sharp gaze scanned Victor, checking for injuries. “It’s done?”Victor gave a single nod. “The Council is no more.”Elena exhaled, relief mixed with tension. “Good. But the soldiers will regroup
THE HIDDEN CROWN Chapter 104
The dust settled over the ruined barricades as the remnants of the battle dispersed, leaving behind a sense of relief but also exhaustion. Victor stood in the square, the faces of those around him illuminated by the flickering torchlight. The citizens were victorious, but their victory was fragile.Elena leaned in toward Victor, her voice low. “You know they’ll come again, right? The Council won’t just let this loss go unanswered.”Victor nodded grimly. “We bought time. That’s all.” He looked at the weary crowd. “We’ll need to prepare. And fast.”Lucian ran a hand through his ash-streaked hair. “Guess that means no celebratory drinks, huh?”Victor gave him a wry smile. “Not yet, Lucian.”By nightfall, the injured were being tended to, and volunteers were working to clear debris from the streets. Fires burned in the city’s central square, where families gathered, clinging to one another for comfort. It was the first night in a long time that many of them felt free—but freedom came at a