Echoes Of The Hidden Gate

Kieran's heart pounded.

Elara was waiting for his answer, claws digging into the stone. Rebel stood before them, his golden energy pulsing, the artifact trembling in his grip.

Kieran looked into his enemy's eyes—and **for the first time, he saw the truth**.

Rebel wasn't a conqueror.

He was a man trying to undo the past.

Kieran's mind flashed back to the vision—**the moment when Natuka had begun to break, the desperation in Rebel's younger self as he held the shattered fragment of power.**

Kieran took a slow breath. "Let him go."

Elara's head snapped toward him. "What?"

Kieran swallowed hard. "He's telling the truth."

Elara's tail lashed behind her as she shifted back into human form. "Kieran, he's taking one of the most powerful relics Natuka has left! If we let him go, we may never stop him."

Kieran's fists clenched. "I saw it, Elara. In the vision. He was there when Natuka started falling apart. He's not stealing these artifacts for power—he's trying to put them back together."

Rebel remained silent, watching them both.

Elara's expression hardened. "And you **trust** him?"

Kieran hesitated. **Did he?**

No.

But he trusted what he had seen.

Rebel took a step back, his golden aura dimming slightly. "This world is broken," he said quietly. "You've seen the signs. The fading magic. The vines growing weaker. If I don't do this—"

"We don't know what will happen," Elara interrupted. "And you don't either."

Rebel exhaled, gaze flicking toward the artifact in his hands. "No. But I know what happens if I **don't** try."

Kieran looked between them. Elara's fury. Rebel's quiet certainty.

And in the end, he made his choice.

He **stepped back**.

Elara's breath hitched. "Kieran—"

"We don't have to like it," Kieran said, his voice low. "But we don't have enough answers. Not yet."

Elara shook her head in disbelief. "This is a mistake."

Rebel didn't wait for her to change Kieran's mind.

In a single movement, he turned—his form shimmering in golden light—

And **vanished**.

The artifact's glow faded, and the ruins fell silent.

---

### **The Weight of Regret**

Elara stood frozen, staring at the spot where Rebel had disappeared.

Then she turned on Kieran. "What did you just do?"

Kieran exhaled shakily. "I made a call."

Elara's voice was sharp. "A bad one."

He ran a hand through his hair. He had known she'd be angry, but a part of him still winced at her disappointment.

"Elara—"

"No." She turned away, taking a few steps before stopping. Her shoulders were tense, fists clenched. "You saw something in that vision. Fine. But how do you know it wasn't a **lie**? A trick?"

"I don't."

She spun to face him. "Then why risk everything on it?"

Kieran let out a breath. "Because we don't know what's really happening here. And we can't keep fighting blind."

Elara's jaw tightened. She wasn't convinced.

Kieran didn't blame her.

But deep in his gut, he knew this wasn't over.

Rebel had taken the artifact. And now, he was one step closer to whatever he was planning.

**Whether it would save or destroy Natuka was still unknown.**

---

### **A World on the Brink**

The ruins felt different now. The vines that had once whispered and tested them were eerily silent. The air was **thinner**, the magic of Natuka stretching just a little **weaker**.

Elara finally spoke, her voice low. "You think he's right."

Kieran hesitated. "I think he believes he's right."

Elara shook her head. "And if he's wrong? If he's leading Natuka to its final end?"

Kieran exhaled. "Then we stop him."

Elara crossed her arms. "How? You just let him walk away."

He didn't answer immediately.

Because the truth was, **he didn't know yet**.

All he knew was that something deeper was at play—something **far older than any of them**.

And if Rebel wasn't the real enemy…

Then **who was?**

---

### **The Rising Storm**

As they turned to leave the ruins, Kieran felt it.

A shift in the air.

A whisper in the back of his mind.

Something was **watching them**.

He looked over his shoulder, but nothing was there.

Yet the feeling **lingered**.

Natuka was changing. And their fight wasn't just against Rebel anymore.

**Something darker was coming.**

Something that would make them question everything.

And Kieran had the sinking feeling that by letting Rebel go—

He had **set something far worse into motion