CHAPTER 75: THE TUNNEL’S HOPEFUL WARNING

She walked forward, slowly, her fingers trailing along the cold wall. The light inside the tunnel dimmed as she moved deeper. Then—

She heard it.

"Evelisse..."

Her breath caught. It was a voice. A familiar one.

"Brother Jared?" she called.

But the voice came again, warped slightly. Echoing.

"Evelisse... turn back..."

She stopped walking.

"Brother Lucien?" she whispered next.

Another voice—softer, hesitant—"Little star... don’t go too far..."

"Brother Felix?!" Her voice rose, cracking. Her fingers clenched tightly around the edge of her skirt.

The tunnel echoed with their voices, but none of them sounded quite right. Like hearing a lullaby played backwards.

Her breathing quickened. ’They’re not real. That’s not them.’

She turned in place, but the tunnel behind her looked the same as the path ahead.

"You shouldn’t be here," the ancient voice returned, cold and certain.

Suddenly, the ground ahead shifted. The crystal shimmered again—and with a low grinding sound, part of the floor collapsed inward, revealing a hidden stair.

She stared down into the darkness.

A paw batted her ankle. Fluffy hovered up from the side, glowing dimly.

"You found me!" Evelisse gasped, almost crying. "Fluffy—what is this place?"

’I lost your signal,’ he said, voice in her head. ’Something in this tunnel blocks magic. This place isn’t mapped. It’s older than the palace. Maybe older than the kingdom.’

"I heard their voices... but it wasn’t them."

’I know. That wasn’t an illusion—it’s memory magic. Residual echoes.’

"Why is there memory magic under a hedge garden?" she asked, stepping back from the stair.

’It was sealed for a reason,’ Fluffy murmured. ’We should go.’

"There’s no door. No exit."

They both turned back to the collapsed stair. Something was rising from it. Not a person—light.

And music.

A song began to play. Soft, wordless, almost like humming. It tugged at her chest, like a lullaby she’d forgotten.

Fluffy flinched. ’Don’t listen—’

But she was already leaning forward.

The stair turned into a slide—too fast to react—and she slipped.

Fluffy dove after her.

She spiraled down into darkness, the song rising louder. Runes flashed past her on the walls. Images flickered—faces she didn’t know, all with the Ashthorne crest.

Then everything stopped.

She landed softly on a bed of moss.

Light bloomed above her. She was in a chamber—round and crystalline, with seven archways surrounding her.

At the center stood a stone pedestal. Upon it, a glowing sigil in the shape of a teardrop.

She stepped closer.

More voices whispered around her. This time, they weren’t her brothers. They were older. Female.

"Seven shall guard... one shall bleed..."

She froze.

"What does that mean?" she whispered.

The runes shifted. The sigil pulsed.

And behind her—

One of the seven archways opened.

A figure stepped out.

Tall.

Hooded.

And it knew her name.

"Evelisse."

The voice was neither kind nor cruel—just steady, like it had been waiting.

Evelisse’s breath caught. Her fingers curled at her sides as she stared up at the figure. The flickering light in the tunnel shimmered over the figure’s cloak, casting the shadows in sharp lines across the crystal walls.

The figure took one step forward, the glow of the crystal chamber flickering across its cloak.

Evelisse’s lips parted. "Who are you?"

The hood dipped, as if considering.

Then, pale fingers reached up.

The cloak slipped just slightly—just enough.

Red.

Fiery, tangled hair spilled out like the embers of a fire too stubborn to die. For a moment, Evelisse felt her heart stutter.

"... Mother?"

The figure flinched.

Then Evelisse saw the eyes—green. Not the mesmerizing blue of Seraphina. Not her mother.

Her own eyes.

Her lips parted. "You’re—"

"I’m you," the older girl said quietly. Her voice shook like it hadn’t been used in years. "Or... the version of you that didn’t make it in time."

Evelisse staggered back. "What—what do you mean?"

The older her didn’t move. Just watched with eyes full of something Evelisse couldn’t place—grief, maybe. And guilt.

"You shouldn’t be here," she whispered, then her gaze fell on Fluffy while still conversing with Evelisse. "But you found it early. That’s good. Maybe this time..."

Fluffy floated beside Evelisse, growling low. Its form shimmered faintly, reacting to the strange tunnel around them. It wasn’t used to being seen by anyone else.

But the hooded girl turned to him and smiled. "I’m the one who led you to her."

Evelisse blinked. "You... what?"

"I made the call. Or the wish. Or the sacrifice. Depends which memory you’re looking at. I told the system to let it find you—Evelisse."

The plush fennec fox didn’t speak, but its growl stopped.

"I knew I’d need help," the older girl said, her voice growing strained. "And I was right. You need Fluffy. You’ll need all of them."

She looked over her shoulder, as though she could hear something Evelisse couldn’t.

"You came here because the tunnel called to you. And now... now I need you to listen. Carefully."

Evelisse nodded, still frozen in place. "Y-Yes. Of course."

The older her stepped closer but didn’t quite reach her. "You have to protect them. Your brothers."

Evelisse’s stomach tightened.

"What—what’s going to happen to them?"

The girl’s eyes darkened. "From where I come from... they all died. One by one. For me. Because of me."

Evelisse’s knees felt weak.

"No..."

"They bled. For me. Defended me. Lied for me. Took the crown’s punishments, the court’s hatred, the kingdom’s silence. And I couldn’t stop it. I failed."

"You must be wrong. My brothers are safe."

"For now. But danger follows you, Evelisse. You’ve already opened the gate."

The chamber’s air seemed heavier now. The crystal walls dimmed slightly.

"What gate?"

"The tunnel. The old sigil. The one that read: ’Seven shall guard. One shall bleed.’"

Evelisse flinched. "I saw that... just before you appeared."

She nodded her head and kept speaking like time was short. "The prophecy—an ancient one hidden beneath this castle. That said: ’Seven shall guard. One shall bleed.’ We thought it meant one of the Seven Kingdoms. We were wrong."

Evelisse’s lips barely moved. "The seven... are my brothers?"

The older girl nodded.

"And the one who bleeds is..."

"You, in one thread. Them, in most. But the one who bled first—bled in front of me—was..."

Silence!

"Which one?" Her voice cracked. "Which brother?"

Her older self hesitated.

"Please," Evelisse begged. "Tell me. If I know—maybe I can stop it."

Older Evelisse looked at her with deep, fractured sorrow.

"Marcus," she whispered.

Evelisse flinched.

"No—he’s gentle. He just tends to his gardens. He sings to the lilies. Why—?"

"That’s exactly why," Older Evelisse said. "Someone noticed him. Saw something in him. His magic. His bond with the land. They thought it was a threat."

"Who would hurt Marcus?" Evelisse whispered, her fists clenched. "He only ever helps..."

"I don’t know the name. Not yet. Only the consequences."

Evelisse shook her head in disbelief, all she wanted was a carefree happy life, not this.

"He was the first." Older Evelisse continued. "And I lost them all after. Lucien held out the longest. But grief breaks even the strongest shields."

Fluffy floated closer to her shoulder, brushing against her cheek. She didn’t even react.

"You can stop it," the older Evelisse said. "You’re in the right place at the right time. I wasn’t."

Evelisse opened her mouth, then shut it. Her voice wouldn’t come.

"I won’t tell you everything," the older her whispered. "Because that ruins it. But keep Caelith close. Don’t trust those who claim fate is fixed. And listen to Fluffy. Always."

That made Evelisse pause. "...Prince Caelith? But—"

"I took him for granted. I missed what mattered." Older Evelisse looked down. "He would have helped... if I had let him."

Evelisse swallowed hard. "How did it happen? What did I not see? Please, I beg you..."

"I failed to notice something small," older Evelisse whispered. "Something that grew like rot beneath the palace. I thought I had time."

Evelisse blinked. "Please stop repeating your words! What does this hav—"

But her older self shook violently.

Cracks began to form across her arms—glowing lines of light like shattered glass.

"No, no—please don’t go!"

"I failed to see the signs," she emphasized again. "I ignored the tremor in the wards. I didn’t question when Marcus skipped tea. I assumed Lucien’s silence meant peace."

She was breaking apart.

"Tell me what to look for! Please!"

Her face was fading.

"The betrayal," she whispered. "The garden. The feast."

Fluffy floated closer.

The older Evelisse’s eyes fell on him.

She smiled, softly.

"Don’t leave her side again."

Fluffy’s eyes widened.

"What...?"