Conquering the underworld with my beautiful dragon wives-Chapter 30: The Whispering Hall

The stairs were narrow, cracked, and covered in moss. Every step the masked man took let out a groan, like the stones themselves were in pain. Ethan, his hands still bound in chains, struggled to keep his balance. The clinking of the chains, mixed with the slow drip of water from above, created an eerie blend of silence and threat.

At the end of the corridor, a heavy door made of dark metal came into view. The masked man placed his hand on a carved circle at its center and began whispering something low and ancient. The metal responded like it breathed, and with a harsh creak, the door slid open.

Inside was a massive hall, its towering pillars made of what looked like bone. At the center stood a huge statue of a furious dragon, its eyes glowing with a faint red light. Beneath it was some kind of sealed chamber—one that whispered softly, almost like it was alive.

The masked man spoke quietly,

"This is it. The Silent Heart. A place where the voices of the past still linger... and where your future begins."

Ethan bit his lower lip. He didn't understand, but his heart was pounding. This place... it was waking something inside him. Something that might've always been there, just asleep until now.

The masked man stepped toward the chamber.

"Only the one chosen by the Blade of Light can open this... and that's you, Ethan."

Right then, the whispers grew louder. A woman's voice echoed within them:

"Wake up... You must free us..."

Ethan's eyes widened. The sword he'd found back at the cabin... was there really something behind it?

Why him?

Why now?

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Alice quickly swung her backpack off and said,

"Alright, that's it. No way we're letting some psycho drag Ethan off to some creepy place."

Selena, her wings slowly starting to form, spoke with a calm confidence,

"If he wants to hurt him, he'll have to get through me first."

Fayra narrowed her eyes, looked at the paper again, and murmured,

"North Gate? Didn't think anyone even remembered that place..."

Luna let out a sigh and said,

"Let's go. Before it's too late."

Ethan's back was pressed against the cold wall—he wasn't sure if it was the end of a cave, a dungeon, or straight-up hell. He tilted his head up, eyes staring into the dark. He didn't know how long it had been, but his hands were clenched so tight, his fingertips had gone numb.

A soft, raspy voice echoed through the space. It sounded familiar—like the voice he'd heard in his dreams before.

"Only you can free me... Ethan..."

"You again... Who are you?! What do you want me to do?!" Ethan said tiredly, his hand resting on the sword—that sword that somehow felt... alive.

The voice went quiet for a moment. Then it returned,

"That sword isn't really yours. But you're the only one who can use it. If you only knew what's inside you..."

Ethan gritted his teeth and pushed himself up. A faint light came through a crack in the stone ceiling above, just enough to catch a blurry shadow on the wall ahead.

"Enough! Just tell me what to do... I'm done playing games."

But no answer came. Just silence. Long, heavy silence. And that silence somehow made it even worse.

⸻

Meanwhile, a few kilometers away...

Fayra was circling above the forest, her fiery wings lighting up the treetops. Her eyes scanned below, tracing the energy trail they'd felt.

"It's close... I'm sure of it!"

Selena zipped up beside her with a quick glide.

"I'm sensing something strange too. It's not like monsters or magic... it feels like..." she paused, "like pain."

From down below, Alice's voice rang out as she ran through the bushes, out of breath.

"There's a shortcut... but it's trapped. Let me go first, then you follow!"

Luna shouted from behind,

"Wait! Don't go alone—this place gives me bad vibes!"

Fayra landed gently, her wings fading as she shifted into her human form. Her fiery hair floated around her face, eyes sharp and focused.

"We don't have time to waste. If that energy is connected to Ethan... he's alone right now."

Selena nodded.

"And maybe hurt. Or worse..."

The whole group moved forward with the same feeling. This wasn't just another mission.

If the sword Ethan had really was what they thought...

Then they'd just stepped into a game way bigger than anything they'd ever faced.

Ethan tried to get up, but his knees were still shaking from the hits he'd taken earlier. He pressed his hand against the cold stone floor, breathing hard. That damn darkness was suffocating, and the only thing giving off any light was that sword—like it had a heartbeat. Slow... steady... but real.

"Is this sword... calling to me? Or am I just losing it?" he muttered, letting out a deep sigh.

Above him, a dim light slipped through a crack in the stone ceiling—just enough for him to see his own shadow. Voices twisted in his mind—sometimes whispers, sometimes screams. But never clear enough to tell him what to do.

"You're a key, Ethan... the key to a locked door... a door in time..."

Ethan snapped,

"Stop it! What key?! What door?! Why can't you just speak clearly for once?!"

But this time, there wasn't even a voice. Just a heavy silence. The kind of silence that was somehow scarier than any scream.

⸻

Meanwhile, deeper in the forest, the air smelled like smoke and burnt earth. Fayra, sweat dripping down her face, clenched her teeth.

"Something burned here... just a few hours ago... the trail might still be fresh."

Selena called down from above,

"Fayra! I found something—look! On the tree... that's not just a scratch... it's a claw mark!"

Alice stepped in closer. She pulled a special pair of goggles from her belt pouch and examined the mark.

"This isn't just from a monster. There's some kinda magical energy around it... there might be a hidden door here, or maybe a secret path..."

Fayra moved forward slowly, her voice low,

"You think all this was set up... just to catch Ethan?"

Luna, as calm as ever, said,

"Or maybe... they were after the sword. Remember that thing that came outta the ground? It didn't even look at us. It went straight for the sword."

Silence fell over the group.

Then Fayra stopped. Her eyes locked on a half-burnt piece of paper stuck between some twisted roots. She grabbed it, unfolded it.

"This is it..." she whispered.

Alice stepped in.

"What is it? What does it say?"

Fayra narrowed her eyes and read softly but firmly:

"Until the door opens, the one with the key will stay alone."

Selena quickly asked,

"Does it mean Ethan?"

Fayra nodded slowly.

"Yeah... and if we don't get to him fast, that damn door might never open... or worse—if it does, it might be too late."

Alice, who'd been quiet till now, took a deep breath.

"We need a plan. We can't just charge in blind. First we figure out where the hell we're even going."

But Fayra didn't wait.

"I'm done waiting. Every second could be too late for him."

Selena and Luna shared a quick glance. Then, without a word, they both turned back—and a moment later, the roar of dragons shook the forest. Their wings lit up the sky as they took off.

Alice sighed.

"I'm never gonna keep up with these girls... but hey, I'm a damn good strategist."

And with a smile she ran after them.