Selene continued in the dark. Her heart was now pounding more heavily, because the way seemed hollow and long.
She had hoped that she would see a turning somewhere or a door by the walls, but there was nothing like that.
The warrior had already completely disappeared out of sight, so Selene was left to waddle the long passage in the dark.
She feared for her life now more than ever before.
"Even if there were doors, I wouldn't see them, because everywhere is too dark for me to see, and even if I do find a door, how am I sure that it doesn't lead to danger?" Selene asked herself.
If this was the Obsidian Keep, she would have figured out her way already, because she was very familiar with those paths, but not the walls surrounding King Khael's chamber and inner court.
"Maybe I should just quit this foolery and just return to his chamber," Selene thought to herself.
But then again, she had come too far already.
It felt as though she was stuck now.
Moving forward seemed too dangerous and going back seemed too far.
"What am I going to do now?" Selene asked herself sadly.
She had always known that her bravery and quest to know or find out about every single thing that entered her head was going to ruin her someday, just like her parents had predicted in their anger whenever they caught her snooping around or being nosy.
Selene could hear her heart beating loudly, so much so that she feared that it was rhyming with the echoing sound that came with the empty darkness of the passage.
One step, and then another, after another, and Selene continued forward.
Hardly had she taken ten bold steps when she mistaken pushed open a door.
It came as a shock to her even though that was exactly what she was seeking.
"But where does it lead to?" She asked herself.
A ray of light permeated the walls a few steps away from Selene, giving her hope.
It was so reliving to see some light after being in the dark for some minutes which seemed like years for Selene, but she still needed to be careful. The light revealed a path…a road of some sort.
Selene approached it, but she did so with caution.
When she got close enough but still stayed hidden in the shadows, she heard hushed voices. Selene looked around and realized that she had actually stumbled into a domain; something she had come to understand as what the humans might call offices.
Whose domain was this?
With a curious determination, Selene tiptoed forward, but she ensured that she remained in the dark. There was only a small spot that remained dark as the rest of the walls had been illuminated by the light. Fortunately for her, from her standing position, she could get a glimpse of the owners of the voices.
Or one of them, at least.
It was Lord Dain.
He was speaking with one of the warriors whose back was faced to Selene, but she had no doubt that it was the warrior that hated her.
Well, all the Xyioms didn't like her, which wasn't a surprise, because they didn't exactly like humans in general, and humans in turn, were terrified of them.
She couldn't see his face, but she just believed that he was the one, because it was his direction she took.
"The High Priestess, Seraphine, was here today and she passed a warning message to Khael," Lord Dain was speaking.
This would be the first time Selene was hearing him have a conversation aside from the few words he uttered when the high priestess met with King Khael.
"What did she say?" The warrior asked.
Selene was too focused on getting every information that she could get that she hardly paid attention to the sound of his voice, especially as she had already concluded that he was the one.
"That war is coming," Lord Dain said dreadfully.
Selene nodded quietly as it dawned on her what the high priestess had told them.
"No wonder they were all filled with dread as soon as they heard it," Selene said to herself.
The warrior gasped slightly, consumed by the same dread, but he was quick to shove it aside.
"What is the king going to do?" He asked.
"Khael has become weak," Lord Dain said.
There was something that Selene sensed in his voice that made her feel a certain way in her body, but she couldn't explain it.
He was a noble within the Xyiom kingdom; Selene knew this from the title with which he was being addressed.
"And his weakness is going to cause us great ruin," he continued tightly. "For decades, thousands of years, the Xyiom Kingdom have been ruling and dominating over the human race. We take, we conquer, and we subdue them. They have no choice but to succumb. We are the most feared and brutal," Lord Dain continued fiercely.
His words sent a piercing chill through Selene's body.
She shivered.
Before now, she thought that King Khael was the cruelest among all the Xyioms, but now, it dawned on Selene that there was someone whose venom and cruelty tripled Khael's.
He was right in front of her!
"The other clans and races have never dared to engage us in any war, because we are undefeatable, but with Khael's weakness, we have been brought to ridicule," he added tightly.
"But is the high priestess always right? What if her prophesy is wrong this time? What if there is no looming war?" The warrior asked deeply.
Lord Dain released a scolding grunt.
"Don't be a brute, Zana," Lord Dain scolded him, calling him by his name. "High Priestess Seraphine holds ancient knowledge of prophecies, and she has never been wrong or mistaken," he added.
"I take that back," Zana, the warrior said quietly. "But what is King Khael going to do?" he asked Lord Dain.
The noble was quiet for a few minutes.
Then he said deeply, as though he was thinking out loud, "I will not wait for Khael. I am going to take matters into my strong hands."
It was a declaration, one that filled Selene with dread.
Somehow, she moved her leg slightly, unknown to her that there was an object just beside her foot. They collided and it created a clanking sound.
Lord Dain and Zana were instantly alerted.
"Is someone here with us? Did you shut the door?" L
ord Dain asked angrily. "Find out!" He barked at Zana.