Chapter 25: Fractured Bonds

The air between Ithan and Lyra was charged with tension as they stood in the clearing. The obelisk’s faint glow cast long shadows, but neither of them moved. Ithan’s gaze bored into Lyra, demanding answers.

“You heard her,” Ithan said, his voice sharp. “What truth is she talking about?”

Lyra sighed, the weight of her silence making the moment unbearable. “It’s not that simple.”

“Then make it simple!” he snapped. “You’ve been asking me to trust you since the beginning, but now I find out you’ve been keeping things from me? What else are you hiding?”

Her expression hardened. “I didn’t tell you because it wouldn’t change anything. Your path was set the moment you touched the Sigil.”

“That’s not your call to make!” Ithan’s voice rose, the Sigil pulsing in response to his anger. “You owe me the truth. What does she mean about my family?”

Lyra hesitated, then finally relented. “Your family… their disappearance wasn’t random. The Hollow King targeted them because of you.”

The revelation hit Ithan like a blow. “What? Why would he target them because of me?”

“Because of the Sigil,” she said quietly. “It chooses its bearer, Ithan. It chose you long before you found it. The Hollow King knew this and wanted leverage over you.”

Ithan’s mind raced, the pieces clicking into place. His family’s sudden disappearance, the strange events that led him to the Sigil—it all pointed back to the Hollow King.

“So this whole time,” Ithan said, his voice low, “you knew why they were taken, and you didn’t tell me?”

“I wanted to protect you,” Lyra said, her voice breaking slightly. “If you knew the truth too soon, you might have acted recklessly. We needed time to prepare you.”

Ithan took a step back, his trust in her crumbling. “You don’t get to decide what I can handle.”

Lyra reached out, but he pulled away. “Ithan—”

“No,” he interrupted. “If I can’t trust you to tell me the truth, then how can I trust you at all?”

The pain in Lyra’s eyes was evident, but she said nothing.

Before either of them could say more, the ground trembled violently. The obelisk’s glow intensified, and a deep rumbling sound filled the air.

“What now?” Ithan muttered, gripping the Sigil.

The runes on the obelisk shifted, forming a swirling vortex of light. From within, a figure emerged—a towering, armored creature with eyes like molten lava. It carried a massive blade, its presence radiating raw power.

“A Sentinel,” Lyra whispered, drawing her weapon. “A guardian of the Hollow King’s secrets.”

The Sentinel roared, the sound shaking the trees, and charged toward them.

Ithan and Lyra moved as one, their earlier argument forgotten in the face of the new threat. The Sentinel was relentless, its strikes leaving deep gouges in the earth.

Ithan’s Sigil flared as he dodged a crushing blow, retaliating with a surge of energy that slammed into the creature’s chest. Lyra darted in from the side, her strikes precise and devastating.

Despite their combined efforts, the Sentinel barely faltered. Its armor seemed impenetrable, and its attacks grew fiercer with every passing moment.

“We can’t take it head-on,” Lyra shouted. “We need to outthink it!”

Ithan scanned their surroundings, his mind racing. The obelisk still pulsed with energy, and an idea formed.

“Keep it distracted!” he called to Lyra.

She nodded, launching a flurry of attacks that forced the Sentinel to focus on her. Meanwhile, Ithan sprinted toward the obelisk, the Sigil guiding him. He placed his hand on its surface, feeling a surge of energy course through him.

The runes on the obelisk glowed brighter, and the Sentinel let out a deafening roar, its movements becoming erratic.

“It’s linked to the obelisk!” Ithan realized. “If we destroy it, we destroy the Sentinel!”

Lyra fell back, joining him at the obelisk. Together, they channeled their combined power into it. The Sigil’s light merged with Lyra’s magic, creating a blinding surge of energy.

With a final, thunderous crack, the obelisk shattered. The Sentinel let out one last roar before collapsing into a heap of molten metal, its form disintegrating into ash.

As the dust settled, Ithan turned to Lyra. Their earlier argument lingered, but for now, it was overshadowed by their victory.

“This isn’t over,” Ithan said quietly. “About my family. About everything. We’re going to talk.”

Lyra nodded, her expression unreadable. “I’ll tell you everything. But first, we need to move. The Hollow King will know what we’ve done.”

With the ruins behind them and the weight of unspoken truths between them, they pressed onward, the final confrontation drawing closer.