That evening, Kieran, Lethia and I gathered to plan our next move. Kieran stood at his desk, Lethia watched the outside from the window, and I found myself seated in a chair off to the side.
Kieran was the first to speak, "We will use the Whispering Passage."Lethia nodded in agreement.
"If we use the portal, the Desert Kingdom can reach Luna, we must take a hidden and unexpected route," Lethia added after him. She stood with her arms crossed, and her eyes finally found me. With her thin green dress and white hair, she looked strikingly beautiful.
"I thought they had already given up on me," I said, my voice more questioning than certain.
"Of course they know what happened at the execution scene, the people are aware of everything, my girl," Lethia replied.Kieran continued, "The Desert King has lost his mind. He is making the worst decisions in his history. I couldn't take you from their hands even if I tried." He was serious.
"We have to consider every possibility," Lethia said as she stepped toward the table.
"It will not be easy," she murmured.
As Kieran rose from his desk, his eyes fixed on me, "Equip yourselves with the best weapons, the Whispering Passage will not be easy."
I understood why later. The Whispering Passage was filled with the remnants of souls who had died and suffered. These spirits had a physical form, walking beings with lost minds. Whatever pain had consumed them became their weapon, like someone who died of disease spreading that very illness. This journey would be exactly as they said, far from easy. We had to consider every possibility and remain alert.
As I returned to my room, Lethia, heading to hers in the same direction, called out,
"You are sure the necklace is with Aaron, right?"
My answer was clear, I nodded as I closed my eyes.
"I gave it to him with my own hands before coming to the Kingdom of Ice."
"Are you that close to him?" she asked with suspicion. "The necklace is important, and if the king knows, he will want it."
"I don't think he knows what it does, he is pure and uninterested." It was true, he was my closest friend, and I knew him well.
We entered our rooms and spent the day resting, then preparing. We would depart at night, while everyone slept peacefully in their homes.
As I paced in my room, I thought about that dream one last time. Was it a prophecy, or just a trick of my mind? If it was a prophecy, there had to be a way to prevent it. Even if I did not like it, Kieran was my ally for now.
And that sword, it was the most important detail. Would the Desert Kingdom unite with the Abyss Kingdom? It sounded impossible. There was no reason for it. Then how had that sword reached him?
Nonsense, I thought, yet I remained alert. I was ready for every possibility, especially considering I had already seen the bloody massacre beforehand. Before leaving the room, I checked all my belongings. Everything was ready.
We set out.
Kieran had planned everything. In our plain clothes, we looked like ordinary villagers. Our sharp swords and armor were hidden beneath loose garments.
I glanced at the dirt on Kieran's face. He had taken the plan seriously. Noticing my look, Lethia answered,
"He rolled in mud."
Kieran gave no response. We walked through the pitch darkness with feather-light steps. After a while, we reached a neighborhood.
"Sometimes the best thing to do is the worst thing," Kieran said as he slowly approached a horse that did not belong to us.
"Was that supposed to be a saying?" Lethia whispered. I let out a quiet laugh.
"Wait," Lethia said. "Let Luna do it, she has the power of compassion."
She was right. My duty was to protect souls, to care for them. I approached the horse calmly, with careful steps. I felt the power flowing through my body. My heart filled with compassion. I stroked it gently, first its mane, then its head. Its initial restlessness faded into calm. Then I mounted it. After calming the other horses, we set off.
The Whispering Passage was not far from the palace. It was a passage near the mountains, but it still took us a few hours to reach it.
When we arrived, we took two torches. The Whispering Passage was a cave with a river inside. We would have to travel by boat. Kieran moved ahead with his sword in hand, while we followed behind. Together, we pushed the boat toward the river.
We climbed in and began to row, slowly entering through the mouth of the cave. We were all on guard, silent, scanning our surroundings. The torches in our hands were the only source of light. For a moment, my eyes drifted to Kieran, his face illuminated by the orange glow. I had to admit, he was handsome. His eyes were something else entirely. But I had nothing kind to say about his personality.
When Kieran caught my gaze, I quickly looked away. At that moment, the boat rocked and a sound rose from the river.
I turned my head in embarrassment.
What came next was not good. We heard them, the murmurs, the whispers of awakened ghosts.