# CHAPTER 14 – "Son"
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The young guard didn't leave.
Kael had expected him to return to his post, but instead, the man fell into step beside them, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.
"I'll take you down," he said. "Third level's tricky if you don't know the layout."
Theron didn't miss a beat. "Appreciated."
Kael said nothing. He kept his eyes forward, his posture rigid, his hand brushing the edge of his cloak where the sword was hidden. The weight of the suppression field pressed down harder with every step, thick and suffocating.
The corridor sloped deeper into the mountain. The torches grew sparser, the shadows longer. Water dripped somewhere in the distance, a slow, steady rhythm that echoed off the stone.
The guard glanced at Kael. "First time down here?"
Kael nodded.
"It's not so bad once you get used to it," the guard said. "Cold, though. And the air gets heavy the deeper you go."
Kael didn't respond. He could feel the pressure building in his chest, the sword's presence in his mind growing fainter, like a voice fading into static.
They reached another checkpoint—a small alcove carved into the wall, manned by two guards who barely looked up as they passed. Theron showed the document pouch again, and the guards waved them through without a word.
"Shift change makes everything easier," the young guard muttered. "Nobody wants to deal with paperwork at the end of the day."
Theron made a noncommittal sound. Kael stayed silent.
---
They descended another level. The corridor opened into a wider space—a crossroads of sorts, with passages branching off in three directions. Cells lined the walls, iron bars rusted but solid. Most were empty. A few held figures slumped in the shadows, silent and still.
Kael's eyes drifted to one of the side passages.
Two people were being escorted by guards—hands bound, heads down. One was a woman with dark hair and sharp features. The other was smaller, lean, with a scarred jaw and a defiant set to her shoulders.
Kael's breath caught.
*Liora. Rynn.*
He forced himself not to react, but his hand tightened on the edge of his cloak.
"Who are they?" he asked, keeping his voice flat.
The young guard glanced over. "Infiltrators. Caught them in the palace yesterday. Tried to break into the Queen's private rooms, from what I heard."
Kael's jaw tightened. "What'll happen to them?"
"Interrogation first. Then execution, probably." The guard shrugged. "Depends on what they know."
Theron shot Kael a warning glance—subtle, but clear. *Who are they.*
Kael exhaled slowly and looked away. Liora and Rynn disappeared down the side passage, the sound of their footsteps fading into the stone.
*They're alive,* Kael thought. *That's enough. For now.*
---
They continued deeper.
The air grew colder. The suppression field thickened, pressing down like a physical weight. Kael could feel his chest tightening, his breathing shallow.
The corridor opened into another chamber—larger than the others, with a single cell set into the far wall. The bars were thicker here, reinforced with iron bands. A single torch burned beside the door, casting flickering light across the stone.
And inside the cell, sitting cross-legged on the floor, was a man.
Kael stopped.
The man was old—white hair, deep lines etched into his face—but there was something about him that made Kael's instincts scream. Even through the suppression field, even sitting motionless, the man radiated power. It was subtle, almost invisible, but it was there—a pressure in the air, a weight that pressed against Kael's skin.
The guards passing by the cell slowed, their postures stiffening. One of them bowed slightly before moving on.
Kael leaned closer to Theron. "Who is he?"
Theron's voice was barely a whisper. "Our previous king."
Kael's eyes widened. He looked back at the old man, who hadn't moved, hadn't acknowledged them at all. Just sat there, still as stone, his eyes closed.
*Even in here,* Kael thought, *even with all this suppression... he's still that strong.*
The young guard gestured for them to keep moving. "Come on. Third level's just ahead."
Kael tore his gaze away and followed.
---
The descent continued.
The third level was narrower than the others, the ceiling lower, the walls closing in. There were fewer cells here—only four, spaced far apart, each one isolated from the others. The torchlight barely reached the end of the corridor, and the shadows seemed to press in from all sides.
The young guard stopped at the second cell and pulled a key from his belt.
"This is him," he said. "Alkeos."
Kael's pulse quickened. He stepped closer, peering through the bars.
The cell was small, barely large enough to stand in. A single figure sat against the far wall, knees drawn up, head resting on his arms. He was young—maybe Kael's age, maybe a little older—with dark hair and sharp features. His clothes were plain, worn, but there was something about the way he held himself that spoke of nobility.
The guard unlocked the door but didn't open it. "You've got ten minutes. I'll be right outside."
Theron nodded. "Understood."
The guard stepped back, his hand still resting on his blade. Kael and Theron entered the cell.
---
Alkeos didn't move at first.
Kael stood just inside the doorway, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. The cell smelled of damp stone and old sweat. The suppression field was strongest here, thick enough to make his head ache.
Theron crouched down, his voice low. "Alkeos."
The figure stirred. Slowly, Alkeos lifted his head, blinking against the torchlight. His eyes were dark, sharp, and intelligent. He looked at Theron, then at Kael, and something flickered across his face—recognition, surprise, confusion.
He stared at Theron for a long moment.
Then he spoke, his voice hoarse but clear.
"Why are you here..."
Kael's hand tightened on the hilt of his sword beneath the cloak. He didn't know what he'd expected—gratitude, relief, maybe even anger—but the way Alkeos said it, quiet and hollow, made his chest tighten.
Theron didn't answer right away. He just looked at Alkeos, his expression unreadable.
Outside the cell, the young guard shifted his weight, his footsteps echoing faintly in the corridor.
Kael glanced at Theron, then back at Alkeos.
And in the silence, the weight of the mountain pressed down on all of them.
---
**END OF CHAPTER 14**