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Chapter 296: Chapter 296 World key+ Lucas POV
Lucas POV
As we moved deeper into the strange chamber, I couldn’t help but feel like we were being watched. There was a stillness in the air, the kind that comes just before a storm, but also something else—something alive. My eyes kept darting to the strange designs on the walls, trying to figure out if they were just carvings or if they had some hidden purpose. Everything here felt like it was part of a larger puzzle we didn’t fully understand.
Oceanus seemed to sense my unease but said nothing. He just kept moving forward, his steps confident, like he knew exactly where we were going, even though he had admitted earlier that he only knew little about this place. That alone made me nervous. How were we supposed to find the world key if even he was unsure of what it really was?
I couldn’t stop thinking about Damon—how he had given up his wings without hesitation. It haunted me. The sound of his scream, the way he had smiled afterward, proud of the pain he’d endured because it meant saving Kyra.
Was his love for ky-ky really that powerful?
I shook the thought away, focusing on the path ahead. I had to keep moving forward. Damon had made his choice, and now it was up to us to make sure that sacrifice wasn’t wasted.
Oceanus suddenly stopped, and I nearly walked into him. "We’re here," he said quietly.
I looked ahead and saw a massive stone door, even more elaborate than the walls surrounding it. It had the same strange designs carved into it, but this time they glowed faintly, like the door itself was alive, waiting for something—waiting for us.
Oceanus stepped forward and placed his webbed hand against the door. "This is where the world key should be," he said, his voice calm yet tense, like he was preparing for something big.
I swallowed, feeling the weight of everything crashing down on me. We were finally here, but what would happen next? Would we really find the world key behind this door? And if we did, would it be enough to save Ky-ky and stop whatever danger was looming?
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay focused. There was no turning back now. We had come too far. All we could do was push forward and face whatever came next.
"Open it," Oceanus said, his voice calm yet deadly dangerous.
I nodded, taking a deep breath, and placed my hands against the cool stone door. As soon as my fingers touched it, I felt an intense heat building up, spreading from the center of the door through my palms. My skin burned, but I pushed harder, the stone groaning and shifting beneath the pressure. A sharp "ding" echoed through the space, and the door finally gave way, opening with a soft hiss.
What I saw took my breath away.
Green vines curled delicately along the walls, blooming with vibrant pink and blue flowers that filled the air with a subtle, sweet fragrance. But in the center, surrounded by those glowing vines, was the real tresure—a baby-pink morganite gemstone, gleaming softly as if it held all the light in the world.
I stepped forward, barely breathing, my eyes fixed on the crystal. This had to be it—the world key we had been searching for.
The room, though small, was stunning. It felt more like a secret garden than a hidden vault. The colors, the scents—everything seemed alive, as if this place had been waiting for us all along.
Without hesitation, I reached out and gently lifted the gemstone from its bed of vines. The warmth it emitted was comforting, almost reassuring, and I clenched it tightly in my fist. A smile crept onto my face. We had finally done it.
Crack—
The sound was sharp, jarring, and I froze. The smile vanished from my lips as I turned to see tiny fractures crawling across the stone walls. The vines began to shrivel, their once-bright flowers turning pale and lifeless as the room itself seemed to react to the gemstone being removed.
"Lucas," Oceanus’ voice cut through the growing panic, calm but firm, "we need to leave. NOW."
I didn’t need to be told twice. As the cracks spread faster, chunks of stone started breaking free and crashing to the ground. The chamber was falling apart, and fast.
I scrambled toward the door, my heart hammering in my chest as the floor beneath me began to crumble. The entire room felt like it was collapsing in on itself, and the ground seemed to shift with every step. My feet slipped on loose stones, but I forced myself to keep moving, clutching the gemstone like my life depended on it.
The air was thick with dust, making it hard to see, but I kept my eyes on the faint light streaming in from the open door. I just needed to make it there, and I’d be safe.
Finally, I burst through the doorway just as the ground behind me gave way completely, collapsing into a deep pit below. I hit the floor hard, skidding to a stop as the door slammed shut with a resounding thud.
For a moment, I just lay there, breathing hard, my chest heaving. The gemstone was still clutched tightly in my hand, its warm glow comforting against my skin. 𝑛𝘰𝘷𝑝𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝘮
Oceanus was already there, watching with his usual calm expression, though there was something darker in his eyes. "You did well," he said, glancing down at the gemstone. "But this was only one step."
I nodded, still catching my breath. "We’ve got the world key," I muttered, holding it up for him to see. But even as the words left my mouth, a sinking feeling settled in my gut. Damon’s wings—it had all come at a cost.
Oceanus looked at the crystal in my hand, his gaze calm yet unreadable. His eyes flicked from the sparkling morganite to the crumbling walls around us.
"Now, let’s go outside quickly before this place starts to crack too," he said, his tone so steady that it made me wonder if he ever panicked at all. "We still have to find your mate."
