Sacrificed To The Triplet Alpha Kings novel Chapter 394

Chapter 394: The Gatekeeper

Victoria looked at the mark and saw it was already moving. Already counting down.

One hundred sixteen hours.

Less now.

One hundred fifteen hours and fifty-eight minutes.

Fifty-seven.

Fifty-six.

"How do I find Thalia in the middle realms?" She asked.

"Follow your tracking magic," the guardian said. "Blood calls to blood even here. Especially here. Your cousin’s signature will lead you to her."

"And you?" Victoria asked. "Are you coming with me?"

"I guided you to the Underworld," the guardian said. "My obligation is fulfilled. You walk the rest alone."

It began to dissolve back into water.

"Wait!" Victoria called. "How do I get back? When I’m ready to leave?"

The guardian’s voice came from the water as it disappeared: "The same way you entered. Call for passage. Pay the price. But witch....the exit price is higher than the entrance. Be prepared to pay more than you expect."

Then it was gone.

And Victoria was alone in the grey nothing of the Underworld’s outer territories.

She pulled out her tracking compass with shaking hands.

Activated it.

The silver wire glowed...brighter here than in the mortal realm. The hair twisted. Pointed...

Deeper. Toward the twisted structures in the distance. Toward the middle realms where Thalia was hiding.

Victoria looked at the mark on her wrist.

One hundred fifteen hours and forty-three minutes remaining.

Not enough time to waste.

She looked up and started walking.

Toward the twisted buildings. Toward the middle realms. Toward Thalia.

And hoped she would survive long enough to find her.

***

The Underworld did not have distance the way the mortal realm did.

Victoria had been walking for what felt like an hour...following the compass needle deeper into the grey nothing, but when she looked back, the entrance point where the guardian had left her was still visible. Not far away. Just there. Like she had only walked a few steps.

But when she looked forward, the twisted structures in the distance seemed closer. Much closer than they should be.

Space was wrong here.

Time was wrong here.

Everything was wrong here.

Victoria checked the mark on her wrist again.

One hundred twelve hours remaining.

Three hours had passed since entering the Underworld even though it had only felt like one.

Don’t lose track of time, the guardian had warned.

She forced herself to walk faster.

The grey stone beneath her feet was perfectly smooth. Too smooth. It felt like walking on glass. And the cracks, the ones the guardian had warned her not to step on.....glowed brighter as she got closer to the middle realms.

Victoria looked into one of the cracks as she passed.

Darkness inside. Absolute darkness. The kind that seemed to pull at her, trying to make her fall in.

She looked away quickly and kept walking.

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