Serene held her breath as she waited for her father to speak again.

Aldren sat back down, his voice softening but firm. "Our family. Aeryndor has been bound by a blood pact for a long time. An ancient pact made between our ancestors and the wolf kingdom. Our blood should be pure. But—" He stopped speaking, his face filled with doubt.

Serene took a step forward. "But what, Father?"

Aldren looked deeply into his daughter's face. "But your mother suspected something that was never recorded in official history. Something hidden from our family line. She sought answers and found something. Something that many parties wanted to silence."

Serene felt her blood run cold. "Does this have anything to do with my mother's death?"

Aldren closed his eyes. He was clearly struggling with his emotions. "I can't prove it. But i'm sure of it. Evelyne was too close to the truth. When she died suddenly. I knew it wasn't just an illness."

Silence hung in the air. Serene felt a tightness in her chest, a mix of anger, sadness, and growing determination. "Father, I won't back down. If my blood is gray in their eyes, then i'll find out why. I'll uncover the truth that even scares them."

Aldren stood up and walked to the old wooden cabinet in the corner of the room. "There's someone who can help you. Someone who used to be your mother's advisor. He disappeared after your mother passed away. But i know where you can find him."

Serene took the scroll her father had given her. "Who is he?"

"I can only call him by the name your mother used. His name is The Whisperer. He's not a nobleman, not a soldier, but a shadow informant. He knows a lot about the blood pact. In the city near the ruins of the old temple. Go there in disguise."

That night, Serene recklessly sought out The Whisperer in search of answers. Previously, she had no idea there was a place with such an odd atmosphere in the city. It seemed like two worlds colliding. The air there was different, colder, thicker, and smelled of rusty iron mixed with damp earth. As she stepped through the gate, faint whispers began to echo. Like ripples of sound clinging to the stone walls.

In the narrow corridor, she saw strange faces. A man with white eyes without pupils, two women with long hair and ashen skin, and many more. Her gaze paused when several children passed by. The child ran down the narrow path, laughing, but the laughter turned into a cough of blood before disappearing into the shadows. All eyes followed Serene, but no one approached.

"That's gray blood."

"Did the child of Aeryndor come down here?"

"If she's seeking the truth, then her end is near."

Those words made Serene anxious. However, she tried to suppress her fear. Her hands still held the scroll given to her by her father. As if that object were the only shield she could rely on there. She continued walking, following the scroll's directions toward the ruins of an old temple half-buried underground.

"How dare you come down here alone."

The voice was deep, calm, and steady. From the shadows of the pillars, a figure emerged. A tall figure with shoulder-length black hair, dressed in a steel-blue eyes staring intently at Serene.

"Caelan," Serene thought. "Why are you here?" Her voice was soft and suspicious, her heart still beating fast.

Caelan gave a thin smile, but his gaze was unfriendly. "That's the question i should be asking you. Do you think no one noticed your tracks? You left too many clues. Even the blind in this underground city know where you're going."

Serene clenched her jaw. "I don't care. If you want to report me to them, go ahead. I have my own business to attend to."

Caelan stepped closer, each step echoing on the stone floor. "Your own business? Or your mother's business that you failed to leave behind?"

Serene startled. Her eyes widened. "You know something about my mother?"

Caelan stopped directly in front of her. Close enough that Serene could feel the cold emanating from his body. "I know more than you think. If you keep pushing The Whisperer, you won't just uncover buried secrets. You'll mark yourself as a threat. Not just to the kingdom, but to those who live here as well."

The whispers around the temple grew louder. Like the voices of shadows listening in. Strange eyes peered through the cracks in the ruins.

"I don't care about that," Serene replied quickly.

Caelan stared at Luna for a long time, as if weighing Serene's courage. "Your courage will kill you. The truth you seek is not just an answer. Sometimes it is punishment."

Before Serene could respond, the old temple door creaked open on its own. A faint greenish light emerged from within, as if there were a fire not of this world. A heavy voice from inside pierced her ears.

"Gray-blooded child. Finally, you've come."

Serene froze. Her breath caught in her throat. But she knew it was The Whisperer's voice. As she stepped forward, Caelan suddenly grabbed her wrist. The grip was so firm, as if giving her a final warning.

"If you go in, there will be no way back. You will lose more than you can imagine," Caelan said.

Serene stared sharply at Caelan's face. "I've already lost enough. Nothing can stop me."

Serene stepped into the temple. The whispers of the strange people outside grew louder, like death cries. Caelan tried to follow Serene. But he couldn't penetrate the light, as if an invisible shield was in place there. Once Serene entered. The door slammed shut. The whispers faded, replaced by their silence. Before her, a large shadow with glowing white eyes greeted her.

"Your blood is not just gray. You are the key that will shatter the ancient pact. You truly dare to come," said The Whisperer.

Serene straightened her body. "I did not come for courage. I came for answers."

The Whisperer was silent for a long time. Then, he stepped forward. The fabric of his robe swept across the stone floor, producing a hissing sound like a snake slithering. "The answer is a double-edged sword. It can set you free or kill you."

"I don't care. I just want to know who I really am and what my connection is to the ancient pact that's always been kept secret?" Serene asked, holding her breath.

"You are a descendant of Aeryndor. Pure blood that should be sacred. But your lineage has been tainted."

Serene's brows furrowed. "Tainted?"

The Whisperer nodded slowly. "Your mother was the heir to the pact. But she broke her oath. She fell in love with something forbidden. Someone from the shadows, not the light. From that union, you were born. Half pure, half cursed. Gray blood."

Serene was stunned. The words hit her like a blow. All this time, her father had never spoken of the details about her mother. Only vague fragments that always raised more questions.

"And the ancient pact?" Serene asked in a trembling voice, trying to control her emotions.

Whisperer approached. His voice grew deeper. "The pact was sealed with the blood of our ancestors. It binds the wolf kingdom to maintain its power. With the condition that there must be no gray blood. No betrayal of the pure line."

Serene felt her skin prickle. "So, my presence has broken the promise?"

"Not merely broken. You are the key to the pact's destruction." The Whisperer fell silent as the room suddenly shook.

"The kingdom has already detected your presence here. You have chosen to submit to the kingdom, live in the shadows, and sacrifice your freedom, or liberate your world from the shackles of your ancestors, with the consequence of plunging the kingdom into endless war." The Whisperer suddenly retreated into the shadows.

The green light suddenly went out. Total darkness engulfed the room. Serene ran toward the exit only to find the door forced open from the outside. Behind the torchlight stood Caelan alongside a line of royal soldiers. Their eyes were cold and sharp.

"Serene Aeryndor," Caelan's voice boomed, formal, no longer holding any warmth. "In the name of the Blood Council. You are detained to account for your transgressions."

Serene froze, her breath quickening. The Whisperer's words still echoed in her ears. Without realizing it, the first chain was about to close around her. She knew that one step would bind her. But anger began to grow in her heart. She had to choose between surrender and resistance. Even if the entire kingdom would make her an enemy.