Novel : Tides of Destiny , Written by : Zoeb Ali (Zee)

Pre-Cap: Where We Left Off

In Chapter 17, Aileen stood on the stormy cliffside, gripping the mysterious artifact as the waves crashed violently below. Betrayal had come from within, and the truth about the journal and its cryptic symbols was finally unraveling. Just when she thought she was alone, a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness—someone she once trusted. Was this the moment of reckoning, or was there still a way out?

Chapter 18: Shadows of the Past

The wind howled through the night, carrying whispers of the past that refused to be buried. Aileen’s fingers trembled around the artifact, its eerie glow illuminating the face of the figure before her. It was him. The one she never expected.

“You,” she whispered, voice barely audible over the storm.

The figure stepped closer, his expression unreadable. “You should have left it alone, Aileen.”

She took a step back, her boots skidding against the wet rock. The weight of the journal in her satchel pressed against her side—a reminder of the secrets it held, secrets she wasn’t supposed to uncover.

“Why?” Her voice was stronger now, laced with the sting of betrayal. “After everything, why deceive me?”

The answer came not in words but in motion. A sudden rush—a flash of steel. Aileen barely had time to react, ducking as the blade sliced through the space where she had stood. She stumbled backward, her heartbeat a frantic drum against her ribs.

“Hand it over, and this ends now,” he demanded, his voice dangerously calm.

But Aileen wasn’t ready to surrender. Not now. Not after coming this far.

Summoning every ounce of courage, she spun on her heel and bolted toward the only path left—the ruins. The crumbling remains of the ancient chapel loomed ahead, a ghostly silhouette against the storm-lit sky.

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of damp stone and forgotten history. She pressed herself against a broken pillar, clutching the artifact tightly. Her pursuer’s footsteps echoed in the vast emptiness.

“You can’t hide forever,” he taunted. “You think you’re the first to try?”

Aileen’s breath came fast and shallow. Think, think. She glanced at the altar—the place where Eleanor’s journal had hinted something was buried. Could this be it? The final piece of the puzzle?

She reached out, her fingers tracing the worn carvings. A shift in the air, a soft click beneath her fingertips. And then—a sudden tremor. The ground beneath her quaked, dust cascading from the ceiling. A secret passage? A trap?

She had no time to hesitate. She leapt forward just as the floor gave way behind her, swallowing the past and the present in one terrifying collapse.

Post-Cap: What’s Next?

As Aileen plunges into the darkness below, what awaits her? Has she stumbled upon the final key to Eleanor’s secrets, or has she fallen into an even deadlier trap? And what will happen to the one who betrayed her?

Now, I’d love to hear from you! How do you think Aileen should proceed? Should she trust an unlikely ally in the depths below, or is she truly on her own? Drop your thoughts in the comments! If I choose your suggestion, I’ll @mention you in the next chapter with a message of your choice!