Chapter 3: The Awakening Shadows
The storm that raged over Moonvale Island lasted for three days. The wind screamed through the trees, tearing branches apart, and the ocean pounded the cliffs as if trying to swallow the land whole.
Inside the old church, Father John lit a candle before the statue of the Archangel. The faint flame flickered against the stone walls. He could feel it — a pulse, a vibration deep beneath the ground.
He whispered, "They're waking up…"
When he looked at the candle again, its flame had turned black.
Meanwhile, at the Brightstone Villa, Mia sat by the window, staring into the rain. She had spent the last few days pretending that everything was fine — meetings, calls, polite smiles — but inside she felt a strange pull, a whisper she couldn't explain.
Sometimes, when she closed her eyes, she saw flashes — an ancient temple, a sword glowing in darkness, and a man standing beside her.
Every time she woke from those visions, her heart pounded like it remembered something her mind did not.
Suddenly, a knock echoed at the door.
When she opened it, Ben stood there — soaked, silent, and serious.
She stepped back, startled. "You—? How did you find me?"
His gaze was steady. "I told you to stay away from the forest. But you didn't."
"I didn't go there!" she protested. "I haven't even left the villa!"
He looked past her toward the window. "Then it's already too late."
Thunder cracked. The lights flickered. And from the distant woods, a deep roar echoed — not human, not animal, but something older and darker.
Mia froze. "What was that?"
Ben drew his sword — the same blade that gleamed like liquid silver under the dim light.
"The shades have found you," he said. "They can sense what you are."
"What I am?" she repeated in confusion.
He didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the door. "If you want to live, come with me."
They ran through the rain, through the thick forest paths that twisted like veins across the island. The sound of footsteps — not theirs — followed close behind.
The shades emerged, crawling out from the shadows, their eyes burning like coals.
Mia gasped. "What do they want from me?"
Ben stopped, placing himself between her and the demons.
"They want your light," he said, raising his sword. "And if they take it… the island will die."
With a flash, he moved — his blade slicing through darkness. Each strike burst into smoke and ash, but for every shade that fell, two more appeared.
One of them lunged toward Mia. She screamed, stumbling backward — and suddenly, a golden light burst from her hands, throwing the creature away with blinding force.
Ben turned, eyes wide.
"So it's true…" he murmured. "You carry her power."
Rain poured down harder, washing away the black mist. The forest fell silent again.
Mia trembled, staring at her glowing hands. "What's happening to me?"
Ben looked at her — and for the first time, his cold, guarded expression softened.
"It's starting," he said quietly. "Your past is waking up."
In the distance, under the ruins at the heart of Moonvale, Gabriel opened his eyes.
A cruel smile curved his lips.
"So," he whispered, his voice echoing in the dark. "The light has returned… and so has he."
The island groaned like a living thing.
The war between light and shadow had begun again