Chapter 4: The Forgotten Temple
The rain finally stopped, leaving Moonvale Island soaked in silver mist. The air smelled of salt and earth, and the cries of distant gulls echoed across the cliffs.
Mia sat by the fire inside a small stone cottage Ben had brought her to. Her hands still trembled as she stared at the faint golden glow fading from her fingertips.
"What happened to me?" she whispered.
Ben stood by the doorway, cleaning the blade of his sword. The firelight danced across his face, showing both strength and sorrow.
"You used power you didn't know you had," he said quietly. "It's been inside you since birth."
She frowned. "That doesn't make sense. I'm just a person, Ben. I work, I live, I—"
"You're not just a person," he interrupted gently. "You're a Light-Bearer — a descendant of those who once sealed the darkness beneath this island."
Mia blinked, speechless.
"Light-Bearer? You mean… like magic?"
Ben's jaw tightened. "Not magic. A gift — or a curse — depending on who holds it."
The words made the room feel colder.
She looked at him, her voice soft. "And you? What are you?"
Ben turned away, staring out into the mist. "Something created to destroy what you're meant to protect."
The silence that followed was heavy. Two souls bound by fate, standing on opposite sides of the same prophecy.
Later that night, Father John arrived, his clothes still wet from the rain. He carried with him an old, half-burned map and a worn leather journal.
"I found this," he said, spreading them across the table. "The island's oldest temple — the Temple of Solen — it was built centuries ago to seal away something called The Shadow Heart."
Ben's eyes narrowed. "That seal must be weakening."
John nodded grimly. "And if it breaks, the shades won't be the only things that rise. Gabriel will come back too."
Mia looked between them. "Gabriel?"
Ben hesitated, then spoke. "He was my brother… once. We were both created by the same ritual — to fight the darkness. But he turned against it. Against me."
Mia whispered, "And now he's coming back."
Ben nodded slowly. "Because of you."
At dawn, the three of them set out for the mountains at the heart of Moonvale. The path wound through thick forests and misty ridges until the ruins appeared — ancient stone pillars half-swallowed by vines, and symbols glowing faintly across the ground.
"The Forgotten Temple," Father John breathed.
As they stepped inside, a wave of cold air brushed past them, and the walls began to hum with energy. Strange whispers filled the air — voices of the past, calling out in a language long forgotten.
Mia clutched her chest, her heart pounding painfully. Images flashed in her mind — the same temple, hundreds of years ago, her own face under a different name, standing beside Ben and Gabriel.
She gasped, nearly falling. Ben caught her in his arms.
"Mia! What's wrong?"
"I… I remember this place," she said weakly. "I've been here before."
Before she could say more, the ground trembled. The air darkened. From the shadows of the temple's entrance, a familiar voice echoed — deep, smooth, and cruel.
"Well," the voice said, "isn't this a lovely reunion?"
Ben's eyes widened.
"Gabriel."
From the darkness stepped a tall figure in black armor, his eyes glowing like burning coal. A smirk curved his lips.
"It's been a long time, brother."