Chapter 8: The Fall of Light
The temple roared like a living beast.
Light and darkness clashed in waves that shattered the stone walls, filling the air with blinding brilliance and crackling energy.
At the center of it stood Ben and Gabriel — brothers bound by fate, divided by choice.
Their swords met again and again, sparks flying, each strike echoing with centuries of rage and sorrow.
"Still fighting for her?" Gabriel shouted over the chaos. "For a past life that betrayed us both?"
Ben swung his blade, sending a streak of light that split the ground between them. "I'm fighting for balance — for the world you swore to protect before the darkness consumed you!"
Gabriel laughed bitterly. "Balance? There's no balance without pain!"
He lunged forward, his sword cloaked in black flame.
Ben barely blocked the strike — the impact threw him across the chamber, slamming him against the wall. His armor cracked, his breath ragged.
Gabriel approached slowly. "You and I were never meant to exist, brother. We're remnants of a mistake — cursed to fight until one of us disappears."
Ben's hand tightened on his sword hilt. "Then let me be the one who ends it."
Outside the Temple
Mia and Father John stumbled out into the open, the ground trembling beneath their feet.
The mountain was splitting apart — bright beams of light burst from cracks in the earth as if the island's heart was bleeding.
"Ben's still inside!" Mia cried, trying to run back.
Father John held her arm tightly. "You can't go! The temple is collapsing!"
Tears streamed down her face. "I don't care! He saved me — I can't just leave him!"
Before he could stop her, she broke free and ran toward the entrance, light already flickering around her body.
"Mia!" Father John called after her, but his voice was drowned by thunder.
Inside the Chamber
Ben staggered to his knees, blood dripping from his lip.
Gabriel raised his sword above his head — the black flame growing, swirling like a storm.
"This is where it ends!" Gabriel shouted.
But before he could strike, a burst of golden light flooded the chamber.
Mia appeared, her hair flowing like liquid sunlight, eyes glowing white.
"Stop!" she cried.
The force of her voice rippled through the temple, freezing both brothers in place.
Gabriel's eyes widened. "You… You shouldn't be here."
"I was always meant to be here," Mia said softly, stepping between them. "Because this curse began with me — and it ends with me."
She placed her hands on both of their chests — one on Ben's heart, one on Gabriel's.
The golden light around her intensified until it filled the room, erasing every shadow.
Gabriel screamed as the darkness inside him writhed and broke apart. "No—! You can't take it!"
Mia's voice trembled, but she didn't stop. "I'm not taking it. I'm setting you free."
Ben's eyes widened as he felt the warmth surge through him — the centuries of pain lifting, the bond that tied his soul to Gabriel starting to dissolve.
The Light's Sacrifice
The chamber was collapsing, the Light Core pulsing faster and faster.
Mia's body began to fade at the edges, dissolving into pure light.
Ben reached for her, panic flooding his voice. "Mia! Stop! You'll die!"
She smiled faintly through her tears. "Maybe… but at least this time, I can make it right."
Gabriel fell to his knees, the darkness in his eyes finally gone. "Sister of light…" he whispered, voice weak. "Forgive me."
Her voice was soft. "You're already forgiven."
And with that, the Light Core exploded — a brilliant sphere of radiance that swallowed everything in silence.
When the light finally faded, the temple was gone.
The mountain stood still under the morning sun, the ocean calm again.
Father John shielded his eyes as the light dimmed — and then saw a lone figure kneeling among the ruins.
Ben.
His armor was shattered, his sword broken, but he was alive.
He looked around desperately. "Mia?"
Only the wind answered.
Then, from the sky, a single feather of golden light drifted down — landing in his hand.
It pulsed once, softly, like a heartbeat.
Ben closed his eyes, tears falling silently. "Thank you."
Far away, over the horizon, the island began to heal.
The forests turned green again. The sea shimmered with peace.
And somewhere in that golden dawn… a faint voice whispered in the wind:
"We'll meet again, when the light returns."