The temple trembled.
Its aged walls creaked, the dusty floor cracked anew, and at the center of the chamber — the once softly glowing orb now split open, radiating a creeping dark light. Ereth shouted something in an ancient tongue and rushed toward Luma, who staggered back while clutching her head.
"Don't touch that stone again!" Ereth pulled her away. "The seal isn't complete!"
Kael stood before them, his sword faintly glowing with a defensive spell. From the stone's fractures, black mist erupted and slowly took form — a tall silhouette, eyes glowing red, and a voice that echoed like a thousand whispers merged into one.
> "Selene... your body pulses anew. And so shall I rise again."
Luma trembled. The voice reverberated through her chest like an old flame — familiar, yet foreign. Ereth raised his hand and began chanting a sealing spell, but the dark aura effortlessly repelled his magic.
> "He is no longer a guardian," the creature said, "he is merely a witness to the rebirth."
Kael turned to Ereth. "We need to get out. Now."
With effort, Ereth activated a hidden passage on the temple's side — a stone door grinding open with a harsh rumble. The three of them darted through, descending a narrow staircase that seemed to spiral into the very bowels of the ancient city.
The Ancient Library
The stairs led them to a vast, dim chamber lit only by shafts of light from crystals embedded in the ceiling. Walls were lined with shelves of stone-bound books and spells locked in copper tubes.
"The Old City Library," Ereth whispered. "This is where all magical history and ancient battles are archived."
Luma picked up an old scroll. The writing was faded, but she recognized a symbol from her dreams — a half-sun, a sword, and a shadow.
"This symbol..." she touched it. "It's from Selene's memory. I remember standing in a tower... reciting this spell."
Ereth turned to her, a serious look in his eyes. "You're not just Selene's reincarnation. You are the key. Your body, your soul — they're etched with magic that can either open or seal Vaeloth."
Luma took a deep breath. "So I'm... just a tool to continue a fight that never ends?"
"Not a tool," Kael replied. "A choice. You're not Selene. You're Luma. And you can choose your own path."
A Brief Respite
After hours of studying dusty scrolls and ancient manuscripts, Kael sat in a corner, slicing a piece of dry bread and offering it to Luma.
"I know this isn't the best timing... but have you ever eaten grasshopper bread?"
Luma frowned. "Please don't tell me that's what we're eating now."
Kael chuckled. "No. But it's the official winter food in the Northern Mountains. Grasshopper bread and sour root tea."
Luma let out a small laugh. "You should open a weird food shop once all this is over."
"I'll keep that in mind," Kael grinned.
The Voice from Ancient Magic
Suddenly, one of the books Luma had touched began to tremble and opened by itself. A soft light emerged, forming the figure of a woman in white robes, her face calm and her voice gentle — yet firm.
> "To the heir of light... if you are reading this, then the seal of Vaeloth has cracked."
The figure introduced herself as Aranithe, a sorceress from the Council of the Last Light — Selene's former mentor.
> "There is one way to end Vaeloth without sacrificing the soul of light. But the path lies within the 'Shattered Tower' — the place where Selene vanished from history."
Ereth looked up. "The Shattered Tower... it lies beyond the borders of the Old City, cloaked in eternal fog. No one has ever returned from it."
Kael glanced at Luma. "We won't know unless we try."
Luma gripped the edge of her cloak, and for the first time that night, she felt no fear. "If that tower holds the answers, then I'll go."
Outside the library, black mist slowly crept back into the ruins of the Old City. Vaeloth had not fully awakened yet, but his dark power had begun to seep through the cracks of the land. Silently, a shadow watched them from afar — not from the dark, but from a light that had been twisted.
And it was waiting for them to arrive at the Shattered Tower.
> To Be Continued...