Chapter Sixteen: Into The Heart Of The Dark Storm
The trio plunges into the deeper portions of the Shadowlands, the darkness growing darker, and it almost suffocates them. The fabric of reality is so thin that it almost disappears from before their eyes, as every step ahead is a battle that seeks to consume them.
The further they venture, the thicker the air becomes and thick with malevolent energy. The ground rumbles beneath their feet as though it is a living creature, looking to shake them off. The trio presses on, drawing strength and courage from one another.
Suddenly, shadows begin to liquify. They coalesced into dark creatures, menacing. The creatures' eyes glow like lit furnaces, as they lunge at Kiadaria, Joshua, and Akira with sharp claws.
"Everyone, stay close. This realm is all about separation. Our strength is in our teamwork." She calls out as fierce wind whips around them, trying to drown out her words. They have their swords.
The battle that ensues is intense. They work together, determined to execute a perfect sync to best the guardians. Every victory wears them thin as the guardians appear to thrive and grow stronger. The darkness is consuming and adapting to their skill.
After a grueling effort, they are victorious. The shadows return to the solid darkness. They don't celebrate as they find themselves thrown into a materialized maze called- The Maze of Reflections.
Akira almost quivers. "This maze will reveal our deepest fears and darkest desires. Our inner demons await us."
Steeling themselves, they went into the maze. Each labyrinth is twisting and turning, mirroring any conflict they've ever faced in their hearts and minds with multiplied intensity. Illusions pop out at random turns, illusions crafted from their darkest desires entice them, and their darkest fears force them to overcome or to cower.
Kiadaria reaches the heart of the maze, and there she meets with a dark and twisted mirror image of herself.
"You liked him. You wanted him. You wanted to be his whore..." The shadow taunts. "You don't love Joshua...you run because you know that you are the darkness...that you will never escape, and so you want to drag him down with you." It hisses.
Kiadaria fights for her life. The battle and the taunts make her stronger and wiser.
Beyond the maze lies a hidden chamber, containing many ancient secrets. They reach it and are amazed by the mysterious artifacts contained. There is much that can be revealed about ancient secrets, but the important part is the information for their journey. They search, uncovering clues about the curse and Darius' true intentions. They are aware that they are very close to the heart of the darkness.
Delving deeper into the hidden chamber, Joshua, Kaidaria, and Akira find themselves drawn to ancient leather-bound books. The books glow with a supernatural energy, and Akira is the one to reach out and open one. The yellowed and frayed pages are filled with forbidden knowledge and secrets that extend from the beginning of time as it's known.
"The origin of the curse: a powerful entity was bound to the Shadowlands and came upon the ancient ancestors of Darius. The ancestors were granted dark powers in exchange for their loyalty, but the Shining Moon pack forgot that over time and in a previous lifetime, Darius came upon the entity and invited it in. He finds the entity in every lifetime, due to his pledge of eternal loyalty." Akira almost chokes on the whispered words as her eyes continue to scan the pages.
"Oh no," Akira spits out. "These texts confirm our worst fears! The entity will grant Darius godhood in this lifetime if he succeeds in his plan."
Kiadaria's core shakes, remembering her last interaction with Darius and the battle with her evil shadow self. "He needs to consummate the false mate bond with my shadow self to succeed. The text continues, saying that it will enable him to defeat Joshua, erasing him from eternity. I will be eternally bound to him, never having a chance to be with Joshua again and turning evil as his divine mate."
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The Luna's Fated Choice
Werewolf"Trapped between two alphas... Kaidaira has been tormented by Joshua, her pack's ruthless alpha, since she was a teenager. But when Darius, a mysterious and handsome alpha, arrives with a claim to her heart, Luna's world is turned upside down. As sh...
