Descendants: Legends Uncovered Book 3: Shadows of Destiny

Chapter 4

The victory over the shadow at the monolith felt hollow. Back at Auradon Prep, the mood was tense. The shadows were becoming bolder, stronger, and more relentless. Each battle was harder than the last, and each time, they seemed to learn, adapting to the group’s tactics. It was clear now: they needed more than brute strength. They needed answers.

Mal sat in her dorm room, staring at the moonlit sky from the window. The weight of responsibility was heavy on her shoulders. She knew they were running out of time. The crack at the monolith and the shadow’s cryptic message echoed in her mind: *The forgotten realm stirs, and soon, it will rise.*

A soft knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. Evie stepped in, her blue hair tied up as she carried an ancient book under her arm.

“I think I’ve found something,” Evie said, her voice serious.

Mal straightened. “Tell me.”

Evie placed the book on the bed and opened it to a faded page covered in strange symbols. “These markings are from a time before Auradon was founded, before the Isle of the Lost was created. It’s old magic, and it’s tied to something called the Forgotten Realm.”

Mal furrowed her brow, leaning in closer. “The Forgotten Realm?”

Evie nodded. “It’s a place that existed alongside our world, long before any of us were born. It was filled with creatures of shadow and darkness—beings that didn’t belong in the light. Legend says that the Forgotten Realm was sealed away by ancient sorcerers because its power was too dangerous to control.”

Mal exhaled slowly, piecing things together. “And now, it’s opening again.”

“Exactly,” Evie said. “The shadows we’ve been fighting—they’re from the Forgotten Realm. Something has started breaking the seals that kept it locked away, and if the realm fully opens…”

“They’ll overwhelm Auradon,” Mal finished grimly. “We need to figure out how to close it for good.”

Evie flipped through the pages. “There’s a way, but it’s not going to be easy. The seals were placed at specific landmarks across Auradon. We’ve already found one at the monolith, but there are others. And we’ll need to strengthen the seals with a powerful spell to close the portal for good.”

Mal stood, pacing as she processed this new information. “So we’re looking for ancient landmarks… and we need to cast some kind of sealing spell at each one. Any idea where the other landmarks are?”

Evie shook her head. “Not yet, but if we can find the rest of the runes, they should give us clues.”

“We’ll need to move fast,” Mal said, determination setting in. “The shadows aren’t going to give us much time.”

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The next morning, Mal, Evie, Jay, and Ben gathered in the courtyard, ready for the next leg of their journey. Aurora had been called to another kingdom for a meeting, but the group knew they couldn’t wait. Time was slipping through their fingers.

Evie had pinpointed the location of another landmark—a forgotten temple deep within the Enchanted Forest, a place where magic still lingered in the air. They hoped the next piece of the puzzle would be waiting for them there.

As they traveled deeper into the forest, the mist thickened, and the trees loomed overhead, their branches gnarled and twisted. The forest felt alive, as though it had its own pulse, and the group could feel the ancient magic coursing through the land.

“We’re getting close,” Evie said, consulting the map she had brought along.

Jay kept his hand on the hilt of his sword, scanning the surroundings. “I don’t like this place. It feels… wrong.”

Mal shared his unease. The air around them had grown colder, and the shadows seemed to stretch longer than they should, as if watching their every move.

They soon arrived at a clearing where a crumbling stone temple stood. It was covered in vines and moss, the once-proud structure now a mere shadow of its former glory. But despite its decay, Mal could sense the power emanating from it.

“This is it,” Evie said quietly, her eyes scanning the ruins. “The second landmark.”

As they approached the entrance, Mal’s heart raced. She could feel the magic, ancient and raw, stirring within the temple. The shadows weren’t far behind. She could sense their presence, lurking just beyond the trees.

“Let’s move fast,” Ben said, his tone serious.

The group entered the temple, their footsteps echoing in the vast, empty space. The air inside was thick with dust, and the walls were adorned with more strange symbols, similar to those they had seen at the monolith.

“We need to find the rune that will let us activate the seal,” Evie said, her voice a whisper in the silence.

Mal led the way, her instincts guiding her toward the heart of the temple. As they moved deeper, they found a chamber filled with stone pillars, each inscribed with the same cryptic symbols.

Evie moved toward one of the pillars, her fingers brushing against the ancient carvings. “These runes… they’re different from the others. This one is tied to the Forgotten Realm directly.”

Mal’s hand began to glow with her magic as she touched the pillar, feeling the surge of energy course through her. The rune flared to life, and for a moment, she felt as though she was connected to the realm beyond—a place filled with darkness and shadows, stretching endlessly.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them rumbled, and the familiar sound of whispers filled the air. The shadows were here.

“Mal!” Jay shouted, drawing his sword as the shadows began to materialize, swirling around them like a black fog.

Ben stood ready, his sword gleaming in the dim light. “We need to hold them off while Evie completes the spell.”

Evie quickly pulled out her journal, flipping through pages as she read the incantation aloud. Her voice echoed through the chamber, growing louder as the power of the spell built.

The shadows lunged at them, their forms twisting and writhing as they tried to envelop the group. Mal’s magic flared to life, sending blasts of energy toward the dark figures. Jay and Ben fought with their swords, striking at the shadows as they closed in.

“We can’t let them stop the spell!” Mal shouted, her heart pounding as she struggled to keep the shadows at bay.

Evie’s voice reached a crescendo, and with one final word, the rune on the pillar glowed brighter than ever before. A blinding light filled the chamber, and the shadows let out an ear-piercing screech before being sucked back into the darkness, disappearing into the cracks in the temple walls.

For a moment, all was still. The temple was silent once more, and the oppressive presence of the shadows had vanished.

Evie lowered her hands, breathing heavily. “That should hold them for now.”

Mal wiped the sweat from her brow, feeling a brief sense of relief. “Two down, but we still have more to go.”

Ben sheathed his sword, his expression grim. “And the shadows are getting stronger with each seal we activate.”

Mal nodded. “We’ll be ready for them. We have to be.”

As they left the temple, the forest seemed less hostile, but the weight of their mission remained heavy on their hearts. They knew the worst was yet to come, and the Forgotten Realm was stirring—soon, it would rise in full force.