Eclipsed heart

chapter nine: The temple beneath

The portal swallowed them whole.

Cold wrapped around Lila like a second skin as she stepped out onto solid ground. The sky above was a swirl of frozen clouds, and before them stood a towering structure carved from blue-white crystal. A temple — ancient and humming with power.

“This is... beautiful,” Lila whispered, eyes wide.

Cassian nodded. “The Temple of Echoes. Only those bound by the veil can enter.”

Lila took cautious steps toward the entrance. As she crossed the threshold, warmth rushed up her spine—strange, considering the icy surroundings.

Inside, the air shimmered. Flames hovered midair, suspended like stars, casting dancing reflections on the crystal walls. In the center stood a wide pool of water, frozen on the surface. Strange symbols were carved along the edges.

Cassian moved beside her. “This is where memories sleep. Bloodlines. Past lives.”

“My past?” she asked.

He nodded. “Touch the ice. Your fire will do the rest.”

Lila hesitated, then reached out. The moment her fingers met the frozen surface, a pulse of heat surged through her arm. Images flashed—faces she didn’t know, voices whispering her name, a city burning, a boy with silver eyes calling her *Aralis*.

She gasped and stumbled back.

Cassian caught her. “You saw it, didn’t you?”

Trembling, she nodded.

“I was someone else,” she whispered. “And I was powerful.”