The Third Child
1745 Words
Episode 15: The Third Child
The voice echoed through the Moon Temple.
“My children…”
Elena stood frozen.
The shadow above Adrian continued to grow.
Lyra looked toward the ceiling, her face pale.
Kael whispered,
“That voice…”
Elena turned toward him.
“You know it?”
Kael slowly nodded.
“It belongs to the third child.”
A cold silence filled the temple.
Elena looked at Adrian.
His crimson eyes were glowing.
But behind them, she could still see a faint silver light.
“Adrian?”
His lips moved.
“Elena…”
She stepped toward him.
“I'm here.”
“Don't…”
His voice trembled.
“…come closer.”
“Why?”
“Because he's waking up.”
The gigantic shadow behind Adrian suddenly opened its eyes.
Two crimson flames filled the chamber.
Then a voice came from inside Adrian.
“Sister…”
Elena froze.
It was the same voice she had heard outside the temple.
Lyra stepped beside her.
“That isn't possible.”
The voice laughed.
“Everything you were told was a lie.”
Elena's heart raced.
“Who are you?”
The shadow slowly lowered its head.
“I am the child they tried to erase.”
Elena whispered,
“Our brother.”
“Yes.”
The temple shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Malric watched from above.
For the first time, there was fear in his eyes.
Elena noticed.
“You're afraid of him.”
Malric didn't answer.
“You knew he was alive.”
“No.”
“You knew!”
Malric's expression hardened.
“I knew the power survived.”
“What about the child?”
“He died.”
The voice inside Adrian laughed.
“Did I?”
Malric stepped backward.
The shadow suddenly turned toward him.
“You killed my father.”
Malric raised his hand.
A black barrier appeared.
The shadow struck it.
The barrier cracked.
Malric's eyes widened.
“No…”
Elena looked at him.
“You're not the strongest one here.”
Malric stared at her.
“You don't understand what you've awakened.”
“Then explain.”
“The third child was never meant to survive.”
The voice answered,
“But I did.”
---
Adrian suddenly collapsed.
Elena rushed toward him.
She caught him before he hit the ground.
“Adrian!”
His eyes returned to normal.
“Elena…”
She held his face.
“I'm here.”
“I can hear him.”
“Who?”
“My brother.”
Elena froze.
“He's inside you?”
Adrian nodded weakly.
“Not completely.”
“Then where is he?”
Adrian looked toward the shattered Blood Moon Heart.
“Somewhere between life and death.”
Lyra stepped closer.
“Can we bring him back?”
Adrian shook his head.
“If we do…”
He looked at Elena.
“…the balance will break.”
“What balance?”
“Light and shadow.”
Kael's expression changed.
“The prophecy.”
Adrian nodded.
“The prophecy was never about the sisters.”
Elena stared at him.
“Then what was it about?”
Adrian whispered,
“The three children.”
Silence.
“The first carries light.”
He looked at Elena.
“The second carries shadow.”
His eyes moved toward Lyra.
“And the third…”
He touched his chest.
“…carries blood.”
Elena understood.
“Blood Moon power.”
Adrian nodded.
“Your brother's power was sealed inside me.”
Lyra looked horrified.
“Why you?”
“Because I was the only one who could survive it.”
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
“You've been carrying this all these years.”
Adrian smiled sadly.
“For you.”
Elena held his hand.
“You shouldn't have had to.”
“I chose it.”
Before Elena could answer, a loud crack echoed through the temple.
Everyone looked toward the crystal.
The shattered pieces were rising from the floor.
They began forming a new shape.
A door.
A gigantic black door.
Kael stepped backward.
“No…”
Elena looked at him.
“What?”
“The Blood Gate.”
“What is behind it?”
Kael's voice trembled.
“The place where your brother was imprisoned.”
Lyra stepped forward.
“Then we open it.”
Kael grabbed her arm.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because nobody who entered ever returned.”
Elena looked at the door.
“Then I'll be the first.”
Her mother suddenly shouted from the entrance.
“ELENA, DON'T!”
Everyone turned.
She was standing there, wounded but alive.
Elena ran toward her.
“Mom!”
Her mother grabbed her shoulders.
“You cannot open that gate.”
“Why?”
“Because your brother isn't trapped behind it.”
Elena froze.
“Then where is he?”
Her mother looked at Adrian.
“He is inside him.”
Everyone became silent.
Her mother continued,
“Seventeen years ago, when the kingdom fell, I couldn't save all three of you.”
She looked at Elena.
“So I used an ancient spell.”
Lyra whispered,
“You divided us.”
“Yes.”
“And him?”
Her mother's eyes filled with tears.
“I placed his power inside Adrian.”
Elena stared at her.
“You chose Adrian?”
“I had no choice.”
Again.
That phrase.
Elena shook her head.
“No. You had a choice.”
Her mother looked broken.
“I was trying to save you.”
“But you destroyed him.”
She looked toward Adrian.
Her voice became soft.
“I know.”
Adrian slowly stood.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I thought if you knew the truth, you would try to release him.”
“And now?”
Her mother looked toward the black door.
“Now it's too late.”
Suddenly—
BOOM!
The Blood Gate opened.
A wave of crimson energy exploded from inside.
Everyone was thrown backward.
Elena hit the ground.
Lyra screamed.
Kael dropped his weapon.
Adrian remained standing.
His body was surrounded by crimson flames.
Then a figure stepped through the gate.
At first, it looked like a shadow.
Then it became human.
A young man.
Dark hair.
Silver eyes.
A mark across his forehead.
Elena stared.
He looked almost exactly like her.
But his eyes were different.
Cold.
Ancient.
Broken.
He looked at Elena.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then he smiled.
“Sister.”
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
“You're alive.”
He shook his head.
“No.”
He touched his chest.
“I am what remained.”
Lyra slowly approached him.
“Brother…”
He looked at her.
“You remember me?”
She nodded.
“I don't remember everything.”
“You were too young.”
He smiled sadly.
“But I remember you.”
Then his eyes moved toward Adrian.
The smile disappeared.
“You.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“I'm sorry.”
The young man stared at him.
“You carried my soul.”
“I didn't know.”
“I know.”
Then he looked toward Elena.
“Do you know why Father hid me?”
Elena shook her head.
“He was afraid of my power.”
“No.”
The young man looked toward their mother.
“She was.”
Elena turned.
“Mom?”
Her mother couldn't speak.
The young man continued.
“She knew what I would become.”
Elena looked at her mother.
“What would he become?”
Her brother answered.
“The King who could unite Moonborn light and Blood Moon darkness.”
Malric suddenly shouted,
“Don't listen to him!”
Everyone turned.
Malric's face was filled with rage.
The young man smiled.
“You're still afraid.”
Malric raised his hand.
Hundreds of black blades appeared in the air.
“Kill them!”
The blades shot forward.
Elena raised a silver shield.
Lyra created a shadow barrier.
Adrian stepped in front of them.
The third child didn't move.
He simply raised his hand.
Every blade stopped.
Then shattered.
Malric stared in horror.
The young man walked toward him.
“You stole my kingdom.”
Malric stepped backward.
“You died!”
“I changed.”
“You were a child!”
“I am no longer a child.”
The air became heavy.
Malric suddenly disappeared.
But his voice echoed through the temple.
“This isn't over!”
Elena looked toward the doorway.
“He escaped.”
Her brother smiled.
“He wanted you to think that.”
Elena frowned.
“What?”
Her brother turned toward her.
“He wasn't running from us.”
“Then what was he doing?”
“He was going to the palace.”
“Why?”
The young man looked at Adrian.
“Because the final seal is there.”
Adrian's face changed.
“What seal?”
“The one holding your father's soul.”
Elena's heart stopped.
“My father?”
Her brother nodded.
“Lucian's soul was never destroyed.”
A chill passed through Elena.
“Then where is he?”
Her brother looked toward the red sky outside.
“Inside the Blood Moon.”
Suddenly the entire temple shook.
The Blood Moon above them began turning black.
A deep heartbeat echoed across the kingdom.
Boom.
Everyone froze.
Boom.
Another heartbeat.
Boom.
The ground cracked.
Elena looked upward.
A gigantic face began forming inside the moon.
Her father's face.
His eyes opened.
And his voice echoed across the entire kingdom.
“My children…”
Elena's breath caught.
The voice became darker.
“You have awakened me.”
Her mother whispered,
“No…”
Lucian continued.
“Now bring me the one who carries my blood.”
His eyes moved directly toward Adrian.
Elena stepped in front of him.
“You'll never have him.”
The Blood Moon began glowing crimson.
Lucian laughed.
“I don't need to take him.”
A black mark appeared on Elena's chest.
She screamed.
Lyra grabbed her.
“What is happening?”
Her brother stared at the mark.
His expression turned terrified.
“He marked you.”
Elena looked at him.
“Why?”
He whispered,
“Because you're not just the Moonborn Queen.”
He looked toward the Blood Moon.
“You are the key to bringing him back.”
Elena's eyes widened.
And then—
the moon began falling toward the kingdom.
TO BE CONTINUED…
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD