The Temple Awakens
867 Words
The silver light vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.
For a moment, neither Kael nor I moved.
The forest was silent.
Too silent.
Then the pendant around my neck cooled.
The tremors stopped.
And somewhere far away...
Something ancient had awakened.
Kael's expression darkened.
"The doors opened."
I blinked.
"You can tell from here?"
He nodded once.
"Every royal bloodline can feel it."
That wasn't reassuring.
Not because I doubted him.
But because if Kael could sense it...
Then so could everyone else.
The enemy.
The hunters.
The armies.
They all knew.
The race for the Silver Temple had officially begun.
"We need to move."
I didn't argue.
This time.
---
By noon, the mountains finally appeared.
Huge.
Ancient.
Their snow-covered peaks stretched into the clouds.
The sight stole my breath.
The Silver Temple was somewhere beyond them.
Waiting.
My pulse quickened.
The closer we got, the stranger I felt.
The pendant remained warm against my skin.
My wolf was restless.
Excited.
Almost eager.
As though she recognized the place.
As though she was coming home.
We're close.
I glanced around.
"How can you tell?"
My wolf laughed softly.
I can feel them.
"Them?"
Silence.
Then—
Our people.
A chill ran down my spine.
The Moonborn.
The realization hit immediately.
The temple wasn't just a building.
It was a legacy.
A tomb.
A memory.
A thousand years of history waiting inside.
And somehow, it all belonged to me.
The thought was overwhelming.
Kael noticed my expression.
"Nervous?"
I snorted.
"Terrified."
A surprisingly honest answer.
Kael's lips twitched.
"Good."
I stared.
"What?"
"If you weren't nervous, I'd be concerned."
That wasn't exactly comforting.
But strangely...
It helped.
A little.
---
Several hours later, we reached the edge of a cliff.
And I finally saw it.
The Silver Temple.
My breath caught.
The structure was magnificent.
Massive white walls rose from the mountainside.
Silver towers gleamed beneath the sun.
Ancient bridges connected different sections of the complex.
Moon-shaped symbols adorned every surface.
It looked less like a temple.
And more like a forgotten kingdom.
A kingdom frozen in time.
Waiting.
Watching.
Remembering.
For centuries.
I couldn't look away.
"It's beautiful."
Kael nodded.
"Yes."
For once, he sounded almost nostalgic.
As though the temple meant something to him too.
Then my gaze shifted downward.
Toward the valley below.
And my stomach dropped.
Thousands of soldiers surrounded the mountain.
Campfires.
Tents.
Weapons.
Banners.
An entire army.
Waiting.
Exactly like the map had shown.
The enemy had arrived first.
Wonderful.
Because things clearly weren't difficult enough already.
Kael studied the battlefield.
Calculating.
Planning.
His expression became grim.
"They're preparing for a siege."
"A siege?"
"They don't know how to enter the temple."
That made sense.
The temple only opened for its heir.
Me.
The problem was obvious.
The moment I arrived...
The temple would open completely.
And every enemy soldier would know it.
I swallowed hard.
"Any ideas?"
Kael's eyes scanned the mountain.
Then he pointed.
"There."
I followed his gaze.
A narrow path wound along the cliffside.
Almost invisible.
Hidden behind rock formations.
"Secret entrance?"
A faint smile appeared.
"Ancient entrance."
That sounded close enough.
---
The journey became much harder after that.
The path was steep.
Dangerous.
And ridiculously narrow.
One wrong step meant falling hundreds of feet.
Several times I nearly slipped.
Several times Kael caught me.
Annoyingly.
Effortlessly.
Eventually, the path opened into a hidden plateau.
And there—
Standing before us—
Were the temple gates.
Massive silver doors.
At least fifty feet tall.
Covered in glowing symbols.
The same symbols engraved on my pendant.
The sight sent a strange feeling through my chest.
Recognition.
Belonging.
Home.
My wolf became unusually quiet.
Emotional.
We've returned.
I stepped forward.
The doors immediately reacted.
Silver light spread across their surface.
The symbols began glowing.
One after another.
The mountain trembled.
Dust fell from above.
Ancient mechanisms groaned to life.
Then a voice echoed through the air.
A woman's voice.
Gentle.
Ancient.
Familiar.
Moonborn heir identified.
My heart skipped.
The voice continued.
Aria Moonfall.
I froze.
It knew my name.
The massive doors glowed brighter.
Bloodline confirmed.
Kael stepped closer.
Watching carefully.
The voice paused.
Then said something that made my blood run cold.
Warning.
The silver light flickered.
Hostile royal bloodline detected.
The atmosphere instantly changed.
Kael frowned.
"What?"
The voice repeated itself.
Louder.
More urgently.
Hostile royal bloodline detected.
I turned toward Kael.
Confused.
"What does that mean?"
For the first time since meeting him...
The Lycan King looked genuinely shocked.
Then realization dawned in his eyes.
A terrible realization.
"No."
The voice continued.
Identity confirmed.
The mountain shook violently.
The silver light intensified.
And then the ancient temple spoke a name.
A name that made Kael go completely still.
Descendant of the First King detected.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
I stared at Kael.
My pulse thundered in my ears.
No.
No way.
The First King?
The immortal king?
The enemy?
My gaze slowly rose to meet his.
Kael wasn't denying it.
Which somehow made it worse.
The temple spoke once more.
And this time—
The entire mountain trembled.
Emergency protocols activated.
The doors began opening.
Not welcomingly.
Not peacefully.
Like a fortress preparing for war.
- Writer
