Shadow Moon Series Book 2
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Rain Itika
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215K
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58
Prologue
THREE CENTURIES PRIOR
The evening unfolded like any other. The sun was dipping low, disappearing behind the mountain range. The sky was ablaze with red, a foreboding omen of the events to come.
A man was ascending the mountain, oblivious to the stunning spectacle before him. It had been ages since he had taken pleasure in life’s simple joys; his sole focus now was power. A power so immense that it was beyond any creature’s comprehension, and he was determined to be its master.
As he navigated over rocks and through streams, all the insects and critters scurried away. They could sense the malevolence emanating from him, instinctively knowing they needed to keep their distance. Suddenly, he halted and looked up.
Before him was a cave entrance, barely large enough for him to fit, and an impenetrable darkness within. He raised his hand, whispering a few words, and a ball of fire materialized in his palm. He used his magic to suspend it in midair and began to approach the entrance.
The glow from the fireball lit up the cave, revealing a downward path that opened up farther inside. Without hesitation, he ventured in.
He could feel an ancient power within and used it to guide him to his destination. The power surged over him, attempting to repel him. Any other being would have been annihilated, but he was the strongest, capable of withstanding anything.
The tunnel began to widen, revealing a larger space ahead. He clambered over the rocks, which had been shaped to serve as steps. The cave was too vast for the fireball to illuminate, so he launched it into the air, whispering a spell to amplify its light.
The cave was now visible to his eyes, filled with rocks of varying sizes, some even hanging precariously from the ceiling, their sharp points ready to fall at the slightest disturbance. His gaze swept the area, searching for something, when a rock in the center of the cave piqued his interest. It was the same dark gray as the surrounding rocks, but its shape was unusual.
He moved closer to examine it when, to his surprise, it moved. The rock unfurled, revealing a figure beneath. It rose slowly, unfolding itself.
Moments later, an elderly woman stood before him. Her hair was sparse and as white as snow. Her face was gaunt, the skin stretched taut over her bones. Where her eyes should have been were black voids, an endless abyss that could easily ensnare one.
“Who dares disturb my slumber?” a shrill voice echoed throughout the cave.
The man stepped closer, fascinated by the sight before him. “You know who I am, Seer. You know what I seek,” he responded.
She let out a raspy laugh and moved closer to him. “I knew you would come to me eventually, but I do not possess what you desire.”
He halted right in front of her, seizing her by the throat. “Tell me who she is before I end your life.”
The black voids stared down at him, her face devoid of emotion. “My dear boy. I am older than this earth. No being can kill me, not even one as powerful as you.”
A sneer crossed his face. “That may be true, but pain is a universal language, even a relic like you can comprehend.”
They both remained silent, neither moving as they assessed each other. He finally released her neck, and she crumpled to the ground.
“The one you seek has not yet been born,” she explained, looking up at him. “But the prophecy is not about you. The power will never be yours.”
A loud crack echoed as his palm connected with her face, his anger erupting. That was not the answer he wanted to hear.
“I know the prophecy well. I have dedicated my entire life to studying it. Just like my father and his father before him,” he spat at her.
“You may know it, but you will never understand it. Evil has clouded your vision.”
Before she could respond, a brilliant light emanated from her eyes. Her body levitated, hovering above the ground.
A gust of wind began to swirl within the cave, a cloud of dust forming around them. Her mouth opened, but no sound emerged. The wind ceased abruptly, and the dust settled.
He looked around, puzzled, not understanding what was happening when a soft voice echoed, seeming to come from all directions.
He will come, the one with power. Neither one nor the other, but both.
A power so great, neither good nor evil.
He will decide.
She will be his light, his life, his death.
Only with her blood will the power be revealed.
With her death will it be chosen.
Evil, the destroyer.
Her body fell to the ground, disintegrating into dust upon contact with the rocks. She was truly gone now, and he could no longer torture or kill her. His plan had failed.
He let out a scream, his rage reverberating throughout the room.
He would find the girl, the one the prophecy spoke of, and then kill her. He would be the sole possessor of the power, the ultimate destroyer, and he would scour the earth until he found it—leaving a trail of devastation in his wake.
