Nova sat cross-legged on the floor of the sanctuary's inner chamber, surrounded by ancient murals and glowing crystal light. The air was thick with something sacred — not just history, but power. The woman who had greeted her — Elder Maren — now stood before her, holding an orb of glass that pulsed in time with Nova's heartbeat.
"You are your mother's daughter," Elder Maren said gently. "The last of her line. Do you know what that means?"
Nova shook her head. "I didn't even know she had a line."
Maren knelt, setting the orb between them. "Your mother was not fully human. She was Moonborn — like you. A guardian of balance between light and shadow. Long ago, our kind protected the sacred sanctuaries hidden across this world. Until we were betrayed… by one of our own."
Nova felt a chill crawl down her spine. "Who betrayed you?"
"His name was Kalen," Maren said, voice sharpening. "But the world now knows him by another."
Nova's breath caught. "Kane."
Maren nodded solemnly. "He was once Moonborn, but he turned against us. He craved control, not protection. He broke the sacred oath, and your mother stood against him. Their battle nearly destroyed us."
The orb flared between them, and images spilled into the air — her mother wielding silver fire, standing between Kane and a crumbling temple. Nova's chest tightened as she recognized her mother's face. There was grief there. Pain. Love.
"She died to seal him away," Maren continued. "But the seal weakened when you were born. You inherited her light — and her burden."
Nova stared at her glowing wrist. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Your stepfather tried to protect you from it all," Maren said gently. "But the moment Kane felt you awaken, it began again. He's coming, Nova."
Nova looked up, her voice steady despite the fear twisting in her gut. "Then I need to be ready."
At the edge of the sanctuary, alarms echoed — soft vibrations through stone and root. Maren stiffened. "The wards have been breached."
Nova rose to her feet. Her heart was racing, but her mind was calm. "He's here."
Outside the sacred walls, Kane stood with his forces. "So this is where they've been hiding you," he murmured. "Fitting. She returns to the graveyard of her blood."
One of his soldiers stepped forward. "Do we attack?"
Kane smiled coldly. "No. Not yet. Let her see. Let her remember. Then… we strike."