Chapter 3: The Light Within the Shadows
From the novel "The Last Sun Mage"
Word count: ~1600
The night was colder than it should have been.
Kael stood alone in the clearing, heart pounding, hands trembling. The vision from the Sunstone still haunted his eyes—flashes of cities in ruin, skies burning with crimson fire, and a shadowed figure standing atop a throne of bones. His breathing slowed, not from fear, but from a growing certainty: the world was changing, and he was at the center of it.
He held the Sunstone tightly. It was warm now, pulsing with life, as if recognizing him. He could feel its ancient energy thrumming beneath his skin, weaving into his veins.
But he wasn't alone.
A rustle in the trees.
Kael turned quickly, raising the stone instinctively. The golden aura around him flared for a moment. A figure stepped into the moonlight — tall, cloaked, face hidden behind a silver mask etched with sunbursts.
"I've been watching you, Kael," the voice was smooth, male, yet carried an unnatural echo. "You awakened it... far earlier than expected."
Kael took a step back. "Who are you?"
The man didn't answer. Instead, he slowly removed his mask. Beneath it, his eyes glowed faintly gold — just like Kael's had in the vision.
"My name is Solen. I was once the last Sun Mage... before the world buried the light."
Kael's eyes widened. "You're like me."
"No," Solen said. "You're stronger. The stone chose you because you are the dawn after darkness. But power alone won't save you — or this world."
Kael frowned. "I don't understand."
"You will." Solen looked up at the moonlit sky. "The Nightborne have already awakened. Your vision was not a dream — it was a prophecy. And every force in this world will now seek you... to destroy you or control you."
Kael felt his stomach tighten. "What are the Nightborne?"
Solen stepped forward. "Long ago, when the Sun Mages ruled, there was balance. But jealousy birthed the Nightborne — mages who twisted starlight and shadow into weapons. They were banished beyond the Veil. But time has grown weak, and the Veil has torn. One of them walks free now... and he has already sensed your spark."
As if summoned by name, the air grew bitter. The trees shivered. A growl echoed from the woods.
Solen's expression darkened. "He comes."
From the blackness, a beast burst forth — not an animal, not quite a man. Its body shimmered with black mist, claws dripping darkness, eyes glowing with void.
Kael froze.
Solen stepped forward. "Your training starts now."
"But—"
"No time."
The creature roared and lunged.
Kael barely dodged, rolling aside as the beast's claws shredded bark from a tree. Instinct took over. He raised the Sunstone, and from it burst a flare of golden light so blinding that even Solen shielded his eyes.
The creature screamed as light pierced its body, burning through shadow. It staggered back—but it didn't fall.
Kael stumbled. The energy inside him was raw, untamed.
Solen placed a hand on Kael's back. "Focus. Don't fight the power—guide it."
Kael closed his eyes.
He felt the sun inside him — the warmth, the rage, the life. He imagined light not as a weapon, but a part of him. When he opened his eyes again, they blazed with gold.
He raised his hand.
The light answered.
A beam of pure sunlight shot forth, cutting through the night. It struck the creature in the chest, piercing its core. The shadows writhed and screamed, then exploded into ash.
Silence.
Kael dropped to one knee, gasping. "I... I did it?"
Solen nodded. "You barely scratched the surface."
Kael looked at his glowing hands. "What am I becoming?"
Solen helped him to his feet. "What the world needs."
Back at the abandoned temple, Solen led Kael down a spiral staircase hidden behind a sun-carved wall. Torches lit themselves as they passed, illuminating murals—stories of ancient Sun Mages, wars lost and won, prophecies written in flame.
Kael stopped before one mural in particular: a boy with golden eyes standing alone before a crumbling kingdom.
"It's you," Solen said. "The Chosen Light."
Kael turned slowly. "Why me?"
Solen's face was unreadable. "Because you are the last hope... and the last weapon."
That night, Kael couldn't sleep.
He stood outside the temple ruins, watching the stars. His village, his old life—it felt like a dream now. He wasn't just a farmer's son anymore. He was something ancient, something hunted.
But he wasn't alone.
He heard footsteps behind him.
Solen.
The older mage placed a small pendant in Kael's hand — a sun-shaped crystal. "This was mine... when I first awakened. It guided me. It may guide you, too."
Kael nodded, fingers closing around it.
"Thank you."
Solen gave him a long look. "Tomorrow, we begin true training. You must master the Light. Because if you fail... the world burns."
Kael turned back to the stars.
And they no longer looked like dots of light.
They looked like enemies waiting in the dark.
{End of Chapter}.
L'auteur:
Abdelali Aitali