33. The Awakening of Lumora's Power

Golden light burst from the Veralune Staff, illuminating the dark chamber where Micheal stood at the pedestal. The Heart of Lumora pulsed in his hands, ancient energy weaving through his veins like vines reclaiming lost ground.

A deep hum filled the chamber. Not just from the power in Micheal's hands, but from the jungle itself. The walls trembled, the vines quivered, and something unseen stirred in the shadows.

Selene and Kai shielded their eyes from the blinding light. Their shadows stretched unnaturally long across the stone floor, flickering as if something else moved alongside them.

"Micheal…," Selene breathed, her voice laced with awe. "What's happening to you?"

Kai squinted, his sword half-raised. His stance was tense, not just from surprise, but instinct.

"Either he's merging with the jungle… or he's about to explode," he muttered.

Micheal barely heard them. The Heart tightened its grip on him, pulling his mind into something greater, something older. Then, a voice—melodic, yet woven with ancient weight—whispered through the air.

"You have awakened the light of Lumora… but with power comes responsibility. Are you prepared to carry this burden?"

The voice was neither warm nor cold. It carried no judgment. But deep beneath its words, something else lingered—a presence watching, waiting.

Micheal steadied himself.

"Yess," he said firmly. "I will protect this jungle and everyone inside it. The Shadow Lords won't take this land."

As if in response, the light surged, swallowing his vision.

Suddenly—memories flooded in.

But they weren't his.

A battlefield stretched before him. Warriors in silver-green armor stood against a tide of darkness. Their staffs blazed with golden fire, striking down monstrous forms that writhed like living shadows.

But then… the light flickered. The warriors stumbled.

And the darkness whispered.

Something lurking beyond sight, something far worse than the beasts they fought, reached out. A name pressed against Micheal's mind—but just as he thought of it it, the vision shattered.

Micheal gasped, stumbling forward. The light dimmed, but his eyes still glowed faintly with golden fire.

Selene caught his arm.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded, though his heart still raced.

"I understand now," he murmured. "The Heart… it isn't just a relic. It's the key to balance. And it's been waiting for someone to wield it again."

"Great. First, jungle-powered Micheal. Now, prophet Micheal." Kai smirked.

But his words were lighthearted only on the surface. His grip on his sword never loosened.

---

The Jungle Stirs

The temple doors groaned open. Stepping into the jungle felt different.

The air was lighter, fresher, as though the jungle itself had exhaled. The heavy weight of darkness had retreated—but not disappeared.

Selene exhaled.

"The temple accepted you," she said. "That's not something just anyone can do."

Kai sheathed his sword but remained alert.

"So, what now? We've got this power-up, but the Shadow Lords aren't going to just give up."

Micheal looked at the Veralune Staff, feeling the hum of magic within.

"We need to find the other temples. Each holds a different aspect of the jungle's magic. If we awaken them all… we'll have the strength to defeat the Shadow Lords."

Selene's expression darkened.

"And if they find the temples first?"

"Then we stop them. No matter what it takes." Micheal's tightened his grip

The wind suddenly whipped through the trees as they walked deeper into the jungle, carrying whispers with it—Whispers of something more darker.

"You cannot win this battle. The jungle will fall… and you will perish."

"Well, that's comforting." Kai shivered.

Selene scanned the trees, daggers already in her hands.

"That wasn't just a threat," she murmured. "They're close."

Micheal turned, heads-up as he tightened his grip on the staff.

"Let them come. We're ready."

But as he said it, something happened in the jungle. A presence lingered just beyond sight, watching. It was not Shadow Lords.

It was something older.

Something that had been waiting.

---

The ground shook.

From the trees, they came.

Shadow Beasts.

They slithered from the undergrowth—twisted creatures of shifting smoke and glowing red eyes. Their forms flickered between solid and mist, their movements wrong, like echoes of something that shouldn't exist.

Selene tensed.

"We've got company." She said

"What are these" Micheal's heart raced.

"Oh yeah!! It's just some ugly creature or something...i don't care about what it's" Kai grinned, twirling his sword.

"It's finally time for some action!"

The beasts lunged at them.

Micheal slammed his staff into the ground, sending out a pulse of golden light. The creatures shrieked, recoiling from the radiance.

"Selene! Kai! Cover me while I charge the staff!" Micheal shouted.

Selene moved first, daggers flashing. Her strikes were precise, cutting through the beasts. They hissed and dissolved into mist, but more took their place.

Kai's blade sliced through the air, cleaving creatures apart in great sweeping arcs.

"How many of these things are there?!"

"Too many!" Selene shot back.

Micheal shut his eyes, focusing. He could feel the jungle—every pulse of life. The Heart of Lumora burned in his hands, its power surging through him.

"Just a little more," he murmured.

The staff's glow intensified. The beasts screamed, their forms twitching, faltering.

Kai swung at another, but—it dodged.

His eyes widened.

"Micheal, now would be a good time!" Kai shouted.

Micheal slammed the Veralune Staff into the earth.

A shockwave of golden light erupted outward, swallowing the creatures whole. They screeched, dissolving into the air, until only silence remained.

---

Micheal swayed, breath ragged.

Selene approached him with concerned with her eyes.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

He nodded, though his skin prickled.

"I'm fine. Just… tired."

Kai exhaled, sheathing his sword.

"Well, whatever you did, it worked. Let's hope we don't run into more of those things anytime soon."

Micheal forced a smile.

"We will. The Shadow Lords won't stop."

"Then neither will we." Selene nodded grimly.

"At least it's never boring." Kai smiled.

But as they walked deeper into the jungle, Micheal couldn't shake the feeling that something or someone had been watching them.

Not Shadow Lords.

Not beasts.

Something else.

And it was waiting.