The Third Stone

Emma and Rahi stepped through the massive stone doorway of the temple, the air thick with the scent of earth and time. Ancient vines crawled up the walls, their leaves glowing faintly in the presence of the Emerald Stone.

The stone hovered above the pedestal, pulsing with a deep green light.

Emma's heart pounded as she stepped closer.

"Three stones down. Three more to go."

She reached out—and the moment her fingertips brushed the stone, everything changed.

A Vision of the Past

A rush of energy surged through her.

Suddenly, she wasn't in the temple anymore.

She stood in a vast emerald field, the wind howling around her. In the distance, a figure stood cloaked in white, their hands outstretched.

"The world is breaking, Emma."

The voice echoed in her mind—not threatening, not kind, just… certain.

"You must see the truth before it's too late."

Emma's pulse quickened. "Who are you?"

The figure turned—and Emma gasped.

It was her mother.

Or at least—a version of her.

Not the warm, loving woman she remembered, but someone older, someone burdened by knowledge too heavy to carry.

The woman lifted a hand, and suddenly, Emma saw the world split apart before her.

Storms raged. Oceans rose. The ground cracked, swallowing cities whole.

"This is the price of imbalance."

Emma clutched the Emerald Stone. "No. This isn't real."

Her mother's golden eyes softened.

"Then why do the stones answer only to you?"

The vision shattered.

A New Power Awakens

Emma staggered backward, gasping as she returned to the temple.

The Emerald Stone pulsed in her palm—but something was different.

She could feel it now.

The power of the earth.

She looked down, and to her shock—vines curled around her fingertips, moving at her command.

Rahi's eyes widened. "Uh. What did I miss?"

Emma steadied herself. "The stones… they're more than just power. They're part of something bigger."

Rahi crossed his arms. "And let me guess—something that the Eclipse King conveniently already knows?"

Emma's stomach twisted. "Yeah."

She looked down at the three stones in her hands.

Sapphire. Topaz. Emerald.

Three more remained.

And she was running out of time.