Mr_moonlight96

Eli Whitmore is a Gate Way Keeper— brigde between living and nonliving entities, and someone who can unlock the gates between otherworlds. He arrives at the prestigious Arcane Institute of Mystical Sciences, a school hidden from the ordinary world where gifted students train in magic and ancient arts. As Eli begins to unlock the truth about his powers, an invitation arrives, leading him toward the secret society known as The Lightshade, setting the stage for a destiny far beyond what he imagined.

Gate Way Keeper - Eli Whitmore

‎The wind outside howled like it carried every soul that had ever screamed in the dark. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the glowing mark on my hand—the one I received after opening the Vault beneath Mirror Hall. It shimmered faintly under the moonlight like a living ember. My fingers trembled as I tried to touch it, but every time I did, a strange wave pulsed through my veins—not painful, just... wrong. Like a foreign rhythm invading my own.

‎It had been two days since the Vault opened. Two days since the visions. Since the Twin Eclipse.

‎Since the Binder's Curse latched onto me.

‎Thorne stood by the window. He hadn't said a word for nearly ten minutes. His reflection in the glass looked sharper than reality. Pale skin. Storm-dark hair. Eyes that saw everything, even the things I was afraid to say.

‎"You're hiding something," I said quietly.

‎He didn't look back. "So are you."

‎I sighed, gripping the edge of my mattress. "I don't know what this curse is doing to me. I can feel it changing something inside."

‎Thorne finally turned. His expression was unreadable, but his voice was softer than I expected. "It wants to use you. The Binder wasn't just a curse-maker. He was a gatekeeper, too. A fallen one. That mark... is a key. Or a lock."

‎He hesitated, then walked over. "On you. Or on something inside you. Something ancient. Something hungry."

‎I swallowed hard. That... didn't help.

‎A knock on the door interrupted the heavy silence. Felix poked his head in, his silver hair messier than usual. Ryker followed behind, arms crossed, his face set in a frown.

‎"We need to talk," Felix said. "Everyone felt it. The Vault wasn't just protecting knowledge. It was guarding... something else."

‎Ryker nodded. "And now it's linked to you. Great."

‎I stood up slowly. "Don't blame me. I didn't ask for this."

‎"Nobody ever does," Ryker muttered.

‎Thorne stepped between us. "Enough. We need to understand what the curse wants."

‎Felix pulled out a glowing shard of crystal. "I stole this from the Vault's broken gate. It still hums with enchantment. Maybe it can reveal more about the Binder."

‎We gathered around the table. As Felix placed the crystal down, a projection burst out—a spiraling form of light and shadow. A tall figure appeared, his face hidden behind an ornate mask.

‎He spoke in a voice that wasn't human. "He who carries the mark shall face the choice: to unbind the world... or chain the stars."

‎"What the hell does that mean?" Ryker said.

‎Felix shook his head. "It's a prophecy. Another one."

‎Thorne looked directly at me. "It means your choices matter more than ever now, Eli."

‎I stared at the glowing mark on my hand.

‎What if I didn't want to carry the weight of another prophecy?

Chapter 15: The Weight of the Curse