Chapter One
CHAPTER ONE
The visions started after his mother blinded him in one eye as a child. Marcus Chambers had grown used to them over the years, but this one surprised him.
He knew he had to find the mysterious temple his vision had shown him. His future depended on it, even if he couldn't understand why that was. He slipped out of his home and headed into the center of town.
The temple was exactly where it had been in his vision, standing in what had previously been an empty field. Somehow, the ancient structure had reappeared for the first time in over two centuries.
"It's remarkable, isn't it?" A girl asked as she approached him. Her long, curly brown hair had been swept into a carefree ponytail. Her skin was very light brown, while her eyes and hair were a darker shade. The first thing Marcus noticed about her was how pretty she was despite her slightly messy hair.
Marcus jumped in surprise. "I thought I was alone," he admitted.
"Not quite." She offered him a bright smile. "Sorry I startled you. I'm Kaleena Chavez. I think I've seen you around town."
He returned the smile automatically. Marcus excelled at faking his way through pleasantries. "Marcus Chambers," he replied. "It's lovely to meet you, Kaleena."
He knew who the Chavez family was. After all, they were one of the wealthier Noble families in the Kingdom. Kaleena was being very casual with him, which intrigued Marcus because most Nobles looked down on commoners. He decided in that moment that he liked Kaleena.
"What is this place, Kaleena?" He asked her.
"It's an old temple built not long after the Kingdom was founded. Queen Rebekah and Princess Ruby insisted it was a priority," Kaleena replied. "It vanished the night Princess Ruby died. No one was ever able to figure out what became of it."
"You seem to know a lot about a temple no one has seen in a couple of centuries..."
"I am remarkably well-versed on the Kingdom's history. My father is one of the keepers of such knowledge and he teaches me everything he possibly can."
Marcus smiled at that. "I've studied a lot of the Kingdom's history as well," he replied. "I'm rather passionate about it."
"Well, then, I suspect you and I will get along well, Marcus," she said with a smile that lit up her entire face.
He enjoyed her smile for a moment before asking, "Kaleena, tell me... How do we get inside?"
"That I do not know," Kaleena admitted.
The wind picked up suddenly, almost like it was trying to discourage their entry. Marcus was suddenly nervous. Fear threatened to consume him. Kaleena let out a soft whimper as if she felt it, too.
"Please, we require a sanctuary," Kaleena said to the temple door. "It's not safe out here. I beg you, open for us."
Her pretty face was twisted up in desperation now. She clung to Marcus in terror. He held onto her, playing the charming hero as always.
"Great Gods, what is that?" Jasper Calloway asked as he ran toward them.
Marcus was surprised to see his closest friend. He was even more surprised to see the creature stalking him. It was a beast unlike any he'd ever seen before. The creature was twice the size of a horse and had a body that resembled a giant snake.
"Jas, come here! Hurry!" Marcus shouted as he reached toward him.
"Marcus!" Jasper screamed as the giant snake attempted to swallow him.
Marcus didn't hesitate to cut off the snake's head with his sword. He pulled Jasper to safety and examined him for injuries. "Are you alright, Jasper?" He asked.
"Yes, thanks to you," Jasper replied with his usual easy smile. "It pays to be best friends with the greatest swordsman in the Kingdom."
"You have always defended me, Jas. Naturally, I will do the same for you," Marcus replied. He was about to sheath his sword when he heard the sound of hissing.
"Its head regenerated!" Kaleena said in horror. "We have to get inside before it attacks again... The Gods ignored my plea..."
"Perhaps they will listen to mine," Marcus said. Kaleena had been open about her need for sanctuary. She'd stated everything that was on her mind. That clearly wasn't the way to gain entry into this temple.
"Ancient Powers," Marcus began humbly. "I do not seek power. I am here purely to appreciate the history of this place... I ask for sanctuary for my friends and I only as a last resort. Please, open the door to us!"
That was a very big lie, as Marcus always sought power. Lying to Gods was probably not a good idea, but the door suddenly swung open. "Go!" Marcus told Kaleena.
She raced inside, not needing to be told twice. Marcus kept his sword in front of him as he faced down the snake. "Go on, Jas," he said. "I'll be right behind you."
Jasper hesitated for a moment, but he quickly recognized that he had no choice. He ran inside as well as Marcus slashed the snake's body open.
Only once he was certain they were both safe did Marcus finally join them. As he entered the temple, the door swung shut, sealing them inside.
The space was tremendous and cloaked in shadows. A red light glowed in the distance, beckoning him forward. He was mildly entranced as he began moving.
"Marcus, we don't know where this leads," Jasper pointed out. "It could be dangerous."
"It vanished when Princess Ruby died. Your friend is right," Kaleena agreed. "This temple may be incredible, but given her history in the Kingdom, we can't be certain it's safe to wander around."
"It was built to honor the Kingdom's original deities... Ones who are long forgotten in favor of the Gods King Tobias introduced us to," Marcus said in a detached tone.
"Is he alright?" Kaleena asked Jasper.
"He's picking information up from the air," Jasper replied. "Marcus is a powerful Seer, but sometimes, things come to him even without visions."
"Should we stop him from moving toward the red glow?" Kaleena asked. "Everything inside of me is screaming that this is a bad idea."
"We can't snap him out of the trance when he's like this," Jasper replied with a sigh. "We'll just have to go with him."
Flames suddenly surrounded them. Kaleena screamed as the fire moved closer to her. "We'll burn alive," she said in horror.
"I can't put the fire out," Jasper said in concern as he tried a spell.
"We'll burn alive just like my mother!" Kaleena sobbed.
"Kaleena, breathe," Marcus said as her terror snapped him back to reality. "I believe this is simply powerful fear magic. Someone has manifested your fear into reality."
"Like the snake," Jasper realized. "I've always feared snakes, ever since one bit me as a toddler."
"Someone very powerful is projecting our fears," Marcus confirmed. He stayed close to Kaleena, hoping his own worst fear wouldn't manifest. He was not in the mood to see his dead mother. She'd been a monster in life and he imagined death wouldn't change her much.
"We have to get out of here," Jasper said practically. "Manifestation of fear or not, the fire can still harm us."
"Take Kaleena and run back toward the entrance," Marcus replied. "I have to continue. I'm meant to."
"We can't leave you here, Marcus. Who knows what else will happen?"
"Jasper, I can handle this. Kaleena is terrified. She needs you to protect her. I'll be fine. I shall find you after."
Jasper wanted to protest, but as the fire grew closer, he knew the only way to save them all was to take Kaleena and run. "Come on," he said to the terrified girl. "You'll be safe with me."
Marcus watched them leave. The flames chased them toward the exit, but they didn't continue once Jasper and Kaleena were outside. They vanished, leaving only the mysterious red glow for Marcus to investigate.
He wandered toward the glow, sensing it was only for him. As he reached the source, he felt tremendous power flowing around him. The room at the back of the temple seemed to welcome him as if it had been awaiting his arrival.
"Congratulations," a voice said. "You made it!"
Marcus spun around and saw a man perched on a windowsill several feet in the air. The temple's arched ceilings were twenty feet high, and this window was toward the top.
"Who are you?" Marcus demanded.
"My name is Onyx," he replied. "I'd apologize for scaring your friends away if I actually cared, but I don't."
"You were the one projecting fear," Marcus realized.
"Guilty." Onyx grinned at him. "They don't belong here. You do."
"I don't understand... How are you connected to all of this?"
"Let's just say that the original entity who built this place made sure I knew the secret to accessing it. She wanted to make sure someone was here to explain things to you."
"Please elaborate," Marcus said as Onyx jumped down. Somehow, he landed on his feet and didn't injure himself.
Onyx laughed. It was dark, yet it put Marcus at ease. "Don't worry, Marcus. I'll explain everything soon. Right now, what you need to know is that this is the Temple of the Jackal."
"Like Anubis?" Marcus asked.
"Not exactly. Anubis appears as a jackal, but this temple was built to honor the Jackal God before Gryphon's Glenn learned about the Gods we worship these days. When the Kingdom of Glenn fell to war and destruction, four of their Gods made it into the new Kingdom. They were the Moon Goddess, the Sun God, the Jackal God, and the Dragon Goddess. The Moon ruled over water, the Sun ruled over air, the Jackal ruled over earth, and the Dragon ruled over fire."
"No one ruled over spirit?" Marcus asked curiously.
"Spirit lives in all of us... No deity exclusively claimed power over it," Onyx replied.
"Why did this temple vanish when Princess Ruby died?"
"She built it because she believed that, one day, someone worthy would find it... And by figuring out how to enter it, you proved that you are that person."
"I lied..."
"Yes. We have been waiting for the greatest liar in the Kingdom's history to arrive, Marcus. As it turns out, you hold that title."
"And what is my prize?" Marcus asked curiously.
"Power, Marcus... Incredible power is yours to embrace, more than you ever imagined you might one day be able to wield. This temple is yours to use as you see fit. You will train in each new ability you unlock until they become as strong as your gift of the Sight."
"Will I have someone to train me?"
"For some of it, yes. I can help. I mentor young mages all the time. In fact, no one will question it if I work with you. I generally start when the mages are still very young, but I've worked with some teenagers before. How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"That's wonderful. Your powers have been steadily growing inside of you, waiting to be activated. Each of them is potentially stronger than the last."
"What are they? How do I access them?" Marcus demanded.
"Patience, my young friend," Onyx replied. "I will start working with you as soon as possible. I'm sure you'll want to see your friends home, but when you return in the morning, we can begin."
"Will others come?"
"You will control who comes and goes from this temple. It's yours to enjoy. No one except for us will be able to see it once you leave tonight. I will come by to guide you, but eventually, you won't need my help anymore." Onyx grinned as he added, "You and I are going to have a lot of fun, Marcus. I look forward to it."
The red glow vanished and Marcus was plunged into darkness. He wasn't afraid. He sensed Onyx had simply been showing off with that trick.
With a determined breath, Marcus headed out of the temple. He found Jasper and Kaleena still waiting for him right outside.
"Are you both alright?" He asked.
"We're fine," Jasper replied. "The fire seemed to get trapped inside of the temple."
"I'm sorry I panicked," Kaleena added. "I watched my mother burn to death when I was seven. I developed a deep fear of meeting the same fate."
"It's completely understandable, Kaleena," Marcus reassured her. "You don't need to apologize."
"What happened in there?" Jasper asked. "What did you find when you followed the glow?"
"There was nothing inside," Marcus lied smoothly. "Just an empty room with an eternal flame. I suppose it wasn't worth the risk... Now that I can think more clearly, I believe the temple is evil, and that it was the source of the fear attack."
"At least you're safe now," Kaleena replied. "I know we just met, but I already care about your well-being."
"Then I am truly blessed, Kaleena Chavez," Marcus replied. He gently kissed her hand, causing her to smile.
"My best friend, the charmer!" Jasper teased him.
"Come along, Jasper," Marcus said. "Let's bring Kaleena home."
He linked his arm through Kaleena's and began to guide her away from the temple. Jasper followed behind them.
"It disappeared!" Jasper suddenly cried in surprise as he glanced over his shoulder.
"Good," Marcus said. "That temple was evil. At least now, it can't tempt anyone else to go inside."
"Yes, perhaps it's for the best," Kaleena agreed.
As Marcus continued to guide his friends home, he felt the temple's power flowing through him. It's mine for the taking, he thought with a dark smile. One day soon, I will become unstoppable. Then everyone will pay.
