Chapter 104

Victoria The Moon Temple loomed before me like a cancer on the landscape. What had once been a sacred place of worship now pulsed with malevolent energy that made my skin crawl. The very air tasted wrong—metallic and bitter, tainted by the dark magic Marcus had been weaving here for months. My oak guardian set me down at the temple's entrance, its wooden face creaking as it surveyed the corrupted structure. "The stones scream, young mistress," it rumbled. "They beg for cleansing." "Soon," I promised, placing my palm against its bark. "Wait for my signal." The massive doors groaned open before I could even approach them. Marcus's voice echoed from within, smooth and mocking. "Punctual as always. I do so appreciate that in my guests." I stepped across the threshold, every instinct screaming danger. The interior had been transformed into a nightmare parody of the sacred space it once was. Ancient fairy runes carved into the walls had been defaced with crude symbols that hurt to look at di