Luna's POV
The walls of the dungeon burst. Something huge smashed through the thick castle walls like they were made of paper, sending pieces of stone flying in all directions. Dust and rocks rained down around me as I screamed and flung myself to the ground, covering my head.
"Luna!" With a shout, Prince Kai grabbed my arm and dragged me along with him. "What is that thing?"
I could see it through the gap in the wall. The Shadow Beast from my nightmares, only larger and scarier than I could have ever dreamed. Made of writhing black smoke and darkness, it was enormous—the size of a dragon. When it opened its mouth, I saw rows of sharp teeth made of shadow, and its eyes glowed red like coals.
With a voice like shattered glass, the creature roared, "PHOENIX HEART." "I smell you. I'm hungry for your power."
"It's here for me," I muttered, my voice shaking with fear. "Oh no, it's for me."
Prince Kai said, "Luna, we need to run," but Princess Stella was obstructing the dungeon's sole exit.
"Nobody's going anywhere," she declared, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "This is ideal. Luna's defenses will be weakened by the Shadow Beast, making it easier for me to seize her power."
"That's what you're working with?" Prince Kai gaped at her. "Are you using it?"
"I'm in charge of it, Kai, my dear." Dark magic swirled around Princess Stella's fingers as she raised her hands. "With the correct spells, controlling shadow creatures is incredibly simple."
With another roar, the Shadow Beast reached through the wall's opening with a single, enormous claw. It was attempting to grasp me, but its entire body couldn't fit through the opening.
Prince Kai told Princess Stella, "You're crazy." "The whole palace will be destroyed by that thing!"
She smiled cruelly and said, "A small price to pay for unlimited power."
The hole widened as the Shadow Beast began to claw at the walls. More stones fell with every swipe of its claws. It would soon be able to pass through entirely.
It called out, "LUNA BRIGHTWATER." "COME TO ME. QUIT HIDING."
"How does it recognize my name?" No one responded when I asked.
Abruptly, I heard yelling coming from the upper floor. The castle reverberated with Captain Rex's voice: "All guards to the lower levels! We're being attacked!"
The air was filled with clanging armor and the sound of running feet. A dozen guards and Captain Rex charged down the dungeon stairs in a matter of seconds.
"Get away from that creature, Princess Stella!" Captain Rex raised his sword and yelled.
Princess Stella stated, "I don't think so." Speaking in that strange dark language once more, she gestured to the guards. Three of the guards were struck by black magic that sprang from her hands like arrows. Their armor was smoking as they screamed and collapsed to the ground.
"Dark magic is being used by her!" Captain Rex shouted. "She is collaborating with the Shadow Beast!"
The other guards appeared frightened and perplexed. Their future queen, Princess Stella, was using forbidden magic to attack them.
"Captain Rex," I yelled. "I have the Shadow Beast at my side! Get everyone else to safety, please."
With his sword blazing with protective magic, he declared, "I'm not leaving you, Luna." "That thing isn't getting what it wants."
At last, the Shadow Beast penetrated the wall entirely. It forced its enormous body through the gap, its gloomy presence reverberating throughout the dungeon. I could see up close that it wasn't just made of shadow; its shape had a human-like quality, as if it had once been a person.
"PHOENIX HEART," it said, extending sword-sized claws in my direction. "I am familiar with you. I have been looking for you."
"What do you want?" My voice was hardly more than a whisper as I asked.
For a brief moment, its voice sounded sad rather than frightful as it said, "TO BE FREE." "TO REMEMBER WHO I WAS."
"What does that mean?"
Princess Stella interrupted me as I asked. "It means you're going to die," she stated. "Take her power, Shadow Beast. Take it all."
Princess Stella was the target of the creature's flaming red eyes. "Dark One, I don't take orders from you."
"What?" Princess Stella's face turned white. "However, I called you! You are under my control."
"YES, YOU SUMMONED ME. However, I am not your slave." The anger in the Shadow Beast's voice was growing. "I didn't come to take away her power; I came for the Phoenix's heart."
"Then what do you want?" Prince Kai stepped in front of me in a protective manner and demanded.
The Shadow Beast gave him what may have been a respectful glance. "She is protected by the fire prince. GOOD. She will require protection."
I inquired, "From what?"
I saw something unthinkable when the creature turned its crimson eyes back to me. I saw sadness behind all that gloom and eerie magic. Sadness, deep, awful sadness.
"FROM THE TRUTH," it uttered softly. "DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE, Phoenix Heart?"
"My name is Luna Brightwater. I work as a servant."
"NO." The Shadow Beast inclined toward me. "You are Storm and Water's daughter. THE CHILD OF SACRIFICE AND POWER."
"I don't understand."
"Your father sacrificed everything for your protection because he loved you so much. HIS HUMAN FORM WAS GONE. He sacrificed his life."
My heart stopped beating. "My father?"
The creature said, "LUNA," in a soft voice. "I am your father."
There was utter silence in the dungeon. Princess Stella appeared astonished as well.
"That's not possible," I muttered. "My dad passed away."
The Shadow Beast sadly declared, "I AM DEAD." "However, I am also alive. Unable to hold my daughter and touch her, I am cursed to exist between life and death."
My face began to well up with tears. "Daddy?"
"YES, MY TINY WATER STAR. Throughout your entire life, I have been keeping an eye on you. OVERCOMING THE DARKNESS THAT WANTS TO DO YOU ANY DAMAGE."
Princess Stella yelled, "This is absurd." "Shadow animals are dishonest! They will say anything to deceive you."
However, I sensed the truth in my heart. The Shadow Beast's expression, the sorrow in its voice, and the way it had uttered my name as though it were priceless.
I cried as I asked, "How?"
"DARK MAGIC," my father uttered, his crimson eyes filled with agony. "Evil sorcerers attempted to take away your power when you were a baby. They cursed me even though I fought them. made me into this monster."
"But why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Until now, I was unable to speak freely. I was angry and hungry for magic because of the curse. However, your strength has increased to the point where it can break the curse's hold on my thoughts."
Prince Kai moved forward. "Is it possible to fully break the curse?"
"PERHAPS," my dad said. "Yet a great sacrifice would be necessary."
"What kind of sacrifice?" Fearful of the response, I asked.
"THE PHOENIX HEART MUST CHOOSE," he declared. "KEEPING HER POWER AND WATCHING HER FATHER FADE INTO DARKNESS OR SAVE HER FATHER AND LOSE IT FOREVER."
Princess Stella gave a chilly laugh. "How ideal. In any case, I get what I desire."
"No," I replied, my chest exploding with rage. "You receive nothing."
Water magic whirled around my hands as I moved in Princess Stella's direction. She simply grinned, though.
"Oh, Luna," she said kindly. "You still don't understand, do you?"
"Understand what?"
"I'm not merely here to take your authority." Her grin widened and became more menacing. "I'm also here to take away your father's authority. The strongest dark magic available is Shadow Beast magic."
With both hands raised, dreadful dark magic gushed from her like a nightly river. "I'll be unstoppable with both of your powers combined," she declared.
My father and I were both struck simultaneously by the magic. I heard my father roar in pain as it tore through my body like lightning.
"Stop!" Princess Stella's magic was too powerful for Prince Kai's shout.
My Phoenix Heart power was being drawn from me, and I could feel my father experiencing the same thing. Princess Stella intended to take away both of our abilities and render us helpless.
Then, however, an unforeseen event occurred. My Phoenix Heart power and my father's Shadow Beast power began to battle back together. I had never witnessed such a storm of magic as fire, water, and darkness swirled around us.
"What's happening?" With a scream, Princess Stella lost control.
"FATHER AND DAUGHTER," my dad bellowed. "Light and shadow. We are more powerful than any dark magic when we work together."
Princess Stella flew backward into the wall as the combined power exploded outward. However, the magic continued to grow instead of halting.
"Luna!" Prince Kai yelled. "You must stop! The entire palace will fall apart."
However, I was unable to stop. The force was too powerful, too untamed. Now that I was connected to my father, our combined magic was getting out of hand.
"LUNA," my dad said sharply. "NOW IS THE TIME TO CHOOSE. Either save me or save the palace. YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO DO BOTH."
I glanced around at the deteriorating walls, at Captain Rex, Prince Kai, and the guards, all of whom were in danger because of me. I then turned to face my father, the Shadow Beast who had always kept watch over me.
"I choose..." I started, but the ceiling began to collapse before I could finish.
And I knew that whoever I chose would die in that moment of falling stones and wild magic.