The Moon God's Bride

Chapter 1

(A decade ago) 

Third POV 

Nestled deep within the ancient forest, a cave lay hidden behind a veil of vines and moss-covered stones. For centuries, it had stood silent, its secrets concealed from the world. Few dared to venture near, for the legends of the moon god had faded into mere whispers, barely remembered by the oldest of the village storytellers. Yet, within this forsaken sanctuary, the god of the moon remained, a prisoner of both time and destiny.

His name was Solas, the forgotten twin. His sister, Selene, the moon goddess, was worshipped and revered, her name chanted in temples and etched in the annals of history. But Solas was different; his power was feared and misunderstood. The villagers spoke of him in hushed tones, a cautionary tale for children. They said he was locked away for a reason, his power too great, too dangerous. But the truth was more complex, a tapestry of love, betrayal, and sacrifice.

Solas sat on a smooth, stone ledge within the cave, his back against the cool, damp rock. His shoulder-length black hair framed a face of striking beauty, his pale blue eyes reflecting the soft glow of the moonlight that filtered through the narrow crevice in the cave's ceiling. His features were sharp, almost ethereal, with high cheekbones and a strong jawline. His skin, as light as the moon's own glow, contrasted sharply with the darkness of his hair. He was well-built, his body a testament to strength and resilience, yet his modern attire—jeans, a simple black shirt, and a leather jacket—gave him an air of familiarity, made him seem both ancient and modern.

But it was his eyes that held the true depth of his power, a cold, calculating intensity that spoke of endless nights and countless stars. Solas could feel the pulse of the moon, its phases a rhythm that resonated with his very being. The moon was his domain, its light his power, and through it, he could manipulate the elements with ruthless precision. He controlled the tides, summoned storms, and even bent the very air to his will. His power was not just formidable; it was terrifyingly unpredictable. And yet he was confined to this cave, a prisoner of a time long past. He remembered the night it happened, the night his own family betrayed him.

Helios, their father, the sun god, had always shown a bias towards Selene. She was the younger twin, radiant and gentle, embodying the serene beauty of the moon. Solas, though older, was seen as too intense, too wild, too dangerous. Solas’s ability to manipulate the elements through his connection to the moon was both a gift and a curse, making him a figure of awe and fear.

It was Helios's fear of Solas's growing power and his bias towards Selene that drove him to drastic measures. Helios's hatred for Solas was born out of fear; the fear that Solas’s power would one day eclipse his own, that the moon would overshadow the sun.

Helios tricked Solas, leading him to this cave under the guise of a fatherly visit, only to trap him within its confines. The cave was sealed with powerful magic, ancient runes binding Solas to his prison. But Solas was not one to accept defeat. His rage burned brighter than the moon itself, fueling his determination to break free. He used every bit of his magic to create chaos, unleashing storms and tidal waves, disturbing the very elements under his control. He didn’t leave a single stone unturned to create the chaos that even Helios reconsidered his decision.

The villagers were terrified by the wrath of the moon god and sought ways to appease him, until one day the idea of sending a bride as an offering struck them. They prayed to Helios to let the brides in until Solas’s anger calms down and Helios agreed because of his own growing fear.  

Every decade since then, Helios allowed the cave to open, and a bride was sent to Solas, hoping to placate him and protect the village from his fury. Each bride was a sacrifice, a desperate attempt to stave off destruction. But Solas, consumed by anger and bitterness, never touched a single woman sent by the villagers. Instead, he killed each bride and threw their bodies out of the cave, a grim testament to his unyielding rage and refusal to accept his banishment.

Solas’s anger had not faded; it had only grown stronger with each passing decade. The cave had been his prison, but it was also his sanctuary, a place where he nurtured his hatred and honed his power. He would stand at the mouth of the cave, eyes burning with a cold fire, and command the elements to do his bidding. Waves crashed against the shore, winds howled through the trees, and the earth trembled under his wrath.

Tonight, something was different. Solas felt a stirring in the air, a subtle shift in the energy that surrounded him. He stood, his movements graceful and fluid, and approached the cave's entrance. The moonlight was brighter, more intense, as if the moon itself was reaching out to him. He touched the cold stone, feeling the ancient magic that held him prisoner begin to weaken.

The world had forgotten him, but they would soon remember the power of the moon god. The forgotten twin was ready to reclaim his place in the world, to remind humanity of the true nature of his existence. Solas’s power was unmatched, his resolve unyielding, and his wrath uncontainable.

The moon god was no longer forgotten.