The Children of the Black Gate

In the fearful village of Oakhaven, Elara's life is dedicated to protecting her younger brother, Finn. Her world is upended when a mysterious being emerges from the legendary Black Gate and brands Finn with a dark, swirling mark, connecting him to its insidious power. Desperate for answers, Elara discovers the journal of a slain elder which reveals a hidden truth about her own family: she is descended from a line of Guardians meant to protect the world from the Gate's influence.
Her quest to save Finn plunges her into a world of forgotten magic and monstrous creatures. As she pieces together the puzzle of the past, she uncovers a devastating deception. The Gate is a prison, the "curse" on her bloodline is a final fail-safe, and the prophecies she followed were manipulated by the prisoner-an ancient entity of primordial darkness-to orchestrate its own release. With the ultimate evil now free, Elara must confront the true meaning of her heritage.
She learns that her bloodline holds the key not to destroying the Gate, but to reactivating its containment, forcing her to make a final, world-altering choice to become the ultimate guardian and seal the darkness away once more.