BOOK THREE: The Fall of the First Kingdom
Chapter 20: The Choice of the Two Flames
The Crystal Tower fell silent.
Two flames floated before the Covenant.
One burned with brilliant silver light.
The other glowed with warm golden radiance.
Neither seemed stronger than the other.
Neither gave away its secret.
The ancient voice echoed once more.
"Only one carries the complete Promise."
"Choose wisely."
---
No one moved.
Lucien looked at the First Guardian.
"You know which one is real, don't you?"
The Guardian lowered his eyes.
"I did."
"But the tower has changed."
"It is testing all of us."
---
Eva stepped closer.
Her compass pointed toward the silver flame.
"It says this one."
Before she could reach for it...
The compass suddenly spun wildly.
The needle reversed.
Now it pointed toward the golden flame.
Eva frowned.
"That's impossible."
---
Parna knelt beside the flames.
Tiny white flowers grew around the golden light.
But silver vines reached toward the silver flame.
"Nature can't decide either."
---
Seren stared at the black crystal in his hands.
"It recognizes both."
The crack running through the crystal slowly widened.
Dark mist escaped from it.
Noctis smiled sadly.
"Because neither flame is complete."
---
Riva remained silent.
She looked around the chamber instead of at the flames.
Something felt wrong.
The walls.
The pillars.
The ceiling.
Everything was perfectly symmetrical.
Everything...
Except one thing.
There were seven crystal pillars.
But only six carried ancient symbols.
The seventh pillar was blank.
---
She walked toward it.
The others watched curiously.
The blank pillar had no carvings.
No light.
Only a tiny sentence written near its base.
"The final answer is never found alone."
Riva smiled.
"It's another test."
---
Lucien looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
She pointed toward the two flames.
"We're trying to choose."
"But every trial in Aurelia has taught us the same lesson."
"The answer was never one person."
"It was always everyone."
---
The First Guardian's eyes widened.
"The seventh pillar..."
He hadn't noticed it.
For the first time in centuries...
He smiled proudly.
"You've surpassed even us."
---
Riva turned toward Noctis.
"You said the Promise was incomplete."
He nodded.
"It was."
She looked toward Seren.
"You've protected one fragment."
He nodded silently.
She looked at the First Guardian.
"You protected the other."
He smiled.
"Yes."
Riva took a deep breath.
"Then why are we choosing between them?"
---
Silence filled the chamber.
Noctis slowly lowered his head.
He whispered,
"Because..."
"...that's the mistake we made."
---
The memory struck him like lightning.
Thousands of years ago...
He had demanded that one path be chosen.
The First Guardian had defended another.
Their disagreement had divided the Promise itself.
Caelus had tried to unite them.
But history had remembered only the division.
---
Caelan suddenly stepped forward.
"I remember."
Everyone turned.
His eyes glowed silver.
"I was hiding behind the White Tree."
"I heard all of you arguing."
Tears rolled down his cheeks.
"My father said there was only one way."
"Uncle Noctis said there was another."
"Then..."
"Uncle Caelus smiled."
---
The chamber filled with warm light.
Caelan continued.
"He said..."
'If two promises protect the future...'
'Why not keep both?'
---
The entire Crystal Tower began shaking.
The silver flame and the golden flame drifted toward each other.
The ancient voice echoed joyfully.
"The forgotten answer has been remembered."
---
Riva reached out her hand.
"So did he."
Lucien placed his hand beside hers.
Then Eva.
Parna.
Aarvi.
Orion.
Seren.
The First Guardian.
Finally...
Noctis hesitated.
For thousands of years...
He had carried regret.
At last...
He stepped forward.
He placed his hand with the others.
---
The two flames slowly merged.
Silver and gold intertwined into a single brilliant white flame.
The cracks spreading through the Crystal Tower instantly disappeared.
Outside...
The City of Dawn stopped fading.
The rivers flowed once more.
The White Tree shone brighter than ever.
---
The black crystals in Seren's and Noctis's hands dissolved into silver dust.
They had fulfilled their purpose.
The ancient voice spoke one final time.
"The First Promise is whole again."
"The Seventh Promise may now awaken."
---
Suddenly...
The white flame shot upward.
It struck the ceiling of the tower.
The stars above vanished.
Instead...
A giant circular seal appeared across the sky.
At its center was the symbol of a gate.
Slowly...
The seal began opening.
Cold wind poured into the valley.
The First Guardian's smile disappeared.
"No..."
"I prayed this day would never come."
Lucien looked up.
"What's happening?"
The Guardian answered in a quiet voice.
"The Promise has been restored..."
"...which means the final Gate has recognized us."
Far beyond the opening seal...
Something immense stirred in the darkness.
Not evil.
Not good.
Ancient.
A pair of enormous silver eyes slowly opened.
A voice, older than the First Kingdom itself, echoed across the sky.
"Who seeks the Origin of the Gates?"
The Six Heirs stood frozen.
The greatest mystery of their journey...
Had finally answered their call.
End of Chapter 20