BOOK THREE: The Fall of the First Kingdom
Chapter 25: The Child Beyond the Gate
The laughter echoed across the mountain.
Soft.
Innocent.
Impossible.
The mist within the First Gate slowly parted.
A small child stepped forward.
He looked no older than eight years old.
His silver hair shimmered like moonlight.
His eyes were unlike anything the Covenant had ever seen.
One eye glowed with warm gold.
The other reflected the endless stars.
He wore a simple white robe embroidered with tiny silver threads.
He smiled.
"You remembered the way."
---
No one spoke.
Even the wind had fallen silent.
Riva took a cautious step forward.
"Who are you?"
The child tilted his head.
"I've been called many names."
"The First Dream."
"The First Promise."
"The First Child."
He smiled again.
"But my favorite name..."
He placed a hand over his heart.
"...was Aster."
---
The First Guardian fell to one knee.
The old gardener followed.
Seren and Noctis bowed their heads.
Even the Last Unwriter lowered his gaze.
Lucien looked around in confusion.
"Who is he?"
The First Guardian answered softly.
"He existed before Aurelia."
"Before the White Tree."
"Before even the First Gate."
---
Eva's notebook began writing by itself.
ASTER
THE CHILD OF THE FIRST PROMISE
The pages continued turning.
Then stopped.
Nothing else appeared.
"It's... blank," Eva whispered.
"No history?"
The First Guardian smiled sadly.
"Some lives cannot be written."
"They can only be remembered."
---
Aster walked slowly toward the Covenant.
Wherever his feet touched the ground...
White flowers bloomed.
The cracks spreading across the mountain disappeared.
The sky became a little brighter.
He stopped before Riva.
"You've carried the Promise well."
Riva looked at him.
"You know me?"
Aster nodded.
"I know every Keeper."
---
He looked at Lucien.
"You protect others before yourself."
At Eva.
"You search for truth."
At Parna.
"You listen to the world."
At Aarvi.
"You heal broken hearts."
At Orion.
"You never abandon your duty."
Finally...
He looked at Caelan.
"You came home."
Caelan smiled through tears.
"I finally did."
---
Suddenly...
Aster's smile faded.
He looked toward the dark crack spreading across the heavens.
"It has crossed the final star."
Everyone followed his gaze.
The fracture had doubled in size.
Entire constellations disappeared into darkness.
The mountain trembled.
---
The Last Unwriter stepped beside Aster.
"We're out of time."
Aster nodded.
"I know."
He turned toward Riva.
"The Key..."
"It isn't meant to keep the Gate closed."
The First Guardian closed his eyes.
"I was afraid you'd say that."
---
Lucien frowned.
"You sealed the Gate."
The Guardian nodded.
"To protect the worlds."
Aster gently shook his head.
"You protected them."
"But only for a while."
---
The child reached toward the two silver keys.
They floated into the air.
Slowly...
The keys joined together.
Once again, they became a single key.
Brighter than before.
Its light spread across the mountain.
The First Gate responded.
Massive gears hidden within the mountain began turning.
The ancient door slowly opened wider.
---
Beyond the Gate...
The Covenant didn't see darkness.
They saw...
Thousands upon thousands of glowing paths stretching across the stars.
Each path led to another world.
Another Gate.
Another story.
Some shone brightly.
Others flickered weakly.
Many had already gone dark.
Eva whispered,
"There are so many..."
Aster nodded sadly.
"And they're all disappearing."
---
Suddenly...
A distant scream echoed through the endless paths.
Then another.
One glowing road shattered into fragments.
A second vanished.
The darkness spread faster than ever.
The Last Unwriter looked at the collapsing paths.
"It has begun."
---
Riva turned toward him.
"What is 'it'?"
For the first time...
The Last Unwriter looked frightened.
"It doesn't hate."
"It doesn't conquer."
"It simply believes..."
"...that every story must end."
---
The darkness suddenly surged.
A gigantic shadow appeared beyond the glowing paths.
It had no shape.
No face.
Only endless black mist.
Wherever it drifted...
Stars disappeared.
Gates crumbled.
Entire worlds faded into nothingness.
Aster whispered,
"It has awakened."
---
The shadow stopped.
Though it had no eyes...
Everyone felt it looking directly at them.
The mountain shook violently.
The White Tree released a blinding pillar of silver light.
The First Gate began closing on its own.
Aster looked at Riva one final time.
"There isn't enough time."
"You must find the Seven Flames."
Riva frowned.
"The Seven Flames?"
Aster nodded.
"They are older than the Gates."
"They are the only light the darkness cannot erase."
Before she could ask another question...
The First Gate slammed shut with a deafening roar.
The mountain became silent once more.
The stars remained dim.
The shadow beyond the Gate had vanished.
But everyone knew...
It had seen them.
The Last Unwriter slowly turned toward the Covenant.
"The race has changed."
"We are no longer fighting each other."
He looked at the fading stars overhead.
"We are fighting for every story that still exists."
The silver key glowed once again.
This time...
It projected a map unlike any before.
Seven points of golden light appeared across the heavens.
The First Guardian stared at it in disbelief.
"The Seven Flames..."
"I thought they were only a legend."
Riva closed her hand around the key.
"Then legends are where we go next."
The Covenant looked toward the glowing map, knowing that their greatest journey had only just begun.
End of Chapter 25