BOOK THREE: THE FALL OF THE FIRST KINGDOM
Chapter 34: The Promise of Two Brothers
Aren stood alone in the darkness.
The world around him had no sky.
No ground.
No horizon.
Only endless blackness.
Behind him...
The creature waited.
Its enormous eyes opened one after another.
"Give me the Seven Flames."
Aren remained silent.
The creature moved closer.
"You promised."
Aren slowly turned.
"I promised to bring them."
"I never promised to surrender them."
The darkness trembled.
For the first time...
The creature seemed surprised.
---
Back beyond the First Gate...
Caelan stood motionless.
He couldn't stop staring at the place where Aren had disappeared.
Riva approached him.
"Caelan."
He didn't respond.
She touched his shoulder.
"He wanted us to stop it."
Caelan nodded slowly.
"I know."
"He was trying to protect us."
"I know."
"But he also lied."
Caelan closed his eyes.
"I know."
---
The First Guardian stepped forward.
"There is something you need to understand."
Caelan turned.
"What?"
The Guardian looked at the sealed Gate.
"Aren wasn't the only one who was sacrificed."
Everyone became silent.
"Who else?"
The Guardian looked toward Caelan.
"You."
---
Caelan froze.
"What?"
The Guardian continued.
"When the Guardians discovered the First Promise required two Keepers..."
"They separated the brothers."
"Aren was sent beyond the Gate."
"And Caelan..."
He paused.
"...was sent into the world without his memories."
---
Riva stared at him.
"That's why he couldn't remember Aurelia."
The Guardian nodded.
"His memories were sealed."
"Your entire life..."
"was built around forgetting."
Caelan looked down.
"So I wasn't abandoned."
"No."
"You were hidden."
---
Eva opened her notebook.
The pages began filling with new writing.
TWO BROTHERS
ONE PROMISE
ONE CARRIED THE FUTURE
ONE CARRIED THE PAST
Then another sentence appeared:
ONLY TOGETHER CAN THE PROMISE BE COMPLETED.
---
Caelan looked at Riva.
"Then we have to bring him back."
Lucien stepped forward.
"We will."
Parna nodded.
"So will I."
Aarvi smiled.
"You really thought we'd let you do this alone?"
Orion raised his shield.
"We're the Covenant."
The Last Unwriter looked at them.
"Then prepare yourselves."
"For what?"
He pointed toward the First Gate.
"The Gate won't open for us."
"Not willingly."
---
Suddenly...
The seven Flames appeared above the group.
Hope.
Memory.
Courage.
Wisdom.
Compassion.
Sacrifice.
Beginning.
But the Flame of Beginning was different.
It was divided.
Half silver.
Half black.
The First Guardian stared at it.
"Aren still has part of it."
Caelan stepped forward.
"And the other part?"
The Guardian looked at him.
"You."
---
A silver mark appeared across Caelan's chest.
The Flame of Beginning descended.
It entered his heart.
Caelan cried out.
A powerful wave of energy swept through the mountain.
The First Gate responded.
Ancient symbols began appearing across its surface.
Then...
The Gate opened slightly.
Only enough for one person to pass.
Riva stepped forward.
"I'll go."
Caelan shook his head.
"No."
"This is my brother."
He looked at Riva.
"I have to bring him back."
Riva hesitated.
Then she smiled.
"Then don't go alone."
---
One by one...
The others stepped beside him.
Lucien.
Eva.
Parna.
Aarvi.
Orion.
The Last Unwriter.
Elara.
Even the First Guardian.
The Gate reacted.
Its opening widened.
The ancient voice returned.
"The Promise recognizes the Covenant."
---
They entered.
The darkness swallowed them.
For several seconds...
There was nothing.
Then...
A light appeared in the distance.
Caelan recognized it immediately.
"Aren."
They ran toward it.
But the light suddenly disappeared.
A voice echoed through the darkness.
"You shouldn't have come."
Caelan stopped.
"Aren?"
The voice answered.
"Go back."
"No."
"Caelan..."
"I'm not leaving you."
Silence.
Then Aren appeared.
His body was covered in black cracks.
The Flame of Beginning burned inside his chest.
But he was still standing.
Caelan walked toward him.
"Aren."
The older brother shook his head.
"Don't come closer."
"Why?"
"Because it's inside me."
---
The darkness around Aren began moving.
Something was living beneath his skin.
Caelan stopped.
The creature's voice echoed through Aren.
"He belongs to me."
Caelan clenched his fists.
"No."
The voice laughed.
"You cannot save him."
Caelan looked directly at Aren.
"I don't need to save you."
Aren stared at him.
"I just need you to remember."
Aren's eyes widened.
Caelan stepped closer.
"You promised me when we were children."
Aren's face trembled.
"You said..."
"If anything happens to you..."
Caelan smiled.
"...you'd come back."
Aren's eyes filled with tears.
"I remember."
---
The black cracks across Aren's body began fading.
The creature screamed.
"NO!"
The darkness exploded outward.
The Covenant raised their Flames.
Seven lights collided with the darkness.
Hope.
Memory.
Courage.
Wisdom.
Compassion.
Sacrifice.
Beginning.
The creature recoiled.
For the first time...
It was losing.
---
Elara stepped forward.
"Remember who you were."
Aren looked at her.
"You remembered me."
She smiled.
"How could I forget again?"
The Last Unwriter raised his Flame.
"I remember you too."
The Seven Flames burned brighter.
Aren's black cracks disappeared completely.
The creature was forced out of his body.
It rose behind him...
A massive shadow.
A face finally appeared.
It looked exactly like Aurelion.
Everyone froze.
Aurelion whispered:
"No..."
The creature smiled.
"You finally see me."
The First Guardian trembled.
"That isn't Aurelion."
The creature laughed.
"No."
Its eyes turned completely black.
"I am what Aurelion was created to contain."
The Seven Flames shook.
Caelan grabbed Aren's hand.
Riva stepped beside them.
The creature opened its enormous arms.
"I am the First Fear."
And the entire darkness erupted.
End of Chapter 34