BOOK FOUR: THE KINGDOM BEYOND THE LAST GATE
Chapter 13: The First Aurelia
Every Gate opened at once.
Across Elaris...
Doors of light appeared in the streets.
Inside the palace.
Above the mountains.
Beneath the rivers.
Even in the sky.
Each Gate showed a different world.
Some were beautiful.
Some were burning.
Some were completely empty.
Riva stared at them.
"How many Gates are there?"
The First Guardian answered:
"Every world has one."
Riva looked toward the woman standing beyond the Archive.
"And she controls all of them?"
The First Aurelia smiled.
"Not controls."
"Remembers."
---
The First Aurelia stepped forward.
Her white dress moved like mist.
Unlike Riva...
She didn't carry a weapon.
She didn't need one.
The space around her obeyed her.
The golden river changed direction when she moved.
The broken memories returned to their places.
Even the flames seemed to recognize her.
Riva looked at the First King.
"You called her my true form."
He nodded.
"She was the first."
"Then what am I?"
The First Aurelia answered for him.
"You're what happened when I tried to become human."
---
Riva froze.
"What?"
The First Aurelia walked closer.
"I was created to guard the Gate."
"I had no fear."
"No weakness."
"No love."
"No desire."
"I was perfect."
Riva looked at her.
"Then why create me?"
The woman's expression changed.
"Because I became curious."
---
A memory appeared in the air.
The First Aurelia stood alone beside the Last Gate.
Thousands of years ago.
She watched humans through the Gate.
Families.
Children.
Lovers.
People laughing.
People crying.
She became fascinated.
"I wanted to understand them."
The First Aurelia continued.
"So I created a human heart."
The memory showed a golden flame entering a newborn child.
Riva.
"I gave myself fear."
"Love."
"Hope."
"Pain."
"Everything I wasn't."
---
Riva whispered:
"Me."
The First Aurelia nodded.
"You."
"I became you."
"No."
"You became me."
---
Caelan stood beside Riva.
"Then why call her a mistake?"
The First Aurelia looked at him.
"Because she did something I never expected."
"What?"
"She loved."
The First Aurelia's expression hardened.
"And love made her disobey."
---
The memory changed.
Riva stood before the Last Gate.
The First Aurelia was behind her.
The Seven Flames surrounded them.
Aeron was there.
The Queen.
The First Guardian.
And Caelan.
Young.
Terrified.
Riva watched herself from the past.
"I won't open it."
The First Aurelia shouted:
"You were created to obey me!"
Past Riva shook her head.
"I choose my own purpose."
Then she turned toward the others.
"I choose them."
---
The First Aurelia's face became cold.
"And that was the beginning of the betrayal."
Riva looked at her.
"You tried to control me."
"Of course."
"Why?"
"Because you were part of me."
Riva shook her head.
"That doesn't make me yours."
The First Aurelia smiled.
"That is exactly what I came here to correct."
---
She raised her hand.
The seven Flames suddenly disappeared.
Riva gasped.
"What did you do?"
"I took back what belongs to me."
The Flames flew toward the First Aurelia.
One by one...
They entered her body.
Hope.
Memory.
Courage.
Wisdom.
Compassion.
Sacrifice.
Beginning.
The woman began glowing.
The First Guardian fell to his knees.
"No..."
Aren looked at him.
"What?"
"The Seven Flames were never created by Riva."
He looked toward the First Aurelia.
"They were fragments of her."
---
Riva felt empty.
The power inside her disappeared.
She fell to one knee.
Caelan caught her.
The First Aurelia smiled.
"Now you understand."
Riva looked up.
"What?"
"Without the Flames..."
"...you're only human."
---
The First King suddenly laughed.
"You've won."
The First Aurelia looked at him.
"No."
She raised her hand.
The First King froze.
His body began turning into golden dust.
Riva stared.
"You said he was your ally."
"He was never my ally."
"Then why did you use him?"
"Because I needed someone to awaken you."
The First King looked terrified.
"Wait."
The First Aurelia closed her fist.
The First King disappeared.
Riva watched in horror.
"You killed him."
"He was part of you."
"He was my father."
"He was a fragment."
Riva's expression hardened.
"He was still a person."
---
The First Aurelia looked at her.
"That is your weakness."
Riva stood.
"Maybe."
She wiped the tears from her face.
"But it's also my strength."
The First Aurelia laughed softly.
"You still don't understand."
"Then explain."
"You think this is a battle between good and evil."
She stepped closer.
"It isn't."
"It's a battle between what you are..."
"...and what I made you to be."
---
The First Aurelia raised her hand.
The entire Archive vanished.
Riva, Caelan, and the others suddenly found themselves standing in a massive city.
But it wasn't Elaris.
It was an ancient version of it.
The city was alive.
People walked through the streets.
The Seven Flames burned above the palace.
Riva recognized the place.
"This is..."
"Elaris before the Fall."
The First Aurelia stood beside her.
"Your first life."
Riva stared.
"I lived here."
"Yes."
"With Caelan?"
The First Aurelia nodded.
"And Aren."
Riva looked at Caelan.
He was staring at the city.
"I remember."
---
A bell rang.
Everyone in the ancient city stopped.
A royal procession moved through the streets.
At its center...
A young Riva stood wearing a golden crown.
Beside her...
Was Caelan.
He was holding her hand.
The crowd shouted:
"Long live Queen Aurelia!"
Riva watched herself smile.
Then...
The sky turned black.
The Last Gate opened.
The First Aurelia whispered:
"This is where you destroyed everything."
Riva shook her head.
"No."
"You did."
"I don't remember."
"You will."
---
The scene changed.
Riva saw herself standing before the Gate.
Caelan was behind her.
The Queen was crying.
Aeron was shouting.
The First Guardian was holding a sword.
Then Riva saw something impossible.
She was holding a newborn baby.
The baby had silver eyes.
Riva's breath stopped.
"Who is that?"
The First Aurelia answered:
"Your daughter."
Riva turned toward her.
"I don't have a daughter."
"Not in this life."
Riva stared at the child.
"Then what happened to her?"
The First Aurelia smiled.
"That..."
"...is why I created the next life."
Riva's face went pale.
The First Aurelia pointed toward the baby.
"Your daughter became the beginning of your next incarnation."
Riva whispered:
"Me?"
The First Aurelia nodded.
"You were not my creation."
"You were your own."
"You created yourself."
---
Riva stared at the child.
Then the baby opened her eyes.
Silver.
Exactly like Riva's.
The child whispered one word.
"Mother."
Riva's heart broke.
The vision shattered.
She fell to the ground.
Caelan knelt beside her.
"What did you see?"
Riva looked at him.
"I had a daughter."
Caelan's face changed.
He looked terrified.
"Riva..."
"What?"
He whispered:
"I remember her."
Riva stared.
Caelan looked toward the First Aurelia.
And for the first time...
The First Aurelia looked afraid.
End of Chapter 13