BOOK FOUR: THE KINGDOM BEYOND THE LAST GATE
Chapter 27: The Crown Chooses Her
The world went silent.
Riva couldn't hear the sea.
She couldn't hear Caelan.
She couldn't hear Lyra.
She couldn't even hear her own heartbeat.
All she could see was Elara.
Her daughter stood in the center of the battlefield.
The red Crown floated above her head.
Then it slowly lowered.
And touched her forehead.
"ELARA!"
Riva ran toward her.
A wall of red energy exploded outward.
Riva was thrown backward.
Caelan caught her before she hit the ground.
"Riva!"
"Elara..."
Her daughter stood completely still.
Her eyes were closed.
The Crown disappeared into her skin.
Then Elara opened her eyes.
They were crimson.
---
Lyra stared at her.
"No."
Seris stepped backward.
"It chose her."
Riva pushed herself away from Caelan.
"What does that mean?"
Seris looked terrified.
"The Crown of War doesn't choose rulers."
"Then what does it choose?"
"The person capable of starting the greatest war."
Riva's heart stopped.
"No."
Seris nodded.
"Elara."
---
Elara slowly looked at Riva.
"Mother."
Her voice sounded normal.
Riva stepped closer.
"You're okay."
Elara smiled.
"Of course."
Riva reached for her.
Elara suddenly grabbed her wrist.
The ground cracked beneath them.
Riva gasped.
"Elara?"
Her daughter looked confused.
"I can hear them."
"Who?"
"Everyone."
Elara looked toward the horizon.
"Every soldier."
"Every king."
"Every person who has ever fought."
"They're inside my head."
---
Riva pulled her closer.
"Listen to me."
Elara looked at her.
"You don't have to listen to them."
"They're showing me everything."
"Don't look."
"I can't stop."
"Then look at me."
Elara stared into her mother's eyes.
For a moment, the red light faded.
"Mother..."
"I'm here."
Elara's eyes returned to normal.
Then—
A voice whispered inside her mind.
"Choose."
Elara screamed.
The red Crown appeared again.
The battlefield shook.
---
Caelan raised his sword.
"We need to remove it."
Lyra shook her head.
"You can't."
"Why?"
"Because the Crown isn't on her anymore."
Caelan frowned.
"Then where is it?"
Lyra pointed toward Elara's chest.
"It's inside her."
Riva's face went pale.
"Can we get it out?"
Seris answered:
"Only if Elara gives it up willingly."
Riva looked at her daughter.
"Then she'll give it up."
Seris shook her head.
"Not if the Crown convinces her she needs it."
---
Elara stepped away.
"Maybe I do."
Riva froze.
"What?"
Elara looked at the battlefield.
"They're afraid."
"Who?"
"Everyone."
"The kings."
"The soldiers."
"The people."
"They've been fighting because they're afraid."
Riva approached carefully.
"Fear doesn't mean you have to control them."
Elara looked at her.
"Doesn't it?"
Riva shook her head.
"No."
"You always say choice is freedom."
"It is."
"But what if people choose badly?"
"Then they learn."
"And if they don't?"
Riva reached for her.
"Then we help them."
Elara's expression softened.
"You really believe that."
"Yes."
---
A slow clap echoed through the ruins.
Kael appeared.
"You always were naïve."
Riva turned.
"You."
Kael smiled.
"Do you know why the Crown chose Elara?"
"Because you forced it."
"No."
"Because she was born for it."
Riva's expression hardened.
"Don't."
Kael continued.
"Elara isn't simply your daughter."
"She is the first person born from pure choice."
"That makes her more powerful than any Crown."
Riva looked at Elara.
"What are you saying?"
Kael smiled.
"The Crown doesn't control her."
"She controls the Crown."
---
Everyone went silent.
Elara looked down at her hands.
Red light moved beneath her skin.
Kael continued:
"That's why the Keepers feared her."
"That's why the Gates were built."
"That's why the First Aurelia erased your memories."
Riva shook her head.
"No."
"She wasn't protecting the worlds from the End."
"She was protecting them from Elara."
---
Riva turned toward Seris.
"Is that true?"
Seris didn't answer.
"Seris."
The woman finally nodded.
"Partly."
Riva stared at her.
"Partly?"
"Elara was never meant to exist."
"Her birth broke the original order."
"But she isn't dangerous because of her power."
"She's dangerous because she can rewrite the rules."
---
Elara looked at Riva.
"Mother..."
Riva walked toward her.
"You aren't dangerous."
Elara's eyes filled with tears.
"What if I become someone I don't recognize?"
"Then I'll remind you."
"What if I hurt you?"
"Then I'll stop you."
"What if I hurt Caelan?"
"He'll stop you too."
Caelan smiled.
"What if I hurt everyone?"
Riva reached up and touched her cheek.
"Then we'll save you."
---
Elara began crying.
The red light faded.
The Crown appeared above her head.
For a moment...
It looked like she might release it.
Then Lyra suddenly shouted:
"RUN!"
Everyone turned.
The sky was filled with black cracks.
Kael had opened something.
Seris's face went pale.
"That's impossible."
Riva looked up.
"What?"
"The First Gate."
"It was destroyed."
Seris shook her head.
"Not the Gate."
"Something behind it."
---
A massive eye opened in the sky.
The same eye they had seen in the mountains.
But this time...
There were eight smaller eyes surrounding it.
The Eight Crowns.
The voice shook the earth.
"THE CROWN OF WAR HAS CHOSEN."
Riva held Elara.
The voice continued:
"THE CROWN OF MEMORY HAS REMEMBERED."
Seris stepped backward.
"THE CROWN OF SHADOW HAS RETURNED."
Kael smiled.
Then—
"THE CROWN OF CHOICE HAS AWAKENED."
Riva's Eighth Flame appeared.
The sky changed.
The voice became almost silent.
"NOW THE FINAL CROWN MAY BE CREATED."
Riva stared.
"Final?"
Seris whispered:
"There are supposed to be eight."
The voice answered:
"There were."
Riva's blood ran cold.
"Now there will be nine."
---
The Eighth Flame suddenly left Riva's body.
"RIVA!"
Caelan grabbed her.
She couldn't breathe.
The Flame rose into the sky.
The eight Crowns began orbiting it.
Then the light collapsed.
A new Crown appeared.
It was completely white.
No symbol.
No color.
No power that Riva could recognize.
It slowly descended.
And landed in Elara's hands.
Everyone stared.
Elara looked at the white Crown.
"What is this?"
Seris whispered:
"The Crown of Creation."
Riva froze.
"What does it do?"
Seris looked at Elara.
"It doesn't control anything."
"It creates."
Elara stared at her.
"Creates what?"
Seris answered:
"Anything."
---
Kael suddenly laughed.
"You see?"
Riva turned toward him.
"You wanted this."
"No."
Kael smiled.
"I needed this."
He looked at Elara.
"Because now..."
"...she can create a new world."
Riva tightened her grip around her sword.
"And what do you want in that world?"
Kael's smile disappeared.
"Nothing."
He looked at Riva.
"I want this one gone."
Before anyone could move...
Kael vanished.
The white Crown began glowing.
Elara looked at Riva.
"Mother..."
Riva stepped toward her.
"Don't use it."
Elara's eyes filled with tears.
"I don't know how."
Riva took her hand.
"Then don't choose yet."
But the Crown whispered.
"Create."
Elara looked toward the ruined battlefield.
Then toward the sky.
Then at her mother.
And for the first time...
Riva saw fear in Elara's eyes.
"I think..."
Elara whispered.
"...I've already chosen."
The white Crown exploded with light.
End of Chapter 27