BOOK FOUR: THE KINGDOM BEYOND THE LAST GATE
Chapter 28: The World Elara Created
The white light swallowed everything.
Riva reached for Elara.
"ELARA!"
Her fingers touched her daughter's hand.
Then—
Nothing.
No sound.
No ground.
No sky.
Riva opened her eyes.
She was standing in the middle of a city.
A beautiful city.
Golden towers reached toward the clouds.
White bridges crossed rivers of silver.
Trees grew along streets paved with crystal.
People walked peacefully through the streets.
Children laughed.
Music floated through the air.
There were no ruins.
No monsters.
No wars.
No Gates.
Riva turned slowly.
"Where are we?"
Caelan stood beside her.
"I don't know."
Riva looked around.
"Where's Elara?"
No answer.
"ELARA!"
Her voice echoed through the city.
Then a familiar voice answered.
"Mother?"
Riva spun around.
Elara stood at the end of the street.
Alive.
Unharmed.
But she was wearing a white crown.
Riva ran toward her.
"Are you okay?"
Elara nodded.
"I think so."
Riva hugged her tightly.
"What happened?"
Elara looked around.
"I created this."
Riva stared.
"You created a world?"
Elara nodded.
"I didn't mean to."
Riva looked at the peaceful city.
"Why does it look so perfect?"
Elara's expression changed.
"Because that's what I imagined."
---
Caelan approached them.
"Where are the others?"
Elara shook her head.
"I don't know."
Riva frowned.
"Lyra?"
"No."
"Seris?"
"No."
"Naren?"
"No."
"Kael?"
Elara became silent.
Riva understood.
"He's here."
Elara nodded.
"But I can't find him."
Riva looked at the white Crown.
"Then we need to find him before he finds us."
---
They entered the city.
Everyone they passed smiled at Riva.
Some bowed.
Others whispered her name.
Riva stopped.
"Why do they know me?"
Elara looked confused.
"I don't know."
A little girl approached.
She carried a white flower.
She handed it to Riva.
"Welcome home, Queen."
Riva stared.
"I'm not a queen."
The girl smiled.
"You are here."
Then she ran away.
Caelan looked at Riva.
"That's unsettling."
"Very."
---
They reached the center of the city.
A huge palace stood there.
Riva recognized it immediately.
The First Kingdom.
But it was different.
Beautiful.
Perfect.
No cracks.
No blood.
No darkness.
The palace doors opened.
Inside stood the First Aurelia.
Riva stopped.
"You."
The First Aurelia smiled.
"You finally created the world I couldn't."
Elara stepped forward.
"You're not real."
The First Aurelia laughed.
"Neither are you."
Elara froze.
Riva stepped between them.
"What does that mean?"
The First Aurelia looked at her.
"Your daughter created this world from her desires."
"Everything here is made from her imagination."
"Everyone."
"Everything."
"Even me."
---
Elara looked horrified.
"If you're not real..."
"Then why can I see you?"
"Because you remember me."
Riva frowned.
"But I don't."
The First Aurelia smiled.
"You do."
She touched Riva's forehead.
A memory appeared.
Riva saw herself standing before the First Aurelia.
The First Aurelia was crying.
Riva was holding a newborn baby.
Elara.
The First Aurelia whispered:
"She will destroy everything."
Riva answered:
"Then I'll protect her."
The memory disappeared.
Riva stared.
"I remember."
---
The First Aurelia looked at Elara.
"You were born from the one thing I couldn't control."
"Love."
Elara shook her head.
"No."
"Choice."
The First Aurelia nodded.
"Exactly."
"You were never supposed to inherit the Crowns."
"You were supposed to destroy them."
Riva frowned.
"Then why did the Crown of Creation choose her?"
"Because it recognized its creator."
---
Elara looked at the white Crown.
"Creator of what?"
The First Aurelia answered:
"Possibility."
Silence.
"Every world you've seen..."
"Every version of your mother..."
"Every future..."
"Every past..."
"They were all possibilities."
"You can now create them."
Elara whispered:
"Then I can bring everyone back."
Riva immediately said:
"No."
Elara looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because not everything that can exist should exist."
---
The First Aurelia smiled.
"Your mother understands."
Elara looked hurt.
"You don't trust me."
Riva stepped toward her.
"I trust you."
"Then why are you afraid?"
"Because power doesn't make a choice good."
"What does?"
"Knowing what you're willing to lose."
Elara looked away.
---
A voice echoed through the palace.
"Beautiful."
Kael.
Riva turned.
Kael walked into the throne room.
He wasn't wearing the Black Crown anymore.
Instead...
He carried nothing.
Riva raised her sword.
"You."
Kael smiled.
"Don't worry."
"I'm not here to fight."
"Then why are you here?"
"To see the new world."
He looked around.
"Elara has done what the First Aurelia could never accomplish."
Riva stepped closer.
"What do you want?"
Kael smiled.
"The same thing I've always wanted."
"To be free."
---
Riva frowned.
"You've been trying to control every Crown."
"Because the Crowns were controlling me."
"What?"
Kael looked at the First Aurelia.
"She told you I was her enemy."
The First Aurelia said nothing.
Kael continued:
"She lied."
Riva looked at Aurelia.
"Then tell me the truth."
The First Aurelia remained silent.
Kael laughed.
"She can't."
"Because the truth would destroy everything she built."
---
Elara stepped forward.
"Tell me."
Kael looked at her.
"The Crowns aren't powers."
"They are prisons."
Riva's eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean?"
"Each Crown contains one part of the original world."
"Memory."
"War."
"Shadow."
"Birth."
"Death."
"Choice."
"All of them."
"Someone created them."
"Who?"
Kael pointed toward Elara.
"You."
Elara stared.
"Me?"
"Not you in this life."
"Your first existence."
---
The room went silent.
Riva whispered:
"Elara existed before the First Aurelia?"
Kael nodded.
"Before the Gates."
"Before the Keepers."
"Before the worlds."
Riva looked at her daughter.
"That's impossible."
Kael smiled.
"That's why the Gates had to be created."
"To keep her asleep."
---
Elara suddenly grabbed her head.
"No..."
Riva rushed to her.
"What is it?"
"I remember."
"What?"
"A place."
"Where?"
"Before the world."
Elara's eyes turned white.
"I was there."
Kael smiled.
"Yes."
"You created the first world."
"You created the Crowns."
"You created the Keepers."
"You created the End."
Riva stared.
"Then who are you?"
Kael looked at Elara.
"Ask her."
---
Elara looked at Kael.
"You were my guardian."
Kael nodded.
"You protected me."
"Yes."
"Then why did you betray me?"
Kael's expression broke.
"I didn't."
Elara's eyes filled with tears.
"You did."
"No."
"I remember."
"You remember the lie."
"Whose lie?"
Kael looked toward the First Aurelia.
"Hers."
---
The First Aurelia suddenly attacked.
A blade of golden light shot toward Kael.
He blocked it.
The palace shook.
Riva shouted:
"Stop!"
The First Aurelia screamed:
"He cannot be allowed to remember!"
Riva froze.
Kael stared at her.
"You hear that?"
Riva slowly turned toward Aurelia.
"You were afraid of him remembering."
Aurelia lowered her weapon.
"Because if he remembers..."
"What?"
She looked at Elara.
"...she will remember too."
---
Elara suddenly collapsed.
Riva caught her.
"Elara!"
Her daughter opened her eyes.
But they weren't crimson.
They weren't blue.
They weren't silver.
They were completely white.
Elara whispered:
"I remember the beginning."
Riva held her tightly.
"What beginning?"
Elara looked toward the sky.
"The moment I created the first world."
The palace began cracking.
The perfect city outside started disappearing.
Trees turned to light.
Buildings vanished.
People dissolved.
Riva looked around.
"What's happening?"
Elara whispered:
"I didn't create this world."
Riva froze.
"Then who did?"
Elara looked at Kael.
He was smiling.
"You did."
Riva stared.
"What?"
Kael pointed toward the white Crown.
"The Crown of Creation didn't respond to Elara."
"It responded to you."
Riva looked at her hands.
The Eighth Flame was gone.
The white Crown began glowing.
Kael whispered:
"Welcome back..."
"...First Creator."
End of Chapter 28