“Hmm… You definitely expected this outcome, didn’t you, Mia?” Sylvara called out from the darkness.

“Where am I?” I stuttered.

“In the middle of nowhere, I’d say,” he replied. “Maybe this will refresh your memory”. He pierced the darkness with the tips of his fingers, and suddenly

Familiar faces appeared before me, lying on the ground as if peacefully asleep. Or so I thought.

“What happened to them?” I asked. “They seem… drained of life.”

“Oh? You could tell as much… Interesting. Your aura has evolved quite a bit…”

“Mia…” the young man said softly.

“Who are these people? Why can’t I recall their names?” I urged Sylvara.

“You’ll remember everything once you pass the last test.”

“Wasn’t this the last test?”

“Well, you did die. That lad over there shot you dead.”

“I know,” I said firmly. “With my death, the people’s wrath will subside and the knight won’t have a reason to fight them any longer. So, I believe that my sacrifice was the best way to stop the bloodshed.”

“Oh? Is that so?” he teased. “So you’re telling me that you gave your life to ease the tensions regardless of what your beloved would think? Isn’t that selfish? Or perhaps, it’s because you didn’t care about the princess at all, knowing that you and her were different…”

“No, that’s not it. The royals had too much blood on their hands. Even if they survived, the people’s dread will grow by the day. A princess giving her life for peace, isn’t that noble? Had she lived, her knights would have slaughtered everyone!”

Sylvara stared at me, amusement in his eyes.

“You are indeed one of a kind!” he said. “You seem convinced by what you’ve done so I won’t argue. You’ve passed every test successfully, and I must say that you amazed me. And as a prize, a surprise is waiting for you in the outside world… A very interesting surprise.”

With that, he vanished.

The darkness lifted, and I found myself among those familiar figures… my friends.

“Thalor… Asher… Alba… Are you alright?”

“Took you long enough!” Asher said standing up.

“Mia!” Thalor exclaimed running to me. “Are you hurt?”

Tears welled in my eyes. The warmth of being cared for, of being waited for, was something I’d taken for granted.

“Mia?” Thalor said gently wiping my tears.

“Such a crybaby!” Alba shouted. “I thought these trials would toughen you up.”

“I can’t believe you’re talking like that to the one who risked everything to save us!” Thalor growled.

Suddenly, Fena appeared floating above us.

“Congratulations on passing the test, Lady Mia. We’ll celebrate your return tonight. Our elder will be present too.”

“Finally some good news,” Alba sneered. “Are you sure you’re not going to poison us or something? You light-creatures might be holy and all but you’ll do anything to protect your land!”

“Can’t you just take them within you again? This one is noisy,” Thalor whispered.

“I heard that!” Alba snapped.

“I am afraid that it cannot be done,” Fena answered. “In this village, purity is a must. So, curses of any kind do not function here.”

“About that…Didn’t we come here to protect this village from Lucius?” I asked.

“Protect whom from who exactly?” Sylvara smirked, reappearing. “You still need some serious history lessons about our world, Lady Mia.

At those words, Alba’s eyes sharpened like a predator’s. She stared directly at Sylvara, like she knew him.

When Sylvara met her gaze, she quickly looked away.

Alba? Looking away? That’s new.

“What are you staring at?” she growled at me.

“Uhm… nothing really,” I said.

“Look at you two, bickering like siblings,” Sylvara chuckled.

Siblings? It’s true that we did look alike, but I’d always thought that this was not her real appearance.

“Enough joking around,” Alba said. “Aren’t you going to invite us in? We need to rest to fully enjoy tonight’s festivities, right?” she said turning to Asher.

“Yes, indeed,” he agreed.

“But of course! Where are my manners?” Sylvara replied. “Zephariel, show them to their lodgings. Rest well.”

We were taken to separate rooms. Thalor refused to leave my side. He looked like a lost puppy who had finally retrieved his master.

But doesn’t he resent me?

After all, I’ve been sheltering Alba and Narcis within me. His legendary partner and his nemesis.

 He is not the type to hold a grudge…  but still, should I apologize?

Sensing my spiraling thoughts, Thalor gently took my hands and said, “Mia, we’ve been watching your trials. You must’ve gone through some really complicated things… If something is bothering you, You can share it with me… it might lighten your burden, even just a little,” he added.

Actually, I have a lot of questions.

Am I really Alba’s sister or was that part of the test to shake me?  

Did Aloen and Asher really serve the royals, or was it just a convincingly scripted illusion? All the people I saw… they felt real.

Sylvara could’ve conjured up random strangers, but he didn’t. He chose them. Why? How odd…

 “Mia? Mia?” Thalor’s voice cut through my thoughts as he waved a hand in front of my face. “I think you really need some rest. We’ll talk later, okay?”

“Ah… yes. See you later.”

I opened the door to my assigned room and was instantly astonished by its beauty. Everything seemed to be crafted from trees leaves, woven walls, a canopy ceiling, even the furniture.

I jumped onto the bed. It was incredibly soft, and the scent of fresh greenery surrounded me, calming my senses.

“Ah, finally… I really needed this,” I murmured, my eyes slowly beginning to close.

I don’t know how long I slept, but it was the sound of laughter echoing outside my window that woke me up.

Cheerful voices, clinking glasses, music… the village was alive.

For a moment, I just laid there, letting the distant drums and soft hum of celebration wrap around me. The call of joy beyond these walls was tempting but the warmth of the bed and the fresh scent of green leaves were even harder to leave behind.

I stretched and smiled.

“The festival has begun,” I whispered.

“The festival without its main protagonist is no festival, don’t you agree, Lady Mia?”

“Sylavara! You startled me! Can’t you at least knock before entering a lady’s room?” I snapped, pulling the covers closer.

“Apologies,” he said with a smirk. “That Nauvaryn wasn’t too thrilled when I mentioned I’d check on you. Quite the jealous friend you have!”

“Hahaha,” I let out a forced laugh. “Still, it’s just common sense to not barge in like that. As a man, you—”

“Oh? So my gender is the issue” he interrupted, his form shifting fluidly into that of a woman. “How about now?”

“You must find this amusing, but I think it’s quite shocking. Can’t you stick with one?”

“Why though?” she said, brushing back long strands of her dark hair. “Gender doesn’t define who I am. Whether I am a man or a woman I am still the Aelith elder, am I not?”

“Yes, but for a human such as myself, I think it’s quite disturbing,” I said.

She looked at me for a brief moment, brushing off my hair.

“I take the shape of a man, because it’s less energy-consuming. The Aeliths are all females, I am the only one capable of taking any shape,” she said turning back into a man. “Do you still believe you are a human, Mia?”

The answer was clear. If I am really Alba’s sister then I was not human, but what about all the life I’ve lived so far?

“Well, I have some doubts…” I admitted.

Sylavara rose and opened the windows, letting in the sounds of the ongoing celebration.

“What did you dream of in your sleep, Mia?” he asked with a soft voice.

“Nothing really,” I said. “It was the most peaceful sleep I had in ages. In fact, I don’t recall sleeping ever since I’ve landed here.”

He smiled, as if pleased by my answer.

“Mia, would you like to know more about who you truly are?”

“Of course!” I said eagerly, though deep down, I expected only riddles or cryptic fragments.

“I want to show you the core space of this entire realm,” he said, his tone suddenly grave. Know that what you’ll see there… will change your life forever.”

“Oh…” I faltered, caught off guard by the seriousness in his voice.

“What is it?” he asked. “Not ready yet?”

“No… I just...” I looked at him. “What could possibly affect me that much?”

“You’ll see.”

On our way to our destination, we passed through a lively corridor, brimming with light and music. Laughter echoed from open archways, and the scent of blooming night flowers lingered in the air.

“Where are Thalor and the others?” I asked, glancing around.

“They’re enjoying themselves in the outer courtyard,” he replied. “But what I am about to show you… it can only be revealed today, on this exact day each year. If you’d prefer to join them instead, I won’t stop you.”

“No, let’s keep going,” I said. “I could meet them afterwards.

Sylvara turned to me then, his expression caught between pride and sorrow, as if he were both grateful for my choice… and silently mourning what it would cost.

At the end of the corridor, we reached what appeared to be a dead-end. An old stone wall covered with green branches and mold.

Sylvara activated some sort of light array tracing familiar symbols. At his command, the tangled vines recoiled, twisting away from the stone. Then, without a single crack or tremor, the wall began to dissolve. The stones broke apart splintering into thousands of smooth, floating fragments. They rearranged themselves in the air like a puzzle unmaking itself, vanishing one by one into motes of silver dust. No sound. No debris.

Before us, a passage emerged, dark, a red glow at its edges, as though it led into the heartbeat of the world.

The place felt strangely familiar. It had the same aura as Ansel’s place.

As we stepped deeper, crimson threads shimmered into existence, floating gently in the air like strands of living silk. Without warning, several threads darted forward and coiled around my wrist and neck. But just as quickly, they retreated as if burned.

“She is not the one you think she is,” Sylvara said, a shadow flickering across his face. “Sorry, you’ll have to discover this the hard way.”

“Who is he talking to?” I thought.

A voice, sharp, guttural, and brimming with fury, echoed through the chamber.

“She is not the twin we ought to devour! Why did you bring her in the Forbidden Sacred Chamber!”

The red threads swirled with agitation, as though stirred by the unseen speaker’s rage. One shot forward and slashed across Sylvara’s cheek.

“Oh! Sylvara!” I cried out.

“Do not worry about me, Mia. The Syrath Lunara seems to have a peculiar fondness for my blood.”

A growl echoed through the chamber, low and venomous.

“Sylvara,” the voice snarled. “Do not forget your place, you are nothing more than my guardian! Dare to anger me, and you’re dead!”

Then it disappeared. The threads stilled, slowly dissolving into the air.

Sylvara smirked: “It seems I am lucky today. It didn’t make a mess out of me this time!” he said wiping off the blood.

We kept walking forward until we reached a vast and staggering rift, a colossal divide where light and darkness clashed. Tremendous energy surged from the chasm, humming with a power that vibrated in my bones.

“We are not going down there,” he said. “At least… not yet.”

His face expressions grew darker the more we delved deeper. Strangely, I did not feel any fear. Only a quiet anticipation.

“Give me your hand,” he said. “What I want to show you is up there.”

Floating high in the void were doors. Massive, radiant, and otherworldly.

“Oh? Are those floating doors?” I asked.

“They are called Destiny Gates. Each creature, no matter how great or small, has one. A gateway tied to their path,” he explained.

“But there aren’t too many here. Why is that?”

The ones you see,” he said, “are the ones you are allowed to see. I perceive them all because I am permitted to.”

My gaze returned to the two closest gates with twin structures pulsing in harmony.

“So one of these two is mine, I suppose?”

“Correct.”

The other must be Alba’s. I didn’t need him to say it. He didn’t say it either.

Once we reached the threshold of the floating gate, Sylvara released my hand.

“No matter what you see, no matter what you feel, remember your true purpose. Only that will give you the will to live.”

The door opened, responding to his words. From within, threads of light floated toward me wrapping around my body, drawing me forward with an enticing warmth I could not resist.

And without hesitation, I stepped through, ready to unveil my mysterious past.