The Last Keeper of Magic

Chapter 20: The First Creation

The stranger stood completely still.

For the first time, there was no smile on his face.

Arin's words echoed through the First Realm.

"You're my first creation."

The ancient being lowered its enormous head.

The First King stared at Arin in disbelief.

Auren looked between the two figures.

"What does that mean?"

Arin didn't answer immediately.

Memories were flooding into his mind.

He remembered the golden light.

The first mountain.

The first river.

The first tree.

And then the first living creature.

The creature had looked at him with innocent silver eyes.

He had given it a name.

Eon.

Arin opened his eyes.

"Eon."

The stranger's expression changed.

"You remember my name."

"I remember creating you."

Eon's fists tightened.

"Then you remember what she did."

Arin looked at Elara's fading image.

"Mother?"

Eon laughed bitterly.

"She destroyed my world."

Arin frowned.

"What world?"

"The world you created for me."

Silver energy spread across Eon's body.

"I was your first creation. You created an entire realm for me."

The First King interrupted.

"That realm became unstable."

Eon turned toward him.

"You were there."

The First King said nothing.

Eon continued.

"Your power grew beyond control. You began creating life without limits."

Arin stared at him.

"I was a child."

"Exactly."

Eon's voice became softer.

"You created me before you understood what Creation meant."

Auren stepped closer.

"Then why did Mother erase Arin's memory?"

Eon looked at him.

"Because she discovered what I had become."

The First Realm suddenly showed another vision.

A world filled with silver forests.

Floating cities.

Creatures made of light.

At its center stood young Arin.

Beside him was Eon.

They were laughing.

They looked like brothers.

Then the sky became dark.

Eon began changing.

His body grew.

His power expanded.

The world around him began breaking apart.

Young Arin cried.

"Stop!"

Eon couldn't.

Creation had become endless.

Everything he touched was transformed.

Elara appeared.

She looked terrified.

She raised the Golden Core.

"No!"

Young Arin screamed.

"Don't hurt him!"

But Elara had no choice.

The Golden Core opened.

A massive golden seal surrounded Eon.

His world disappeared.

Eon looked at Arin one final time.

"Don't forget me."

Then darkness.

The vision ended.

Arin lowered his head.

"I remember."

Eon stared at him.

"Then why did you abandon me?"

Arin looked into his eyes.

"Because I was never given the choice."

Eon froze.

"What?"

"Mother erased my memory."

Arin stepped forward.

"I didn't abandon you."

Eon's silver energy began fading.

For a moment, his expression became that of the innocent creature Arin remembered.

Then the First King attacked.

A black blade formed in his hand.

He struck Eon from behind.

Eon turned just in time.

The blade pierced his shoulder.

"Enough!"

Arin's Creation power exploded.

The First King was thrown across the battlefield.

Kael shouted,

"Arin!"

Arin ran toward Eon.

The wound in Eon's shoulder was spreading black energy.

Arin placed his hand over it.

Golden light entered the wound.

But the darkness resisted.

Eon looked at him.

"You can't heal this."

"Watch me."

Arin concentrated.

Creation flowed through his hand.

Instead of destroying the darkness, he changed it.

The black energy became silver.

The wound closed.

Eon stared at Arin.

"You've changed."

Arin smiled faintly.

"So have you."

Suddenly, the ground shook.

Luna fell to her knees.

"The seal."

Arin turned.

"What happened?"

Luna pointed toward the sky.

The nine symbols were spinning faster.

The Balance symbol was beginning to crack.

Lyra's expression became serious.

"That's not supposed to happen."

Auren looked at the First King.

"What did you do?"

The First King smiled.

"I didn't do anything."

He raised his hand.

A black crystal appeared.

"The seal is breaking by itself."

Luna stood.

"No."

She looked terrified.

"The seal isn't breaking."

"Then what?"

"The world is rejecting it."

Arin looked around.

The First Realm was changing again.

The sky became brighter.

The ancient cities disappeared.

The mountains began floating upward.

The rivers reversed their direction.

Eon whispered,

"Creation is resetting the realm."

Arin looked at him.

"Can you stop it?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because this isn't my power."

Eon pointed toward Arin.

"It's yours."

Arin felt the Creation energy moving through everything.

It was responding to his emotions.

Fear.

Anger.

Love.

Memories.

Every feeling changed the world.

Arin closed his eyes.

He understood now.

Creation wasn't simply making things.

It was responding to desire.

If he wanted peace, the world would change.

If he wanted revenge, the world would change.

If he wanted someone alive...

The world could bring them back.

Arin suddenly opened his eyes.

"Mother."

Auren stared at him.

"What?"

"Creation can bring back the dead."

Eon shook his head.

"Not truly."

"Why?"

"Because a person is more than a body."

Arin looked toward Elara's fading image.

"But memories remain."

Eon nodded.

"Memories can become a doorway."

Arin stepped toward the image.

"Then maybe..."

Auren grabbed his arm.

"Arin, don't."

Arin looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because Mother warned us."

Arin remembered her message.

You must choose.

He understood what she meant now.

If he used Creation to bring Elara back, he might lose control of everything.

He lowered his hand.

"No."

Auren looked relieved.

Arin continued,

"I won't bring her back."

Eon watched him carefully.

"Why?"

"Because she sacrificed herself for our future."

Arin looked at Luna and Auren.

"I won't destroy that sacrifice."

The nine symbols suddenly stopped spinning.

The Balance symbol became whole.

A powerful wave spread through the First Realm.

The First Creation lowered its head.

"Choice accepted."

The First King looked furious.

"No!"

He attacked Arin.

But this time, Eon moved first.

He appeared between them.

The First King's attack struck Eon's chest.

Eon didn't move.

He looked at the First King.

"You've controlled this world for too long."

Silver energy exploded.

The First King was thrown into the distance.

Kael and Darius rushed forward.

Lyra raised her weapon.

Seraphine summoned golden flames.

Auren stood beside Arin.

For the first time, everyone fought as one.

The First King was surrounded.

But he began laughing.

"You think you've won?"

Arin looked at him.

"What now?"

The First King opened his hand.

A tiny black seed appeared.

Luna's face became pale.

"No."

Arin looked at her.

"What is that?"

"The Shadow Seed."

The First King smiled.

"Your mother destroyed my body."

He crushed the seed.

"But she never destroyed my true weapon."

Darkness spread across the First Realm.

The First Creation roared.

Eon looked upward.

Something was moving inside the darkness.

A gigantic shadow began forming.

It had seven heads.

Seven crowns.

Seven pairs of glowing eyes.

Auren whispered,

"The Seven Kings."

The First King laughed.

"No."

The shadow grew larger.

"They are only the beginning."

The seven heads merged.

A massive figure appeared above the First Realm.

It wore a broken crown.

Its voice shook the entire world.

"The Thrones have awakened."

Arin raised his hand.

The nine symbols appeared behind him.

Fire.

Water.

Wind.

Earth.

Lightning.

Shadow.

Golden.

Silver.

Balance.

He looked at his allies.

"We've been fighting the war the wrong way."

Kael asked,

"Then what do we do?"

Arin looked toward the seven-headed shadow.

"We don't defend the Seven Realms."

He clenched his fist.

"We take them back."

The First King stared at him.

For the first time, Arin no longer looked like the lost heir.

He looked like a ruler.

Not a king of the Seven Thrones.

Something greater.

The Creator.

And above them, the ancient shadow opened all seven eyes.

The next war had begun.

But this time, Arin would not be fighting to survive.

He would be fighting to decide what the world became.

To be continued...