The Last Keeper of Magic

Chapter 16: The First Realm

The road to the First Realm was unlike any journey Arin had ever known.

There were no roads.

No villages.

No rivers.

Only a vast stretch of black stone beneath a sky that seemed to have forgotten how to shine.

Arin walked at the front of the group.

Auren followed beside him.

Kael, Lyra, Darius, and Queen Seraphine moved behind them, each watching the darkness surrounding them.

The Seven Realms had always been separated by ancient barriers.

But now those barriers were disappearing.

Firelight could be seen in the distance, even though they were nowhere near the Fire Realm.

Cold mist drifted across the ground.

Lightning flashed silently above the mountains.

And occasionally, shadows moved where nothing should have been.

Auren stopped.

"Something is wrong."

Arin turned.

"What?"

Auren looked toward the horizon.

"The First Realm isn't supposed to look like this."

Lyra stepped closer.

"You've been there?"

Auren shook his head.

"Not exactly. But I've seen its memories."

Arin's golden eyes narrowed.

"What do you remember?"

Auren stared into the darkness.

"The First Realm was once beautiful."

He paused.

"Before the Seven Realms existed, there was only one land."

Darius frowned.

"One land?"

Auren nodded.

"The First Realm."

Seraphine looked disturbed.

"Then the legends were true."

Kael asked, "What legends?"

Seraphine answered quietly.

"That the Seven Realms were created from the First Realm after the First War."

Arin looked at Auren.

"Why was it divided?"

Auren's expression became serious.

"Because of the First King."

The ground suddenly trembled.

A deep sound rolled beneath their feet.

Like something enormous had awakened underground.

Arin raised his hand.

Golden energy spread from his palm.

The darkness around them briefly disappeared.

And for the first time, they saw what stood ahead.

A gigantic wall.

It stretched from one mountain to another.

Black towers rose from its surface.

At the center was an enormous gate.

Seven symbols were carved into it.

Fire.

Water.

Wind.

Earth.

Lightning.

Shadow.

Golden.

But beneath those seven symbols was another mark.

A symbol none of them recognized.

Arin stepped forward.

"What is that?"

Auren's face went pale.

"I don't know."

Lyra stared at it.

"I've seen that symbol before."

Everyone looked at her.

"Where?"

"In Queen Elara's hidden records."

Arin's heart tightened at the mention of his mother.

"What did it mean?"

Lyra hesitated.

"The records called it..."

She looked at the symbol again.

"The Origin."

The Golden Core inside Arin suddenly pulsed.

His entire body froze.

A voice whispered inside his mind.

Remember.

Arin closed his eyes.

The world disappeared.

He was standing inside a palace.

But it wasn't the palace he had seen before.

This palace was enormous.

Its walls were made of white stone.

Golden trees grew inside its halls.

At the center stood Queen Elara.

She was younger.

And she was holding a small child.

Auren.

Beside her stood another child.

Arin.

But there was someone else.

A little girl.

Silver hair.

Golden eyes.

Luna.

Arin stared at the memory.

Elara looked at all three children.

"You must never enter the First Realm."

Young Auren asked, "Why?"

Elara looked toward the enormous door behind her.

"Because something is sleeping beneath it."

The memory changed.

The palace was burning.

The First King stood before Elara.

His body was surrounded by golden and black energy.

"You cannot hide the key forever," he said.

Elara held Luna tightly.

"She is not your key."

The First King smiled.

"She is the only thing that can open the gate."

Elara's expression hardened.

"Then I will destroy the gate before you reach her."

The vision shattered.

Arin opened his eyes.

He was back at the black wall.

Everyone was staring at him.

"What did you see?" Kael asked.

Arin breathed heavily.

"Luna."

Auren stepped closer.

"What happened?"

Arin looked at him.

"Mother knew about the final gate."

Auren's eyes widened.

"And?"

"She tried to destroy it."

Silence followed.

Then the enormous gate began to move.

Slowly.

The seven symbols on its surface ignited.

One after another.

Fire.

Water.

Wind.

Earth.

Lightning.

Shadow.

Golden.

Then the unknown symbol beneath them began glowing.

A deep voice echoed across the land.

"Seven powers..."

The mountains shook.

"Seven bloodlines..."

The gate opened another inch.

"One origin."

Kael raised his weapon.

"Everyone, get ready."

Auren stepped beside Arin.

But Arin didn't move.

He was staring through the opening.

Something was standing on the other side.

A figure.

Small.

Motionless.

Silver hair.

Arin's heart stopped.

"Luna?"

The figure slowly lifted her head.

Her eyes were golden.

Just like his.

Then she smiled.

But there was something wrong with that smile.

Lyra whispered,

"That's not Luna."

The figure's eyes suddenly turned black.

A wave of darkness exploded from the gate.

Everyone was thrown backward.

Arin planted his feet against the ground.

Golden Creation energy erupted around him.

The darkness struck him.

Instead of destroying it, Arin's power changed it.

Black energy became silver light.

The others stared.

Darius shouted,

"He's transforming the attack!"

Arin pushed his hand forward.

The entire wave collapsed.

But the figure was gone.

Auren looked toward the gate.

"She's inside."

Arin nodded.

"I know."

They crossed the threshold.

The moment Arin stepped into the First Realm, the world changed.

The sky was red.

Two enormous moons hung above the horizon.

Mountains floated upside down.

Rivers flowed through the air.

Ancient cities stood abandoned across enormous plains.

And everywhere they looked, there were statues.

Millions of them.

Warriors.

Kings.

Guardians.

Children.

All facing the same direction.

Toward a gigantic black mountain in the distance.

At its peak was a circular opening.

Seraphine whispered,

"The Final Gate."

Auren shook his head.

"No."

Everyone looked at him.

"That's not the gate."

He pointed toward the mountain.

"That's the lock."

Arin felt the Golden Core burn inside his chest.

"Then where is the gate?"

Auren looked down.

"The gate is beneath us."

The ground cracked.

A massive golden symbol appeared beneath their feet.

Seven circles surrounded a single point.

Arin immediately understood.

"The First Realm isn't a place."

He looked at the others.

"It's a seal."

Lyra's face changed.

"A seal keeping something underground."

Auren nodded.

"The First King wasn't trying to enter the First Realm."

Arin finished the thought.

"He was trying to break it."

A terrifying roar came from beneath them.

The statues around the group began moving.

One by one, ancient stone warriors lifted their heads.

Their eyes glowed red.

Darius drew his sword.

"How many?"

Lyra looked around.

"Too many."

Hundreds became thousands.

The ancient army began marching toward them.

Arin raised his hand.

Golden Creation energy spread across the ground.

"Don't attack."

Kael stared at him.

"Arin, they're coming for us."

"I know."

Arin closed his eyes.

Creation wasn't only destruction.

It was the ability to change what already existed.

He reached toward the ancient warriors.

Golden light touched the first statue.

For a moment, Arin saw its memory.

A warrior from the First Realm.

A father.

A husband.

A soldier who had fought during the First War.

He hadn't wanted to fight.

He had been controlled.

Arin opened his eyes.

"They're trapped."

He released more energy.

Golden light spread across the battlefield.

One statue stopped.

Then another.

Then hundreds.

The red light disappeared from their eyes.

The ancient army slowly lowered their weapons.

Kael smiled.

"You freed them."

Arin shook his head.

"No."

He looked toward the black mountain.

"Someone else is controlling them."

A voice answered from behind.

"Very good."

Everyone turned.

A man stood on top of one of the ancient towers.

Black armor.

Golden eyes.

A crown made of broken crystal.

The First King.

Auren immediately raised his hand.

"You."

The First King smiled.

"I've been waiting for you."

Arin stepped forward.

"You wanted us to come here."

"Of course."

"Why?"

The First King looked toward the ground.

"Because only the complete Creation power can open the seal."

Arin's expression hardened.

"You need me."

The First King laughed.

"No."

He pointed toward Auren.

"I needed both of you."

Auren's face became pale.

"But Arin has the complete power now."

"Exactly."

The First King looked toward Arin.

"You finally completed what your mother feared."

Arin's eyes narrowed.

"What did she fear?"

The First King smiled.

"That one day you would become powerful enough to open the gate yourself."

The ground shook again.

A crack appeared beneath Arin.

A golden light emerged from deep underground.

And then a girl's voice echoed across the First Realm.

"Arin."

He froze.

Everyone heard it.

The voice was soft.

Familiar.

Luna.

"Arin... please..."

Arin stepped toward the crack.

"Luna!"

Auren grabbed his arm.

"Wait."

Arin looked at him.

"That's our sister."

Auren shook his head.

"Maybe."

The First King smiled.

"Now you understand."

The crack widened.

A pair of golden eyes appeared beneath the earth.

The entire First Realm fell silent.

Then Luna's voice whispered again.

"Brother..."

Arin's Creation power erupted uncontrollably.

The Seven Guardian symbols appeared in the sky.

The First King looked upward.

His smile disappeared.

Because something unexpected had happened.

A new symbol had appeared among the seven.

A symbol of silver light.

A symbol that even the First King could not control.

Auren stared at it.

"What is that?"

Lyra whispered,

"The eighth symbol."

Arin looked at the sky.

And somewhere beneath the First Realm, Luna opened her eyes.

But she was not alone.

Something ancient was standing behind her.

Something older than the First King.

Something that had been waiting beneath the Seven Realms since the beginning.

The First King slowly stepped backward.

For the first time, fear appeared in his eyes.

Arin noticed.

"What are you afraid of?"

The First King didn't answer.

The earth split open.

A massive hand emerged from beneath the First Realm.

And a voice older than time whispered:

"The Heir has returned."

Then another voice answered from the darkness:

"And the Creator has awakened."

The final gate began to open.

To be continued...