Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Anya, Lena, and Vesper follow the bartender into a golden realm where they learn she was the first gatekeeper's lover, Elara. To revive Elias, they must retrieve a fragment of the first gatekeeper's memory from the heart of a dying star. The ritual begins, but the First Silence's master sends a shadow to claim Elias's soul. Anya uses her empathy to anchor him, and Lena unleashes her full power to shield them, but the shadow wounds Vesper. The chapter ends with Elara revealing the only way to save Elias is to merge the gatekeeper shard with the seed of remembrance, which will bind them all to the Fracture forever.
The golden light wrapped around them like a living thing, warm and humming with a rhythm that felt almost like a heartbeat. Anya held Elias's body in her arms, his weight impossible and featherlight at once. Lena walked beside her, one hand on Anya's shoulder, her energy crackling low and ready. Vesper followed, her silver hair drifting in a wind that came from nowhere.
The bartender led them through the rift, her steps sure, her silhouette sharp against the glow. She moved like someone who had walked these paths a thousand times, her shoulders loose, her voice calm when she spoke.
"This place is called the Loom," she said. "It's where the first gatekeeper wove the threads of reality. Before the Fracture, before the Echo, before any of us forgot what we were."
Keep reading "Chapter 17"
Open the same story in AIBookCraft. Later chapters may require an active subscription.
Free on iOS & Android · No signup to read