ALOJA: The Journal of Pteridophia Anteres Lumina

* ENTRY 14

I buried my face in my hands. "No. No. I did everything she instructed! She said--"

"That you could save the Aloja?" interrupted the queen. "It wasn't a lie. The Aloja live on—in you. She sent you on that journey so that you could find the means to save yourself. She knew if you were allowed to watch her die, you'd never find the resolve to begin your quest."

I launched from the plateau in the blink of an eye, surprising even the queen. I swooped into the secret cave and landed at the edge of the shimmering pool among the piles of bleached bones. There was no sign of my mother.

I dropped down and looked through the crystal water. A figure was resting at the bottom of the well, hundreds of feet below. Without a second thought, I dove in and swam to my mother, cradling her in my arms. Although her body was perfectly preserved, she was decidedly dead. The once still waters reverberated with my tortured scream. I lost my grip on my mother's corpse as an unseen force pulled me up to the surface against my will.  My limp body landed heavily against the floor of the cave, dripping wet. Queen Suzerain stood over me.

"Pteridophia, your mother is dead but her soul can still be saved."

I looked up, sobbing, gasping for breath. "What...what do you mean?"

The queen knelt in front of me. "When magickal beings die in this mortal plane, their souls become forever lost. However, even though your mother is physically dead, this pool has kept her soul in stasis. With the stolen power you now hold, we can guide her home to the realm of magick."

"She'll live?" I muttered, sitting cross legged and hunched.

"Her spirit will persevere beyond the veil, beyond even my reach. It's all we can do for her."

I wiped away fresh tears. "Yes. Anything to save her soul."

"Even if it means sacrificing yours?"

"Absolutely." I didn't hesitate for a second.

Queen Suzerain took my hands and carefully lifted me to my feet. She wrapped her arms around me and I felt utterly at ease. I saw her smile as she backed away from me. "A great tribulation is coming...something to rectify this horrible state of affairs. We'll restore balance to both realms."

I took a deep breath. "So, the world is out of balance. Is that why the magickal beings here are all dying?"

"Yes. The Antecedent Star failed to harmonize the two realms and now magick is abandoning the Earth. I'm afraid there's no way to stop it...but we can begin again."

"Begin again?"

"A great rectification. A reset, as the humans might say. If we work together, we can ensure the next iteration of reality will be strong with magick...so strong it will never again fade."

I shook my head. "Humans know nothing of magick. If we fade away, they will barely notice. We can't just sacrifice this plane of existence for the sake of the Antecedents' failure."

The queen adopted a stern look. "If one realm crumbles, the other surely will as well! Without intervention, all are doomed. This is the only way."

She didn't sound as confident as I would have liked. I could feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. "Even if you're right, I am nothing compared to you. What am I supposed to do?"

"I am right, and I will reveal your role in this soon enough. I have deemed you worthy of this task. It would be unwise to forsake your destiny."

I walked to the mouth of the cave and stared at the crashing waves below. "Please. I need some time to think."

"I will return to the plateau tomorrow. Have your answer ready."

When I turned back around, the queen was gone.