Ariana
"Only chaos can stop a witch's ascension. Opening the gates of a witch's hell will bring about chaos. Remember this, Ariana. It might come in handy in the future."
It was strange that I remembered this conversation over all of the other conversations I've had with my mother. She never kept secrets from us. No matter how bad it was, she always shared it with us. I knew how my future would play out. She showed me. I had accepted that my time on this planet would be short. I was prepared for it, but I was also sad. I was sad because I wouldn't get the chance to know my mate. Every witch from the original witch family knows what it means to find your mate. However, I will never have the chance to experience this because I had been cursed to choose between my family and my mate and there was only one true choice that could be made.
Ariana?
Mom?
Ariana? Sweetie, it's time.
Mom, what's wrong?
Wake up honey. Wake up! Only you can stop this.
Stop what?
Only chaos can stop a witch's ascension. Ariana, wake up! Wake up and do what you're destined to do! Open the gates of the underworld! Fulfill your destiny!
My eyes flew open and I took in a huge gulp of air into my lungs. My mother's voice echoed against the walls in my brain. I needed to save her. I could feel her fear, her pain , her sadness and the minute she gave up hope.
No! I need to save her. This isn't what she wants.
Only chaos can stop a witch's ascension.
It was time. I had to do what I was born to do. Even if I died, this was my destiny. I had to fulfill it. I disappeared from the palace and found myself standing at the most powerful spot on planet Atron. It is said that the source of the planet's power came from here. Even when the planet fell over 2000 years ago, this spot remained alive, active. It is here that I will destroy. It is here that I will use to unleash chaos and end my mother's suffering. It is here that I will die.
I planted my feet firmly on the ground, held my hands out with my palms facing down and started chanting. I knew the spell. I don't know how or when I learned it, but I knew it.
The earth trembled under my feet and my palms vibrated with the energy that radiated through it. The creatures of the underworld were ready to be free. I could feel them.
His voice floated to me on the wind and a tear slipped down my cheek.
"You don't have to do this."
Kian...
"You can't leave before giving us a chance."
I'm sorry.
"I haven't even kissed you yet."
I know...
"You haven't even lived."
I'm not supposed to.
I blocked my mind from my mate and focused on doing what I was born to do.
I chanted over and over until the earth started to separate beneath my feet. I was getting closer and closer to the apex.
"Ariana stop! What are you doing?"
I didn't want to fight my brother but I will if I have to. He will not stop me. I put up a block around myself and let my tiger loose on the other side. He would protect me while I finished the job.
Zachary was extremely powerful but he was weak now from Kian's bite. That would work in my favor.
The more the earth gave way, the stronger I got, the stronger my tiger got. The essence of my powers came from the underworld, my mother never kept it a secret from me. She told me this the minute she thought I was old enough to understand. I was dangerous, but she never once suggested binding my powers or taking them away. She never once let me feel like I was different from my siblings. She never once treated me differently or unfairly. That is why I needed to save her life. I owed her too much.
Zachary was trying to break through my barrier but it was no use. The spell I casted was a very powerful one. Only our mother would be able to break it and even if she were standing right here, she wouldn't.
Kian
I can't let her do this. She would die. I didn't search for her all these years for her to die before we even had the chance. I won't allow it.
"But you have no choice."
"There is always a choice."
"So what are your options? The way I see it, you can let your mate open the gates of hell, unleashing death and destruction upon all the planets but that means you'll have to fight her brother, the king. Are you prepared for that?"
"She is my mate."
"So be it. The king's powers come from his wolf. He's strong. They're mentally bonded. Weaken his wolf and you weaken him. Weaken him and you weaken his wolf."
I looked at my mate who was protected by the barrier she'd cast around herself. It was invisible but I could see it.
"The kings blood is strong and it's still in your system. That is why you are able to see the princess's barrier. However, I advise you to not bite the king. Do whatever you must but do not bite him, prince Kian. That is my warning to you."
"How am I supposed to weaken him if I cannot bite him?"
"You'll figure it out."
The voice started to fade from my mind.
"Wait! Who are you?"
"A friend."
With those two words, the voice disappeared.
I've fought creatures before but can't say I've ever fought a wolf. It can't be that hard can it?
Before I could come up with a strategy the earth started crumbling away at my feet. The shaking intensified the more time passed until it was difficult to stay routed in one spot. I flashed in front of the king breaking his concentration and stabbed him in the chest with the blade of fire. The blade of fire was one of the most powerful weapons a vampire could own. It was passed down from generation to generation and only materializes when the previous owner dies. The fact that this sword appeared now could only mean one thing. My father had died and I was no longer Prince Kian of Nemur. I was now king. However, I couldn't focus on that because although the king had fallen to his feet, he wasn't completely immobilized, which he should have been. Just how powerful is he?
"More powerful than you can imagine. I'd say you have about five minutes before he breaks through the magic of that sword."
"Who are you?"
"I told you, I'm a friend. I'm here to help you. Your mate is about to sacrifice herself to save the universe. You should stop her."
In that moment I wished I hadn't wasted so much time trying to stop the king, but tried to save my mate instead, because the image of my mate diving into the pit of hell was one that would be ingrained in my memory for centuries to come. I was too slow. I wasn't fast enough. I couldn't save her. In that moment all I wanted was for death to take me.
Aron
As I was the youngest member of the Ryonan family I was forbidden from practicing unauthorized magic. I was always supervised. Apparently seventeen is too young for me to be doing magic on my own. I didn't buy it though. There must be some other reason. I just haven't found it yet.
I closed the book I was reading and got up from the chair I was sitting in.
Today's schedule:
1. Stop mother's ascension
2. Help my sister's mate
3. Save my sister
4. Perfect the potion of humanity spell
5. Study
All right Aron, it's time to get to work. I closed my eyes and visualized that there were three of me. That was easy enough to do. The minute I did that, my soul split into three different parts and three of myself materialized in front of me. My mother didn't want this ascension so I had to go back to the moment right before her memories were erased. All parts of my soul had to work in unison in order to fix everything. I gave them their orders and returned to my spot on the bed.
Mission 1: Stop the ascension
My mother was being pulled from her unconscious state. Oh no. That's bad. If she leaves now the vampire would die. I could feel my mother's pain. Her body shook violently under whatever unseen force that had seized it. She was resisting. The oracle was forcing his will on her.
"Let go of your past life! Stop fighting!"
I waited. Centuries upon centuries of memories materialized and flashed before her eyes. Now. Now was the time. Before her memories could be erased, I froze time, slowed it down until it came to a complete stop. I grabbed each memory before they could fade into nothingness and locked them away in a place only I could get to. If there are no memories, then there won't be anything to erase, leaving the ascension in a state of limbo. Mission 1 completed.
Mission 2: Help Ariana's mate
Because I had interfered with the natural order of things, the fate of my mother, sister, brother and the vampire, would be altered. The blade of fire appeared before my eyes. That meant that the previous owner had died. I look at it as a blessing in disguise. The blade of fire was the only thing right now besides my mother that could put my brother the king down for a little while.
With time running out I directed the blade of fire to its new owner hoping he would use it wisely.
Mission 3: Save my sister
I had less than a minute, less than a minute to save my sister and join all pieces of my soul together. I had less than one minute to get it right.
The scene in front of me was one I never want to see again. Watching Ariana dive into the pit of hell just to save our mother would stay with me forever but I knew I had to let it happen. I can't change it if it didn't happen.
Once it did, I held my palm out and watched the scene play out in reverse. Right before she could jump off, she fell to her knees and passed out. Her mate was beside her instantly. Sadly I couldn't stay around to see what happened next because my souls were now fighting to get back to my body in one piece and I let them.
Misson 3 completed.