It took awhile for them all to get back to their residence. Once they had finally returned, Corvan and Keelan took Brindon straight to his room. After he was settled, everyone else gathered in the common area.
Keelan looked as if he wanted to cry.
"I don't want to do it. Look what that...place did to Brindon," Keelan said as he paced back and forth. Whatever happened to Brindon must've been traumatic and they all knew it. Corvan wrinkled his brow at the eleventh ranker as he let him finish his rant.
"Keelan, there's not much of a choice. The process has already begun," Rowe said solemnly.
Acknowledging that he was being told the truth, Keelan shut his eyes in frustration and stomped off to find something to eat. He didn't want to go into the Chamber of Enlightenment.
Keelan didn't want it turn him into the person he always feared he could become.
As a beloved child of the earth, Keelan had always been grounded in every aspect of his life. He didn't like the water, but he knew how to swim. Flying was absolutely terrible, but he knew that it was necessary in some situations. His feet were meant to be firmly planted on the ground.
More importantly, and much like Brindon, Keelan was very down-to-earth. He was always happy and content, especially if he had a full belly. Like all Denovegsians, he was very family oriented and cared deeply for his friends. Keelan very rarely got upset and he was almost never genuinely angry.
None of the Twelve had ever seen him lose his temper. When he felt the need to blow off steam, he normally did so in private.
Keelan didn't like who he was when he was angry.
All this raced through Keelan's mind as he burst into the kitchen, but shook his head with slight irritation when he realized his stomach was extremely unsettled.
With an irritated huff that sounded a lot like Corvan, he turned on his heel and headed outside to the Twelve's training grounds. He needed to clear his head.
•••
"Do you think one of us should go check on him," Valeriana questioned as everyone took their seats at the dining room table. Brindon was still sleeping soundly in his room, but Keelan was nowhere to be seen.
"It is uncharacteristic for Keelan to be late for dinner," Rowe said thoughtfully as he wrinkled his brow in slight concern.
"Uncharacteristic? Keelan has probably never missed a meal in his life," Tamara said as she threw her arms up in the air.
Valeriana leaned forward and opened her mouth to speak when the door banged open. Keelan's strawberry blond hair stuck to his sweaty forehead and his face was flushed. Dirt was plastered to his hands and he wasn't wearing any shoes. He was slightly out of breath and it was evident that he had been training.
Seeing the tension in his shoulders and Keelan's pursed lips, Charles decided to not push for the twelfth ranker to adorn proper footwear. Without a word, Keelan flopped down in his chair before taking a swig of his water in what could only be annoyance or irritation.
For the first time that Valeriana could remember, Keelan seemed almost cold or aloof. It made her wonder if Corvan's temper came from his mother's or his father's side of the family.
"Keelan-," Valeriana began to speak, but was quickly cut off by the eleventh ranker.
"I'm fine."
Without another word, Valeriana pursed her lips at her slightly hurt feelings and turned her attention back to dinner. Corvan eyed his cousin, but chose to remain quiet for the time being.
Dinner was a solemn event that evening. Keelan took two bites, pushed his plate away and made his way upstairs to his room without another word.
•••
The Celestial Circle, including Brindon, gathered downstairs in their shared living space. The twelfth ranker looked exhausted and a bit pale, but Brindon seemed livelier than normal. He greeted them with a "good morning" and a nod of his head. Brindon's face was still void of any emotion, but Valeriana had noticed his aura had significantly changed since yesterday.
Green and dusty brown seemed to be the main color surrounding him, but it seemed like a golden thread was attached to the outline of his body. Before Valeriana could ask any questions, Keelan came down the steps quickly and left for the portal without speaking a word to anyone.
It wasn't long until they arrived back in the clearing where the Chamber of Enlightenment loomed over them. First mornings light was beginning to kiss the tops of the trees. Keelan took in the sight before him, very similar to Brindon the day before.
A gentle hand was placed on his shoulder causing him to jump slightly.
"Everything is going to be fine, Keelan," Brindon said calmly. Everyone, including Keelan, were shocked by how many words he had spoken.
Keelan looked over his shoulder at his friends. Whatever was going to happen, they would be here when he returned.
And he would return.
With that comforting thought, Keelan rushed passed King Bertram and the two lords by his side into the Chamber before he could lose his nerve.
•••
The large stone doors slammed shut behind Keelan with a bang and another presence was palpable in the Chamber. Keelan searched for the hum of the earth underneath him, but was met with unsettling silence. He clenched his fists in frustration before spinning in a circle a couple times.
"What am I supposed to do," he wondered out loud as he scratched his head in confusion. Was it like this for Brindon too?
Suddenly, a booming sound echoed throughout out the room the eleventh-ranker was standing in. Keelan frantically searched for the source of the sound, but less than a millisecond later, he was free-falling through the gapping hole that had appeared.
A scream tore free from his throat and panic consumed his body. Keelan grasped at the air, hoping for anything that could save him.
As soon as the falling started, it stopped. Keelan was standing in what could only be the garden of the Ember Palace. As a children, Keelan, Corvan and their siblings actually spent quite a bit of time together. Considering that their parents were siblings, it wasn't abnormal to see the young Denovegesian prince in Arlandia on the weekends and vice versa. Keelan missed spending his days with Corvan when they were younger.
"Keelan! What are you doing? Mother said it was time for tea."
A rather young Corvan said with a grin on his face as he grabbed Keelan's wrist. Suddenly, he remembered what had happened that day and he tried to jerk his arm away, but even at twenty-for, twelve in human years, Corvan had a fearsome grip.
"If you don't hurry the cakes will get cold and the chocolate won't run out of it! Come on! I'll race you," Corvan yelled over his shoulder as he took off through the maze-like garden.
Keelan's legs moved forward on their own accord. He struggled to breathe and his chubby legs couldn't seem to move quick enough. Like always, the rest of their friends beat him back to the small private dining room and were waiting on him. A couple of high-ranked officials children were there and they snickered as Keelan walked in, but the few he considered his friends just scooted over to give him room to sit.
Keelan felt like he was stuck in one of those moving portraits that Valeriana had introduced them to all those months ago. It was obvious that he was being forced to live out one of the most embarrassing moments of his life.
He took his seat between Corvan and Tamara. It wasn't long until the snickering started, then the whispers followed.
Being taunted and made fun of was nothing new for Keelan, especially at the age when he was a bit bigger than the other children.
"Hey! Piggy! Don't eat all the food!"
"Nobody would ever want to be your friend looking like that!"
"Lord Corvan is probably only your friend because you're related. He probably didn't have a choice."
It was that last comment that really hit home. He knew he would never match up to his brother or his cousins. Hell, Deli would die in the future protecting her family and Corvan was a prodigy from birth.
The ground began to shake underneath them. The black magma of the palace floor began to crack as pure rage took over. For the first time, everyone looked at Keelan with fear in their eyes.
He might've been fat, but Keelan could've killed everyone that day.
"Keelan, please! Calm down," said a young girl as she stepped forward. She seemed oddly familiar, but it's as if her face was a blur. As quickly as she appeared, the vision faded and the picture melted away.
Keelan looked around at his familiar room and sighed in relief. Maybe his trial wouldn't be as bad as Brindon's. He could relive the bullying even though it was unpleasant.
Then, he heard the footsteps in the hall outside his bedroom door and the aching quietness that only ever filled his home once in his entire life. Although, he was sure his dear cousin had it worse, the day Deli died broke Keelan's heart and trying to help Corvan get back on his feet had been even worse.
Anything but this. Keelan could take anything head on, but not this. He didn't want to relive the grief and pain that seared through his family while he watched and could do nothing to help. It was almost a year before there was any resemblance of normality in the family, and the Wylden's never did go back to how they had been.
Almost robotically, Keelan stood and began to move toward his bedroom door.
"No, no. Please! Don't make me do this again," the eleventh ranker pleaded with the entity in control of the Chamber.
His plea went unanswered as his feet continued to move on their own accord towards the dining room. Keelan's older brother stood with his arms crossed while his mother had a comforting hand placed on his father's trembling shoulders.
Tense silence settled between them before his father finally began to speak.
"Your cousin, Deli, was killed in a demon attack on the Ember Palace. Her body...has yet to be recovered."
A sniffle came from behind him and Keelan looked at his older brother who was trying not to cry. Much like his younger self, Keelan closed his eyes tightly and clenched his fists as rage took over his body.
He should've been there.
He could've stopped it.
Keelan had failed his family.
Rage filled his young body and the ground beneath the palace trembled in sync with his body. The stone walls around them began to crack and splinter as the violent earthquake continued. Despite his father's and brother's extraordinary discipline over their gift, they both were unable to reach Keelan or to redirect the earthquake. Those who worked in the castle were screaming in terror at the sudden onslaught as they ran for cover.
Thankfully, the power surge led to Keelan's knees buckling as he passed out.
As quickly as it had all began, the visions and pain seemingly vanished as Keelan found himself laying on the cool floor of the chamber he had entered. His entire body ached as if he had been beaten by a band of demons twenty times over.
Similar to Brindon's experience, a deep voice pierced through Keelan's skull and straight to the center of his brain. A strangled cry escaped his lips as he clamped his hands over his ears. Keelan felt as if he couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't move. He felt utterly helpless at the hands of the force moving inside his body.
The young Denvogesian prince. As the most beloved child of the earth, it is not easy for you to stray from the ground. You only allow yourself to exceed your limits when rage fills your veins. By doing so, you limit yourself greatly. In your lifetime, you've had to face an enormous battle all alone. The struggle with one's identity and self-worth can be the greatest battle of all.
Being part of the Celestial Circle requires great strength of the mind and confidence in your decisions. Your first enlightenment will be of your soul. Move forward in grace and happiness. Do not falter in your steps. Your next enlightenment will be a gift from the gods themselves. You power of the earth and the ability to ground yourself will increase significantly in the coming days. Do not fear change or harsh words and become the leader and pillar you have always been destined to be.
The sound of the thunder filled the chamber as the ground shook violently. The sound had a sense of finality to it as Keelan pushed himself to his knees and sat back on his heels while placing his left palm to his temple. His head ached as he fought to piece together some of the things he had seen in his visions.
Suddenly, the old stone doors rumbled open and with the last bit of energy in his body, Keelan stood on shaky legs with a groan as he stumbled towards where the rest of the Celestial Twelve were waiting.
Based off the sun's positioning over the treetops, he guessed it was early afternoon and his stomach growled when he realized he had missed lunch.
"Keelan! Oh my gods...you look like you've been beaten," Valeriana said as she rushed towards her comrade with the others not far behind. A small chuckle escaped his lips because he felt like he had been beaten.
"Yeah...that was terrible. I hated that," Keelan managed to mumble as the world started spinning at an alarming rate. Valeriana and Raziel barely reached him in time before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and his legs gave out.