Five years later.
"Today's the day. Are you ready, Aaron?" asked Lucian. They were gathered at the bottom of a flight of black quartz steps leading up to a stone platform that rose twenty meters into the air. The entire structure was shaped like the lower half of a pyramid. Standing at each corner of the platform was a stone stand with a stone bowl in which fire flickered, sending wavy columns of smoke into the air. Elaborate symbols painted in red a circle on the ground. An altar with a giant obsidian bowl was at the center, along with a series of peculiar items—some vials, some powders, some unknown objects—laid out in a straight line on the side. Runes and symbols were carved into the stone altar as well.
Around the platform was a field of green grass. If one looked carefully, one could see a circular magic boundary that was glowing faintly. At the outer edge of this large circle, a hundred meters in radius, was a ring of red roses, all in bloom. Beyond that was a crowd of people—Rosewood Elders, curious townspeople, and the families of the surviving Rosewood Four and Katherine.
The day was clear and sunny, without a single cloud in the sky. There wasn't even a slight breeze. Madeline's predictions for favorable conditions were on point. According to her, today was the best day to perform the ritual and cast the spell that should bring Katherine home.
Five years ago, the surviving members of the Rosewood Seven returned to their hometown as heroes. They were all given the highest honors. Lionel received recognition and honors as well. Celebrations for the defeat of Lord Victor went on for days across the kingdom. Every man, woman, and child knew the names of the Rosewood Seven and the tales of the Destined Three. Aaron, Indigo, Rachel, and Lucian were offered positions to be the next Rosewood Elders, though they all declined, saying that they were nowhere ready to become leaders of the kingdom. Perhaps later, the current Rosewood Elders agreed. When they were ready.
But while there was happiness, there was also grief. Three out of the seven families wore black for mourning. Two raised funeral pyres. Visiting Ashley, Jason, and Katherine's families and delivering the news was hard for the survivors. Although no one blamed them, they felt responsible, in some way, for the deaths of their friends. Aaron and Indigo especially felt responsible for Katherine's disappearance, and Aaron swore he would bring her back. Her family clung to the hope that there was some way for their daughter to return to them.
In the days after, the chosen ones carried out their own plans. Burial mounds were created for Ashley and Jason, although their tombs only held their clothing and swords. The tale of the first Rosewood Seven was made known, and the world was shocked. Even the Rosewood Elders were horrified to learn of what their predecessor had done. Spearheaded by Indigo and Aaron, a monument was erected for the first Rosewood Seven and Bianca. This ensured that the names of Caspian, Hugo, Atticus, Gemma, Marcellus, Annalise, Bianca, and Victor would never be forgotten again.
At first, the Elders were hesitant about including Lord Victor's name in the monument. He was the evil lord, they argued. He didn't deserve the recognition reserved for heroes. But Indigo and Aaron stood their ground.
"It was Lord Victor who terrorized the world, but it was Victor who went on a quest and helped defeat the previous evil lord." Aaron stated firmly. "It was Victor who watched his friends die at the hands of people he trusted. He was forced to become Lord Victor by the unfortunate circumstances."
"Of course, it does not excuse the horrific crimes he committed against Crystallea later," Indigo added. "But Victor and Lord Victor are different. After all the injustices Victor suffered, does Victor not deserve redress? Would we be any different from Kendric if we didn't tell history exactly how it happened and rectify the sins of our ancestors?"
Even after the Elders relented, a lot of people did not, and could not, understand why Victor's name was on the monument, or why the chosen ones fought so hard to get Victor justice. Shouldn't they hate the person who caused them so much pain? Shouldn't they hate the evil lord, especially after fighting him? Lucian was one of them. When he discovered that Aaron had gone as far as to create a burial mound for Victor and Bianca, he was angry at first.
"Aaron, have you gone mad? Lord Victor was the reason why Ashley and Jason died. He prevented Katherine from coming out of the portal in time. Hell, he cost me both of my legs!" Lucian pointed at the metal prosthetics he now had. "We suffered so much because of him. I let you create a burial mound for the first Rosewood Seven, no questions asked. I even supported you and Indigo when you two wanted to include his name on the monument. But why does he deserve his own grave?!"
Aaron didn't speak for a long time. He looked at the wildflowers growing beside the tombstone, waving in the wind. "For the last time, Lucian, Victor is different from Lord Victor. Victor just wanted to be with the girl he loved, and Kendric took that away from him. Don't you think they at least deserve to be together in death?
Lucian heard the sadness in his best friend's voice. His anger diminished, but he still couldn't agree. "But Aaron, Victor is Lord Victor, and you can't just—"
"It's what Kath would have done." Aaron cut Lucian off. He looked into the distance, toward where the peaks of the Northern Mountains were barely visible on the horizon. "It's what she would have wanted."
Lucian closed his mouth. What could he possibly say to that? Aaron had not been the same ever since losing Katherine, and as his best friend, Lucian saw and felt the drastic difference the most. He worried about Aaron, who didn't speak more than ten words to anyone for the first two weeks, who hasn't smiled in the way he used to, who lost his playful and outgoing personality. Although they all grieved the loss of Katherine, Aaron hurt the most. Lucian couldn't even imagine the pain that Aaron was going through, and he didn't want to. His heart hurt too much every time he tried to replace Katherine with Rachel in his what-if situations.
Aaron, Indigo, Lucian, Rachel, and Lionel dedicated all of their time to searching through ancient books and forgotten scrolls for any spell that could reopen the portal and bring Katherine back. Madeline helped as well, bringing out all of her spellbooks and books that she had collected over the years. It took twelve months before Rachel and Indigo was able to piece together clues and fragments from different texts and track down the entire spell. The book that held the complete spell was the last surviving volume in all of Crystallea. The spell involved a complicated ritual that called for many rare ingredients and complex magic formations. Rachel, Lucian, and Madeline worked on preparing the physical layout for the ritual. Lionel, Indigo, and Aaron gathered the ingredients.
Lionel used his trading network to get a hold on some of the less exotic ingredients. Then he and Indigo set off together to gather information on and collect the more exotic ones while Aaron travelled across Crystallea alone. With his sword by his side and his cloak around his shoulders, Aaron hunted down the rare substances that grew only in a particular forest, or bloomed only during a few days of the year, or had to be picked and dried during a specific time of day.
He traversed snowy peaks that resembling the Northern Mountains for the thirteen-petal ice lotus. He crossed blistering deserts that reminded him of Dead Man's Chasm for the skin of the poisonous chameleon salamander (also known as the chameleander). He braved stormy waves and murky depths for the iridescent shell of a clam last seen two-hundred years ago. By day, Aaron galloped past rivers and valleys of unparalleled beauty with the sun shining above. At night, he sat by a lonely campfire and watched the stars twinkle, with the whisper of the wind reminding him of the laughter and conversations of times past.
Along the way, Aaron always helped out those in need and brought justice and peace to the weak. He never took any compensation, though the villagers and townspeople always gave him a warm meal and place to stay the night. If asked why he was doing this or what his purpose was, Aaron always replied, "It's what the girl I love would do." Soon, a folksong became popular among the people:
With her last breath, the spell is cast,
The hero grieves the tragic past.
But as sure as the sun will rise,
As long as the moon lights the sky,
This star-crossed love shall never die.
The hero walks his maiden's path—
Aaron still chases after Kath.
It took four years before all the ingredients were gathered and concocted just right, whether that meant eighty-one days of continuous grinding, getting it burnt to a crisp by lightning, or whatever peculiar way the ancient ritual called for. By the time all of this was accomplished, the altar and platform for the ritual finished construction as well. It required a specific type of stone from a little-known corner of Crystallea, which took a lot of manpower and material sources to transport back to Roseland, where the ritual would be taking place. Today.
Standing beside his best friend, Aaron looked at the altar, high in the air. These past five years hadn't been easy. Not a day had gone by where he didn't think about Katherine and miss her. He missed her laugh, the smile in her eyes, and the way her sword flashed in the sunlight when she practiced with him. He missed her. Travelling across Crystallea had given Aaron the time and chances to really grow and mature. He was no longer the boy who was sometimes hotheaded and often rushed into things. Now, he was calm and more rational; even Indigo commented that he changed a lot when she and Lionel returned from their journey.
Directly across from Lucian and Aaron was Indigo and Lionel, who stood side by side and held hands. Indigo looked nervous, and Lionel was talking softly to her, soothing and reassuring her. They had been an official pair since returning from the Northern Mountains and were practically inseparable. Aaron was happy for Indigo; she had found the one she truly loved and who loved her back. Lionel was a great person; he would treat her well. However, watching the pair always brought a pang of heartache for Aaron. It reminded him of what could have been—if only he figured out his feelings sooner; if only he confessed to Katherine earlier; if only he was able to save her. For five years, his only hope of redemption was the ritual. It had to work. It must.
"Yes, I'm ready." Aaron finally answered Lucian. Lucian patted him on the shoulder.
Rachel walked up to the four of them, dressed in the same sorceress dress she had worn with Ashley at Hamberg. At the outer edge of the circle and standing with the Elders was Madeline. She waved at the five children—no, not children anymore, young adults—encouragingly. When they were all working together on the ritual in the beginning, Rachel asked Madeline if she would conduct it.
"Oh, no, dear." Madeline declined immediately. "You have to be the one to cast the spell."
"Me? But you're far more powerful and experienced than I am." Rachel was very worried. "I'm the healer, not the spellmaster. What if I mess it up?"
"You are part of the Rosewood Seven, and this is your prophecy. I cannot help you cast the spell, no matter how much I want to." Madeline explained. "But have no fear. I have complete faith in you, Rachel. The prophecy must be fulfilled, so I am sure you will be able to cast the spell perfectly. In the meantime, we can practice spells together."
Rachel still looked a little nervous. Her hands were tucked in the sleeves of her dress. "This is it, guys," she said as she looked at her friends. "Five years of work has all boiled down to...this." She gestured at the platform and the altar.
Indigo smiled encouragingly at Rachel. "You got this, Rachel. You've studied hard and practiced a lot with Madeline. You're going to do it perfectly."
"Oh, I don't know, I still feel like I'm not good enough." Rachel fidgeted. "There are so many spells I can't even cast. What if I get up there and it doesn't work?"
"It will. We've gathered all the ingredients and prepared it just the way the book said. We've built the altar exactly how it was meant to be. The spell will work." Lucian said firmly, trying to instill confidence in his girlfriend. Rachel gave him a small, grateful smile. She was with Lucian every step of the way in his recovery and supported him unconditionally. But Lucian was her anchor too, and no one could believe in her and support her more than him.
Rachel took a deep breath. Her gaze landed on Aaron. "Ready, Aaron?" Aaron nodded and stepped out. As Indigo, Lionel, and Lucian watched with anticipation, Rachel and Aaron walked up the black quartz steps. Augustus's cloak remained tied around Aaron shoulders and swished lightly as he stopped at the top. Rachel proceeded to the altar and took her place in front. After a brief moment, she raised both arms into the air. The onlookers quieted. Rachel began the ritual.
The spell was in the old language, one that few people still knew. The strange sounds rolled off Rachel's tongue effortlessly. As everyone watched, red flames came to life in the obsidian bowl. Still chanting the incantation, Rachel began to add the ingredients one by one into the flames. With each addition, the flames grew brighter deepened in shade. As Rachel sprinkled in the last powder, the flames suddenly erupted upwards and darkened to the exact shade of red as the portal that had destroyed Lord Victor and taken Katherine away in the process. At the same time, the circle of symbols on the platform glowed and sprang to life. A rotating ring of glowing red symbols appeared in midair and surrounded the platform, encircling Rachel and Aaron.
The originally sunny sky darkened unexpectedly. Rolling, swirling black clouds gathered above the platform, accompanied by strong gusts of wind. The orange flames in the torches at each corner of the platform flickered dangerously. Augustus's cloak fluttered. Rachel's skirt billowed. Still, the spell went on. Rachel now drew elaborate, curving symbols in the air above the flames, which manifested in the same glowing way as the other symbols and flew to join the ring. After around twenty-five symbols had been added, Rachel looked to Aaron, who was still standing at the top of the steps, and nodded.
Aaron approached. He picked up the last remaining item on the altar—a jagged shard from the orb that had been destroyed five years ago. The most important part of the spell was the primer, the one substance that would establish the link between this world and Katherine.
"I believe that the rosestone on Katherine's sword, which contains magic just as ancient as the portal, will protect her from being destroyed by the portal," Madeline had explained when they were all trying to understand the complicated ritual. "So, she is trapped in a limbo state."
"The spell calls for something to link the two worlds. What will that be?" Rachel had asked, pointing at one line in the book.
"That points to an anchor of sorts," Madeline had clarified. "Something that still connects Katherine to our world. So it must be something that exists both here and with her in the limbo world."
They spent a while trying to figure out what Katherine might have on her that they also had. It must be exactly the same. The best would be to have two parts of a whole. "My blood," Aaron had said suddenly. "When I was holding on to her, some of my blood got on her hand. Assuming she didn't have time to wipe it away, her hand should still be covered with my blood."
"Brilliant! Blood of one of the Destined Three will work excellently." Madeline approved of this.
Which is why, as Rachel's spell reached a climax, Aaron took the shard and slit the palm of his left hand over the flames. One, two, three, four, five drops of crimson fell into the red flames. At Rachel's signal, Aaron dropped the blood-covered shard into the flames as well.
Lightning flashed. Thunder rumbled. The dark clouds above the platform rolled with turmoil. The symbols hovering in midair glowed brighter as Rachel continued the spell. The ancient language seemed to have a life of their own as they escaped from her mouth. Suddenly, the glowing symbols began flying up into the clouds one by one, illuminating the dark masses with flashes of red. When the last symbol disappeared into the clouds, the red flames on the altar rose straight up into the air just as streak of lightning struck down. The two forces met with a burst of light. The air crackled with energy and magic. Rachel never stopped speaking the spell; in fact, she was shouting now, in order to be heard over the roaring flames and howling wind.
Aaron's eyes were focused on the column of fire and lightning. Looking up, he saw a swirl of red within the clouds. Could that be the portal? Had they succeeded in opening it?
The flames began to flicker. Rachel paused briefly in her incantation to yell, "Aaron, we need more blood!" Her voice was laced with panic. Madeline had warned them of this before.
"If you feel that the magic is not enough, Aaron will have to add more of his blood," the sorceress had told them. "The anchor may not be strong enough. The only way to strengthen the link and cross the magical threshold is to give Katherine something to hold on to from our side."
Aaron stepped up to the flames again and unsheathed his sword. He cut his palm again, leaving a larger gash than before. He gritted his teeth against the pain as the blood rushed down the creases of his palm and into the obsidian bowl. Immediately, the red flames burned brighter, redder, and stronger than before.
Kracka-boom! Another bolt of lightning struck down. The flames rose up to meet the lightning, forming a column of lighting-fire. Up above, in the clouds, an elliptical shape could be seen clearly, its center filled with swirling red magic. The portal had been opened!
Rachel shouted the last line of the spell and drew one last symbol, which she sent spiraling into the clouds. Aaron looked up, his heart pounding. Where was Katherine? No one knew how she would appear. What if she got stuck in limbo?
His heart prayed to the heavens. Please come home, Kath. Everyone is waiting for you. I've missed you so much. Come home, Kath. Come home.
Suddenly, the crimson flames turned azure. As everyone watched, their hearts in their throats and holding their breaths, a glowing ball of blue the size of a horse cart slowly exited the portal and began descending through the column of lightning and fire. Aaron's heart nearly stopped beating. Was Katherine in there?
Halfway down, the lightning began to retract into the heavens. The portal, once a giant red eye in the clouds, closed. The tall blue flames began to shrink back into the obsidian bowl on the altar. The glowing blue ball, resembling an unnaturally large will-o'-wisp, unfurled its tendrils, like a flower blooming upside down. A girl, with a sword strung across her back, a wine-red cloak fluttering behind her, a high ponytail, and black combat boots was revealed. Aaron's heart stopped. The girl did not appear to be conscious. She hung, suspended in midair, before the blue ball disappeared. She fell towards earth.
Without thinking, Aaron jumped onto the altar and leapt into the air, using his wind powers to propel him upwards until the girl fell into his open arms. He could hardly breathe as they descended. Kath. After one thousand eight hundred twenty five days and nights of longing, the girl of his dreams was finally back in his arms.
"Kath?" Aaron asked uncertainly as his feet touched the smooth surface of the platform. Rachel rushed around the altar. Indigo, Lionel, and Lucian were halfway up the steps. The girl in his arms was limp. She looked exactly as he remembered her, on the day they parted. Her clothes and face were still stained with grime and blood. She looked as if she was simply asleep.
"Kath?" Aaron shook her gently. He was so afraid. The prophecy simply stated that ancient summons will bring home a friend. It did not state whether that friend would be alive or dead. What if—
Katherine's eyelashes trembled. Her eyelids moved, and then two clear gray eyes, brighter than the stars, met Aaron's dark-brown ones. They focused on the young man who looked intently down at her, whose eyes were once again rimmed with red and shone with tears. "Aaron?" Katherine's voice was a soft whisper.
Aaron wrapped Katherine in a tight embrace. God, how many times had he dreamt of hearing his name in her voice? How many times had he imagined this moment in his mind, envisioning how it would play out, again and again?
"Kath." When Aaron spoke again, his voice was choked up. "Kath, you're back. You're finally back."
Katherine relaxed into the warm hug, into the strong arms of the boy who looked older but even more handsome than she remembered. The memories came flooding back.
There was red, and then there was darkness. There was darkness for a long, long time, and she floated in its depths, asleep, until a flash of blue light woke her up. She drifted toward the blue light, where a familiar voice was calling her home. "Kath," it called. "Kath, come home. I miss you. Come home, Kath."
Once upon a time, a boy with a brilliant smile and laughing eyes called her Kath. She remembered how he refused to let go of her hand, how the tears overflowed in his pain-filled eyes, and how he told her he remembered. She missed him too.
Rachel, Lucian, Indigo, and Lionel crowded around them. No one's eyes were dry, but everyone was smiling widely. "Katherine, you're finally back," Indigo said, wiping away the happy tears from her eyes.
"We've all missed you so much." Rachel added, smiling. Lucian and Lionel nodded eagerly, standing next to their beloveds. Katherine smiled at all of her friends, but her shining gaze was on the boy who still held her in his arms when she spoke:
"Yes. I'm back now. And I'm never leaving again."
THE END