Once she has it in the palm of her hand, she motions to the woman on her right once more. She lifts her staff one last time, slamming it down. When she does, Ryder reappears in the forest. A wave of dark shadows lashes out around the six women, but when he pulls them back, they’re already gone.
“Are you okay?” I ask, running up to him.
“Yes, thanks to you.”
“What were those things?”
Ryder looks over to the empty space they just stood. “Serenities. I’ve heard of them but have never come across them myself.”
There’s a grim look on his face that makes me feel uneasy.
“What was it like?” I’m not even sure I mean to ask the question.
“It was like being a ghost. I could see and hear everything, but I couldn’t reach you.”
“That’s awful.”
I wait for him to ask about the Verenite Stone, but he doesn’t. Instead, he acts as if he wasn’t just trapped on another plane and asks me which way to go. The two of us walk side by side in silence. Whatever it is he’s feeling right now, has him lost in quiet rage as we continue our journey through the dark, monster-ridden forest.
Hours pass and night has begun to fall. Ryder is just about to call it a night when I cut him off.
“Look!” I point down the left path of the forest blanketed in fog. “Do you see that?”
“See what?” He asks, looking in the same direction.
The invisible pull is stronger now. It’s almost as if it has a hold on my body. I hurry down the path, following the calling. Ryder stops searching for a place to rest for the night and follows behind me.
The closer we get, the more I’m able to see through the dense haze. In the middle of the forest lies a giant glowing circle. Vibrant blue, electric energy dances around the large ring. Filling the middle is a galaxy of stars winking back at me.
I turn to Ryder. “What is it?”
He takes a step closer, reaching his hand out as if he’s going to touch it.
“It’s a portal,” he answers, pulling his hand back. “This is it. The Oracle must be just on the other side.”
“What are you saying?” I point to the portal’s center. “We have to walk through there?”
“That is typically how a portal works.” He must sense my hesitancy because he reaches for my hand, taking a less sarcastic approach. “We’ll go at the same time.”
I tighten my grip around his gloved hand as the two of us stop just inches from the buzzing portal. He gives me one last look of encouragement before we both step into the endless pool of stars.
I expect it to feel like I’m falling through space like how it did when I ended up in the Shadow Lands during Section Assessments, but instead it feels like hopping off a tall step. When we land, Ryder’s grip holds me up, so that I don’t go stumbling.
The room is dark and small. It’s slightly cave-like, but a few feet in front of us lies three stairs leading up to a concrete slab. Four large, crystal columns mark the corners of the slab, but that’s not where my attention is drawn to. The ceiling above is an inverted dome. It’s filled with what looks like the night sky. Millions of tiny stars twinkle against the black space, and it feels like they’re almost close enough to touch.
“Well, now what?”
Ryder’s about to say something, but a deep voice cuts him off.
“I’ve been expecting you, Reign Calloway.”
In the middle of the four columns, waves of light begin to appear. They wrap around, forming a sort of cloak. Unlike the one Ryder wears, this one is light and almost iridescent. It reminds me of Amaya’s Elemental Sphere. The rainbow-like cloaked figure that starts to take form has no face. Only gleaming iridescent light lies beneath the hood. It moves like a dress in water, flowing effortlessly in the open space between the crystal pillars.
“How did you know I would be coming?”
“Your father came to me years ago. Once you triggered the magic of the map, I knew it was only a matter of time before you showed up here. I’m sure you have many questions, but first, I think it’s best for me to tell you how this story began.”
Ryder turns to me and gives me a reassuring nod.
