The Oreans

Chapter 70

Chapter 70 

The Mystical Heir

"Lei." His name was the first word on her mouth as soon as she found her voice. She found herself in a brilliantly bright place where everything is dazzling white.

"I'm here." She heard him from somewhere behind her. She looked around her and saw him. His hair had turned silver, his skin translucent and his clothes, a flowing robe immaculate in whiteness that covered his feet. Only his eyes kept their color, darkening just a little like the color of the dusk.

She looked down at herself. Her hair had come unbound and a bunch of strands was curling down her front, their usual golden hue now as silvery as his. Like him, her skin took on an ethereal quality and her Orean uniform replaced with the same immaculate but straight robe. Her feet had nothing on and it felt as though she was stepping on something like a carpet, but much downier.

"Where are we? Is this the Mystical Chamber?" he asked.

"I think it is," she said.

"We were both taken in then?"

"It seems so." She looked around and saw nothing, not even a spot or dot. There seemed to be no walls nor roof at all. "What are we going to do?"

He came beside her and took her hand. "I think we will have to wait."

It happened all of a sudden. There was a rushing sound, and everything vanished, leaving nothing but darkness. Odd as it was, she did not feel afraid. She could still sense his hand covering hers.

A big ball of light appeared before them, floating about. Without warning, it exploded. But there was no sound. They watched as small balls of light hurtled everywhere around them with mists in tow. They spiraled and spiraled and formed brilliant balls of light, some with minuscule reddish molten balls in their vicinity.

At this point, one of the balls of light grew bigger before their eyes along with several solid balls, one of them seeming to have become mossy and watery. She felt herself drawn into the latter and entered it, Lei beside her. It was a world, and the land—there was the largest one that shaped oddly like a huge heart, another like an arrow tip and a smaller one like a drop of blood. It looked familiar. Then, she realized what she was seeing—Anturea in its entirety.

It was magnificent —the green of the land and foamy white azure of the oceans. From here up above it looked tranquil, undisturbed by evil. She hoped that was the case—that evil had indeed passed.

The clouds that they seemed to be stepping on shifted, and everything was back to its original purity. Someone pressed her hand—Leinardei. He saw it, too.

Suddenly, a kaleidoscope of colors swirled around them with visions of Tierrans hunting for food, of Empyreans chasing birds and Marineans trapping sea monsters. Then, there were images of communities: wooden cottages, dewy abode on mountaintops and reef-curtained sea caves. The vision then shifted to what seemed like the top view of the Great Imperial Palace. They were drawn into the image to the very center of the main hall with its doors opening to different directions. Through these doors, robed men and women entered, looked directly and together knelt and bowed as one.

Then, there was intense light again, much like the one that brought them into the Mystical Chamber. She could not help but close her eyes. There was that voice again that spoke in her mother's tongue—the one that said be aware and open her heart. She could still feel Leinardei's hand. Did he hear it, too?

It was a while before she opened her eyes. She knew the glare had long gone, but she was waiting. She hoped the voice would say more, that both of them and not only one had been chosen. She wanted—no, she needed the assurance from the Almighty that they could go together from here. Around her was the same whiteness as before.

She gazed up at him. His smiling eyes met hers, and somewhere within, something fell into place. She felt peace, something that had been denied her for the longest time. She felt she could stay here, her hand in his, and wait forever.

There was no need for words. The promise had been spoken long ago when they were still children. They both affirmed it as they exchanged vows in that wedding. If the Almighty could really see all hearts, theirs would be found, not just bound but, eternally merged with each other. Maybe He did. Maybe He approved.

She did not know what it was, but something passed between their interlocked hands, something warm and pulsing, something alive. His eyes were darker as he raised her hand in his. She saw it then, a bluish mist coming from his hand and moving to and through hers. Then, she understood.

She smiled. If the Almighty had allowed them to survive everything up to this point, had brought them together and had both let them in, then surely it is His will that this should happen.

This aurea rising from him, which she accepted in her—this must be how a promise was done before the Almighty's presence. She faced him and covered the same hand with both her own and felt the warmth spread through it as well. Her own aurea rose, too, its rosy tinge merging with his. As she saw the lavender mist playing between them, she felt glorious and alive. The mist covered her little by little until she felt the warmth reached her womb. It entered her, then went round and round in her center. It was pleasure as she had never experienced it before. At this point, she was all sensation, and was all the more pleased that he seemed to be having the same exhilaration she was enjoying. It went on and on.

Eternity must have passed as they held hands with their gaze locked on each other. Then, the flow of aurea from him ebbed. Her eyes fell on her stomach. She hoped she was right. This something stirring within her—she prayed that it was indeed the Almighty's gift to both of them.

She did not realize at once that mists had risen above their feet, higher and higher until it reached their still joined hands.

"What's going on, Lei?" she managed.

"I don't know," he said, tightening his hold on her.

But in an instant, the surroundings changed. The air was thicker, and she saw right away why. They were back in the middle of the main hall of the palace, and this time what was a vision earlier came real.

Men and women in white flowing robes were chatting around the perimeter — around her. She knew they were priests and priestesses of the various races and kingdoms. They were the ones who knew of the prophecy and had been on the lookout for the signs since she and Lei took the water gem a decade ago. Someone must have gathered them here to await the heir.

She thought she saw Anehta, but when she looked closely, she was not there.

Then, she heard one of them declared, "The mark! It is in her. She is the heir."

She looked around. Lei was gone.

As one, the crowd knelt and bowed to what they believed was the mystical heir.

To be continued...