It doesn't end here !

Chapter XXV

Suddenly I felt cold rising in me and before I knew what was happening, the environment was gone. It was a strange feeling. Already a few seconds later, I found myself in a huge yard. In front of me was a massive castle. The towers went up to the sky. It was a strange place. Then Allie showed up next to me. She was freezing. For me, the cold wasn't a problem. My robe kept me warm. We couldn't stay here forever, so I grabbed Allie's hand and ran with her towards the castle. I heard the cold, wet snow creaking under my feet. The longer we ran, the more pointless it seemed to me. I started to seriously doubt we'd ever get anywhere. It was hopeless. We ran and ran and ran but couldn't get any closer to the building.

Suddenly, I felt someone pulling Allie away from me. Another person grabbed me by my hand. I was terrified. I looked straight into clear sapphire eyes. My opponent's face was full of wrinkles and long blonde hair ran down her shoulders, almost like liquid gold. I had to swallow. The person in front of me was my mother. I couldn't get emotional right now. Abby grabbed my face and held it in her warm hands, just like she had done with me before. My mom looked into my eyes and stroked my cheek to wipe away a tear " Oh, Tara, darling, I'm so proud of you. "

I was trembling all over my body. Not from the cold, but from the thought that I was standing there in front of my mother, who had died over six months ago in Sanctum. Allie screamed and snatched me out of my mind again. '' Tara, don't believe everything you see and stay strong." She didn't get any further than that. Another person grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her away from us. Affected I looked at the floor and murmured may we meet again. I was hoping that Allie had tried to protect me. I couldn't get any further because my mother hugged me. She smelled like roses, just like she used to. I held her tight. I couldn't let go of her. I wasn't ready yet, and she felt it, too. After a few minutes, I detached myself from her and stepped back.

I took a deep breath and knew I had to let her go. The person in front of me was not my mother even though everything about her was exactly the same. There were only two differences. First, Abby's eyes were cold and empty. She didn't look like a living person and secondly, my mother had never called me darling before. She hated that name, which is why she always called Clarke and me sweetheart. The only person who ever gave me that name was my father. So Allie was telling me the truth. I was supposed to decide by my heart and that's what I did. I just couldn't believe how sneaky those beings were, putting me in a situation like this. It hurt to see Abby and to have to act toward her like she was my mother, but I knew it was my only chance to save mankind. Even though I abhorred the thought deeply.

Now Abby, or whoever it was, snatched me out of my mind and grabbed me by the hand. I forced myself to smile and followed her. We ran back towards the castle but this time we really got closer to the building.

As soon as Abby opened the massive door made out of pure ice, I got a good look around the palace and was amazed by the view. I couldn't believe it. The place looked like one of those castles I knew from the fairy tales my dad used to read to me every evening on the Ark. Abby took my hand again and went up a few stairs with me. We reached a new corridor and she opened a door. I walked in and saw a huge throne where a person was sitting. At first, it reminded me a lot of the one I knew from Azgeda.

I couldn't see the person's face but she had long golden hair that radiated light and warmth. I started to think about how she could sit in here without all the ice in the room melting, but quickly rejected that train of thought. I just had a lot more important things to do. She looked at me from head to toe and then got up. She was a strange appearance. Still, I knelt down to her and she touched my hair. I didn't like her, but somehow, I had to go through it. Now she reached out to me and helped me up. Even though I really didn't want to, I smiled at her. She seemed to believe me.

The creature pointed to a chair next to her and I took a seat. " Sonheda, I'm glad you came. Are you ready for the test? " Wait a minute, I was confused again. Didn't Clarke just have to do a test in Bardo a few months ago to evaluate humanity? Then why did I have to do this again? I really didn't like it, but before I could ask anything, Abby took me by the hand and led me outside. We walked down a few corridors until I arrived in a room. This one was large and full of ice. In the middle, surrounded by blocks of ice sat someone I knew too well but I stayed behind. I didn't trust these creatures at all. Suddenly, the door behind me was slammed and locked from outside. I was trapped somewhere again.

I heard a quiet scream and dedicated myself for the first time to the person who was surrounded by blocks of ice. She was obviously freezing. It was Harper. She was very important to me, but unfortunately, she died many years ago when we were in cryosleep. She and Monty had searched for another planet for us and paid for it with their own lives. The fact that she had already died, however, made me cold and distant from her. That must have been another trick. They were just too clear. So I sat down a few yards away from the ice blocks and meditated. It felt good to have my body refilled with new, positive energy. But then I heard a voice in my head. I didn't know the voice but she asked me to pay attention to her for a brief moment so I did. " Listen, Heda, we don't have much time. I'm not supposed to communicate with you, but I know I have to. I'm Anya kom Trikru and I was Lexa's mentor. I always believed in her, and so she believes in you. You can win this war, but you have to use your heart. Someone's trying to sever the connection between us. Please, ste yuj Heda "with these words the voice of Anya disappeared from my head again.

And all of a sudden, I knew exactly what to do. Now I understood Becca's and Allie's advice. Without hesitation, I ran to Harper. I had to get her out of there as fast as I could before she froze to death.