Shadow Beings

17. The Land of Hearth

The portal brought me into the recondite void where everything was warped, though there really was nothing at all. It was how we went from one land to the other, though I wasn't sure what 'it' was.

I was hit with a wave of warmth the moment my feet touched the ground, a familiar energy surfing through my being. The smell of fire surrounded my senses, comforting my nerves. I smelled no smoke, no destruction, but rather the radiation of one that protects all. My worries and burdens melted away, if only for a brief second.

In that second I remembered my mother's embrace, my father's laugh and the headquarters' aura. A number of Shadows surrounded me, their presence the definition of my unity and solitude. The land reminded me of my family.

Of home.

Galen, Jack and I were dropped near a wall marked with obscure writing. I recalled Trina telling me that it contained stories of the far past from different realities, perhaps? It wasn't a language that could be learnt, however, a fact that I surprisingly did not find odd. Ahead, there was a path leading to an enormous mansion.

That's where the key is, and that's where Aurelia is.

I turned towards the two, giving them a firm smile. The peace on Jack's face reflected my emotions, oblivious of the simulation of reality. I shifted my gaze to focus on Galen but he seemed somewhat... fazed, as if his grey eyes looked into the face of something unpleasant for the briefest moment. Something from his home.

After his hesitation he gave me a confident smile, though I couldn't help but worry. I didn't want to trouble him so I decided to simply nod.

I looked up towards the mansion as we walked. Its dark wood sent a profound wave through me, the sturdy structure letting me feel happy and peaceful. The carvings on the wood reflected the sunlight as golden streaks, as if lines of glass were embedded in the wood. There was something tranquil and oddly nostalgic about the scattered waves, even if they seemed senseless. It did not appear to be abandoned, but rather as a structure that stood witness for all of Time.

No, for all of Truth.

We walked on the gravel path and into the mansion, the silence dismissing the chaos in my mind. We were at the outskirts of our land, but we heard snippets of the city's gentle voices.

Phoenexias going about their lives... perhaps like the shadow-trappers?

The ceiling towered over our miniature figures. A white chandelier illuminated the dark orange walls, lined by sparkling golden threads. We could hear the loud echoes of our footsteps, the propagation interrupted by various ancient paintings and artefacts, as if not allowing us to disturb this ancient symbol. A candle stood proud on the corner of the hall, its light reflected by the lustrous table in the centre.

"This..." Jack marvelled, being at a loss of words. I understood his sentiment as the place wasn't fit for words. It wasn't Earth but it was Hearth.

It was a place of expression.

I was at peace and rest, feeling true in the hands of the land's aura but at the same time, I was exceptionally aware of everything. Every soul, every blade of the grass and the Kihath, the quantum essence of all in existence.

"Of all that is true and the true that is false."

That profound tone whispered the thought in my consciousness, as if feeding me information without my realisation. The hoarseness of a raven remained, but the voice felt like my own.

"We better get going," I began, addressing the others. "Since there are three floors, Galen will check the first, Jack will check the second, and I'll look around the third."