Kingdom of Life and Death (The Fifth Element Chronicles)

Chapter 26: The Fifth Element [part 2]

I never thought it would end like this, that it would feel like this, like I would fall asleep and then just wake up again.

Reason came back to me slowly, my eyes opening carefully, my mind trying to recognise where I was.

Was I somewhere?

It didn't feel like a place, more like a feeling.

All I could see was white, light both above, below and all around me.

Was this what it felt like to be dead?

An endless light in which I decided to start walking, there was nowhere to go, nowhere to come from, just a feeling of moving forward.

My armour was gone, my wounds had healed, only a white cloth covered me, my hair was loose, my feet free of any restraint.

I felt as young as a child.

'Hello?' I said at last, trying to find something in that endless place. 'Is there anyone here?' I decided to search for an answer.

The memories of what I had just done came back to me gradually. The pain was just a memory now, but Caelus' stare as he let me go would not stop haunting me, even in that calm, peaceful place.

I thought perhaps I would remain alone there forever.

'Daughter,' I was called from ahead.

I moved faster, as fast as I could and seeing him I remembered that I had been here before at some point.

The in-between.

'Father?' I answered and ran to meet him.

His arms found me and held me tight. King Gelon, my father. His dark hair, his brown eyes, he looked more alive than dead.

'My beautiful Gaia, I am so proud of you. You have become more than I could ever have imagined.'

'Father, I'm dead, aren't I?' I had to ask him what I felt was obvious.

'Not yet,' a sweet, caramel voice replied. She approached me behind my father and I saw her in all her beauty. My mother, Queen Sheeba. It was not the Tree pretending to be her, it was my mother.

I hugged her just as I had imagined.

'My child,' she said stroking my hair and I felt I never wanted to lose that feeling again. I would never want to leave them again.

'I missed you without meeting you, is that possible?' I said to both of them, my father wiping the tears from my face.

'You do know us, we were inside you all this time,' he replied, pointing to my heart.

'Now we'll be together again,' I told them but I noticed their faces didn't seem to agree.

'Child,' his voice boomed as much as it had the first time I had seen him.

Suddenly, all that was light began to take shape. The shape of a real castle that shone in pure gold. It was Crescendo's castle, restored to its perfection.

And on the throne, with his gaze fixed on me, the Fifth God waited for me to approach.

'Eloah,' I said with a tremor in my voice.

I knew I had taken neither of the two options he had given me. In a way, I had disobeyed his orders. I didn't know what consequences that would bring.

I approached, holding hands with my father and mother.

They were silent, as if they knew exactly what was happening, but couldn't say it.

'Eloah, my God, I'm so sorry,' I began as I stood in front of him. 'I know I didn't do what you asked me to do, but...'