Keeper of the Lost Cities: Elysian

Chapter 60

The cascade of memories threatened to overwhelm her now.

She saw his familiar but devastating ice-blue eyes and blond hair again.

There were so. Many. Moments.

They came in a blur of color and emotion that contrasted so powerfully with the present gloom.

It had all begun with their encounter in the halls of Foxfire...

Then the moments had stretched and bloomed, and Keefe had become someone she never wanted to lose.

She had no idea the moment was coming until it did.

It had only been a day, but the weight of her heart made it feel like an eternity.

Then her memories were replaced by a dull ache and a longing for what could have been...

Sophie blinked the tears away and picked herself up from the freezing ground to which she had fallen.

The thought of seeing him again...

Him being in her life again...

It sounded like all she could ever hope for.

But what was the catch?

There had to be one, right?

It's very simple. When we reform the world, I'll need a new champion. One to take command and keep order as every single living creature submits to the change. And there are none other than you who are more capable for the position.

Every single living creature.

Every person and animal on the planet.

Submits.

Sophie felt sick to the stomach. "Why me?"

The voice directed her eyes to the still ongoing fight in the dark space. Then it let loose a gruesome approximation of a chuckle.

Both Elysian and Merida had matching snarls as they wielded weapons that would end the other instantly if they struck. Their blows were executed with ruthless efficiency and the desperation to destroy their opponent...

I found Merida when she was weak and broken, and I tamed her like your people do to creatures of the wild. I had to, as she was my one chance at freedom. However, I knew that she wouldn't last in the long term, but she served her purpose for the last two thousand years.

Two thousand years.

The thought of being imprisoned and alone all that time, only able to listen to the same voice that polluted your mind with poisonous thoughts...

She suddenly had the grim idea that everything leading to Elysian had all been an elaborate trap for the twisted consciousness buried below to finally rise...

And for Sophie to be delivered straight to it as its next puppet...

Like I said, you have potential. You're a lot stronger than you realize, stronger in many ways than boring Merida was. You're a leader, and even if the whole world went against you now, nobody would stand a chance.

Was that true?

Was any of that true?

If she submitted to the abyss and went out to commit its atrocious crimes, would she succeed?

She suddenly saw a vision of herself- Sophie, but not Sophie.

Her hair was black as obsidian, as were her eyes. Her posture was rigid and foreboding, and she carried a long, red lance the color of blood.