Chapter 3

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I ended up staying at the zoo for the rest of the morning

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I ended up staying at the zoo for the rest of the morning.

After taking a break, I decided to meet Mr. Hatten in his office.

His office was tidy, decorated with pictures of every animal that had ever been there. Most of the photos featured him posing in front of habitats or next to the animals. My favorite was a picture of the monkeys perched on his head while he made goofy faces with them.

I sat in a leather chair in front of his desk, staring at the pictures on the walls. What really caught my attention was a large, worn book on his desk. His assistant had informed me that he was out getting reports on the leopard's labs and would be back in a few minutes.

Curiosity got the better of me. I walked around to the other side of the desk and carefully picked up the book, making sure not to lose the page it was open to. The cover was made of worn leather, and I flipped it over to read the title.

The Reading and Tales of Gaia: The Lost Kingdom.

I went back to the page he was on and saw the heading. Gaia's Legacy.

I began to read.

"As told by the survivors of Elyssanar, Gaia's broken promise to her people became the ultimate destruction of them, but Gaia left Queen Aurelia a legacy. A legacy that would restore people's hope and turn the Kingdom's fate. It is through prophecy that a successor shall rise. A true legacy of Queen Aurelia's blood."

A prophecy?

And who was this Queen Aurelia of Elyssanar?

I went back a few pages and found the prophecy it spoke of.

"In the realm of golden skies, where royalty's blood runs deep,

Queen Aurelia's legacy, a secret buried in her keep.

A kingdom built on honor, with whispers of ancient lore,

Her descendants shall inherit what came before.

From the throne of emerald grace, a ruler pure of heart,

Shall rise to claim their birthright, never to depart.

With wisdom as their scepter, and kindness as their crown,

They'll lead with strength and compassion, never letting their people down.

But shadows from the past, with envy and deceit,

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