The Call of Home

CHAPTER 18

Adrenaline coursed through me vigorously, leaving a pulse beating through every vein, every muscle, every breath.

"Why wouldn't you let me kill her?" I seethed.

"Be-" Idris started.

"WHY?" I yelled, my breath haggard, teeth clenching.

"Because," he breathed, addressing the group as a whole, "There is more at play than any of you realize. There is a purpose to my being here, to you being here."

"What reason could that possibly be? Everything is destroyed, and that vermin got to crawl away." Seren's power now swirled around her, the lock on her power released in Tavora's absence. Cerys stood beside her, holding her hand to anchor Seren. Arwel looked blankly at me, at Idris.

"Elyse, do you remember on the balcony when I could see your vision just by touch? All of your visions flooded into me, every single one. Something in my memory, it-" He pressed a hand to his head, trying to make sense of all he knew. "It lifted a veil over it. I could remember everything. From a past life. Or lives? I don't know. I don't know what to make of it." He took a long pause, the silence around us thick. "You– we– we have met before. Not in this life, but in every other one. I know you don't realize it now, but we did. All of those lives ended in you dying, me being left behind to find you again and again. When we were in that– black pit...the Void... it all came back. Everything clicked."

"That doesn't answer my question." I stood, "Why couldn't I kill her?" my power now surged, bleaching everything around me. White hot rage exuded from every pore.

"I'm getting to it."

Cerys cut in, "Get. There. Faster."

"There has been beings like Tavora before. All-Seers. But something was never right. These beings, they seek to overthrow the Creator, the All-Mother. The beasts, the messengers. They have been corrupted by this group. They used to be messengers on behalf of Her. I am a messenger on behalf of her. In every life, she made me forget, allowing fate and free will to guide me, to guide you. That's why you're an All-Seer. You are supposed to find this group and end it, because you've had an encounter with Tavora, you can now find her, which will lead you to the others. You are more powerful than you realize. This was a gift from Her. You can see beyond. You were made to create balance on behalf of the creator, the other All-Seers took that power and used it for their own gain, to become Gods of their own realities. You are newer than the rest of them. You have a direct line to the All-Mother. You are the truest form that she intended." He now addressed the rest of the group. "You are messengers like me. Elyse can make you remember, she can undo all of this."

"I don't understand," Seren said, power fading, collapsing to the blood-soaked cobblestone.

"Use me, Elyse. I am your conduit. You know how to do it, reach inside, look for the tether." He pleaded, kneeling at my feet.

"I don't know how," Tears poured freely. How could this be? How could I not know? How could I not remember? My entire body ached, my heart, my soul, shattered at the destruction around me. I don't believe him, none of this is real.

"You do." He pleaded, taking my hand and placing it on his forehead, "Try."

I closed my eyes, letting my fingers brush against the pulse beneath my hand, feeling the warmth of his skin and the steady beat that seemed to echo with something more profound than a simple heartbeat. I let my mind open, allowing a flicker of my power to reach out, brushing against the barrier within me, hesitant but curious, as if some ancient part of myself was finally stirring awake.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened. But then, like a torrent unleashed, images surged through my mind—of Idris and me in countless lives, always drawn together, always fighting against unseen darkness, and always, inevitably, being torn apart. I saw myself falling over and over, Idris's face a constant, anguished presence, his hands always reaching for me but never quite catching hold.

And then, within the whirlwind of visions, I glimpsed a thread of light—a silver tether that connected us, a link woven through lifetimes and bound to something much larger than either of us. My breath hitched as I saw it, feeling the magnitude of what lay before me. Idris was right. Somewhere, deep within, I did know. I had always known.

The power coursed through me, sharp and clear, filling the gaps in my memory with a fierce certainty. I let my power seep into the thread between us, and it lit up, connecting not only Idris and me but reaching out, touching Cerys, Seren, and Arwel in a network of radiant energy. Each thread was unique, reflecting their essence, but bound to a shared purpose that resonated with something greater than fate.

A flood of memories washed over them as the threads connected us all, their eyes widening in shock and recognition as they, too, remembered fragments of the lives we'd lived, the battles we'd fought, and the bonds we'd forged across time and worlds.

Cerys gasped, clutching her chest as her memories blossomed, her face flickering through expressions of grief, joy, and fierce loyalty. Seren's jaw clenched, a fire sparking in her eyes as her memories awakened the warrior within her. Arwel's shoulders sagged for a moment, his gaze distant, before he straightened, resolute and defiant, as though reclaiming a purpose long buried.

Idris exhaled slowly, relief flooding his features as he looked up at me, his hand covering mine. "You've done it," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "Elyse, you've brought us back."

I wasn't finished. I pressed deeper, seeing the intricate web of this reality woven into countless others, branching endlessly with every choice, every breath, every heartbeat. "Show me," I called to Her, my voice echoing through the astral veil. A specific thread glowed brightly, beckoning. My ethereal form hummed with energy as I reached out, fingers tracing the illuminated line. I tugged gently on it, feeling the pulse of a path marred by the destruction and carnage of corrupted messengers. A certainty rose within me—I could change it. I could reshape this strand of reality.

With purpose, I connected the thread to a new timeline, one where my powers could rewrite what had come to pass. I chose: not merely to end Tavora but to bring true peace to this world, despite the horrors of this night. Channelling my power, I re-forged the thread, obliterating the twisted messengers, draining their immortal lives to restore all they had stolen. In a single, fierce surge, I undid the horrors they had unleashed here.

When I opened my eyes, the blood vanished from the streets, and those lost were returned, as if they had never been taken. I gently altered the memories of the people, planting a vision of a solar storm that sent everyone to shelter. And now, as they emerged, relief dawned across the village. Their lives resumed, untouched, and the night would be remembered only for its stars and song, ready to return to the festivities as if nothing had happened at all.

But as the power receded, I felt something shift within me, a shadow hovering at the edges of my awareness—a dark presence, lingering just beyond the veil of our connection, sensing our reawakening. Tavora's face flashed in my mind, her eyes narrowing as she realized what we had done. Even from afar, I could feel her fury simmering, a promise of retribution as she regrouped in the darkness.

Idris's grip tightened on my hand, grounding me. "We have to move," he said, his voice steady but urgent. "Tavora won't rest until she destroys everything in her path to get to you. And now that we remember, we can't let her take any more lives. She's drawn to the power you wield, the potential to disrupt her plans."

I nodded, a fierce determination building within me as I looked at my friends, and my family in every way that mattered. "We end this. No more running, no more hiding. She wants a fight, she'll get one. But we do it on our terms. We'll find her, and we'll finish this once and for all."

The others nodded in unison, their faces grim but resolute, the weight of our shared purpose binding us tighter than ever. For the first time, we stood united, fully aware of who we were and why we were here. The threads that connected us pulsed with a steady light, a beacon in the darkness that awaited.

A small voice within me whispered a warning—a reminder that while we'd recovered our memories, we still had much to learn, much to understand about the forces at play. There would be no turning back, and no second chances. Because this time, I wouldn't let Tavora win. Not in this life, and not in any life that followed.