Soul Chains

Chapter 49: Breaking the Reflection

"Well, I can see that you've gained your memory back," my father clears his throat as he meets my gaze, "which is a good thing, but I don't know what all you'd have questions about. I guess, I'll explain what I think is right. Once you and your mother were in the human realm and I was cursed to stay here for the rest of my life, I trained and spent the rest of my time trying to make a difference. There wasn't a day where I haven't thought about you and Mia. Tien and Sion proved to be good friends of mine and I trusted them with looking after you and your mother."

"The thing I don't understand though is what about Vivian?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"Vivian?" my father frowns, his hazel eyes confused, "who are you talking about?"

"You're...kidding me...right?" I trail off, "Vivian, my sister."

"Gabriel...you don't have a sister," Alex says slowly and my chest sinks into my stomach.

"But how..." I search for the right words to say as my mind reels, "how is that possible?"

"You don't have a sister because Vivian isn't real," Alex says cautiously as realization dawns on him, "Gabriel, do you know another reason why Tien and Sion had to so closely watch over you and your mother? It's because the Primordial Relic was hidden with you. Vivian is the Primordial Relic. Vivian was an illusion that the relic created to keep itself in hiding— she's not an entity that's connected to the relic."

"What?" I breathe out, my eyes wide.

That must be what Tien was going to tell me and why it made it impossible for Coralyinn to have the relic. This entire time...I was living with a sibling who never even existed? Is that why everyone else could see her in the human realm just like me but why I had no memory of her in this realm once I got my memories back?

"I'm sorry..." my father frowns and his eyes hold sadness.

"Yeah..." I clear my throat, "it's not your fault. None of it is. I'm...just glad that I got to see you again."

"I'll always be here if you need me," my father says, smiling sadly, "and I missed having you around. We have a lot to catch up on, but you should probably go. You don't want to keep the others waiting."

"Right," I sigh, unsure of how to say goodbye and if I should hug him or not, "well...I'll see you around."

"Of course," he gives me a small smile, his expression fond as I make my way out of the tent.

I breathe out in relief now that I'm out of the awkward atmosphere and the cold wind hits me in the face, making me shudder. I spot the others standing over by a more secluded area of the campsite and I hastily jog over. Reine eyes me worriedly, but I try to assure her that I'm fine with a small smile.

"So, how are you so easily able to summon the garden?" Nathan raises a brow as he crosses his arms against his chest, looking at Tien curiously.

"That's...simple yet not at the same time..." Tien smiles sadly as he tilts his head to the side.

"Everyone, link hands," Reine instructs.

The six of us link hands with each other, forming a circle in the snow as Tien closes his eyes and breathes in deeply.

"Medea," Tien breathes out, his eyes fluttering back open, "please give me back what I have lost."

Tien's hazel eyes glint emerald for a moment before suddenly the scenery around us melts away and we're transported into the middle of a temple.

"What?" Mikasa breathes out, her eyes wide as she looks around.

All around us, bronze mossy bricks line the ground and hedges and plants are on either side of us, multiple vines hanging in the air from treetop canopies and large flowers blooming here and there. In front of us, a stone archway that leads to a garden of stone figures stands, a maze pathway of ten foot tall hedges cut out that seems to go on for miles.