Chapter Four: The First Gate

Over hundreds of years ago, the world shuddered and split into two.

The ever-shining and blinding blue sky cracked, letting in a certain kind of darkness that embraced a promising malodor of ruination and morality.

No one knows how it happened. No one knows why it happened. And no one knows who made it happen. But when it did, the world wasn't the same anymore.

Evil poured in, deeply kissing away the light that the world so lovingly bore. Carnage and misery appeared in their wake. Creatures—creatures that resembled us in so many ways—that possessed such otherworldly beauty and power, smiled down at us.

But it was not a kind smile.

Love turned into hate. Kindness turned into malice. Happiness was always accompanied by sadness.

A genuine smile had to be forged, a warm heart slowly turned cold.

Days turned dimmer and nights turned darker. Instead of wild animals, monstrous beings of different kinds prowled the night now, unimaginable powers waiting at their arsenal.

Our world turned into a menagerie of powerless prey, waiting and dreading to be devoured by these vicious predators.

Demons. Soon, we called these creatures demons.

For over 300 years, our world breathed in chaos. Fighting and losing and fighting and losing to these dark-eyed entities.

But even the vilest of things must come to an end.

And this end, to our world, was a new beginning.

The Celestials above finally laid their kind eyes upon us. The blessing from above veiled and divided itself into seven powerful forms--- the Seven Sentinels.

The Seven Sentinels--- seven mighty wizards that sacrificed their souls to forcefully drag the world out of its misery.

Seven mighty souls that revolutionized into seven magical gates and effectively sealed the doors that opened to our realm.

And our world changed after that. Hope lit up like a wildfire in our hearts. Hope that our world could return back to the way it was. And with that very hope burning in our hearts, we abolished the remaining demons that walked on our grounds.

With the Gates guarding us, we fought back, not as survivors but as hunters.

We worked hard to uproot the evil buried deep into our grounds. Slowly but steadily our world changed. Darkness still lingered but the light overpowered them. The world turned brighter. And warmer.

Even the vilest of things must come to an end.

But so does the pleasant ones.

All these years, the Seven Gates stood mighty and high, protecting us from the darkness brewing behind.

But not until eight years ago.

Not until eight years ago when the First Gate was forced open and it was endless destruction all over again.

Not until eight years ago, when Ayra lost the only things she had. Even though the Gate was sealed shut again, Ayra would never forget the day that changed everything she believed in.

The pain was still fresh, the scars still deep and raw. Deep sorrow, hatred and regret were etched deep within her soul but she chose to shoulder it her entire life, as a punishment.

As a reminder.

To remind her of how weak and worthless she was.

To remind her that she was cowardly enough to have chosen a life filled with agony over the sweet touch of death.

To remind her that she could have done something--anything--to have saved the lives of her dear ones.

But she didn't. And she hated herself for that. 

Ayra prayed and prayed and prayed endlessly. Prayed that the dark history would not repeat itself and even if it did, Ayra selfishly yearned that it happened when she ceased to exist. To not be alive and breathing when the end would kiss them again.

She prayed that she would rather die before her loved ones did.

But all that was wishful thinking, a blissful delusion that she concocted herself to lessen the weight of that heavy heart that she carried.

Fate was inhuman. And as Ayra stood there, in Mother Danelle's office, she truly believed it was.

Lightning cracked outside and for a moment, the whole office was illuminated with its light but darkness eventually returned. Thunder roared but Ayra couldn't hear it over the harsh beating of her heart.

"What—" she started, her voice so small and afraid, it reminded her of her younger self. She clenched her shaking hands into a fist and tried again.

"What...did..you say?"

Mother Danelle's eyes filled with sorrow. She knew what this news meant for the student standing in front of her. Knew what this child went through in the past. But she had no choice. No choice but to lock Ayra inside the darkness again and let her face her own demons. She could only hope that this child would overcome whatever stood her way. Because deep inside, she knew that Ayra was not the girl she was eight years ago.

Ayra was stronger now, physically and emotionally. But to what extent, Mother Danelle did not know.

"The First Gate has been broken. And I want you three to accompany the Astral Guards on this mission."

Ayra could not respond.

The First Gate has been broken

The First Gate has been broken.

The First Gate has been broken.

That's all she heard.

"What?!" Valda bellowed, instinctively stepping forward. Her nails dug inside the palm of her hand and her heart raged with a flurry of emotions. Valda could not believe what she was hearing. Could not even fathom the dread that lay ahead of them. 

Neslyn delicately laid her hand on the base of her throat, eyes turning wide at the news.

"The First Gate has been...broken?" She softly asked, wondering if all of this was a nightmare.

Mother Danlelle nodded solemnly. "I have no details regarding this situation. But the Council has specifically requested you three to accompany the Astral Guards on this mission." Her eyes flicked to Ayra's unresponsive form, "If I had the power, I would have refused it, but it is an emergency and your powers are being needed here."

Ayra struggled to breathe, her body shook and her ears started ringing. A warm hand suddenly slid into hers and tightened around her fingers. Valda quietly slid closer to Ayra. She closed her eyes and held Neslyn's hand, relished in Valda's warmth and greedily took in every bit of comfort that was offered to her by her friends.

She was better than this, she was stronger than this.

She had to be.

When Ayra opened her eyes, she felt a bit more controlled. Her voice was still small, her hands still shook and her heart still thundered against her ribs but her words were clear.

"When are we leaving?"

Mother Danelle straightened her shoulders and for a moment, she bore her gaze deep into Ayra's. Ayra tried hard to not let any fear show.

A minute passed by and Mother Danelle said,

"Now."

ווו×

It was 3 am. And they had to leave in thirty minutes.

A heavy storm roiled outside. The sky released its full wrath onto the lands, steadily growing angrier and angrier with each passing second.

Ayra, Neslyn and Valda silently walked back to their chambers, to prepare for the mission ahead. Mother Danelle informed that a few guards from the palace would be here to pick them up. The meeting with the Astral Guards would take place in presence of the King of Arkkasen himself.

If this was any other mission, then they would've been over the moon about visiting the palace and the King. But all that was present was heavy silence and the muffled moans of the storm

outside.

Valda slowed down her steps. She could not erase Ayra's expression from her mind when Mother Danelle delivered this dreadful news to them.

Fear was a stranger to Ayra but to have seen her best friend completely frozen in it, was almost frightening. Valda and Neslyn did not know the entire story of what happened eight ago but they knew enough. Ayra would sometimes talk about it, talk about 'them', but even if it wasn't the entire story, they never pushed her for more.

They'd wait. For Ayra. And for her past.

Valda stared at Ayra's back.

She halted in her tracks.

"Ayra."

Ayra slowly slid to a halt and turned to face Valda.

Valda's breath hitched at Ayra's expression.

Shadows danced behind those icy blue eyes and her shoulders were slightly slumped. Suddenly, her best friend seemed so small and weak, nothing like the fierce-hearted and storm-driven wizard that she knew of.

Her next words were sharper than she intended them to be. "Neslyn and I will go ahead and prepare for the mission. Take some time for yourself. I don't want to fight next to a weak-hearted wizard who has no control of her emotions."

Valda did not understand why she said that. She wanted Ayra to respond, to glare at her or reprimand her for calling her weak but when her best friend slowly turned her face away and stared outside the window, Valda wanted to scream out loud.

Neslyn held Valda's arm and tugged at it, silently asking her to leave.

"We will wait for you, Ayra." Neslyn softly said, slightly hating herself for not being able to do anything.

And then they left.

Ayra stood there for a moment before slowly walking over to the window.

She stared at the storm raging outside, slowly clenched her fingers and listened. She listened for a long time and softly whispered to the wind,

"I'll make them pay this time."

And Ayra, for the first time in a long time,

involuntarily raised her fingers to the hollow of her neck and slightly touched the locket resting there.

The storm grew stronger.