The warmth of Caelen’s hand on her shoulder succeeded in easing the violent pain pounding through Vespera’s head. The dimensional guardian drew a deep breath and stared straight into the man’s turquoise eyes, which now reflected the faint glow from the crystal walls of the Sanctuary of Echoes.
“What really happened thousands of years ago, Caelen?” Vespera asked hoarsely, her grip on the soul crystal dagger slowly loosening. “Why did the elders erase my memories? And what was the truth about our relationship?”
Caelen let out a long sigh, the weight of the past clear in his eyes. He guided Vespera toward a central pillar projecting a stream of pure golden light—the core of the memories that had been locked away all this time.
“You weren’t simply created from nothingness, Vespera,” Caelen revealed softly. “You were the original architect of this dimension. Long ago, the two of us were sworn to maintain the balance between mortal reality and The Void. But the elders of the Aethelgard Sky Kingdom wanted the absolute power of The Primordial Heart so they could rule over the entire timeline.”
Vespera froze. The fragments of memory in her mind began rapidly falling into place. She remembered the betrayal—how the elders had trapped her, erased all her memories, and made her a blind guardian at the Obsidian Altar so she could never reclaim her destiny.
“And you...” Vespera stared at Caelen, her eyes widening as the full truth dawned on her. “...you ran away to save the heart and find your way back to me.”
“I wouldn’t let our immortality become a prison,” Caelen replied firmly, his fingers slowly closing around the hand Vespera held the dagger with.
Before Vespera could respond, a thunderous impact echoed from outside the gates of the Sanctuary of Echoes. Cracks of silver light began creeping across the crystal walls protecting them. The Inquisitor forces had found their hiding place.