The boat moved toward Olyndra's palace.
Lyra sat at the front. Elian stood behind her, holding the oars. No one had spoken since the black-eyed young man disappeared.
The fog over the river grew thicker. In the distance, the palace looked like a massive shadow with glowing red towers.
“Do we really have to go there?” Elian asked.
“If we don’t, your mother will find us first.”
Elian stared at Lyra’s back. “You already knew she was alive?”
“No.”
“But you don’t look surprised.”
Lyra gripped the strap of her bag. “I’ve seen her before.”
“When?”
“On the night you lost your memory.”
Elian stopped rowing. “What happened that night?”
Lyra didn’t answer right away. She looked at the black river water.
“The queen came to my flower shop. She brought your body.”
Elian tensed.
“She said you were dead. She asked me to take the Black Petal from your chest.”
“Why did you agree to help her?”
“Because she threatened to erase every memory in the city.”
Elian lowered his head. “So she’s the one who cursed me?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Liar.”
Elian’s voice grew louder. He stepped closer.
“You’ve been hiding things from me from the beginning. You knew about my mother. You knew about the Black Petal. You might even know who I really am.”
Lyra looked at him. “I know you’re a prince. But I don’t know whether the person standing in front of me is still the Elian you used to be.”
Suddenly, the river began to swirl.
Their boat stopped in the middle of the current. Beneath the surface, hundreds of flower petals moved like fish.
A single white petal rose into the air and clung to Lyra’s hand.
Light appeared.
Lyra saw a vast room. Elian stood there before a white-haired woman. The woman wore a delicate crown made of red petals.
Queen Olyndra.
“I will not give you my memories,” Elian said in the vision.
The queen smiled. “You don’t need to give them to me. I only need to make the people believe you did.”
Lyra stood behind Elian. Her face was pale, and her eyes were full of tears.
“Don’t do this, Elian,” Lyra said.
Elian clasped her hand.
“I have to. As long as the queen holds the people’s memories, no one will be free.”
The vision changed.
Elian drove his sword into the floor. Black light spread throughout the room. The flower petals inside the boxes began to tremble.
The queen screamed, “You’ll destroy your own kingdom!”
“Better for the kingdom to fall than for people to live without free will.”
Then Elian looked at Lyra.
“If I fail, take the Black Petal from my chest.”
Lyra cried. “What will happen to you?”
“I might forget everything.”
“Even me?”
Elian smiled sadly.
“No. I’ll keep you somewhere no one can touch.”
The light of the vision went out.
Lyra jolted back into the boat. The white petal in her hand turned to ash.
Elian stood before her. “What did you see?”
Lyra wanted to answer, but another voice came from behind them.
“So you finally showed her that memory.”
Queen Olyndra stood on the water.
Her gown was long, its hem brushing the river. Her white hair moved despite the absence of wind. Red petals swirled around her body like flames.
Elian drew his broken sword.
“Mother.”
The queen looked at him with a gentle smile.
“You still call me that.”
“Don’t come any closer.”
“Lyra has lied to you. She took the Black Petal from your body, then let you live as someone who isn’t yourself.”
Lyra stepped in front of Elian. “I saved him.”
“No,” said the queen. “You stole his memories.”
Elian looked at Lyra.
“Is that true?”
Lyra fell silent.
The queen raised her hand. The water around the boat turned into mirrors. Inside them, countless people in the city of Olyndra could be seen. They stood motionless, their eyes empty.
“They’ve all surrendered their memories to the kingdom,” the queen said. “If the memory gate opens completely, all their memories will disappear.”
“And you can stop it?” Elian asked.
“Of course. Bring Lyra to me, and I’ll return all your memories.”
Elian looked at Lyra. “You have to go with her,” Lyra whispered.
“What?”
“If I don’t go, she’ll erase this city.”
The queen smiled. “Clever girl.”
Elian clasped Lyra’s hand. “I won’t hand you over.”
At that moment, the black line on his chest moved up to his neck. Elian fell to his knees.
The queen looked at the line with satisfaction.
“The Black Petal is almost ready to bloom.”
Lyra went pale. “What do you mean?”
“That dark part isn’t an illness.”
The queen looked at Elian.
“It’s his final memory.”
Elian lifted his face. “A memory of what?”
The queen’s smile widened.
“A memory of why he asked to be killed.”
The river suddenly split apart. Their boat fell into darkness.
Before Lyra’s body could sink, Elian pulled her into his arms.
And from inside Elian’s chest came the whisper of a small child:
“Lyra, don’t let me remember who I am.”