The circles rising in the golden waters of the lake had now grown so large that their waves were beginning to touch Elena's feet standing on the shore. A scent spread in the air that was at once the pungent scent of ancient temple sandals and a hurricane. The Seraph hid Elena behind him, one hand on the sheath of the 'Light of the Dragon' and the other on Elena's waist, as if he wanted to protect her from all the troubles of the world.
Suddenly, the middle of the lake broke like a piece of glass and the mysterious figure appeared from it. His clothing seemed to be made not of any fabric, but of living stars and galaxies that revolved around him. His skin was like white marble with golden lines embossed on it like a map. As soon as he took his first step onto dry land, all the trees in the valley bowed their heads, as if they were saluting their queen.
"Seraph... what is this?" Elena asked in a trembling voice. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest that she could hear her own pulse in her ears.
The seraph's eyes lit up with red light of danger. "This is the 'Star Guard', Elena. The ancient guardian of the magic of this valley. It only awakens when the balance of the universe is about to be disturbed or when a spirit with celestial blood sets foot here."
The figure now stood directly in front of them. Her face was beyond human beauty—beautiful but emotionless, like a masterpiece carved in stone. She focused her golden eyes on Elena.
"Elena..." Her voice was not that of a single person, but rather it sounded as if hundreds of people were whispering together. "You have come to awaken the magic that is imprisoned in your veins? You want to save the empire that has been reduced to ashes?"
Elena gathered her courage and took a step forward. "Yes! I want to free my parents from the clutches of this black serpent. I want to end the darkness that has swallowed everything."
A cold smile appeared on the Star Guard's lips. "Magic is not free, girl. The 'golden magic' within you is the purest light in the universe. To awaken it, you must sacrifice something within yourself that makes you human."
The Seraph interrupted, his tone filled with anger. "Elena has already lost too much. What do you ask of her now?"
The Star Guard looked at the Seraph and a spark flashed from her galactic robes. "Love! I ask her for the memories that connect her to this man. If this magic is awakened, Elena will remember everything she learned, she will remember her destination, but she will not remember who the Seraph was... or that she ever loved him."
Elena's feet felt like they were falling apart. She turned to look at Seraph, whose face was white with grief. The white light of the 'Light of the Azdar' began to dim, as if she, too had been crushed by the weight of this decision.
"No!" Seraph shouted. "This will not be a deal. We will find another way."
But Elena knew that the souls of her parents in the palace were melting by the moment. She held Seraph's hand, her fingers cold. "Seraph... if I forget you, will you remember me? Will you be able to assure me of your love again?"
Tears welled up in Seraph's eyes. He gathered Elena into his arms and kissed her deeply on the forehead. "I will follow you to the ends of the earth, Elena. Even if you forget me a thousand times, I will love you a thousand times again."
Elena turned to the Star Guard, her eyes no longer filled with tears but with steely determination. "I agree. Awaken the magic!"
The Star Guard raised his hands and all the golden water of the lake began to rise towards the sky in the form of a great pillar. There was a loud explosion and the entire valley was bathed in golden light. Elena's body began to rise into the air and the golden chains around her began to break. But in the midst of this light, the form of the seraph began to blur from Elena's mind... Elena's body was suspended in the air, and swirls of golden light swirled around her like a hurricane. The magical waves emanating from the Star Guard's hands were descending into Elena's flesh. It was both painful and mesmerising. Elena felt as if someone was opening her soul and bathing it in gold.
The Seraph stood helplessly on the ground below, watching the scene. He had buried the 'Light of the Dragon' in the ground and was gripping its fist so tightly that his hands turned white. He could see golden tears flowing from Elena's eyes and disappearing into the air. They weren't tears; they were the memories of Elena that the Star Guard was taking as a price.
"Elena! Don't give up!" The Seraph's voice echoed like a roar, but the wall of golden light prevented it from reaching Elena.
A commotion was brewing in the depths of Elena's mind. She remembered the first meeting when the Seraph had saved her in the dark forest... That memory vanished like smoke. Then she remembered the moment when the Seraph had kissed her for the first time and her heart had first beat for someone... That memory, too, shattered like glass, shattering.
Elena tried to scream, "Seraph! I'm losing you! Hold me!"
But her voice was drowned out by the noise of golden magic. The cold and indifferent voice of the Star Guard was heard again: "Break the relationship, Elena! Human love weakens you. To become a sorceress, you will have to be alone. Your Seraph will now be just a stranger, a soldier whose job is to protect you, but there will be no place for him in your heart."
Suddenly, a powerful golden explosion erupted from Elena's chest, engulfing the entire valley. The leaves of the trees turned golden and the water in the lake began to boil. The black magical chains that had held Elena's family's magic for centuries began to break one by one. Elena's hair now shone like pure gold, and ancient magical characters were etched onto her skin.
As the light dimmed, Elena slowly descended to the ground. Her dress was now more magical and enchanting than ever, highlighting the beauty of her newly awakened being. As her eyes opened, golden sparks shot out of them, but the warmth of love that had once been in them for Seraph was now gone.
Seraph ran to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Elena? Are you okay? Look at me, I'm Seraph!"
Elena looked at her. There was no familiarity in her eyes that soothed Seraph's soul. She gently removed Seraph's hand from her shoulder, as if she were a stranger.
"Seraph?" She called his name, but there was no emotion in her tone. "You are my protector, I know. The light of your sword tells me you are loyal. But why are you so worried?"
Seraph's heart felt as if someone had taken it in their fist and crushed it. "Elena... I am not just your protector. I am your... I am the one you promised to love."
A slight frown appeared on Elena's forehead. "Love? I don't remember. My only goal is to free my parents and behead that black serpent. We must not waste time."
She turned and looked at the lake, where the Star Guard was now descending back into the water. Elena's tone was now that of a queen who had no time for emotions.
Seraph knelt there. He knew that Elena had become a powerful sorceress now, but he had paid the price for that power by giving up the most beautiful truth in his life. He had lost Elena even after finding her. The golden waves that had risen from Elena's existence were now slowly fading, but the landscape of the valley had changed forever. The lake that had once been blue was now as still as molten gold. The Star Guard turned one last time as he descended into the depths of the lake, and his voice echoed in Elena's ears like a gust of wind: "The ancient light that gives birth to stars now flows in your veins. Hold it, for now you have become the greatest target for darkness."
The seraph was still sitting on the ground, staring at Elena's face, hoping that perhaps for a moment, the old sparkle would return to his eyes. But Elena's eyes were now fixed on the valley, far away, on the towering black castle that stood like an ominous shadow on the horizon.
"We have to get out of here," Elena said in a very pointed tone. There was no longer the trembling in his voice that had melted Seraph's heart. Now there was a resonance in his voice, as if ancient metal was clashing.
Seraph pulled his sword, 'Light of the Dragon', from the ground and sheathed it, sighing deeply. "Elena, do you really feel nothing? That night... those promises... they all mean nothing to you anymore?"
Elena turned her head to look at Seraph. It was impossible to detect any emotion in his golden eyes. "Your words ring true to my ears, Seraph. I feel like I've heard these things before, but in my mind's eye, you are only a warrior who travelled with me. Memories are a burden, Seraph. Perhaps this magic has done me a favour by freeing me."
Seraph turned away, gritting his teeth. He realised that he was fighting an Elena who no longer existed. She had to embrace this 'new Elena' now, no matter how much her heart bled.
Suddenly, the silence of the valley was broken by a terrible scream. Black clouds began to rise in the sky like serpents, and from among them appeared the same black smoke birds that guarded the 'Palace of Nothingness'. But this time there were hundreds of them.
"They know," Elena said calmly. She waved her hand in the air and sparks of golden fire shot from her fingers, forming a shield. "The black serpent knows that its downfall has awakened."
The seraph drew his sword, its white light blending with Elena's golden halo to create a strange scene. "You watch my back, I'll block the path of these birds!"
Elena gave a faint smile—it was the first time her face had ever shown any expression, but it was a smile of war, not love. "No, Seraph, you won't need to protect me anymore. I am a storm myself now."
Elena raised both hands to the sky. The golden water of the lake suddenly rose into the air and took the form of thousands of golden arrows. At a signal, the arrows shot towards the black birds with lightning speed. The air was filled with the sound of burning flesh and horrifying screams. The Seraph watched in amazement; the enemies that had confused him for hours, Elena had reduced them to a pile of ash in a matter of seconds.
But when Elena turned after this victory, her face was filled with a reflection of brute strength rather than exhaustion. "Get ready, Seraph. Tonight we will bring down the walls of this palace. I need my parents, and if I have to burn the entire world to do it, I will not back down."
Seraph followed her, wondering if this was the same innocent girl who had once shed tears for a wounded bird? The power had changed her, and Seraph feared that this power might turn her completely to stone. The air in the valley was now filled with golden ash, the remains of the black birds that Elena had consumed in a matter of moments. Seraph followed Elena silently, but there was no longer the excitement in his steps. He felt as if he were not following a living girl, but a beautiful but emotionless statue.
Suddenly, Elena stopped near an old, rotting tree. It was the same tree where Seraph had saved her from the rain at the beginning of this journey and sheltered her under its shield. Elena placed her hand on the rough trunk of the tree. For a moment, her golden eyes trembled, as if a repressed memory was trying to surface.
"This place..." Elena whispered. For the first time, her tone was a little soft. "Did something happen here, Seraph? Why do I feel like a piece of my heart is buried in this dirt?"
The seraph quickly approached her, a new ray of hope dawning in her eyes. "Elena! This is the place where I promised you I would never leave you alone. Do you remember? Try, Elena!"
Elena closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the tree trunk. A vague image appeared in her mind—a smile, a warm touch, and a voice that called her 'My Elena.' But as she began to grasp the memory, the powerful golden magic coursing through her veins gave a powerful jolt. The magic spread through her mind like a fire and burned the memory to ashes.
Elena groaned and stepped back, her eyes now tinted that cold golden color again. "Nothing... there is only darkness. The Elena you speak of has been swallowed by this lake. Now all that remains is the goal."
She turned, her voice stronger and more terrifying than ever. "That palace, which lies before us, has walls made of the blood of my parents. I can feel the black serpent smiling now. He thinks he has left me alone, but he does not know that he has awakened his own angel of death."
Elena drew a line in the air with her hand, and the golden magic created a long highway that led straight to the main gate of the 'Palace of Nothingness'. "Seraph, if you wish to come, then come; I alone am enough."
Seraph drew his sword and waved it in the air. "I did not love your memories, Elena; I loved you. Whether you recognise me or not, my sword will continue to bleed the blood of your enemies, until my last breath remains."
Elena did not answer, but the speed of her steps increased. Now she had become a warrior who felt neither pain nor fear of retreat. The two shadows walked along this golden magic highway towards the black palace, where death awaited them.
"Dear Readers, we have reached the most heartbreaking turning point in the story! Elena is now a force of nature, but the bond she shared with Seraph has turned to ice. Do you think Seraph's love can melt the golden magic surrounding her heart, or is their romance lost forever?
If this chapter stirred your emotions, please vote with Power Stones and drop a comment with your theories. Your engagement helps me push this story to the top of the rankings. Don't forget to add this to your Library so you can witness the upcoming battle at the Palace of Nothingness!"