Lyra couldn't move.Two glowing eyes watched her from inside the doorway.The voice sounded like her father's, but something about it felt wrong.Too calm.Too empty.Her mother stepped in front of her."Don't listen to it."The thing inside the doorway laughed."You always were protective of her."Lyra's mother froze.That voice knew her.Not just her name.Her memories.Her fear.Her past.Lyra stepped around her mother."What are you?"The eyes moved closer."I am the memory of what existed before your world learned how to forget."The Firstborn struggled to stand."No…"Lyra looked at him."You know it?""I remember the beginning."He gripped his sword and forced himself upright."Before the Creator built worlds, there was only one."The creature interrupted him."There was no beginning."The chamber shook."There was existence."A wave of darkness moved through the doorway.Lyra felt something brush against her mind.Suddenly, she saw flashes.The First World.The Creator.Her father.Her mother.The Sovereign.And something else standing behind all of them.A figure without a face.A figure made entirely of darkness.Lyra stumbled backward.Her mother caught her."What did you see?""The Creator wasn't alone."Her mother's expression changed."You saw it."Lyra nodded."Something was behind him."The Firstborn lowered his sword."That is the First Memory."Lyra looked at him."Why does it look like the Void?""It isn't the Void."The creature answered."The Void was born from me."Everyone went still.The Firstborn's face tightened."You're lying.""I don't need to."The creature stepped through the doorway.Its body slowly took shape.It looked almost human, but darkness covered its skin like smoke."The Creator found the First Flame."It looked toward Lyra."He believed he had discovered the beginning of existence."A faint smile appeared."He was wrong."Lyra's mother whispered,"What did he discover?"The creature raised one hand.The room disappeared.Lyra found herself standing in an endless white space.Her friends were gone.Her mother was gone.The Firstborn was gone.Only the creature stood before her."This is where your father came before he died."Lyra turned."Where is he?""He came here to make a bargain."Lyra's heart stopped."What bargain?"The creature walked around her."He asked me to protect you."Lyra stared at it."My father would never make a deal with you.""He did."The creature touched her forehead.Another memory appeared.Her father stood in the white space.Blood covered his clothes.The Creator's weapon had already pierced his body.Her father was barely standing.Across from him stood the same faceless darkness.Her father's voice echoed through the memory."Take my life."Lyra's eyes widened.The creature continued."He offered himself so your mother could escape with you."Lyra shook her head."No.""He knew the Creator would eventually come for you."The memory shifted.Her father looked down at a newborn Lyra in her mother's arms.His expression softened."Keep her safe."Her mother cried."I can't leave you.""You have to."The vision ended.Lyra stood trembling."Why didn't anyone tell me?"The creature looked at her."Because your father made them promise."Lyra wiped her eyes."Then why are you showing me this now?"The creature's smile disappeared."Because the promise has ended."The white world cracked.Lyra looked around."What does that mean?""You rejected the throne."A crack spread beneath her feet."You rejected the Crown."Another crack appeared."You rejected the prison."The entire space began collapsing."And now nothing stands between me and the Eighth Flame."Lyra's eyes narrowed."You want the Eighth Flame.""I don't want it."The creature moved closer."I am what it came from."Lyra stepped backward."The Eighth Flame came from the First Flame.""No."The creature pointed toward her chest."It came from you."Lyra froze."What?""The First Flame did not choose your bloodline."Its voice became quieter."Your bloodline was created to carry what was already inside you."Lyra's mind went blank.Her mother had told her the Eighth Flame was placed inside her.Her father had protected her because of it.But this thing was saying something different."Then what am I?"The creature reached toward her."You're the last piece of the First Memory."A golden flash tore through the darkness.Kael's voice reached her."Lyra!"She opened her eyes.She was back in the throne room.Kael was holding her shoulders.Her mother stood beside him.The Firstborn had one knee on the floor.The seven Hearts were still dark.Lyra looked toward the doorway.The creature was gone.But something remained.A black mark had appeared on Lyra's palm.Her mother saw it.Her face went pale."No…"Lyra looked down."What is it?"Her mother didn't answer.The Firstborn did."The mark of the First Memory."Lyra closed her fingers."Can it be removed?"He shook his head."Not unless you destroy the thing that placed it there."Kael stepped forward."Then we'll find it."The Firstborn looked at him."It's already found her."Everyone turned.A shadow appeared behind Lyra.Her mother shouted,"Lyra, move!"Lyra spun around.Nothing was there.Then the black mark on her palm opened like an eye.A voice whispered directly into her mind."You don't need to find me."Lyra's blood ran cold."I've been inside you since the night you were born."The Seven Hearts suddenly reignited.But this time, their light wasn't golden.It was black.Lyra looked at her hands in horror.And somewhere deep inside her, something opened its eyes.
Lyra couldn't move.Two glowing eyes watched her from inside the doorway.The voice sounded like her father's, but something about it felt wrong.Too calm.Too empty.Her mother stepped in front of her."Don't listen to it."The thing inside the doorway laughed."You always were protective of her."Lyra's mother froze.That voice knew her.Not just her name.Her memories.Her fear.Her past.Lyra stepped around her mother."What are you?"The eyes moved closer."I am the memory of what existed before your world learned how to forget."The Firstborn struggled to stand."No…"Lyra looked at him."You know it?""I remember the beginning."He gripped his sword and forced himself upright."Before the Creator built worlds, there was only one."The creature interrupted him."There was no beginning."The chamber shook."There was existence."A wave of darkness moved through the doorway.Lyra felt something brush against her mind.Suddenly, she saw flashes.The First World.The Creator.Her father.Her mother.The Sovereign.And something else standing behind all of them.A figure without a face.A figure made entirely of darkness.Lyra stumbled backward.Her mother caught her."What did you see?""The Creator wasn't alone."Her mother's expression changed."You saw it."Lyra nodded."Something was behind him."The Firstborn lowered his sword."That is the First Memory."Lyra looked at him."Why does it look like the Void?""It isn't the Void."The creature answered."The Void was born from me."Everyone went still.The Firstborn's face tightened."You're lying.""I don't need to."The creature stepped through the doorway.Its body slowly took shape.It looked almost human, but darkness covered its skin like smoke."The Creator found the First Flame."It looked toward Lyra."He believed he had discovered the beginning of existence."A faint smile appeared."He was wrong."Lyra's mother whispered,"What did he discover?"The creature raised one hand.The room disappeared.Lyra found herself standing in an endless white space.Her friends were gone.Her mother was gone.The Firstborn was gone.Only the creature stood before her."This is where your father came before he died."Lyra turned."Where is he?""He came here to make a bargain."Lyra's heart stopped."What bargain?"The creature walked around her."He asked me to protect you."Lyra stared at it."My father would never make a deal with you.""He did."The creature touched her forehead.Another memory appeared.Her father stood in the white space.Blood covered his clothes.The Creator's weapon had already pierced his body.Her father was barely standing.Across from him stood the same faceless darkness.Her father's voice echoed through the memory."Take my life."Lyra's eyes widened.The creature continued."He offered himself so your mother could escape with you."Lyra shook her head."No.""He knew the Creator would eventually come for you."The memory shifted.Her father looked down at a newborn Lyra in her mother's arms.His expression softened."Keep her safe."Her mother cried."I can't leave you.""You have to."The vision ended.Lyra stood trembling."Why didn't anyone tell me?"The creature looked at her."Because your father made them promise."Lyra wiped her eyes."Then why are you showing me this now?"The creature's smile disappeared."Because the promise has ended."The white world cracked.Lyra looked around."What does that mean?""You rejected the throne."A crack spread beneath her feet."You rejected the Crown."Another crack appeared."You rejected the prison."The entire space began collapsing."And now nothing stands between me and the Eighth Flame."Lyra's eyes narrowed."You want the Eighth Flame.""I don't want it."The creature moved closer."I am what it came from."Lyra stepped backward."The Eighth Flame came from the First Flame.""No."The creature pointed toward her chest."It came from you."Lyra froze."What?""The First Flame did not choose your bloodline."Its voice became quieter."Your bloodline was created to carry what was already inside you."Lyra's mind went blank.Her mother had told her the Eighth Flame was placed inside her.Her father had protected her because of it.But this thing was saying something different."Then what am I?"The creature reached toward her."You're the last piece of the First Memory."A golden flash tore through the darkness.Kael's voice reached her."Lyra!"She opened her eyes.She was back in the throne room.Kael was holding her shoulders.Her mother stood beside him.The Firstborn had one knee on the floor.The seven Hearts were still dark.Lyra looked toward the doorway.The creature was gone.But something remained.A black mark had appeared on Lyra's palm.Her mother saw it.Her face went pale."No…"Lyra looked down."What is it?"Her mother didn't answer.The Firstborn did."The mark of the First Memory."Lyra closed her fingers."Can it be removed?"He shook his head."Not unless you destroy the thing that placed it there."Kael stepped forward."Then we'll find it."The Firstborn looked at him."It's already found her."Everyone turned.A shadow appeared behind Lyra.Her mother shouted,"Lyra, move!"Lyra spun around.Nothing was there.Then the black mark on her palm opened like an eye.A voice whispered directly into her mind."You don't need to find me."Lyra's blood ran cold."I've been inside you since the night you were born."The Seven Hearts suddenly reignited.But this time, their light wasn't golden.It was black.Lyra looked at her hands in horror.And somewhere deep inside her, something opened its eyes.