Page 67 of Crowned By the Shadow
“There must be a way,” I said again, more to myself than to them, as desperation clawed at me. “A way to maintain balance without losing myself completely.”
Fiona’s expression softened. “That was my thought as well, once. I sought to channel the power through artifacts, through rituals, through anything but myself. In the end, my hesitation cost everything.”
“But you didn’t have what I have,” I said, an idea forming in my mind. “You didn’t have a soul bond.”
Thorn’s head snapped up, hope flaring in his eyes. “Our bond,” he said. “It’s sustained us through everything else.”
I turned to the Moon Goddess and Van. “Could it work? Could our soul bond allow us to share this burden, to maintain balance together rather than alone?”
They exchanged a glance, something unspoken passing between them. “It has never been attempted,” the goddess admitted. “But a soul bond such as yours... it creates a bridge between two essences, a harmony that might indeed support the weight of guardianship.”
“If we shared it,” Thorn said, his voice gaining strength, “neither of us would be consumed entirely. We would anchor each other, keep each other human even as we became something more.”
The Aetherweavers murmured among themselves, their translucent forms shimmering with uncertainty. “It is unprecedented,” Fiona said. “But not impossible.”
“The risk would be great,” another warned. “If the bond failed under the strain, both souls would be lost, fragmented beyond recovery.”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Thorn said without hesitation. “If it means staying with Senara, I would risk anything.”
I stared at him, my heart swelling with love and gratitude. Even now, facing the unknown, he chose to stand with me. To share my burden, my destiny.
“And I would risk anything to stay with you,” I told him. “But are you sure? This isn’t what you signed up for when we formed our bond.”
His laugh was soft but genuine. “I signed up for everything. All of you, and all that comes with loving you. This is just another adventure, another challenge we face together.”
I turned back to the Aetherweavers, my decision made. “We’ll do it together. We’ll become the guardians, maintain the balance as one.”
Fiona studied us for a long moment, then nodded slowly. “Perhaps this is why you succeeded where we failed. Your bond gives you strength we never had, a connection that transcends normal limitations.”
The other Aetherweavers gathered around us, their forms beginning to glow with inner light. “Then let it be so,” Fiona said, her voice resonating with power. “The Eclipse Child and her bonded shall ascend together, becoming the guardians of cosmic balance.”
The Moon Goddess stepped forward, her hands outstretched. “Are you certain? Once begun, this cannot be undone.”
Thorn and I looked at each other, our fingers intertwined. “We’re certain,” I said, speaking for both of us.
“Then it is time,” Van said, his golden radiance intensifying. “Time to complete the cycle, to restore balance to all realms.”
The Aetherweavers moved to form a circle around us, their ethereal forms glowing brighter with each passing moment. The void corruption, still held at bay by Wyn’s magic, pulsed and writhed, as if sensing its new purpose.
“The transformation will not be easy,” Fiona warned. “You will feel as though you are being unmade, your very essence pulled apart and rewoven. But hold fast to each other, to your bond. It is your anchor, your salvation.”
I nodded, gripping Thorn’s hand tighter. “We’re ready.”
The Aetherweavers began to chant in a language older than time itself, their voices blending into a harmony that resonated through the very fabric of reality. The Twilight Crown on my brow flared with blinding light, responding to their call.
“Remember who you are,” Fiona said, her form beginning to dissolve into motes of pure energy. “Remember what you fight for. Remember the love that binds you.”
One by one, the Aetherweavers dissolved, their essence flowing into the space around us, creating a vortex of power that lifted us from our feet. I felt their knowledge, their memories, their accumulated wisdom flowing into me, not overwhelming me, but expanding my understanding, showing me the cosmic threads that bound all realms together.
The void surged forward, no longer held back by Wyn’s failing barrier. But instead of attacking, it flowed around us, drawn by the vortex of energy. The Moon Goddess raised her hands, adding her own power to the transformation.
“Balance,” she intoned. “Harmony. Unity of opposites.”
The corruption changed, its chaotic nature settling into patterns, finding equilibrium with the light that now flowed through us. I gasped as it touched my skin, expecting pain but finding only a strange sense of completion, as if a missing piece of myself had been restored.
Thorn’s grip on my hand remained steady, our soul bond blazing like a beacon in the storm of energy that surrounded us. Through it, I felt his amazement, his determination, his unwavering love. We were changing, becoming something new, but we were changing together.
The Twilight Crown, dim without the massive amounts of magic it once held, dissolved, its purpose fulfilled as what remained of its power merged with our very beings. In its place, a new awareness blossomed, a cosmic perception that let me see the delicate balance of forces across all realms, the intricate dance of creation and destruction, life and death, light and shadow.
