The skeletal door opened with a hiss, its edges gnawing like teeth on names long since forgotten. A chilly wind, cold in memory rather than temperature, escaped from the opening.
Elira entered.
She had never seen a chamber like the one beyond. The walls were made of obsidian and had faintly glowing runes that beat in time with her heartbeat. A song of ancient sorrow seemed to hum from each symbol.
And a crown rested on a dais of black glass in the middle.
Not gold.
Not silver.
But flickering in and out of existence, composed of thorns and starlight interwoven.
The continuation Crown.
Maybe she had worn it in a past life that he had forgotten, or Lucien was talking about it in a dream.
"Elira," a voice called—inwardly, not out loud.
She pivoted.
Lucien stood at the doorway, his face unreadable.
"How did you—"
He said, "I followed your shadow." "I was drawn to it."
The room shook as she opened her mouth to speak.
The crown sparkled.
From the wall came a second figure, not a memory, not a shade. A violet-flamed woman.
She had no features on her face.
Elira, however, was familiar with her.
Elira the First.
The one who started it all.
The voice repeated, "You come seeking unity." "But sacrifice is necessary for unity."
"What are you looking for from me?" Elira inquired.
She held up her hand.
Pictures popped all around them:
A blood-soaked battlefield. Lucien is begging on his knees.— She cried into empty arms like a kid crying with her eyes.
"Do you still prefer love to authority?"
Elira spoke in a firm tone. "I go with both. This time, I won't give up either.
Around the figure, the flame flared and then went out.
The crown rose into the sky.
The room echoed, "Elira of all names, put your hand on the seal."
Under her feet, a ring of light whirled.
She entered it.
Lucien grabbed for her, but the room drawn him away.
The voice murmured, "This is her burden."
Elira put her hand on the seal.
Pain.
Fire.
Recollections.
Every life merged into one.
And she saw the truth in that convergence:
She had been the queen, the cursed, the savior, and the villain. She had been prepared by each life that had been taken from her.
The curse was not a form of discipline.
Evolution was the cause.
She stood by herself as the light dimmed.
Not broken, though.
The crown was worn by her.
The curse had vanished.
But war was on the horizon.
She sensed it in the silence that ensued.
With wide eyes, Lucien took another step forward.
"Elira...?"
Her eyes glowed dimly as she turned to face him.
"We are no longer running."
And the Binding Chamber closed behind her, its mission accomplished.