Chapter 18: Exchange
"Everything is in its usual course, there are no disturbances. Peace has been maintained." His words contrasted sharply with his appearance: visible veins in his eyes, pale skin, and a hunched, weary body. I wondered how much effort it took for his voice to sound so strong.
"Thank you, Alven. You may assign your duties to a trusted man and retire to rest." He nodded in acknowledgment of my command and left.
The door that opened for Alven closed behind Arel and the magic envoy Lara as they entered the throne room.
Lara, with her copper-colored eyes cloaked in secrecy, greeted me without a hint of expression on her face or in her posture. Her dark grey, loosely fitted pants and sleeveless shirt contrasted with the elaborate tattoo that stretched from her right wrist to her neck, reaching up to her right temple. The coal-black inscriptions and abstract motifs were the sacred signatures of the divine spirits. She wore her long, color-matched hair over her left shoulder, proudly displaying her tattooed heritage, much like her grandmother.
"Yes?" I acknowledged their greetings and invited them to speak.
Arel extended his hand slightly towards Lara, courteously passing the turn to speak to her. Straightening her chin, Lara began, "The individual you granted magic rights during the emotional harvest has utilized those rights."
My eyebrows rose. "And?" My curiosity was piqued, though I knew she couldn't divulge the specifics.
"Under normal circumstances, I shouldn't inform you," she stated, stoking the flames of my curiosity further.
"What's the exception?" I inquired.
"The individual... the person who used the magic rights chose to live as a human on Earth, my lord."
My eyebrows, already raised, tightened as my lips parted. "What do you mean?" I blurted out. "He chose to leave this sacred land and our blessed race to become a filthy human in the garbage dump of Earth?"
I was astounded, and my disbelief escaped me in a scoffing laugh. The idea seemed ludicrous; he would fit right in with the foolishness of humans, given his behavior during the Creation Day.
"I had thought he would use these rights wisely," I murmured to myself, then cleared my throat, straightened my posture, and shelved my mocking tone. "Well, he may do as he pleases. This is not of consequence."
"Actually, my lord..." Arel interjected. "It is of considerable significance because for every soul taken from Elysian, Earth must send a soul in return to our lands."
My brows furrowed as I leaned back, asking, "What do you mean?"
"Think of it as an exchange, my lord, soul for soul."
"Since when has this been the case?" I found myself standing.
"Since your mother's betrayal, the late king made travel to Earth conditional upon this exchange to complicate matters, my lord."
"How have you not mentioned this to me before!?" Anger struck me like lightning, blue veins of fury spreading through every cell.
Arel remained calm. "I assumed you were aware, my lord."
"How could I know while my memory was impaired and I was on Earth!" My breathing accelerated.
"I failed to consider that, my lord. Please accept my apology." He bowed, and my laughter echoed like thunder following lightning.
Suddenly, I stopped laughing and with a grave face commanded Arel, "Summon the master of the Curtain to me." He understood immediately and rushed to the door.
Left alone with Lara, I glanced at her briefly. She stood still as a statue, unchanging.
Sitting back on my throne, I felt my anger subside a bit. "I gave him three magic rights," I said, looking into her unblinking eyes. "Tell me what he used them for."
She nodded slightly before explaining, "The first was used to find someone from Earth willing to come to Elysian."
No one on Earth could know of Elysian's existence unless they were from our race. I bit my lower lip, sensing we were on the cusp of unraveling a complex plan.
"The second was used to communicate with the person he found," she continued, and I swallowed hard.
Just moments ago, I had ridiculed Evren's foolishness. Now, it seemed he had used his rights quite astutely.
"With the third, he traveled to Earth."
I punched the throne's armrest, not even flinching as the pain spread up my arm. The potential implications of what he planned to do with these opportunities I had inadvertently given him were infuriating!
Perhaps, in trying to win the people's favor, I had inadvertently made one of them my rival.
"I want to know who else has used magic to travel to Earth from here."
"The last to use such magic, besides yourself and your siblings, were sent by our late king's grace. For centuries, no one else has used magic for this purpose."
My siblings and I—Bilun, Hesna, Eva, me, and Felin.
I swallowed. Could this be possible? No, Felin, if he hadn't perished miserably on Earth, wouldn't leave his return to such chance. He wouldn't wait centuries thinking, "Someone from Elysian will seek me out, and we'll exchange our souls." Not unless he, like me, was unaware of this soul exchange.
Grinding my teeth involuntarily, I considered Felin's disappearance on Earth... He was perfection incarnate. Everything he did was flawless, and his planned actions would be no exception, recognized by all. The idea that he couldn't survive Earth's conditions, or worse, died there...
I hit my temple with my fist. As the pain spread and I screamed, hitting the same spot again and again. My left hand's numbing pain couldn't dampen my internal fury. What he planned to do, whatever it was, I had handed him the means to accomplish it!
I demanded, "I need to know who else has used magic to travel from Earth to here."
"The last was you and your siblings, sent by our late king. No one else has used magic for this purpose for centuries."
Us and our siblings...
Bilun, Hesna, Eva, me, and Felin.
I swallowed. Was this feasible? No, no... If Felin hadn't withered away on Earth, he wouldn't have left his return to such chance, believing for centuries that "Someone from Elysian will seek me out for a soul exchange." Not unless he was also unaware of this exchange process like me.
Involuntarily, I found myself gritting my teeth. Felin's disappearance on Earth... He was the epitome of perfection. His every action was flawless, and whatever he planned would undoubtedly be exceptional, acknowledged by all. That someone of his calibre could not endure the conditions of Earth, or worse, had perished there...
I slammed my fist against my temple. As pain radiated and I howled, striking the same spot repeatedly. The numbing of my left hand did little to curb the fury within me. Whatever he had planned, I had unwittingly provided him the means!
"Find out who else has utilized magic to travel from Earth here."
"Since your departure, no one else has used magic for this purpose for centuries."
Us and our siblings...
Could this be possible? No, if Felin hadn't perished miserably on Earth, he wouldn't have left his return to such chance. He wouldn't have waited centuries thinking, "Someone from Elysian will seek me out, and we'll exchange our souls." Unless he, like me, was unaware of this soul exchange process.
Involuntarily, my teeth gritted. Felin's disappearance on Earth... He was the epitome of perfection. Everything he did was flawless, and his planned actions would undoubtedly be exceptional, acknowledged by all. That he could not survive Earth's conditions, or worse, had perished there...
I hit my temple with my fist. As pain radiated and I screamed, hitting the same spot again and again. The numbing of my left hand did little to quell the internal fury. What he planned to do, whatever it was, I had unwittingly provided him the means!
"Ensure no one else knows of this matter. Consider this an order," I said, regaining composure as if the self-inflicted violence had not occurred.
She remained impassive. Nodding slightly, she acknowledged my command and left.
If Felin hadn't disappeared and was somewhere on Earth, my sisters would surely have investigated. Upon returning from Earth, unlike me, they hadn't been burdened with numerous responsibilities. They would have devised solid plans calmly and carefully. So, the possibility that one of them might have conspired with Felin was plausible. Unless, of course, my brother hadn't rotted away on Earth's soil.
I hope, my brother, I hope you are nowhere drawing breath.
"Lord?"
Pulled from my tumultuous thoughts by a curious voice, I found myself back in the moment.
"Are you well?"
I turned to see Arya ascending the stairs, her presence pulling me back to reality.
Swallowing, I momentarily composed myself before inquiring, "What brings you here?"
Without speaking, she approached me with a purple rag in hand – Hesna's tied dream from Ravi.
My smirk couldn't be contained upon seeing it. Rising, I retreated a few steps as our eyes met. "You will be rewarded for this," I assured her. Approaching her this time, I suggested, "Since you're here, why don't you pick a room in the palace for yourself?"
Her lips curved with triumph, and a sparkle lit her eyes. The trembling of her eyelashes – whether from excitement or joy, I couldn't be sure – indicated her satisfaction with our deal.
Ah, winning over Eva's supporters was the easiest part.
***
I teleported to Kaira. The descending sun on the stone steps and the rising moon in the sky greeted me. The sanctified spirit of the ancient theater had prepared the script, understanding my purpose. The stone ground propelled me forward, my small steps halting in the theater's center.
I wrapped the purple rag around my neck, guided by a force beyond myself, for I wasn't the one tightening it to restrict my breath. The diminishing breaths, though constrained, were somehow more satisfying, as if the trees around me were imprinting their freshness into my soul. Kaira was depicting the allure of death.
I fell to my knees. As my breathing normalized and the rag loosened, I found myself lying on my back, eyes closed.
My soul was no longer in my body. It had moved to the heart bound by the rag, diving into the dream within.
I was in Hesna's body, seeing through her eyes. I brushed my face's side-draped purple hair behind my ear. Walking calmly through Avar, the excitement in my chest wasn't from exhaustion. A wrenching anticipation gripped me.
Reaching the lake's edge, this anticipation squeezed my breath. Removing my ring, my hands trembled.
Ah, this ring... What's your secret?
As I dropped the ring into the lake, Avar's spirit spoke through the trees' language. "Welcome, representative of love and loyalty."
Intending to reply with a giggle, I knelt by the lake and released the ring.
The ring floated to the lake's center, growing in size as it did. Emerald steps extended downwards as the surrounding water spun. Descending these jewel-lit stairs was magical, the light refracting off water droplets in a visual feast.
Reaching the bottom, the water dispersed, the staircase vanished, and I was in a void. No floor beneath my feet, yet I wasn't floating. Surrounded by a colorless expanse, I couldn't see its ends.
Turning around, I saw someone. There was a five-step distance between us, but the man, scanning his surroundings, couldn't see me. Our eyes met, he looked through me as if into the void, and then my vision blurred. Tears streamed, reflecting on the cheek's diamonds. A tightness formed in my chest, trapped breaths barely escaping. A longing sprouted within me. I wanted to approach him, to embrace him and never let go. Even the thought hastened my heart. Perhaps I was feeling Hesna's yearning inside me.
I wanted to press my lips together but couldn't.
Hesna was more than just a representative of love and loyalty. Initially, she might have been just that, but something transformed her into love itself. The longing for this man had sustained her love, deepened it, and kept it forever fresh. Longing taught her not just to love, but to become love.
Suddenly, the scene shifted. I was in a night caressed by a gentle breeze. Grass tickled me as I walked, intruding beneath my dress. Looking down at my feet, I saw not only the ground but also the purple hair framing my face.
Lifting my gaze, I stood before Ravi, where fresh dreams had recently been tied. The majestic tree, shedding its sins with its leaves, seemed to await something. Before I could discern what, I found myself kneeling, the purple rag tied to my wrist brought to my heart as I closed my eyes. I felt as if a root from Ravi was in my heart, the tree nourishing itself through my body. Each body carries at least one dream; continue to thrive magnificently, Ravi. The rag first tightened around my wrist. When my skin overlapped, I wanted to grimace, but Hesna's lips curled instead.
"I wish for love," she thought. "May the sacred spirits, in exchange for the monarch's blessed soul, sustain the lifeless soul of my love in Elysian."
I struggled within Hesna's body, feeling suffocated. I thrashed and flailed, trying to escape, but the loosening rag only made me feel more entrapped. As the rag unraveled, sealing Hesna's fervently voiced dream, love had not made her passionate; her passion was love.
A soul dying in a living body repeated this mantra.
