The First Trial

The silver pillar rose from the crystal pool until it touched the ceiling of the cavern.

Its brilliance forced everyone to shield their eyes.

The woman in white lowered her black staff.

For the first time since entering the cavern, uncertainty crossed her face.

"No," she whispered.

"It should not awaken yet."

The ancient voice echoed again, deeper than before.

"The Blood Heir stands before the Gate of Memory."

The ground trembled violently.

Cracks spread across the floor in every direction before converging beneath Ariana's feet.

She instinctively stepped back.

Too late.

The stone gave way.

Instead of falling into darkness, she descended through a tunnel of shimmering silver light. Strange symbols drifted around her like falling snow, brushing against her skin before vanishing into nothingness.

She tried to scream.

No sound came.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fall ended.

Ariana landed gently upon a marble platform suspended in an endless white sky.

She was alone.

The pendant around her neck glowed brighter than ever before.

Ahead of her stood three towering doors.

The first was carved from black stone.

The second was made of polished silver.

The third appeared to be formed entirely from crimson crystal.

Each carried the same image.

A wolf surrounded by flames.

Footsteps echoed behind her.

She turned quickly.

An elderly man dressed in royal blue robes approached with measured steps. His beard reached almost to his waist, and his eyes reflected centuries of quiet wisdom.

He bowed deeply.

"Welcome, Princess Ariana."

She shook her head.

"Please stop calling me that."

"I cannot."

"Why not?"

"Because names do not change blood."

The old man smiled gently.

"My name is Orion."

"Where am I?"

"You stand within the Gate of Memory."

"I do not understand."

"You are not meant to. Not yet."

He gestured toward the three doors.

"Every Bloodbound heir who sought the throne faced these trials."

"What happens if I refuse?"

"The gate will close forever."

"And if I enter?"

"You will lose the comfort of ignorance."

Ariana looked from one door to another.

She still had countless questions.

What had happened to Kael?

Was Elara alive?

Who was the woman in white?

And why did everyone insist she belonged to a kingdom she had never known?

Orion seemed to read her thoughts.

"The first trial answers only one question."

"Which one?"

He pointed toward the black stone door.

"Who are you?"

The words settled heavily upon her.

For years she had believed herself to be nothing more than an orphan raised in a quiet village.

Now strangers called her princess.

Ancient wolves bowed before her.

Hidden magic responded to her touch.

Perhaps the greatest mystery was not the world around her.

Perhaps it was herself.

With steady determination, Ariana approached the black door.

The moment her fingers touched its surface, the stone dissolved into shadow.

Cold air rushed past her.

The white sky disappeared.

She found herself standing inside a magnificent nursery bathed in warm sunlight.

Colorful banners decorated the walls.

A wooden cradle rested near the window.

Soft laughter echoed through the room.

A young woman entered carrying a tiny child.

She wore a crimson gown embroidered with silver thread.

Her eyes were identical to Ariana's.

The queen.

Ariana watched in silence as the woman gently rocked the child.

"You are safe here," the queen whispered.

"No darkness will ever touch you."

The nursery door suddenly burst open.

Kael rushed inside wearing bloodstained armor.

His breathing was uneven.

"My queen."

The queen immediately understood.

"It has begun."

"They have breached the northern walls."

The queen looked down at the child sleeping peacefully in her arms.

A tear rolled across her cheek.

"There is no more time."

She handed the infant to Kael.

"You know where to take her."

"I will return for you."

"No."

"You have my oath."

"And I release you from it."

Kael's voice broke.

"I cannot leave you."

"You must."

The queen reached into her pocket and removed a silver pendant shaped like a wolf surrounded by flames.

The very pendant Ariana now wore.

She placed it around the baby's neck.

"When she is old enough, tell her she was loved before she was feared."

Kael lowered his head.

"I swear she will know."

The memory blurred.

Smoke poured into the nursery.

Shouts echoed through the palace corridors.

The queen stepped backward.

Her final words followed Ariana through the fading vision.

"If destiny ever asks her to choose between revenge and mercy..."

She closed her eyes.

"I pray she chooses mercy."

The nursery vanished.

Ariana found herself once again before Orion.

Her face was wet with tears she had not realized were falling.

"They were my parents."

Orion nodded.

"They were."

The first door slowly closed behind her.

The second door began to glow.

Before Orion could speak, the endless white sky cracked apart.

A violent voice thundered through the Gate of Memory.

"The trial has been breached."

Orion's calm expression disappeared.

"Impossible."

Dark shadows poured through the widening fractures.

The woman in white stepped into the realm itself, her black staff blazing with crimson fire.

She looked directly at Ariana.

"You cannot hide inside memories forever."

Then she lifted her staff toward the final crimson door.

With a single strike, the ancient seal shattered.

From within came the deafening roar of something that had been imprisoned for centuries.

And Orion whispered the words Ariana feared most.

"The Dragon King has awakened."