All Chapters of THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN BRIDE : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The sky split open above the original sanctuary.Aria had seen gates collapse, ancient powers awaken, and forgotten truths tear apart everything she thought she understood. Yet nothing had prepared her for the sight of the enormous darkness moving behind the broken heavens.It was not a creature with a body.It was an absence.Stars vanished wherever it passed. The silver mountains lost their color, and the distant gates connecting the worlds flickered as though something were slowly erasing them from existence.Then the voice came again.“Let creation answer for what it has done.”The words rolled across the mountain and disappeared into the distance.For several seconds, nobody moved.Kael was the first to break the silence.“Everyone away from the edge! We need to get inside the sanctuary.”“The sanctuary is no longer safe,” Edran replied. “The second prison was connected to its foundations. Now that the Unmaking has begun to spread, this entire mountain could disappear.”The First

The gate opened without a sound.Beyond the mountain, a narrow path of silver light stretched into a darkness that seemed deeper than the night sky. Strange symbols moved across its surface, appearing and disappearing like memories struggling to remain alive.Aria stood at the entrance, staring into the distance.The image of the First Queen remained in her mind. The broken golden crown. The throne of shadows. The expression on her face had not been one of triumph or fear.It had been grief.“Is she alive?” Aria asked.The First King remained silent for several seconds.“I do not know.”“You recognized her in that vision,” Kael said. “You knew she was still somewhere beyond the seal.”“I recognized the place where she stood,” the First King replied. “That does not mean I understand what has become of her.”Aria turned toward him. “You imprisoned the First Creator because you were afraid she would undo creation. You imprisoned the First Queen because she tried to control it. And now th

Veyr's scream echoed through the collapsing palace.Aria felt it in her chest, not as a sound but as a wave of pain passing through every living thing connected to creation. The golden doorway behind the throne flickered, its edges shrinking as the Unmaking spread across the floor.The child held the key tightly.“We have to reach the bridge.”The Unmaking turned toward them.“YOU WOULD CHOOSE EXISTENCE WITHOUT KNOWING ITS PRICE.”Kael stepped in front of his family. “We know enough to understand that you cannot decide the fate of every world.”“EVERY WORLD IS BUILT UPON LOSS.”“And every world contains something worth protecting,” Aria answered.The darkness surged.Kael raised his hand, summoning a shield of silver light. The force struck it so violently that he was thrown backward. Aria caught his arm, but the impact sent both of them crashing against the remains of a pillar.“Kael!”“I am all right,” he said through clenched teeth.He was shaken, but he stood again.The First King

Aria reached for Kael as the bridge disappeared.Her fingers caught his wrist, and his other hand closed around their child's arm. For one terrifying moment, the three of them hung above an endless darkness while the golden key spun away from the child.Then a burst of silver light surrounded them.They landed on solid ground.Aria fell to her knees, pulling the child against her chest. Kael crouched beside them, checking that they were both unharmed.“Are you all right?” he asked.Aria nodded, though her heart was racing.The First King and First Queen stood a short distance away. Veyr had fallen onto one knee, his hands pressed against the ground as though he were trying to keep himself anchored to reality.The First Creator remained standing.She was staring at the darkness where the bridge had been.“The first choice did not create that light,” she whispered.The First King approached her cautiously.“What did you see?”The Creator shook her head.“I hoped I was wrong.”“Tell us,”

Darkness swallowed everything.Aria could no longer see Kael, the First King, or even the child standing only a few steps ahead of her. She reached forward desperately, her fingers searching for familiar hands.“Kael!”“I’m here!”His voice came from somewhere to her left.Aria moved toward it until his hand found hers. A moment later, she felt the child grip her other hand.“Stay close,” she whispered.The child's fingers trembled.“Mother, I can't feel the First Memory anymore.”Aria's heart tightened.“What do you mean?”“It's still inside me, but the light is gone. I can't hear the memories.”A voice rolled through the darkness.“YOU HAVE RELIED UPON MEMORY TO TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE.”The black sphere hovered above them, its enormous eye fixed upon the child.“NOW YOU MUST ANSWER WITHOUT IT.”The First Creator's voice came from the darkness.“You cannot demand that one child justify the existence of every living being.”“I DEMAND NO SUCH THING. I ASK WHY EXISTENCE SHOULD CONTINUE.”