Novel & Cerita The Gatekeeper

ARIA HALE The SUV rolled to a stop and the gates parted slowly. The moment we crossed the threshold, a familiar tightness settled in my chest. We had gotten home. Home. That’s if you could call this prison a home. I have never felt at home in this large, cold mansion. The car pulled into the driveway. Before I could reach for the handle, Kade was already standing there, holding the door open for me. I hesitated, then stepped out in wobbly legs.

Mamock said, an image of the dwarf like creatures with slimy skin and elf ears; otherwise known as the guardians, passed through her mind and she visibly cringed. "Ansel entrusted us with this, so we should get it done" Elle said, trying to convince her. She can't give up now, one thing she's learnt from her long physical training is to not give up, and she isn't about to go back on that now. "Not at the risk of our lives! We can't let him down or make him proud if we are dead!" Mamock shouted, a thunderstrike following her words immediately as if it's backing her up.

“Please… I need to see him! I must see him! My mate, Axel!” The gatekeeper looked at me with a mixture of surprise and caution. His brow furrowed, and his lips tightened. He bowed slightly. “I… I am sorry, Luna Nora. The parents of your mate… they said we cannot open the gate for you.” I froze. My chest tightened. My knees felt weak. “What do you mean… you cannot open it? I must see him! He’s hurt! He… he needs me!” The gatekeeper shook his head. “I’m sorry, Luna. I cannot disobey their orders. They said… they said no one is allowed in.”

The members of the groom's party were eager for a quick resolution, and their first question was how many red envelopes it would take to open this door. If the gatekeeper was someone else, maybe the other person could have easily unlocked the gate by adding a few more codes. But the gatekeeper was Jessica, no matter how many red envelopes were handed to her, she remained unmoved. Finally, the people outside had no choice but to beg for mercy: "Ms. Hall, just tell us, how can we open this door today!"

I just hope it's not what I'm thinking. The lady hissed and walked out on me. She didn't give me the chance to ask her any question. I just left the scene and continued my journey. I knocked at the gate and the gatekeeper came running to open the giant door for me. I don't know the password yet and Ignatius hasn't given me any. It's all my fault. The gatekeeper saw me and leaped for joy. “You are welcome ma'am. We were really worried about you.”

The white key pulsed gently in Adrian's hand. Not with light... With recognition. Across the endless Archive, billions of floating lights drifted apart, forming a vast corridor leading toward the colossal Gate of Origins. No one spoke. Even the endless sea of unborn stories had fallen silent. The ancient voice echoed once more. "Only the Keeper of Choice may open the Gate." Adrian stared at the key. "I never asked to become the Keeper." Elias stepped beside him. "No one ever does."

It was a man standing at the entrance, pressing the doorbell. I waited for someone to open the gate. But there was none. Maybe what the child said was true. No one was here with us. No warriors to defend us. This was an exclusive subdivision. All those who will enter would be heavily checked first before they will be allowed to enter. I had entered houses like this and almost all of the guards were doing the same protocol. Intense checking of every guest. The doorbell kept on ringing. “Maybe it’s daddy,” Gabby exclaimed and was about to run towards the gate, but I was able to pull him back.

The smart lock. My blood turned to ice. Liam’s state-of-the-art security system was nothing to the Moretti family’s hackers. I jumped out of bed, grabbing the pepper spray from under my pillow. I pressed my back against the bedroom door. Footsteps. Steady, slow. Filled with that soul-crushing dominance. One step, two… they stopped right outside my door. No knocking. No breaking it down. Another soft click. The lock slid open. A tall, dark silhouette stood in the doorway, framed by the dim light from the living room.

“It’s awake.” They pressed on, past the pod room and into a wider chamber, its ceiling higher and coated with a strange black substance that shimmered in their flashlight beams. The walls were carved with more symbols, deeper this time—as if someone had scratched them in with claws. In the center stood a tall terminal, wrapped in cables that pulsed faintly with a bluish light. Emily walked straight to it. “Wait,” Mason said, stepping forward. “You sure that’s a good idea?” “She called it the Gatekeeper,” Emily replied, placing a hand gently on the terminal. “It doesn’t just store data. It protects it.”

Bammmm! The werewolf that seemed to be at an alpha-level hit his subordinate's head. He stepped forward and approached Ginny, holding out his hand for a shake. "I'm sorry for the disrespectful and civilized treatment of my subordinates. I'm Matthew, the head of the gatekeeper post. I'm in charge of everything at this sole entrance of this kingdom. Is there anything I can help you with, dear beauty-- ... is there anything I can help you with?" Ginny could see it. The man in the guard uniform was trying hard to harden the muscles in his body to make him look stronger in front of her. "Ginnerva."