Alex was lost in his own thoughts. He had expected the Celestial Road to be a metaphor for spiritual growth, but the citadel of the High sect had collapsed to form a golden core, which was both the key to the road and also the road itself. It was now nestled in his pocket, but he could feel it pulling at him. He stood at the top of the city's tallest tower and gazed up at where the citadel had been. He was one step away from opening a door that was supposed to lead to godhood.
He had won. By eliminating the various sects of the divine realm, he had become its new lord. Everything he had been through had led him to this moment, and he wasn't sure what his next step was supposed to be. If he were being honest with himself, he would have to admit that he had never expected to get this far.
Agatha and Verity stood behind him. He had already told them that he wanted them to handle the running of the city until it could run itself. For thousands of years, the people here had lived under the thumb of powerful beings from all over the universe.
"They were powerful," he said aloud, taking his eyes off the sky and turning to the sisters. "That fight almost killed me. I can feel my strength returning, but at this rate, it'll be years before I'm completely recovered, and there are still too many threats to risk that. Now we have to deal with this." He held up the golden core. "We must keep it hidden. Until we do, this place isn't safe. There's just too much power here. Too many artifacts, magical weapons, and medicines. The High sect kept the Celestial Road hidden, but they were also powerful enough to keep challengers away."
I guess I always thought you were just a little ball of magical energy, he thought, rolling the golden core along his fingers. Another metaphor.
He held it up and watched the sunlight play along its perfectly smooth surface. He had used the power of the golden core before, but only as a way of manipulating the energies inside him and around him. Having one in solid form was a completely new kind of power, and it was the first step on the Celestial Road.
His eyes were drawn back to the sky. There was a certain point where people who pursued immortality had to make a final choice. Do I stay in the world, he wondered, or do I ascend and become the world? And everything else. He knew that it was impossible to join with the universe and still be Alex Ambrose.
But the golden core could be the bridge. It could make him truly immortal without giving up his humanity. In theory, anyway. How human could I possibly be if I'm no longer bound by time or space unless I choose to be? he thought. How human would I be if I could fly through space and drink in the power of suns and moons, or open doorways into entirely new universes?
That was essentially what he held in his hand—an entire universe. The golden core realm itself. One step beyond where he was now, but infinitely further away. The golden core, the real golden core, meant no more spells or pills or artifacts. No more summoning the forms of mythical beasts. He struggled to put it into words. All of those were tools he used to harness that power. The core itself meant actually being that power.
It was more than a human mind could comprehend because it rendered the whole idea of having a human mind obsolete. There was no limit to where he could go, what he could learn, or what he could do with the core. And that scared the hell out of him.
On the other hand, of course, he could do a lot of good with that kind of power. He could restore the Earth's spiritual energy, which had been ebbing for thousands of years. If the core could enhance the flow of spiritual energy, then there would be no need for secretive, insane immortals to hoard it so jealously. He would also be strong enough to protect the people there from beings looking to make trouble.
The master of the High sect, for example. Had he become one with all reality, or had he just escaped and was hiding somewhere, waiting to get his revenge? With the power at his disposal, Alex could tear the master's spirit from his body and fling it into the sun.
He made his decision.
"I'm leaving now," he told Verity. "I need to heal, and I need more answers. Answers I can't get here or on Earth."
She eyed the core warily. "Okay," she said. "Do you know how to use that thing?"
He laughed. "Something tells me that it knows how to use me. I simply have to shut up and listen. Unfortunately, I've never really been good at doing either."
Verity and her sister left him alone on the rooftop to find his answers. He sat down and crossed his legs, as if he were simply going to meditate. His hands, cupping the golden core, were resting on his lap. He closed his eyes and counted his breaths, clearing his mind. He felt the core get warmer in his hand until a part of him worried that it was going to burn him. He was about to pull away from his meditative state when the darkness behind his eyes lit up like a sun was rising.
**
When he opened his eyes, he realized he was nowhere. There was nothing to see, hear, smell, or taste. There was only him and a pure, warm light. Except there was no light. And there was no him. They were the same thing. He knew he still had a body—he could feel his bones and muscles, and he could hear his heart beating.
He could almost see himself as he let his awareness drift over the idea of his body. He was made up entirely of golden light. His bones, blood, muscles, and cells weren't glowing with it, they were it. His injuries healed without any trace they had ever existed.
He was whole and aware of his body in a way he had never been before. Fully healed, he wondered about the second half of his quest—understanding the Celestial Road and deciding what traveling along it would mean.
As with his healing, the moment his attention was focused on the Celestial Road, he was suddenly aware of it. He saw it, and where it led. He saw everything. He felt everything. Most of what he felt, though, was joy. Pure joy.
Alex threw his head back and laughed like a child.
**
He opened his eyes and blinked in the sudden sunshine. That was the first thing he noticed—it had been dark when he had sat down to meditate. The second thing he noticed was that his hair was tickling his shoulders. It was longer than it had been a minute ago, and it was also pure white. The fact that he could feel it on shoulders that had not been bare when he had closed his eyes made him aware of a third thing. He looked at his lap.
Huh, he thought. I need to find a pair of pants.
***
Alex had been gone for three months.
Verity had told him, once he had gotten dressed, that he had never come down from the tower. Several people had assumed that he had died or run away. She hadn't been able to stop staring at his hair, and he hadn't had a good answer for why or how it had turned white, even though his face was still that of a very young man.
"I think it makes me look distinguished," he had said.
Verity had just rolled her eyes. Eventually, anyway. At first, she had worried he might be a demon or some other kind of creature wearing his face. It had taken some explaining, none of which had made much sense, but she had come around to accepting that her teacher was back.
Now, they stood in an old part of the city. The surrounding buildings were crumbling, and there was rubble and debris everywhere. They stopped at a crumbling plaza, with a ruined fountain at its center. Alex stood with his hands behind his back and gazed at a small stone building.
"When the citadel started to collapse, some of it fell down here," Verity told him. "There were old spells in place to shield the city, but not all of them had been maintained. This part of the city was mostly old ruins, so the damage wasn't a problem, but there were areas that weren't so lucky. A lot of people here died when the High sect fell. But we're rebuilding."
There was a beat of silence. Alex just looked at the building with the little smile that had barely left his face since he had been back.
Verity counted to ten before her impatience got the better of her. "So, are you going to tell me why we're here?"
"Don't you want to know where the Celestial Road begins?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
She blinked. "I thought it was the core," she said, bewildered. "Aren't the core and the road the same thing? It's the key."
"It is," he said. "But it's also not. And it is a key, but it's also a map."
Verity sighed. "I hate magic sometimes."
Alex laughed. "That's fair," he said.
"So, this is the Celestial Road?" she asked, wrinkling her nose. "It looks like a shack."
"It is a shack," he said. "It's also the door that leads to the Celestial Road. This was a temple once. When a student had worked their way up to becoming an elder, they came here. It was the most important place in the city. It's also the oldest."
"I expected something a little more…" She trailed off and shrugged. "I don't know. A little fancier."
"There's nothing special about what leads a person here," Alex said. "Or where they go when they set foot on the road. It's just a place to start."
Verity closed her eyes and sighed again. "I really, really hate magic sometimes. Enough with the riddles. What are you talking about?"
"I'm trying to explain something that's bigger than words," he said. "Or the brains that make words." He shot her an amused look. "And besides, I'm your teacher, so stop yelling at me."
"Then start making sense, teacher," she said with a scowl.
"The road was never supposed to be for the select few," he explained patiently. "It was meant for anyone who trained, studied, and prepared. When Earth's spiritual energy started fading, the immortals thought they could keep it from happening here by hiding the core. As long as the High sect had control of it, the other sects had to fall into line.
"Eventually, the Celestial Road became a myth, and the core became a mere concept. We've been tapping into its power since then, but the real one's been floating up there pretending to be a fortress for thousands of years. The immortals hid it from everyone. Even themselves."
He stepped closer to the little old temple. In the stone of the lintel above the entrance was a smooth divot. Time had worn the edges away so much that it was easy to miss. He closed his eyes and held out his hand. The golden core shimmered into existence.
"The road is supposed to be there for anyone who wants to walk along it," he said. "It was never meant to be hidden or owned."
He held the core up to the lintel, and it drifted into the divot with a gentle chime, fitting perfectly.
Absolutely nothing happened.
"That's it?" asked Verity. "What are we doing now?"
"We're waiting," Alex said simply.
"How do we keep it safe?" she asked, frowning. "What happens if a bunch of power-drunk immortals try to steal it? How do we keep them from tearing the city apart to find it?"
"We don't." Alex shrugged. "The road is open to anyone, but not to everyone. You still need to train. You still need to learn. Without knowledge and skill, this doorway is just a doorway. It always was. It was fear that drove the immortals to tamper with it. Maybe this time, you will make smarter choices."
Verity's eyes narrowed. "You said 'you.'"
"I did," Alex agreed.
There was another long silence.
"Alex, what are we waiting for?" she asked finally.
"For me, I bet," Maya said as she walked into the little plaza.
Alex nodded. "It would be rude to not say goodbye," he said gently.
"It would be," Maya said. "Lucky for you, this isn't goodbye."
"I don't know what will happen when I step through, Maya." He met her gaze. "I plan to come right back, but plans have a way of getting twisty on me. To be honest, I never actually planned for any of this. I may not be able to come back. Or if I do, I might not be… you know, me."
"I know all of that," she said. "That's why I'm coming with you." She held up a hand before he could interrupt. "Lightning tribulations, multi-dimensional manhunts, losers in robes like the High sect—you think I'm going to go through all that with you, only to stay here? You spent a thousand years waiting for me to find you again, Alex. I'm coming with you."
Alex opened his mouth and then closed it again.
Verity grinned. "It's so rare for you to not have an answer that I'm actually touched I got to witness it." She hugged Maya and wished her luck. Then she bowed to Alex. "In case you're gone for another three months—or three centuries—good luck. I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too," he said softly. "If I don't come back soon, then you can find me through there." He nodded at the doorway. "You'll be ready to step through soon, if that's what you decide you want."
She nodded stiffly, refusing to let him see her cry. "I'll stay here for a few minutes after you've gone. Just in case."
Alex hugged her again and then turned to Maya. "Are you sure—"
"I'm sure," she said decisively. "I'm ready. Let's go."
Alex took her hand, and they walked to the doorway. The core began to glow, and the doorway shimmered. Whatever was on the other side of it was hazy and formless.
Maya swallowed. "What's through there?" she asked.
He smiled and squeezed her hand.
"Everything," he said. "I can't wait to show you."
They crossed the threshold.