Elena felt as though the entire world had shifted beneath her feet. Selene's ominous words echoed in her mind, and the weight of the pendant pressed heavier against her chest. The clearing was quiet now, the air still with a strange calm, but Elena knew it wouldn't last. The battle was far from over.
Aidan remained beside her, his eyes sharp as he scanned the horizon. He hadn't said much since Selene's departure, but Elena could feel the tension radiating from him. The revelation of Selene's presence—and her cryptic warning—had unsettled him as much as it had Elena.
"What did she mean?" Elena finally asked, breaking the silence. "About the magic inside me… about becoming one with it?"
Aidan's jaw tightened. "Selene is dangerous. I've heard whispers of her before—an outcast, a former Guardian who turned her back on the Council centuries ago. If she's involved, things are more complicated than we thought."
Elena frowned. "But she didn't seem like an enemy. She… she warned me."
Aidan's silver eyes met hers, conflicted. "Maybe. Or maybe she's manipulating you. The pendant's power is something every faction has wanted control of for ages. We don't know her true intentions."
Elena's thoughts swirled, uncertainty creeping in. Was Selene an ally or a hidden threat? Every word she'd spoken had felt like a warning, but her presence lingered in Elena's mind. Something about her had felt familiar, as if she held pieces of Elena's past or future.
But there was no time for doubt.
"We need to keep moving," Aidan said, his voice decisive. "Selene mentioned something crucial—the pendant is connected to you, but if you don't learn to harness it, it will consume you. That's the reality we need to face."
Elena nodded, her resolve hardening. She had come this far, faced shadows and the unknown, but the journey was just beginning. There was no room for hesitation now. The pendant had chosen her, and whatever destiny it carried, she had to embrace it fully.
"Where do we go?" Elena asked, glancing at the forest around them.
Aidan's gaze turned toward the distance, where the thick fog of the First Realm hung like a shroud. "We need to travel to the Crossing. It's the gateway between the realms, a place where time and space blur. It's dangerous, but it's the only way you can fully connect with the magic inside you."
"The Crossing?" Elena repeated, feeling a flicker of fear. "I've never heard of it."
"It's not a place many know of," Aidan said. "The Guardians have kept its existence hidden. But if you can withstand its pull, it's the only place where the flow of time itself can be altered. It may hold the answers you're looking for."
Time. The very mention of it made Elena shudder. She remembered the stories—ancient myths of those who had entered the Crossing and never returned, lost forever in the endless flow of moments, unable to find their way back.
But Elena was different. She had the pendant. And, as much as it frightened her, it was her only hope of controlling the power that lay within her.
Without another word, they began their journey toward the Crossing. The forest seemed to darken as they walked, the trees growing denser, the air colder. The pendant pulsed faintly against her skin, as if guiding her, its rhythm matching her heartbeat.
Time passed in a strange blur. Hours felt like minutes, and minutes stretched into eternity. Elena could feel the shift as they moved deeper into the realm. It was as though they were walking through the very fabric of reality itself, the edges of the world fraying around them.
After what felt like an eternity, they reached the outskirts of a wide clearing. In the center, a great stone archway stood, weathered and ancient, its surface covered in swirling runes. The air around it shimmered with a faint glow, and the space beyond the arch seemed to bend and twist, as if reality itself was warping.
"This is the Crossing," Aidan said, his voice low, reverent.
Elena stepped closer, her heart racing. The air around the arch hummed with energy, and the pendant responded, glowing brighter against her skin.
As she approached, the pull of the magic intensified. The archway beckoned, its swirling depths calling to her. Elena hesitated, glancing at Aidan. He nodded, his expression serious.
"You have to go alone," he said softly. "The magic of the Crossing only responds to those it deems worthy. I can't follow you through."
Elena's stomach tightened. She didn't want to leave Aidan behind, not after everything they had been through. But deep down, she knew this was something she had to do alone.
"What happens in there?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.
Aidan's eyes softened. "It's different for everyone. Time bends, memories surface, and you'll face the truth of who you are. The pendant will guide you, but it won't be easy. The Crossing tests your spirit, your will. If you make it through, you'll understand the full extent of the power inside you. But if you fail…"
Elena swallowed hard. "If I fail?"
Aidan's voice dropped to a whisper. "You'll be lost in time, forever."
A chill ran down Elena's spine, but she pushed the fear aside. She had come too far to turn back now. The pendant had chosen her, and whatever fate awaited her in the Crossing, she had to face it.
"I'll come back," she said, her voice firm.
Aidan nodded, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of doubt. "Be careful, Elena. Time is a powerful force, and the Crossing will show you things you may not be ready to see. But whatever happens, remember that you're stronger than you think."
Elena took a deep breath, steeling herself. Then, without another word, she stepped forward, crossing the threshold of the ancient archway.
The world around her shifted instantly.
The air grew thin, and the ground beneath her feet vanished. She was suspended in a vast, swirling void, time itself unraveling around her. Moments flickered past like stars in the night sky—memories, dreams, fragments of the past and future, all merging into one.
Elena's pulse quickened as she floated through the endless expanse, the pendant glowing brighter against her chest. She could feel its magic, guiding her through the chaos, keeping her grounded in the storm of time.
But then, something changed.
A memory surfaced, one she didn't recognize. It wasn't hers, but it felt intimately familiar.
She was standing in a meadow, sunlight filtering through the trees. A man stood before her, his back to her, his figure shrouded in shadow. He turned, slowly, and as his face came into view, Elena's heart stopped.
It was Aidan.
But not the Aidan she knew. This Aidan was different—his eyes darker, his expression colder. And as he looked at her, there was no recognition in his gaze, no warmth.
"Who are you?" Elena whispered, her voice trembling.
The man—Aidan, but not Aidan—smiled faintly, his eyes narrowing. "I am the truth you've been running from."
Elena's breath caught in her throat, her mind spinning. The pendant pulsed violently against her chest, reacting to the vision before her.
This wasn't real. It couldn't be.
But the man stepped closer, his voice low and haunting.
"The past and the future are intertwined, Elena. You cannot escape what's coming."
And before she could respond, the vision shattered, leaving her alone once more in the swirling void.
Elena's heart raced as she tried to make sense of what she had seen. Aidan—but not Aidan. A future she didn't understand. A past she couldn't remember.
The Crossing was testing her.
But she wasn't going to let it break her.
With renewed determination, Elena pushed forward, the magic of the pendant guiding her through the endless storm of time.
Whatever truth awaited her on the other side, she would face it. She had to.
The journey through time had just begun.