Page 140 of Dark Awakening

She acknowledges my fruitless attempts to summon her. "I heard your call but could not answer straight away. Regardless, you have many queries seeking answers."

Her gentle voice soothes like a spring breeze. "Ask, child, and I shall shed light on all I can."

My gaze locks onto her wise eyes, wellsprings of eons of knowledge. "What happened in the Valley of Ancients? Why did such an advanced civilization fall?"

Profound sorrow crosses Seraphina's luminous face. She begins solemnly, "Long ago before darkness plagued existence, all the realms coexisted in harmony. Mortals worked hand in hand with celestial beings and other beings through open portals connecting their worlds. Together, they shaped a peaceful cosmos."

Her expression grows mournful. "But then evil emerged from the ether."

"Moretemis," I whisper, a chill creeping down my spine.

She nods gravely. "Yes. Mortemis brought chaos and destruction in his wake. He sought to devour light and hope. Your father, Elysium, had no choice but to banish him to the Shadow Realm and seal the portals, isolating the realms from one another for their protection."

"But why could my father not defeat Moretemis fully then? Why seal him away instead?"

Seraphina's luminous gaze holds deep wells of sorrow and grim determination. "Mortemis's sinister power had grown formidable, his darkness overwhelming. Elysium could not overpower him. So sealing Moretemis away was the only way to shield the realms from his malevolence."

My shoulders sag as I absorb her tale of broken unity and stolen hope. "So, in isolating the realms, their harmony was lost," I say heavily.

Seraphina nods, divine features etched with melancholy. "Yes. Moretemis still finds ways to slip between worlds from the shadows, often using others as his agents to wreak havoc. His wicked power has only grown over time in the dark void. Now he hungers to fully reenter the realms, extinguish all light and goodness, and plunge everything into his eternal darkness."

Azrael is the first one that comes to mind in that declaration. A cold hand grips my heart. "And that is where I come in, isn't it?"

Gentle understanding radiates from her being. "Yes, Dani. You alone possess the potential to bridge the sundered realms, to weave their torn threads back into a unified tapestry. The crown you now hold is a guiding light on the path toward this destiny."

Profound purpose shines in Seraphina's ancient gaze. "It will take a monumental collective force drawn from all realms to overcome Moretemis and his bottomless dark power. Your father could not accomplish this alone. But now the task falls to you, Dani—to rally and unite the worlds, proving yourself as the prophesied savior able to lead them together against the ultimate evil."

My mind reels, struggling to wrap itself around the astronomical weight of destiny lying across my shoulders. I am but one small mortal. How can I achieve what even a celestial being could not?

"It will not be easy." I sigh heavily.

"No, it shall not," Seraphina agrees, celestial features etched with solemn understanding. "But you hold the necessary power within, Dani. The power to unite, to restore lost harmony, to stand tall as a beacon of light against the darkest evil imaginable."

As her encouraging words settle into my mind and spirit, I feel an odd dichotomy of emotions—excitement wars with anxiety. Determination wrestles with fear. But through the tumult, one truth rings clear—I cannot turn away from this monumental duty destiny has seen fit to lay at my feet.

"Thank you, Seraphina," I whisper, my voice trembling with gratitude and trepidation. "For answering my call and helping me understand."

She smiles radiantly, her celestial presence washing over me like the warm glow of dawn's first light. "You do not tread this path alone, my child. You shall have our guidance from the heavens, the stalwart support of allies at your side, and the formidable power of your own inner strength. The road unwinding before you is long and fraught with shadow, yes. But never forget you carry the hopes and dreams of every living being in every realm upon your shoulders."

With those final words of encouragement, Seraphina's ethereal form begins slowly fading away. But questions still burn within me, swirling and crashing together like gathering storm clouds. There is so much I do not grasp—

"Wait…" I plead, my desperate voice echoing through the empty room. "Please, I still have so many questions."

By some mercy, Seraphina's fading radiance pauses, lingering, her comforting presence enveloping me even as her physical form becomes diaphanous.

"Seriously though, why in the world did Elysium decide to make me specifically for this ridiculous quest? Couldn't he have picked someone with better qualifications or a stronger will?" I feel utterly exasperated with my predetermined fate.

Seraphina's disembodied voice manifests as if patient and kind on a gently swirling breeze. "It is about the innate qualities that define your very being. Your father required one capable of demonstrating abundant compassion, empathy, and understanding—traits often abundant within mortal souls."

I shake my head, still trying to wrap my mind around it. "Seriously? Why me out of all the powerful beings in the universe?" I scoff, not sure if I should be flattered or insulted.

As Seraphina continues her delicate explanation, the soft light of her aura dances around the room, painting her words in radiance across the shadows.

"You see, both facets are necessary in equal measure. A compassionate mortal heart full of humanity's joys and sorrows. Yet also the formidable celestial might hailing from your divine heritage."

Slowly, her meaning unravels itself to me. She continues gently, "Mortals possess an intrinsic empathy for one another that celestial beings cannot fully comprehend, an intuitive understanding of the threads connecting all living souls. Mortals can rally together under a common banner, a shared purpose. Your celestial ancestry shall amplify this gift a hundredfold, granting you the power to achieve wonders."

I shut my eyes in surrender, soaking up her preachy words like a bad episode of Oprah. "So it's not just about being the strongest or having the most power. It's about empathy and uniting different individuals?"

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