Page 98 of The Fifth Soul

I try to reel in my emotions, but at seeing them again, anger rises in me. The first time I walked in here and stood in front of them, they made promises. Promises that are now broken.

Never alone. They promised me that. Yet here I am.

I don’t know what I am supposed to say or do. I have no true guidance left other than them, and I begrudge them for that.

“You lied,” I say between clenched teeth.

Their faces shine upon me with no emotion.

“You said I would never have to do this alone.” The last word struggles to come out.

I look down at my hands and find them tightly fisted at my sides. I open my fists and take a deep breath.

“Walk out of this place and see we have never failed to tell the truth. Not a day will pass when you have to do this alone. Your path is filled with friendly faces whose lives are weaved deeply with yours.”

I let out a sigh, sitting on a bench, and I place my hands on my head. I let myself believe their words, and it’s almost as if I can breathe more easily.

“Was I truly the best choice for this position?” I can’t help but ask. I thought I was done questioning myself, but I can’t help but seek that reassurance.

“We do not pick paths, young king.” The title chokes me up. “We simply weave strings to bring together a potential already written by the stars. Even we do not have the power to create what is not there.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“What you think is right,” they answer in unison. “Trust that the answers will find you.”

I stare at them, hoping with all of me they’re right.

“Leave now, young king, for your time to rule is now. It will be gone in a blink of an eye. For that is how time tends to be with your kind. We have seen many before you, and we will see many after.”

I get to my feet and incline my head. This is how every visit has ever been. Before I cross the doorway, I turn back to them. Something they said hinted at my curiosity and reminded me of a conversation I had months ago.

“Janelle Duelo asked you to change her fate. You did. Why?”

Their eyes never leave me as they move to the fountain. Their hands move over the water in unison. An image of intertwining strings appears. It reminds me of a galaxy with a million stars.

“She asked to change her fate not to benefit her, but another. A self-sacrificing deed from someone with a soul so dark is intriguing. Do not fret. Even when fates are altered, they tend to find their way back. Power calls to power. Some fates are impossible to stop. Her time will come.”

“Her time for what?”

“Fight,” they say in unison.

“What will she fight?” I ask, my heart rate rising.

Would she truly find her way back to her father? I have no doubt he would want her back, but she can’t be dangerous in her current condition. Her magic has already been stripped. Janelle is as good as a human.

“Who?” I ask when I realize they do not plan on answering my last question.

“Friend or foe?” They look inquisitive, as if pensive thoughts are going through their heads. “The string has not been weaved yet, but you might know before us.”

They don’t have to spell it out for me. I’ll have a direct influence on the outcome of whatever happens. As I stand here, she’s being escorted out of the lands. I don’t think she will get very far alone without magic, but I must make sure to assign a guard to keep tabs on her whereabouts.

I walk toward the back of the temple, following the light sneaking in from an open door. I must make it to the top of the mountain to end the ceremony. I count my steps as they echo inside the temple. Never once did I ever imagine myself making this walk alone. For all my faults and over planning, walking this walk without my grandfather was never an option that crossed my mind. The idea makes my steps heavier and my chest tighter.

I cover my eyes as the brightness of the day blindness me momentarily. The fresh air isn’t a welcome sight. Instead, it reminds me of how hard I find it to breathe.

I tell myself to take the first step, then the next. “The next one will get easier.” I lie, but I know no other way to complete this.

Despite all the events of the past few months, this, by far, is the hardest one. Yesterday was absolute chaos. This morning was incredibly heavy, but at every second during those two events, I wasn’t alone. I had Bianca holding my hand and my brothers at my back. Both of those are privileges many do not have after yesterday’s attack.

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