22. Aries

22

ARIES

T he grand hall is alive with laughter, music, and the clinking of goblets as everyone toasts to the future of Astronia. The tension of the past few days has lifted, replaced by the warmth of celebration and the joy of the moment. Everywhere I look, there are smiles—faces filled with hope for the days to come. It's a sight I never thought I'd see again, and it fills me with a sense of contentment I haven't felt in a long time.

Paige is by my side, her hand in mine, as we move through the throng of well-wishers. I steal glances at her when I can, admiring the sight of her in that dress, the crown. The sadness lingers at the edges of her smiles, and I vow to myself to do whatever it takes to help her heal that grief in time.

We're stopped by Blossom whose dress is a radiant blue—a cloudless sky. "Congrats to the happy couple. Have you seen the gnomes?" she asks, a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

I glance around, not seeing them anywhere. "Not since the ceremony," I admit. "Why?"

Blossom tilts her head toward the far corner of the room where a cluster of guests is gathered around a small table. "Because they've apparently found the dessert table—and I don't think there are any cupcakes left."

I follow her gaze and spot Kitty perched on top of the table, her raccoon face smeared with icing and a wide grin splitting her face. Kitty's black bow tie is a nice touch, especially with white icing staining one corner. The gnomes stand around her, their hands covered in chocolate, looking thoroughly pleased with themselves.

"They ate all of them?" Paige asks, half-laughing, half-exasperated.

"Every last one," Blossom confirms with a playful snort. "I should've known better than to let them near the desserts."

"Maybe, but look how happy they are," I say, chuckling as I watch the gnomes bicker over the last remaining crumbs.

Kitty catches sight of us watching and ducks her head, slinking away quickly. "Best wedding ever!" Ned declares, icing dripping down his arm.

"Clearly," Paige says, shaking her head in mock disapproval. "I suppose we should have expected this."

"We'll need to order more sweets before there's a revolt," I joke, squeezing her hand gently.

As we move away from the dessert table, Mag joins us, a cup of ale in his hand. "Decent party, Your Highness." He winks at Paige. "How does it feel to be ruler of the free world?"

Bingo appears then, pressing his large body into Paige's side.

"It feels like a dream," Paige replies, but there's a note of sadness in her voice that I can't ignore. "But I can't help feeling like something's missing."

We all fall quiet, the weight of what's been lost hanging between us. The destruction of the Athenaeum is a shadow that none of us can shake, even in the midst of this celebration.

"I am sorry for what happened to the Athenaeum," I say quietly, breaking the silence. "It wasn't just a place; it was a part of who you are. I never meant to take that away."

"You didn't," Paige says firmly. Her constant reassurance that she doesn't blame me has been the only thing keeping me from fully giving in to the guilt. "You were protecting me. If you hadn't… I can't even think about it."

"Paige is right," Blossom says. "None of it is your fault. Still…" Her gaze is distant. "So many stories... so much knowledge... gone. It's hard to accept."

Mag nods. "I know it started out as a prison sentence, but…" He glances at Blossom. "It was also the place that brought us together."

Paige's hand tightens around mine, her fingers cool against my skin.

Blossom sighs softly. "Maybe we should see it one last time. What's left of it, I mean. Before we move on."

Mag looks up, his expression thoughtful. "You know, that might be what we all need—to say goodbye properly."

Paige turns to me, her eyes searching mine, and I can see the unspoken question there. I nod, understanding exactly what she's feeling. "Yes," I agree. "One last goodbye before starting our new life."

Blossom perks up, her sadness tempered by determination. "Then let's go," she says, her voice firm. "We owe it to ourselves, to the Athenaeum, to see it one more time."

"Now?" I ask, glancing around.

Blossom shrugs. "Why not? Everyone's drunk anyway. No one's going to miss us this late in the party."

She's not wrong. The hour has grown late already. So late that any absence on my part will be seen as me stealing away with my new bride. "All right," I say. "Let's do it."

Paige smiles at her, a bittersweet expression that echoes my own feelings. "Thank you," she says quietly. "For understanding."

I draw her hand to my lips and kiss it. "It's the least I can do for my queen."

We end up in the gardens where Paige conjures a portal that shimmers darkly beneath the moonlight. Bingo trots up behind us as we enter, followed by the gnomes and Kitty, who seem to be running from something—or someone. I don't bother to ask who as we usher them through the portal along with us. Just before the portal winks closed, another figure slips in.

"Leo." I blink at the sight of my brother here in this place.

"You were really going to leave me behind again," he accuses.

"We aren't staying," I tell him.

"Is that what you thought the first time you—whoa. What the hell happened here?" He stares at the ashen walls surrounding us.

"A fire," I say quietly.

He looks at me sharply. "Your fire?"

The others have fanned out, wandering among the debris still smoldering.

"Yes," I say.

"How? I mean, it looks like it just happened. But it's been days since…"

"Time works differently here," I explain. "It's probably only been minutes or hours since everything burned."

Leo opens his mouth, undoubtedly to fire off more questions but Ned's voice interrupts.

"What did you do to it?" he suddenly wails. "Everything is gone."

Paige winces, and we share a look. In the chaos of the orc war, we never told the gnomes everything that happened here.

I step forward. "I did it," I tell them.

"You cooked it," Ned accuses.

"With your dragon fire," Zed adds.

"Yes," I answer.

"Why would you do that?" Ned demands, marching up to me with a glare.

I kneel so that we're a bit closer to eye level. "Because Constantine was going to kill Paige if I didn't."

Ned stops, frowning. The anger goes out of his eyes, and he says, "In that case, thank you for stepping in. Paige always thinks she can save herself, but we've been doing it this whole time."

"And it's exhausting," Zed says solemnly, icing covering the lower half of his face.

Behind me, Paige snorts.

I bite back a smile, nodding as seriously as I can. "Now, she has me, so you don't have to worry."

"Well, that's a relief," Zed says. "We would much rather eat cookies all day and let Kitty chase mice in the stables."

"You like it in Astronia then?" I ask.

"We love it," Ted chimes in, all of them nodding happily. "We live like kings!" he adds then ducks his head sheepishly. "No offense."

"None taken."

"Hey, what is this?" Blossom asks from across the space.

Paige and I join her along with Mag and the others. She gestures to something lying among the debris and ashes.

An ancient-looking tome, its edges burnt and flaking. But the cover itself and the faded lettering, though tattered, is readable enough.

"Book of Origins," Blossom reads. She glances up at Paige. "I've never seen this book before. Have you?"

"No," Paige says, brows crinkling in confusion.

The others join us, Mag and the gnomes each taking turns examining the book, but no one remembers it.

A vague memory surfaces. I frown, turning to Paige. "When we went into the heart of the library, there was a book on display in the center of the room. Constantine attacked before I could see it clearly, but this looks a lot like what I glimpsed."

"Strange that it would survive when nothing else did," Blossom says. She reaches for the cover, pulling it open to a cloud of ash and dust that swirls into the air.

She leans back, coughing as we all fan the dust away. But then, something unexpected happens. The ashes don't just dissipate—they begin to shimmer, catching the faint light like tiny stars, and then they start to swirl, gathering into a vortex above the book.

"Uh…is it supposed to do that?" Leo asks, taking a step back.

"Should we be worried?" Blossom puts in.

Fear twists my gut as I brace myself for Constantine reborn—or some other monster. But Paige replies, her voice tinged with wonder. "I don't think so. Look."

The swirling ash coalesces, the glowing particles forming into the shape of a figure—a tall, ethereal woman, her body composed of shimmering light and glittering dust. Her eyes are deep pools of knowledge, her hair flowing like pages in a breeze, and when she smiles, it's as if all the wisdom of the universe is reflected in her gaze.

Even so, her skin is charred in several places, and her expression is lined with exhaustion.

"Athenaeum…" Paige breathes, staring up at the apparition, at the same time Leo and I both whisper, "Goddess."

We all exchange a startled look.

The figure before us nods, her voice echoing with a melodic resonance. "I am Athenaeum, the spirit of the library, the guardian of all stories. Though the physical structure has been lost, I remain." She coughs, and I wonder for how much longer. "I am known by many names. And many worlds."

"You're the goddess from Astronian legends," I say. "The creator of our world. I've seen you in our history books."

"How?" Paige asks.

"Energy cannot be killed, only remade," the goddess says with a secret smile. "Speaking of which, it seems Astronia has fallen into good hands once again. Well done, both of you. And you," she says to Leo whose eyes widen at the compliment.

"So, wait, if you're here… does that mean the library is still…alive?" Mag asks.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," the goddess replies. "The books may be gone, but the stories live on within me. They are eternal as long as there are those who remember and seek to preserve them."

"How?" he asks. "This place was scorched."

I wince, but the Athanaeum is unfazed. "As I said, energy cannot be destroyed, young Keeper, only transmuted."

"So, the worlds contained inside the stories…" Paige asks tentatively.

Athenaeum offers her a reassuring smile. "They survived."

"Well, that's a relief," Blossom says. "But what about the monsters we stopped from escaping for so many years? Without the library to contain them…?"

The spirit's expression grows somber. "The balance has indeed shifted. The Athenaeum was not only a sanctuary for stories but also a ward against the darkness. Without it, those barriers have weakened. The creatures once held at bay are now free."

"When you say free…" I begin warily. "Where exactly did they go?"

"Some are set free inside their own worlds. Some found a way out into another realm entirely. Some escaped into Astronia before you stopped them."

"What happens to the worlds now?"

"It's hard to say without a central hub to act as a stopgap." True concern flits over her pale features. "If left unchecked, the core of the universe will react to the imbalance… and I'm honestly not sure what that will look like. Most likely, the worlds will rip apart, and the universe will experience a reset."

"All that from the creatures in these stories being loosed?" I ask.

She eyes me, nodding grimly. "The worlds were never meant to overlap." Her expression turns thoughtful. "Except where Fate has intervened."

She's talking about Paige and me finding one another. Mag and Blossom too. And while Fate has my gratitude for it, I can't overlook the danger that awaits us now. Dread roils inside me as I contemplate more battles to be fought.

It never fucking ends.

Paige steps forward, determination hardening her features. "Is there anything we can do? We can't just leave things like this."

The spirit's gaze turns to Paige, her eyes softening with something like affection. "Your magic, Paige, has always been the key. You hold within you the power to create and restore, to bring balance where there is chaos. You have already done so much more than you realize."

Paige looks puzzled. "What do you mean?"

The spirit smiles, a knowing, almost cryptic expression. She opens her mouth to respond, but her form flickers, and the words are lost as she blinks in and out.

"Whoa, you're breaking up or something," Mag says.

"What did she say?" Paige asks.

Athenaeum flickers back into sight. Her words come through, but there's a buzzing behind them now. "You will understand in time. Trust in yourself, in your magic. The Athenaeum may be gone, but its essence endures in you."

"Me?" Paige echoes. "What do you mean?"

"Why do you think I chose you?"

"I don't know?—"

Before Paige can ask more, the spirit begins to fade, the light dimming as she speaks her final words. "The stories never truly end, Paige. They evolve, just as you must. This is not the end but a new beginning."

And with that, the spirit of the Atheneum vanishes along with the Book of Origins she came from, leaving us standing in the ruins, surrounded by the quiet echoes of what once was.