CHAPTER TWELVE
THE LAST DOOR
The Hollow attacked.
The Door Realm began collapsing.
Thousands of doors shattered.
Entire worlds disappeared.
Elara stood before the Last Door.
Kael grabbed her hand.
"Don't do this alone."
"I have to."
"No."
He held her tighter.
"You promised we'd face every world together."
Elara looked into his eyes.
Then she smiled.
"You're right."
They entered the Last Door together.
Inside was a blank world.
No sky.
No ground.
No time.
The Hollow appeared.
"You cannot defeat me."
Elara answered,
"I'm not going to defeat you."
She reached toward it.
"I'm going to create something you cannot understand."
"What?"
"Choice."
She closed her eyes.
She imagined a world.
A world where people could choose love.
A world where pain existed but didn't control them.
A world where nobody was forced to stop feeling.
The blank world began changing.
Stars appeared.
Mountains rose.
Rivers formed.
Flowers bloomed.
And millions of doors appeared.
The Hollow screamed.
"You cannot create without sacrifice!"
Elara looked at Kael.
He smiled.
"I'll never let you sacrifice yourself."
Their hands joined.
The Heart of Aetheria exploded with light.
* * *