Chapter 47
Chapter Forty-Seven
ASovereign Guardian of indeterminate age—mature, hardy, and military in bearing—stood before Augustine. She hadn’t seen him before, but his rank and authority were obvious at first glance. An oppressive weight hit her chest at the mere thought of defying him.
“Once again, it is Aldana, nothing more and nothing less,” said the magnificent monarch, closing in.
Augustine smiled, locking eyes with him, trying to look provocative. The Sovereign stopped dead in his tracks, on guard.
“Human, can you see me?”
“There’s no point in denying it. We’ve already crossed the point of no return,” Augustine replied, stepping closer and hiding the fact that her legs were shaking.
“The two of you will be the undoing of A’aru, you insolent girl. Here you are, causing trouble again.”
Augustine stared at him. Again?
“If I’m such a problem, maybe you should just take me prisoner. If not, get lost.” Augustine baited him in the most childish way she could think of, praying inside that he wouldn’t kill her on the spot.
“You have no idea what you’re asking for, human,” he snapped harshly. He stared her down for a few seconds before adding, “On second thought, pulling a weed might not be such a bad idea. If you want to pay for your sins, I’m not going to stop you.”
Augustine smirked, a discreet gesture that the Guardian of Order didn’t miss.
“Don’t get too comfortable, human,” he sneered, smiling. “I highly doubt you’ll ever make it back to your body. Gaia! Strip her from that human shell!”
Augustine felt a surge of panic tighten her chest. Strip her from the human shell?
A young female warrior stepped up to carry out the order.
“Wait!” Augustine pleaded. “Let me go back to the city. I don’t want my parents searching for me… I’m begging you.”
Gaia turned toward the Guardian of Order for instructions. The sovereign allowed it with a slight nod.
They descended in silence, like a funeral procession. Augustine walked into a small cafeteria, where a cheerful waitress approached to take her order.
“Just a cappuccino,” she said, “and could you bring paper and a pen, please?”
On the paper, she scrawled her name and her mother’s number.
Her thoughts were racing. She had drawn the lion out of its den, and now she was second-guessing everything.
Should she have listened to the child-sovereign’s advice?
Would her Shadows cross over with her if she ditched her body? Could she even keep being Augustine?
“Are you ready?” Gaia asked softly.
Augustine looked at her, internally thanking her for the warmth she showed. She nodded, even though she didn’t feel ready at all.
“It won’t hurt,” the warrior assured her, in a final act of humanity.
Her Shadows stirred furiously, primed to stop them from being ripped away from their mistress, but Augustine laid down the law, and they stayed at bay.
Gaia made an elaborate move with her hands before placing her palm against her head, without actually touching her. Instantly, she felt a buzzing in her ears, as if her body were stretching, or something were tugging at her with massive force.
Even though going to A’aru was her call, she tried to fight it, anyway. A survival instinct made her cling to her human body, but it was pointless. She felt swept away by a river’s current—a flow she didn’t have the strength to swim against.
Soon, a random thought crossed her mind. Why resist?
It was a pleasant feeling after all—letting go with zero worries. What was she holding on to so tightly? Where was she even from? Her memories started to blur, and she decided to just surrender to the placid present. A silver river dragging her through stunning landscapes.
Oh, the nostalgia! She felt like she knew those mountains, that watery sky.
It was like coming home. And that tree? It looked familiar…
an ancient willow, with a swaying ribbon hanging from it.
What did it mean? Somewhere in her mind, she sensed it was critical, but the thought slipped softly from her consciousness. Just like that, she forgot.
As if the river’s flow were gentle hands, it carried her to the shore, where four people were waiting for her.
“Help her out,” said the one in charge.
“What shall we do with her, Sir?” asked a young woman, as two brawny men helped her to her feet.
“The Oblivion of Lethe has already done its work. We only need to wait a few hours for her tether to her human body to break… I must deliberate with the High Council on what we will do when that happens. I hope this time we just end the incarnation cycle for these two. They’re too much trouble,” the mature man said.
Augustine didn’t get a word of it, but a strange sense of peace and compliance made her totally numb.
“Leave her in her palace. It’s empty and no one will look for her there. It won’t be necessary to lock her up… after all, she has already lost her will,” the leader finally ordered, walking away without a backward glance.
“Come…” the young woman urged, covering her with a cloak. Only then did Augustine realize her clothes were soaked and she felt heavy. She followed obediently.
“How will we carry her?” asked one of them. “She doesn’t have her wings yet.”
“I guess we’ll have to carry her; her palace is too far to reach on foot,” the woman decided.
The man hoisted her up without warning. Augustine clung to him, suddenly panicked, especially when she saw massive wings sprout from his back. The angel ignored her fuss and simply took flight, followed by the rest of the party.
The air on her face felt refreshing. Her loose hair swirled around, and she noticed for the first time that it was silver, just like the hair of the angels with her. Had her hair always been that color?
In the distance, she spotted a massive structure and held her breath at its grandeur.
It was an imposing palace, with towering columns and sculpted spires that shimmered like stars.
As they closed in, she marveled at the landscaping, the delicate carvings, and the tranquility that ruled the entire place.
They landed smoothly. She wasn’t scared anymore. She looked at the group, feeling shaky. What was she supposed to do now? As if she’d read her mind, the woman stepped up to speak.
“This is your home, Human. You must remain here and wait. No one will come to visit you, and no one expects you anywhere. Just wait until your original memory is restored, when your tether to the human world is broken.”
“What’s going to happen to me?”
“You will recover your true identity. Your name and your A’aruin body. It’s what we all go through when we cease to exist as humans. As for what comes after… only Lethe knows.”
The four angels took to the sky and vanished over the horizon, leaving Augustine utterly lost and defenseless.