"Then let the war begin."
Nerath's words echoed through the Hollow.
The darkness disappeared.
For a moment, everything became silent.
Then the entire chamber exploded.
"Bjei!"
Shawshank pulled me against him as pieces of the ceiling fell around us.
I could hear the sea roaring somewhere above.
The sky was screaming with thunder.
And beneath our feet, something enormous was moving.
"The worlds are breaking apart," Shawshank said.
I looked at him.
"Because of me?"
"No."
He held my face.
"Because they refuse to let you choose your own future."
I wanted to believe him.
But then I heard voices.
Thousands of them.
The voices of the sea.
The sky.
The land.
All calling my name.
Bjei.
Bjei.
Bjei.
I covered my ears.
"Make them stop!"
Shawshank grabbed my hands.
"Listen to me."
I looked at him.
"Don't fight the voices."
"Then what do I do?"
"Listen."
I closed my eyes.
At first, all I heard was noise.
Then slowly, the voices separated.
The sea was afraid.
The sky was angry.
The land was crying.
They weren't calling for a ruler.
They were calling for help.
I opened my eyes.
"They're suffering."
Shawshank nodded.
"I know."
I turned toward the exit.
"We have to go."
"To where?"
"The surface."
We ran.
The Hollow began collapsing behind us.
Shawshank held my hand as we raced through the darkness.
Suddenly, a silver light appeared ahead.
Celestia.
She was standing at the entrance.
Her wings were damaged.
Blood covered one side of her face.
"Celestia!"
She looked at us.
"You survived."
"Where is everyone?"
"The war has already reached the surface."
My heart sank.
"Who is fighting?"
"Everyone."
She looked at Shawshank.
"Your sea army is fighting the sky."
Then she looked at me.
"And the land has chosen a side."
"Which side?"
Celestia's eyes darkened.
"Neither."
I frowned.
"Then what are they doing?"
"They are hunting you."
My stomach dropped.
"Why?"
"Because they believe killing you will stop the war."
Shawshank stepped forward.
"They won't touch her."
Celestia shook her head.
"You don't understand."
She pointed toward the opening.
"They aren't ordinary soldiers."
A deep rumble came from outside.
I stepped closer.
Through the opening, I saw thousands of people standing on the shore.
Humans.
They carried weapons.
But something was different about them.
Their eyes were completely white.
"Who are they?"
Celestia whispered,
"The Bound."
"The Bound?"
"Humans controlled by the ancient magic."
My blood ran cold.
"By Nerath?"
Celestia nodded.
"They have one command."
"What command?"
She looked directly at me.
"Find Bjei."
Suddenly, the Bound began moving toward us.
Shawshank stepped in front of me.
His golden mark erupted with light.
The sea answered.
A massive wave rose behind him.
"Stay back!"
The Bound didn't stop.
I touched Shawshank's shoulder.
"Don't attack."
He turned.
"They're coming for you."
"They're being controlled."
"So?"
I looked at the army.
"They're still people."
Shawshank lowered his hand.
The wave remained suspended behind him.
I stepped forward.
The golden crown on my chest glowed.
"Stop."
The word wasn't loud.
But every person on the shore froze.
The white light disappeared from their eyes.
Thousands of people collapsed to their knees.
Shawshank stared at me.
"You broke the control."
I looked at my hands.
"I didn't know I could do that."
Celestia's face had gone pale.
"You didn't break it."
"What did I do?"
"You took control of the magic itself."
I stared at her.
"What does that mean?"
"It means the ancient magic recognizes you."
The ground suddenly shook.
A massive shadow appeared over the sea.
Nerath.
Its voice thundered across the battlefield.
"You still don't understand."
I looked toward the ocean.
Nerath's enormous eyes opened.
"You cannot end the war."
I raised my chin.
"Watch me."
The sea became still.
The sky became silent.
Every soldier stopped moving.
Even the clouds seemed to wait.
I stepped forward.
"I don't want your throne."
My voice carried across the entire battlefield.
"I don't want your kingdoms."
The golden crown on my chest grew brighter.
"I don't want your power."
Nerath laughed.
"Then what do you want?"
I looked at Shawshank.
He smiled.
Then I looked at the sea.
The sky.
The land.
"I want everyone to have a choice."
For the first time…
Nerath stopped laughing.
And somewhere far beyond the battlefield, a bell rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Celestia looked toward the horizon.
Her face changed.
"What?"
I asked.
She whispered,
"That bell hasn't been heard for a thousand years."
"What does it mean?"
She looked at me.
"The First Queen has awakened."
And behind the rising sun…
a golden castle began emerging from the clouds.