The woman stood before us.
She had my face.
Lyra's golden eyes.
And a crown that carried five stones.
Blue.
Silver.
Gold.
Black.
And a fifth stone I couldn't recognize.
The moment I saw her, every creature in the chamber dropped to its knees.
Even Nerath.
Even the First Queen.
Even Celestia.
My heart began pounding.
"Who are you?"
The woman smiled.
"You already know."
I shook my head.
"No. I don't."
She touched the crown.
"I am the one who existed before the queens."
The First Queen whispered,
"The First Mother."
I turned toward her.
"You know her?"
The First Queen nodded slowly.
"We all do."
The woman looked at me.
"And you are my final creation."
I stepped backward.
"No."
She smiled.
"Not creation of your body."
She pointed at my chest.
"Creation of your choice."
Shawshank moved beside me.
"What does that mean?"
The woman looked at him.
"You were never part of the original plan."
His expression hardened.
"I know."
"No," she said.
"You don't."
She lifted her hand.
A golden light surrounded Shawshank.
He cried out.
"Shawshank!"
I grabbed him.
But the light pushed me away.
His body began glowing.
Then memories poured from him.
I saw a tiny boy standing alone in a golden room.
Azrael was there.
The First Queen was there.
Lyra was there.
And the First Mother.
She was holding a piece of golden light.
"This will be his heart," she said.
Azrael asked,
"And his purpose?"
The First Mother looked at baby Shawshank.
"To love her."
I stared.
"To love me?"
The woman nodded.
"But not because he was forced."
She looked at Shawshank.
"Because love was the one thing I could not create."
The light around him disappeared.
Shawshank fell into my arms.
I held him tightly.
"You're okay?"
He nodded.
Then he whispered,
"I remember."
"What?"
He looked into my eyes.
"I chose you."
My heart broke in the best possible way.
"I chose you too."
The First Mother watched us quietly.
Then she turned toward the First Queen.
"You failed."
The First Queen lowered her head.
"I know."
"You divided the worlds."
"I was trying to protect them."
"You divided Bjei too."
The First Queen looked at me.
"I thought separation would save her."
"And it destroyed her."
The First Mother raised her hand.
The five stones on her crown began glowing.
Suddenly the chamber vanished.
We were standing above all five worlds.
I could see everything.
The sea.
The sky.
The land.
The fourth world.
The fifth world.
They were moving toward one another.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
The First Mother spoke.
"For centuries, everyone believed the worlds were separated to protect them."
She looked at me.
"That was a lie."
"Then why were they separated?"
"To keep one person from remembering."
My stomach tightened.
"Me?"
"Yes."
The woman who looked like me stepped forward.
"And what happens when she remembers everything?"
The First Mother looked at her.
"The worlds return to their original form."
Nerath suddenly stood.
"And then?"
The First Mother looked at him.
"Then Bjei becomes what she was always meant to be."
I swallowed.
"What?"
The First Mother smiled.
"The bridge."
A deep rumble passed through the worlds.
The fifth world began moving closer.
The fourth followed.
The sea rose.
The sky darkened.
Then millions of voices filled the air.
Humans.
Mermaids.
Sky beings.
The forgotten.
All crying out at once.
The First Mother looked at me.
"You have one final choice."
My chest tightened.
"What choice?"
She pointed toward the five worlds.
"You can separate them forever."
Then she pointed at Shawshank.
"But doing so will erase every person created from your divided power."
My blood went cold.
"The woman…"
She nodded.
"Nerath…"
She nodded again.
"Shawshank…"
Her eyes softened.
"And him."
I couldn't breathe.
"If I unite the worlds?"
The First Mother's expression became serious.
"You will become the first world again."
"What does that mean?"
"You will no longer be human."
Shawshank grabbed my hand.
"No."
I looked at him.
The First Mother continued.
"You will become the force that holds all five worlds together."
I shook my head.
"I don't want a throne."
"There is no throne."
"I don't want power."
"I know."
"I just want to live."
The First Mother looked at me sadly.
"That is the one thing the first world never allowed you to have."
I looked at Shawshank.
He was crying.
"If she becomes the first world again…"
His voice broke.
"Will I lose her?"
The First Mother didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
I stepped toward her.
"Then I refuse."
Everyone stared at me.
"I refuse to become something just because everyone decided I should."
The First Mother smiled.
"Good."
I frowned.
"Good?"
She nodded.
"That is exactly why you were chosen."
The five worlds suddenly stopped moving.
The First Mother removed the crown from her head.
Then she placed it in my hands.
It was heavier than I expected.
The moment I touched it, the entire universe went silent.
And a voice whispered inside my mind:
"Now choose."