Chapter 112

SOFIA

I had been trapped in the void for so long, I had forgotten what it was like to be alive.

I was not a ghost, exactly–I wasn’t haunting anybody or bound to a specific place. Rather, my last burst of magic had bound me to the In-Between Realm, a plane of existence in which Mila now dwelled.

As I stared at the trembling girl before me, I felt an overwhelming wave of guilt. It was like looking in a mirror, except Mila was clearly weaker. She did not have that glow of magic around her that reflected in my own eyes.

She was completely and utterly human–except that she was not.

My magic had yet to awaken in her, and I knew only a great burst of energy and emotion could unlock that part of her spirit.

I knew how much she loved Felix, and how much his betrayal had broken her down. I knew because it was exactly how I felt for Samuel–Samuel, who was not In-Between, but somewhere… other.

Even though I had been born with unbelievable amounts of power, it was not until I met Samuel that I understood what true magic was.

When I met Samuel in the field that day, my entire world shifted on its axis. I knew I had power, but it wasn’t until Samuel that I felt I had a true purpose.

In those early days, before Samuel and I became bound to the Kingdom of Fresonia itself, things were simple. Easy. I did not care about the health and safety of the kingdom’s magic because I didn’t have to.

All I cared about was him.

I knew of his true identity as a Dragon Knight–even though I had never encountered one before, I had heard whisperings of great beings with the ability to ride and control dragons. My own little village had never seen a dragon, let alone a dragon rider, but in the early days of Fresonia, the knowledge of magic was widespread.

For so long, I had felt isolated in my power. The only different one in a sea of sameness.

Samuel showed me that I was not alone.

Which is what made the betrayal even worse.

Mila was still gazing at the void around her, as if trying to come to terms with how she’d landed here. When I realized that she was going to be killed in cold blood to save Felix’s life, I knew I had to find her and tell her the truth.

What Mila didn’t realize was that the entire fate of not only Fresonia, but magic itself, lay in her hands.

Mila finally turned to me, her sad eyes still damp with tears. “How did you bring me here? Am I dead?”

I tried to give her a reassuring smile. “Your soul is very much alive, Mila, although your body is in bad shape. It appears that you are in some sort of deathlike coma, caused by magic. Nevertheless, I believe that with my help, you can be restored to the mortal plane and finish what you started.”

Mila shook her head. “Felix sacrificed me without a second thought. I hate him. I’ll hate him forever.”

My curse worked too well. Even now, centuries later, the damage and destruction was palpable.

“There may be a way to move forward,” I said gently. Mila shook her head.

“How am I supposed to trust you? You’re the one who cursed us all in the first place. I saw your little vision–Samuel didn’t even sell you out in the first place. You cursed that entire bloodline for nothing.”

I sighed. “Believe me, everything I’m doing is an attempt to rectify that horrible mistake. Surely, you can understand my anger in that particular moment.”

Mila looked away, the slight pink of embarrassment making its way across her face. “I suppose that’s true.”

I stepped forward, hoping desperately to make a connection with my future self. “Mila, you have to listen to me. I am not just a past shadow of your soul–mine and Samuel’s magic created Fresonia.”

Mila’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

I swallowed. “This kingdom… all the kingdoms that surround the Dragon’s Teeth mountains… they were all formed on a magical foundation. It’s why there is such a high concentration of magical beings in this area–Dragon Knights, shapeshifters, witches…”

My voice trailed off. Mila, surprisingly, nodded in understanding.

“I always wondered why there were so many in this region,” she said. “Felix could never give me a straight answer.”

“I’m sure even the Prince of Fresonia does not fully understand his history,” I said patiently. “The work Samuel and I did to establish a safe haven for magical beings–for people like us–was done mainly in secret. I’m not surprised that he kept his efforts hidden from his descendants.”

Curiosity flashed across Mila’s face. “You did all this for Samuel?”

“For both of us,” I clarified. “I knew that as an enchantress, there would be very few places in the world that I could call a safe haven. Creating Fresonia set off a magical pulse that attracted those like us from across the world. That’s why all the Dragon Knights live here–their ancestors were drawn to the Kingdoms centuries ago.”

“And you knew that in doing so, your own magic would be protected by the royal family,” Mila said.

I was a little surprised by how quickly she was picking up on what I was saying–but then again, at the end of the day, she was me.

“Exactly.” I nodded in agreement. “As long as mine and Samuel’s bloodlines survived, so would the magic. But that is exactly why we have a problem here today–those bloodlines have been broken.”

Mila wrinkled her nose. “But Felix is still alive. I’m not sure what the issue is. And according to what you’ve shown me, our soul just keeps regenerating.”

I looked down at my hands. “It will not regenerate, Mila. Your death occurred exactly one thousand years after my own. You are the end of the line. All the hope in preserving the magic lies in you.”

Mila’s eyes started to tear up again. “But I’m dead.”

“Well–”

“Technically, in my world, I’m dead,” she continued.

I exhaled heavily. “I’m well aware. That’s why I’m here. Despite all the safety measures I put in place, the royal family still decided to sacrifice you.”

Mila shook her head. “You said you put Esmeralda in charge of taking care of the royal family. Shouldn’t she have protected me? Shouldn’t she have known better than to kill me?”

“I put all of my magical knowledge in a secret library buried in the heart of the Dragon’s Teeth mountains.,” I explained. “When I placed Esmeralda as caretaker of the royal family, I assumed she would be powerful enough to find it.”

“The Library of Magic,” Mila breathed. “Esmeralda knew of its existence, but never found it. Only Charles was able to.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And he never revealed the location?”

“I don’t think he even knew what power lay in those books,” Mila admitted. “He thought there was just the secret of Felix’s curse in there. If he knew about the fall of Fresonia, he would have reacted very differently.”

I looked across the void, the pieces of the puzzle finally settling into place. “Then we need to get you to that Library.”