A Union of Hearts: Mercy & Justice: Chapter 2 – Knowing Your Enemy

*Concept art for the dragons of mercy (left) and justice (right)

Chapter 2 – Knowing Your Enemy

After flying for a while, I see that Caleb has fallen seemingly asleep on his dragon.

“Shouldn’t you stay awake just in case we’re ambushed along the way?” I ask.

“I’d like an ambush right about now. You know I hate nothing more than doing nothing. Besides, my dragon will wake me up if there is a surprise attack,” Caleb says.

Tch. Caleb can never enjoy relaxation outside of sparring, sports, working out, and sleep. He never really does like traveling or going places just to admire their beauty. I guess I can’t blame him too much because of the culture he was born into. Looking below us, I see the simple rolling hills and forests that always amaze me with their natural beauty.

“After we bring Absalom to judgment, we should go camping again,” I suggest.

“Sure, it’ll be a good excuse for getting out of politics,” he nonchalantly says.

“If we do have to deal with political matters when we get back, then our rest will have to wait.”

“Nah, we can let your side of the family handle it. I’d rather rake my brain trying to make poetry with you in the forest than deal with the politics of kingdoms and the Church.”

“Then I’ll make you sing and dance to those poems if that’s really what you prefer.”

“Sure, I accept that over politics.”

If it doesn’t have to deal with duty or politics, Caleb doesn’t care. The part of the kingdom he’s from leaves politics to my side, however, they are very duty bound and if something needs to be done, then they do it in one way with no questions asked and everything else becomes secondary. My side of the kingdom does value duty, but it also questions the way to accomplish it with mercy and justice being the obvious example. Also, part of me wishes Caleb didn’t always say “sure” to everything I suggest if there isn’t anything else he thinks is important that needs to be done.

 “Promise me that the next time our appearance is mandatory at the next meetings you won’t just skim over the information and make me make the decision for us?”

“I promise that all the information that doesn’t interest me won’t stick to my brain.”

“You know politics can be interesting to be in.”

“Liar.”

“I’m not. It’s like a game of chess and there are better ways to play it than just letting my side of the kingdom and me make all the decisions.”

“But your side is the best at it. If my side or I tried our hand at it, then it wouldn’t end so well as the history of our kingdom has shown. There’s a reason why we’re the duty bound soldiers and you’re the big brained statescraftsmen. You aren’t called the Wise Princess Kyla for nothing.”

He's right and I can never argue around it so the conversation ends here. If only he could make arguments like this when we are making decisions for the kingdom, then he’d make a fine politician rather than just being a warrior prince. The only joy I find in this is his confidence and trust in the decisions I make, however, we are still the prince and princess of our kingdom and must make decisions together rather than him always saying “nah, you deal with it”.

“Be alert! Our destination is close by,” I say.

“Finally,” Caleb says while stretching.

The city we’re in is one from my side of the kingdom where my parents should be. Cities from my side are modeled after cities dreamt of in fairy tales and what future cities might look like when all evil and falsehood is erased from the world. Most of the buildings are a silvery or white color except for the churches which are light gold. When the color fades or is dirtied, the buildings are repainted or even given colorful designs based on the wants of the building’s owners. People dance, make music, paint, erect statues, and write stories in the streets of the city as one creative force for the gain of each other and to proclaim the goodness and beauty of the Absolute.

As we land in the city, Caleb and I find it strange that no one comes to greet us or acknowledges our presence. My vision begins to blur and my hearing starts to become deaf. I reach out to Caleb, but he and everything around me disappears as all becomes black. My dragon is also gone and I can't summon it. It feels as if something is constricting my heart and abilities. Soon after, my body changes, and I become smaller and wear different clothes. The blackness disappears and presents a battle I remember being in. This was between a rebel city and Caleb and I were sent in to put an end to the violence. Unfortunately, it wasn't so cut and dry.

The enemy was prepared for us and had a few conceited people who could blow themselves up and they did when we had the advantage. Bodies from both sides liter the battlefield in front of the besieged city with my own body now being heavily injured as it remembers the situation I was in. A large force of enemies is coming in to finish off the wounded. Meanwhile, I feel that I am unable to move and may die any second now because of my wounds. It is then that Caleb, who is as injured as I am, stands in front of me. He can hardly manage to stand and even falls to his knees as he struggles to.

“Save yourself!” I say.

“What kind of husband leaves his wife to die alone?” he asks.

Now, he manages to stand, but he is quickly stabbed through the chest after only taking down a few of the conceited. I scream out and raise my hammers with the nonexistent strength in my body and kill a few of the conceited as well before a blade goes through my chest as well. Time slowly goes by as I feel a beating in my heart that defies my dying body. Blue flames engulf me and completely heal me while Caleb is engulfed in crimson flames and healed to full as well. Our dragons manifest themselves in these flames and burn all of the conceited around us to ash. This was the first time our Heart Absolute ability showed itself and the event seems to have temporarily broken the spell on us as everything turns to black again before putting Caleb and me into a castle that’s decorated with designs of black hearts contrasted by white and gold walls, ceilings, and floors.

From one of these hearts comes a person cloaked in darkness, dressed in black, and crowned with a spiky black crown. Despite his appearance, I recognize him as Absalom. His face and body are scarred, a large heart-shaped hole is in his chest that exposes his shriveled black heart, and his once glowing green eyes that I’ve heard about are now a dark green and dark grey.

“Thanks for saving us the trouble of finding you, Absalom. You have a lot to answer for,” Caleb says.

“You cannot harm me where we are. This is a dream after all,” Absalom says.

“A dream?” I ask.

“Yes, a dream. One of my supporters from your kingdom has the ability to look through a person’s memories and allow them to relive certain ones in a dream.”

“I know who you’re talking about but I can’t remember his name.”

“I don’t blame you since not many do. They only know him for his ability and nothing more. He’s a good man that got by on his job but wanted to do something more with his life to help people more than he could. Making people happy by allowing them to relive the past doesn’t do much if anything for their present situation, so with the help of my specter that possesses him and gives him strength, I gave enhanced his Heart Absolute ability so that people can live through their memories and alter them with their minds to live the life they want. At the same time, their bodies go about taking care of themselves. He can also put people into dreams that are within a large vicinity around him. Even now, both of your bodies are resting or getting some food to eat or something to drink so that you stay alive outside of this dream.”

“We can't control what we're dreaming. Where's our control? If this is a dream I can control, why aren't you dead yet?” Caleb asks.

“You can't kill a person in a dream and you have no control because my friend hasn't given you control. He's given control of your dreams to me instead because I want to look into your memories and I want to show you my own.”

“We don't care about that. We've only come to bring you to judgment.”

“Hmph. We'll see if you don't care by the end of it.”

Again, Caleb and I are separated this time by a wall that comes out of the ground, and again, I am unable to summon my dragon. My body becomes younger and the castle around me turns into the castle I was raised in. I can see what Absalom is trying to learn about me. My brothers and sisters come out of their rooms dressed for the challenges they have to face.

“You'll lose this time, Kyla,” one of them says.

“I'll be the princess of Simbiosi,” another says.

“You aren't skilled enough for it. You should just let me represent the family.”

This I remember too well. My siblings and I competed to be the representative of our family. They said a lot of mean things some of which they said to be competitive or to a joke. After that, we had to see if we would fall in love with someone from the other side of the kingdom. That's when I met Caleb. My surroundings and body change to reflect the change in the time period. I remember seeing Caleb training in a garden with training dummies. At the time, I was cautious to approach him not only because there are those in my kingdom that view the other side as single-minded soldiers who always resort to execution and violence, but also because I felt a connection in my heart to him. This type of feeling is from the Absolute that we met the person we were meant to be with.

Caleb seems to have felt this tug in his heart toward me as well. He turns around and is stunned to say anything at first. Every now and then, I get this sense from seeing him that feels like a taste of the Land of the True. A taste of Heaven. We look into each other's eyes for a time as we remember the first time seeing each other before turning back into our usual selves. The area shifts into a forest with Absalom sitting under a tree.

“Your story together seems romantic. Something that would be told in a fairy tale,” Absalom says.

“Thanks, but I've had enough of this,” Caleb says before taking his spear from his back and throwing it at Absalom.

The spear passes through Absalom and then appears back on Caleb's back. We see two boys fighting off a large pack of wolves.

“Run! I'll hold them off for you,” the older brother says while pushing away the youngest.

At first, the youngest does what the oldest says but then runs back when he sees that the oldest is surrounded by wolves. The youngest runs back with his arm out for his brother and this is when white specters in the form of legless knights armed with swords, spears, and shields appear and fight off the wolves for the brothers.

“As you can see, the story behind my Heart Absolute ability isn’t as story worthy as yours,” Absalom says as the area around us shifts to what he tells us next. “Once I got my Heart Absolute ability, I tried to help as many people as I could and as a result, I attracted the attention of the Church and the royalty of the kingdom. Before I turned twenty, I fell in love and had a child.”

Everything around us comes to a sudden stop as the setting is stuck in a burning town.

“I know this part of your life. Your family was killed by a rogue kingdom of the conceited,” I say.

“That’s right. There was barely enough of them to bury when I saw their bodies. The event still haunts me to this day as you can see in the specters I conjure. Some of them look like mangled bodies and limbless infants with blades for heads for this reason. My superiors said they would be protected and I had nothing to worry about, but that wasn’t true. Even so, I directed my anger to the correct source and punished those who killed my family. After a couple of years, I was okay and blessed enough to have a new family…but…”

“They were killed as well even though they were protected by people close to you.”

“…yes…”

This memory is drastically affecting him. He holds one of his cloaked arms over his face and we can hear cries all around us.

“Look, we know that it’s sad what happened to your family, but it doesn’t excuse what you’re doing now,” Caleb says.

“How does it not?” Absalom says as he collects himself, “I’m trying to create a better world through my army of specters.”

“You’re making people conceited and you’ve attacked our home and the homes of many others!”

“I have done no such thing.”

“The people that you’ve killed would say otherwise.”

“I gave strict orders to my allies and specters to not kill or harm anyone. The attack on your home was meant to be a show of force with damage only done to the city and not to its citizens.”

“That’s not what happened. You should know.”

“I do know. I felt the pain of every specter that you strike down though you cannot kill me by killing them as you can see. What is this? I can see in your memories that you’re telling the truth. Something’s wrong with this. What is it?”

Absalom seems genuinely confused and distressed at what we’re telling him as he paces back and forth while whispering to himself.

“Even if you didn’t attack anyone, it’s still wrong to convince people to be as conceited as you. You damn their souls to the Land of the Forgotten when you make them sin and lose themselves.”

“The Absolute makes use of the conceited to bring about greater things. Even those who have their Heart Absolute abilities, fall to sin every once in a while, no matter how dedicated they are to being true to their real selves. With my conceited ability, I am no longer constricted to the number of specters I can conjure and I can empower the abilities of my allies with them. My Heart Absolute ability is nothing in comparison to what I can do now. Once my influence spreads throughout the word, I can empower the weak, defend the innocent at a moment’s notice, cease all conflict by force, and give my new family and all families the peaceful world they deserve.”

“I don’t believe your plan will work,” I say.

“Nothing good can come from those who are conceited and refuse to change,” Caleb adds.

“If I don’t do what I need to, then the world will continue to be engulfed in wars and violence. You won’t even need to fight anymore in the world I’ll create. You’ll only need to govern and enjoy it. How does this world of peace not seem like one the Absolute wills to create?”

“We already told you that you will damn souls despite your best intentions,” I say.

Something seems to have taken Absalom’s attention away from us.

“Then we’ll have to agree to disagree for now. Your parents are breaking through their dream, Kyla. This will wake up everyone else as a result and you’ll have to deal with my allies who will defend themselves if you attack them. Also, be careful with your citizens. You did wake them up from the best dream they’ve had in a while.”

The dream around Caleb and I fades away and we find ourselves back in the city with people waking up and wondering why they stopped dreaming. An explosion catches everyone’s attention. In the distance we see my parents fighting people in the air. My parents can manifest see-through parts of the dragon of mercy on their bodies such as the wings, head, and legs to help them in battle. It’s their Heart Absolute ability that they use more for seeing if a person is innocent and transportation than combat. Caleb and I jump on our dragons and aid them in the air. As we get closer, I see that the people that my parents are fighting have Absalom’s specters help them fly as if they were puppets.

“Mother, father! We’re here to help!” I say to them as we join the fight.

“Glad to see you’re here, my daughter,” my mother says.

“Let’s finish this fight together then give them their trial assuming that our flames don’t burn them to ash,” my father says.

Together, my parents, Caleb, and I defeat the few conceited and the small squadron of specters they have as a backup and bring those that survive to the court square where people are publicly judged in front of the city. Some in the city are mad that they were taken out of the dream and the guards in the city have to make sure a riot isn’t started. Others are mad that what they were seeing was a dream and want Absalom’s supporters put to death, and finally, there are citizens who are not sure what is and what isn’t real because of how long they were dreaming or because they were so engrossed in the dreams.

“Put us in prison or kill us and stop wasting our time,” one of the conceited says.

“You deserve the honor of a trial as is the tradition of our people,” my father says.

Caleb rolls his eyes and obviously wants to get this done as fast as the conceited do. Regardless, the conceited are allowed to defend their actions to receive a lesser sentence.

“We did what our hearts told us to do because we could no longer deal with the reality of this world that is constantly at war and filled with violence and tragedy. Absalom has the best solutions that the Church and the many kingdoms of the world lack. He will be our king, army, and guard all in one man. Though he makes us conceited and he is conceited, he is the closest thing to having the Absolute in the flesh today,” one of the conceited says.

The other conceited say the same things in different ways and add in their praise for Absalom and how he helped them. My parents and Caleb give their judgments of them and decide their fate. What am I even going to say? My parents say they should be put in jail for five years and must work community service that fits their particular abilities until they repent. On the other hand, Caleb says that they should be put to work and jail until their deaths or they repent as is the usual sentence of this magnitude from his side of the kingdom. His side used to enslave their prisoners if they didn’t kill them decades ago before our two sides of the kingdom came together.

Should I have them executed? There’s a loud cry in the crowd for it and I’m feeling the urge to. These people were able to put this entire city in a dream. My parents were able to break it, but it took them a lot of time to do it. Who knows if Absalom will send more specters here to strengthen them and put everyone in a deeper dream. Part of me also wants to spare them and agree with either my parents or Caleb. Even though they were spared from being turned to ash, this could be a test of my judgment. People who have been spared from the flames of mercy and justice don’t always turn to ash if they deserve it. Caleb and I learned that the hard way and had to let go of our pride in our abilities so the flames could do what they needed to.

“Just say what your heart tells you,” Caleb says as if he was reading my mind, “I know it’s pure and wise enough to make the correct judgment.”

At times like this, Caleb always seems to read my mind and say or do something to comfort me. Our hearts are connected so it shouldn’t surprise me, but it always does. My parents smile and nod at me and seem to know how I’m feeling similarly to Caleb.

“It is my decision that these conceited should be jailed and put to work that suits their abilities until they repent of their evil deeds,” I say to the mixed reception of the crowd around us. “All of us have been guilty of some sin and evil deed. Was there not a time when you were lost and obstinate in your sin and repented after a time? Were you not thankful that you were shown mercy rather than struck down in your shameful state when you weren’t yourself? There was a time when I was in ignorance like that and I still am in some respects. That is why I have chosen to show mercy to these poor sinners and they will continue to receive it until the Absolute says otherwise.”

The crowds now murmur among themselves until they start clapping and cheering my name.

“All hail the merciful and wise princess!” they chant.

“The princess has decided and it shall be so,” my father says.

Looking back at Caleb, he winks at me with a smile and I wink back. After the prisoners are taken away and the public goes back to their daily business, Caleb and I take the time to talk to my parents before we go.

I hug them and then say, “It’s good to see that you’re safe. Do you need us to help you with anything before you go?”

“You’ve helped us plenty by being here,” my mother says.

“Just be careful with Absalom. It took us a while to break through the dream his ally had on us. We’ll be sure to keep that man under maximum security and no specter comes to possess him to give him his freighting power again. I can imagine that his other allies are just as powerful,” my father says.

“We’ll be careful. Still, Absalom confuses me. He said that his allies would attack us if we struck first, but they attacked you first, right?”

“Right. The specters inside of them tried to aid them in their fight so Absalom must’ve aided them.”

“Why would he say what he said to us then? He also mentioned that he gave strict orders to his allies and specters not to attack anyone in our home, but that’s exactly what they did. When we told him what happened and he saw it in our memories, he seemed distressed and confused.”

“Who knows what’s really going on in that madmen’s head?” Caleb says.

“It’s possible that he’s being corrupted by the vainglory. Demons could be possessing his mind and then make him think he’s innocent right after. He did use a dark ritual to gain his new power after all,” my father suggests.

“That’s probably the most likely scenario. We’ll see what happens when we see Caleb’s parents.”

“Oh, I’m sure they’ll be okay. I don’t know a family tougher than them from their side of the kingdom.”

“Thank you, sir. I have to say the same about your family as well with Kyla here being the toughest among you,” Caleb says.

“That she is. Have you managed to beat her in sparing yet?”

“Of course I have.”

“That’s not what I heard.”

“No, you heard the victories I gave her.”

“What are you talking about? I beat you fair and square a few times,” I say.

“I don’t want to see you cry because I’m constantly besting you, so I give you a victory every now and then.”

“You’re lying!”

“No, I’m not. I’m being honest.”

“Fine then. When this is over, we’ll spar until I beat you for real and I end up with more victories than you.”

“Deal.”

Caleb and I say our goodbyes to my parents and then head off to see if his parents need him. I think we’ve learned a lot about our enemy and our weakness against him, but also what we can do. If my parents can break through Absalom’s power, then so can we. With our hearts, our love, our strength, and the Absolute, we can accomplish anything after all.

A Union of Hearts: Mercy & Justice: Chapter 1 – A War of Love against Love

*Concept art for Caleb and Kyla

Chapter 1 – A War of Love against Love

A loud noise wakes Kyla and me from our sleep.

“We’re under attack!” a servant says as they barrage into our room.

“Yeah, we know! Get everyone to safety!” I say.

Kyla and I dress in our armor and get our weapons before heading upstairs as fast as we can. Looking out the windows, we see that what look to be black and white cannon balls are hitting our castle and the surrounding city. One of these volleys tears open the wall in front of us giving us a convenient way out. We jump out of this hole and onto our dragons that materialize below us. My dragon fires volleys of crimson flame while Kyla’s dragon fires volleys of blue flame to intercept the ones coming at us and into the city.

On the ground, we can see black and white creatures without heads and have blades and shields for limbs some of which are no bigger than an infant and have blades for heads. All of these creatures come in the same way as volleys by flying over the wall and taking their shape when they hit the ground before moving to attack everyone in sight that isn’t like them. Kyla and I command our dragons to continue to intercept the incoming enemies while we go on the ground to attack the black and white creatures. Once our army and city’s guards get a hold of the situation, we go back in the air. Our citizens, the soldiers, and the guards cheer for us as we fly over them.

“I didn’t expect Absalom to make his move against us so early,” Kyla says.

“What else were you expecting from a man whose influence is quickly spreading throughout the world?” I ask.

“Some restraint so you don’t turn everyone against you?”

“Not Absalom. It’s not like him when he has his heart set on something, especially with his new family and conceited powers.”

Beyond the walls is a small army of black and white creatures and conceited people with heart shaped black holes in their chests. Our dragons rain down their fire on this army that creates a tornado of crimson and blue fire, and in minutes, this army is brought to its knees or reduced to ashes based on the mercy and justice of the Absolute. We bring back those that are still alive for questioning and are cheered for on the way back into the city. While we wait to hear the results of the interrogation, we help the citizens and guards clean up the mess the attackers made.

“Absalom has finally given us the reason we need to go after him ourselves,” I say.

“Still, it’s not like him to attack us like this,” Kyla says.

“He’s conceited, which means he’ll go from sin to sin and he’s no longer himself. That means he’ll be unpredictable from now on.”

“He is unpredictable but part of him must still be alive since he still lives. The Absolute doesn’t make anyone live forever in falsehood.”

“We can only hope,” we hear a man say from behind us.

A general from our army approaches us and we drop what we’re doing to bow to him, greet him, and then shake his hand.

“What did you hear from the prisoners?” I ask.

“They told me that Absalom ordered the attack on our home through his specters, those black and white creatures that you saw,” the general explains.

“I didn't know he could make so many with his conceited heart,” Kyla says.

“They are weaker than the ones that he used to make when he was himself and had his Heart Absolute ability. I've already talked to the other leaders in the city and we think it's time we launched our own assault against him.”

“It's about time that decision was made. When do Kyla and I leave?” I say.

“You leave after we make the decision official and receive a blessing from the archbishop. We still have to plan out how we're going to go about this attack. Your parents should have come back from their own missions with valuable information on the cities that have fallen under Absalom's influence, but they haven't yet. It's unlike them to be this late.”

“We'll go after them as well. The places they were investigating are on the way to Absalom's main city.”

“I wouldn't be too hasty about getting there. He did take over the entire city by himself after all.”

“We also haven't perfected our own Heart Absolute ability, so going up against a veteran like him and his army of specters is going to be dangerous even with the power of our dragons of mercy and justice,” Kyla adds.

“I'm not worried. If the situation gets sticky, we'll combine our dragons and hearts into one. That thing can destroy false gods.”

“It also takes a lot out of us to use, so we can't abuse that power.”

“Whatever you say.”

“She's right, Caleb. Absalom fought in many more battles than the both of you combined. Don't underestimate him just because he's conceited. You too may have your Heart Absolute ability and it may be one of the best out there but remember it doesn't make you perfect nor unbeatable.”

“Okay, I won't. You don't need to remind me of a lesson I already learned.”

After finishing helping the citizens clean up, we go back home to our castle to eat and prepare for our deployment. Our table is already set with our servants eating before us. It’s a rule that they do not wait for us if we’re late. Many of them are concerned about what happened and we fill them in.

“Well, get as much rest as you can before you head out,” one of our servants says.

“Yeah, and you better enjoy this breakfast that Cornelia helped make. She worked really hard on it like she always does,” her boyfriend says.

“It is but, it won’t cut time off her sentence so you can stop mentioning how hard she works,” I say.

Cornelia’s boyfriend hits me on the shoulder and then says, “Hey! She better get something extra for all the extra work she does for you!”

“It’s okay, Stallworth. Don’t worry about it,” Cornelia says.

It’s a tradition in our kingdom to allow repentant criminals to be our servants to serve out their sentence whereas before they became slaves for the rest of their lives. Cornelia is one of these criminals who was taking over parts of our kingdom, but she repented of her sins and gave herself up to us when we came for her. It also helped that we met previously and her friend picked up for her. Her boyfriend, Stallworth, isn’t a criminal at all and just came with her because she loves her. We allow this because of their love and the two serve us along with other servants who were once criminals and conceited.

Stallworth is still staring at me as if he’s trying to intimidate me into giving his girlfriend something extra as thanks for her efforts as if we haven’t done that and still do that today. The guy is younger and smaller than us, and yet, he has the presence and determination of a man twice his size. When he asked me to train him, I kept knocking him down and he kept getting up no matter how many times and how hard he got hit. If he has his Heart Absolute ability, his ability probably gives him resilience. He's also asked me how I proposed to Kyla so he can have an idea as to how to propose to Cornelia and even asked for extra work so he can earn a ring to give to her one day. I gave him one of the best rings we have in our jewelry collection. It's not like we wear all of them anyway.

He was astonished I did this and really should remember it not as extra thanks or payment for his work and the work of his girlfriend, but to remember that we do things out of kindness in the Kingdom of Simbiosi to replicate what the Absolute does for us. I wonder when he'll propose. It has been a month since Cornelia and Stallworth started their relationship, so it should be soon. Kyla and I were married after a month and a half of knowing each other. I'm sure that Kyla wants to see the two married. She still admires Stallworth for offering his freedom up so that he could be a servant in this castle with Cornelia. What I find most impressive about him is not his tenacity, but the crown of flowers that he made for Cornelia that she wears every day in addition to the colorful bracelets he also made. The flowers haven't rotted or changed and still smell fresh. Even though Cornelia isn't royalty like Kyla or me, she's allowed to wear her crown since the Absolute crowned her through Stallworth because of her conversion, and who are we to take away the crown of someone who rightfully deserves it? We might as well give up our own crowns if that's the case.

After breakfast, Kyla and I clean ourselves up before heading out. I wear a traditional crimson and black set of armor that has spikes on its shoulders and arms. In addition, I wear a helm that has spikes on it like the spiked crown of my dragon. Kyla wears her crown of gold and blue stones and a silky silver and light battle dress, which is decent protection and allows her to move swiftly in battle like a rose petal through the air. I've tried suggesting that she wear something like I do, but she always denies it since she prefers outfits that originate from her side of the kingdom. To be honest, I don't care what she wears because she looks beautiful in everything. Her captivating gold hair and gold and silver eyes never cease to capture my eyes. She says the same about my gold and black eyes and my crimson-colored shaved head.

We then go to the grand cathedral, which never ceases to amaze me, especially with its dual design that shows both sides of Simbiosi. Both sides of the cathedral have statues of serviles, who are angels and loyal servants of the Absolute. One side has these serviles holding books and shields while the serviles on the other side hold swords and scales. Further inside the cathedral are statues and paintings of heroes and depictions of historical and scriptural events. Our kingdom gathers and separates itself based on which side they’re from as the ceremony begins. Eventually, we go up to the altar where we kneel before the archbishop who holds out his hands over us.

“Prince Caleb and Princess Kyla, receive this blessing of the Absolute through me to aid you in your future battles not only in the physical sense but also the spiritual and moral. Deliver mercy to our enemies so that they may know the Absolute’s love, be saved, and be welcomed in the Land of the True. Deliver justice to our enemies so that they may know the Absolute’s love, shorten their sinful lives, and be condemned to the Land of the Forgotten. Whether mercy or justice, deliver the Absolute’s love to our enemies in all its forms either in charity or violence. This the Absolute commands and blesses you in doing this holy work. Bring them all to Divine Judgment, be pure of heart, and yourselves as you were made to be as you will be judged as all sinners are judged,” the archbishop says.

Kyla and I say together, “We accept our duty and give our lives to truth and love.”

The archbishop gives us our blessing and the ceremony ends. Once this is done, a mass is held and then we head out on our dragons to the cheers of our people that pray for our success. I kind of wish our friend who could teleport us around was here, but because of what Cornelia did to him, he’s still resting at home. Regardless, Kyla and I start our war against Absalom to bring an end to his corrupting influence and to save not only our parents and our kingdom but also the world at large.

My latest release is out today!

Download for free on Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1168432

Cornelia feels unappreciated and miserable working her day-to-day job as a community service worker. When so many people have amazing abilities such as summoning dragons and commanding nature, she has nothing. Her best friend, Eleazar, visits her, and she goes on a journey to find her Heart Absolute ability, and her true self by witnessing events that will reveal her unique life's purpose to her.

A True Heart's Test: Chapter 5 – Having Heart vs Being Heartless

Chapter 5 – Having Heart vs Being Heartless

The light from around us subsides as my eyes get used to it. Eleazar and I find ourselves on a mountain that seems like an elaborate marketplace with different kinds of vendors ranging from farmers to blacksmiths to butchers. For some reason, there are also helpers that travel on carts from place to place to help with whatever the vendor needs from cleaning their storefront or transporting their goods from one place to another on the mountain.

“What is this place?” I ask.

“This is an amazing place for you to start anew and make the most of your Heart Absolute ability,” Eleazar says.

“What are you talking about?”

“This mountain is a place many people gather such as community service workers to either get noticed or work in this center of trade in this region. Many people across this land come here for trade and the shelter that the people that live on this humongous mountain provide. I’ll tell your parents that you’re here and get what you need to start off strong here. I’m sure they’ll accept you when you get a recommendation from my office.”

It can’t be…

“No, no, no!”

Looking around, I find the blacksmith and run towards it.

“Where are you going? What’s wrong?” Eleazar says while following me.

“Shut up and stop following me! Stay away!”

Entering the blacksmith’s shop, I leap over the tables, grab a sword, and am about to fall on it until the blacksmith stops me along with his other workers in the shop. They try to tell me to stop and the reasons why I shouldn’t take my own life, but I don’t listen as I fight them off and try to keep stabbing myself. Eleazar enters the shop and is the one to take away the sword while the blacksmith and his workers restrain me.

“What’s wrong with you, Cornelia?” Eleazar asks me.

“Shut up! You don’t understand! I don’t want to live this life!” I say.

“Why not? It’s meaningful and honorable. It’s a life you’re meant to live. This is what you’ve been waiting for where you can truly become who you’re meant to be!”

“No, it isn’t! You don’t know me at all.”

“I’m your best friend. Of course I-”

“No, you aren’t! I hate you! I hate everything about you and you never shut up enough to realize it!”

Something in Eleazar’s expression seems to finally listen to me.

“…you don’t mean that.”

“I do! I hate you! I hate my parents, I hate all the people I’ve worked for, and I hate the Absolute for wasting my time! I can’t believe that it put me on this journey with you just for a reminder. I won’t believe it. I refuse to! If the Absolute won’t give me what’s due to me, then I’ll take it for myself.”

As I’m saying all of this, I haven’t noticed my body changing. My entire body is now naked and white with a large heart shaped hole in my chest with a black heart floating in the center. In addition, one of my arms and both of my legs are now black. The only thing that hasn’t changed as much is my one arm that has my bracelets on them and even this has changed with my middle finger being white and blade-like now. This appearance has scared away the blacksmith and his workers who have grabbed their nearby weapons and surround me.

“Cornelia, listen to me,” Eleazar says.

“No, you listen to me now,” I say while holding out my black arm.

Black energy emanates from my black arm and I can feel it touch the hearts of everyone around me. Through this new power of mine, I can feel their doubts, fears, and wants to do something else than what they are doing. Taking advantage of this, I bend their will to listen to me except for Eleazar who is resistant. The blacksmith and his workers are now behind me and face down Eleazar who is backing away and out of the shop.

“Cornelia…you have to stop,” he says with an arm out.

“Stop? I like this new ability of mine. It’s not exactly what I thought I wanted, but it meets my needs and I’m keeping it,” I say.

“You’re being conceited. You’re not being yourself. This power isn’t you.”

“And who are you to define that? I will define myself.”

“You can’t do that. Only the Absolute knows who you truly are.”

“I don’t care about the Absolute anymore. It never cared about me, to begin with.” I pick up Eleazar by the neck and squeeze his neck. “If you trust the Absolute so much, then surely you will be saved.”

I then throw Eleazar down the mountain seeing him violently hit the large rocks on the way down. Looks like the Absolute deemed you not worth saving. I don’t see his body now that it’s fallen far away and into some bushes and tall grass, but even if he ends up teleporting and coming back, I won’t mind killing him with my own hands. Everyone around me starts staring and getting their weapons, runs, or hides in fear. With my new ability, I take control of their hearts and find that my control can spread from person to person when they come into contact with one another and the more people under my control that surround a person, the easier it is to take control of their hearts. Many are now under my control with very few managing to get away since I sense their pain and take advantage of it. It makes sense because of the jobs they have and all the pain they go through and get little to no respect in return. My life’s goal has now been revealed to me.

“Together, we will free the world from the chains of hard labor and get our just rewards!” I say, “It is said that the Absolute knows you best, but who really knows you better than yourself? Is this fate of working till your death really the best? I don’t think so. We will spread the good news of being conceited as the better option and free people from the chains of the Absolute!”

Everyone around me cheers and some of them even begin to look like me with heart shaped holes in their chest though they also grow black crowns on their head. They start gathering their weapons and horses as we mobilize for war and the spreading of our truth. When one of my supporters comes close to me with a shield, I take a better look at myself and see that one of my eyes is completely grey, I have black wings on my back, and parts of my hair have blackened and raised to form a pseudo crown. Yes, I think this look suits me. I grab a map and plot my army’s course to a nearby settlement where we can get more people. Once everyone is together, I fly to the front at the bottom of the mountain.

“Forward! I, Cornelia Queen of the Commoners, will lead us to victory. We will finally take what is rightfully ours!” I say to the cheers of my soldiers.

We mobilize and hit our first destination not long after. At the settlement, we take what we want and influence more people to join us even if they resist. Having so many hearts under my control feels unnatural and wonderful at the same time. Their pain is mine and mine is theirs. I feel what they do and we understand each other. When we’re ready with more turning conceited, we move to our next location. Since I’m feeling good, I pick a city not too far from here to go to since I want the Church to pay for its teachings.

Along the way to the city, we come across outposts and smaller settlements that we take control of and rest at when needed. With more people, the stronger I feel and the stronger they feel, the stronger I get. Our numbers grow and grow until I feel that taking the city will be easy even when I overlook it. This city looks like a lot of the other major cities with heart shaped designs on the major buildings and Churches. Surely, this will be a good place to be the home of my new kingdom. Once I take it, more people will become conceited and see that it’s superior to the Heart Absolute abilities. I have so many soldiers and supporters behind me that I choose to send all of them to the city at the same time to surround it from all angles before going into it.

The assault goes well until we reach the innermost walls of the city where my army fights against many who have Heart Absolute abilities. For the past day, those with Heart Absolute abilities can be overwhelmed with numbers, but this many can be a problem. It’s no real issue. There are more people in this city that are hiding that I can use to add to my forces. While doing this, I come across a young girl who walks out of the dark. She wears simple teal robes and brown boots.

“Have you come to challenge me or join my army?” I ask her.

“Neither because you will challenge a servile,” she says.

“You can summon serviles? How unique of you at such a young age to have a Heart Absolute ability like that. What makes you think one will come to save you when the Absolute has abandoned your city?”

“We are not abandoned. Face your own guardian servile.”

Time looks to be stopped all already me. I try to use my abilities, but nothing happens. My wings don’t even allow me to fly anymore.

“Cease your sin,” a voice says from behind me.

Turning around, I see a being made of equipment that I’ve used such as dusters, garden forks, and even dirty hands. Some of these objects also comprise its wings.

“Or what?” I say to it.

“You will be lost forever.”

“I will not! I’ll be remembered forever!”

With one of my black arms, I try influencing the servile only for it to shatter. After this, I try my legs and then my wings all of which shatter leaving me with nothing but my arm that still has my bracelets on them. Even with this, my attacks don’t affect the servile though I still try to fight it.

“This won’t accomplish anything,” the servile says.

“I don’t care! I’ll make something happen with my own will!” I say.

“Can you make the water feel dry? Can you make fire feel wet? Can you make the darkness brighten up the sun? You cannot do something that is false.”

“I got this power without the Absolute’s help. I can do anything I put my heart to!”

“You were only allowed your abilities because the Absolute allowed it and it is only an inverse of your Heart Absolute ability. Instead of being able to serve many, you now make others serve you.”

“That’s right because I deserve it after suffering so much in life. The only thing I was ever given for my efforts were these bracelets, which the Absolute had no part in.”

“False again. You were given those bracelets and allowed to keep them because it was one of the times you went out of your way to help someone without thinking about a reward. Look at how this arm of yours is the only thing that’s living. It’s supposed to remind you of the humility that’s truly you.”

“Don’t talk to me as if you know me better than myself.”

“Then think about others. You can feel their emotions and their pain. Do you think they’re happy like this? Don’t you feel the same dead chill that inhabits their bodies and yours?”

I do feel it. Focusing on it makes me feel it more intensely for some reason. A pain that goes beyond their want to be repaid for their efforts. I feel their hearts yearning for something else. They yearn to be true. It’s a feeling that their hearts have and mine.

“Okay, okay. I see your point. You have your victory over me. Finish me off and end my sinful life.”

“I am not your executioner. I am your guardian servile. My victory is achieved when the Absolute’s will is done. This includes your redemption and salvation.”

“I’m sorry then. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done. I’ve been so selfish that I didn’t realize of all the people I’ve hurt and the love I’ve shunned.”

“Rise then and become who you truly are, Cornelia.”

My appearance changes back to normal though it doesn’t seem to be as normal since my hair looks a lighter brown and I feel lighter too. My connection to the others has ceased and it gets quiet in the city after a few seconds. The girl who showed me my guardian servile gives me brown rags to clothe my nakedness and then hugs me.

“I know what it’s like to lose yourself. I’m glad that you came back to your senses,” the girl says.

“Thank you,” I say while holding back my tears, “I don’t know how to thank you.”

“You should leave before the guards come. Go back home. There should be horses you can use near the gates of the city.”

“Thank you again. I’ll try to repay you someday.”

“You don’t have to. Seeing you back to normal is enough for me now go.”

I hurry, find a horse, and use the map I have to go back home. It takes me half a day of traveling, but when I get back home early in the morning, I’m hesitant to approach my house and think about leaving. That is until I see them at the window before coming outside. They call out my name and I get off the horse and meekly walk to them with my head down expecting to be scolded. Instead, they embrace me while crying and saying how much they miss me.

“I’m sorry for wasting so much time. I had my Heart Absolute ability all along. Heh, it’s tacky I know. I’m sorry that I can’t be anything else than a community service worker,” I say.

“That’s fine! You always were a hard worker that had the admiration of the people who apricated your work,” my mother says.

“There’s no shame in your work, Cornelia. You only needed to put your heart into it, which is something that I always told you to do. Regardless, let’s get you inside and something to eat and you can tell us all about your adventures. Where’s Eleazar by the way?” my father says.

“Umm. That’s going to take a lot to explain.”

After going inside and eating a bit, I tell my parents everything that happened including what I did to Eleazar and what I did while conceited. Even though they are concerned, they are happy that I came to my senses and learned my lesson, which I’m surprised by.

“Next time you feel that no one is appreciating you, talk to us. We’re your parents and supposed to listen and care for you. I’m sorry we caused you so much grief,” my mother says.

“I’m sorry for doing the same to you,” I confess.

Speaking about confessions, I go to confession after eating and the priest has the same reaction my parents had and says similar things.

“You’re a good person, Cornelia. No matter what happens, remember the love of the Absolute, the love of your family, the love of the neighbors around you, and you’ll never lose yourself again,” the priest adds as advice after giving me my penance.

Despite this being advice that I know, past events have shown that I need to be constantly reminded of the basics, so I thank the priest for it. For the next couple of days, I try to appreciate them as best I can. I even dress differently by wearing lighter colors, wearing a brown dress, a white apron, and light brown boots. In addition, I also tie my hair up for a different look. To be honest, the change of thinking every day as a gift and recognizing the small, good things in life that the Absolute gives makes a big difference. Work is actually bearable now, I appreciate the compliments and little gifts that the people I work with give me, and I hardly feel bitter.

Everything seems to be getting better for me until soldiers from the Kingdom of Simbiosi come strolling into town with Caleb and Kyla leading them. Oh yeah. I probably wasn’t going to get away with what I did because I said I was sorry and did penance. I hear them calling my name and present myself to them without resisting arrest.

“For your sentence, you will be serving as a house cleaner for our castle for ten years,” Kyla says.

“Really?” I ask in surprise expecting something worse.

“Shush. Do you know how hard it was to lessen your sentence? It’s thanks to us knowing you plus your boyfriend’s help that you’re getting off easy,” Caleb says.

“Boyfriend?” A face I thought I would never see again comes out of the crowd of soldiers on horseback. It’s Eleazar! He’s all banged up, one of his arms is broken, and his face is scarred, but he’s alive! “Eleazar! I’m…I’m sorry for what I did to you and-”

“I know you’re sorry, and don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you’re back to being truly yourself,” he says with a smile.

I’m about to be put in a prison cart before I hear my name being called out. Turning around, I see the boy who made me the bracelets I wear every day.

“What? You have another boyfriend?” Caleb says.

“Oh, shut up. This is the boy that made these bracelets for me. Can I talk to him before I go?” I ask.

“Sure thing,” Kyla says.

Going to the boy, I see him holding a crown made of flowers in his hands.

He’s shy to talk to me at first until he holds up the crown and says, “I’ve wanted to give this to you for a while, but was never brave enough to do so and since you’re going away for a while, I thought I’d give it you now.”

“Thank you so much. I love it just like my bracelets.”

I bend my head down and the boy puts the crown of flowers on my head. Since his head is close, I give him a kiss on the forehead as thanks, which makes his face turn red.

“Umm. Thank you too.” Before I go, I hear the boy running after me again. “Excuse me! Can I go with her? I’ll serve my own sentence as long as I get to be with her.”

“You haven’t done anything wrong,” Caleb says.

The boy runs up to Eleazar and hits him in his injured arm, which I can’t help but laugh at.

“There! I assaulted someone. That deserves some kind of punishment.”

“Okay, okay! Get inside the cart with your girlfriend.”

“I wish you were that bold,” Kyla says to Caleb.

“When am I not?!”

When he’s let in the cart, I give the boy a hug and another kiss to which he blushes again. He says goodbye to his parents who are somewhat upset, to say the least at him. Honestly, I didn’t expect my life to be this way and what I wanted, but it is. I guess the Absolute really does know people better than they know themselves. I’m truly happy for the first time in a while and smile and look out at the sun as I await a bright future.

 

The End

A True Heart's Test: Chapter 4 – Amazing Things in Plain Sight

Chapter 4 – Amazing Things in Plain Sight

Rushing through the portal, I find myself in a strange place. It’s not a beautiful forest or a grand city. It’s just a simple farm town similar to the one I’m from. We’re standing in someone’s backyard where their horses, cows, and chickens are eating and going about their daily business.

“What is this?” I ask.

“A backyard,” Eleazar says with a sarcastic smile.

Okay, that’s it.

“Ow! Why did you slap the back of my head for?”

“Because.”

Once the portal behind us closes, the animals start freaking out for whatever reason.

“What a way to start the morning,” a girl about my age says as she exits the backdoor, “Hey! You two better clean up this mess you made or I will chase you down and make you pay!”

Eleazar and I help her calm down the animals and put them back in their proper places out of a sense of obligation. I’d rather not start any trouble in this town before we find whoever we’re supposed to.

“Now, what are you two doing here? Explain yourselves before I call the guards,” the girl asks.

“My best friend, Cornelia, here is on a quest to find her Heart Absolute ability and this is the final destination where she’s meant to witness something to help her. My name is Eleazar and it’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?”

“It doesn’t matter. Go on your quest and-”

“Miquita! Be kind to these strangers. Don’t you see that the young man is a noble?” a woman inside the house says.

“So what?”

“So, invite them in and let them eat breakfast with us.”

“Okay, mother. Come in.”

We take the offer even though we just ate breakfast and when Miquita’s mother offers us something, we ask for water and she gives us milk. After which, Eleazar explains to her why we’re here. Miquita seems to cringe at hearing this as if she’s bothered by the reasoning behind my quest. To be honest, I’d be jealous too if I were in her position.

“That’s great! Miquita here hasn’t found her Heart Absolute ability either, but hopefully, she will someday.”

“I hope so too so I can get out of this place. I’m tired of constantly doing farm work,” Miquita comments.

“Farm work is humble, honest, and worthy of praise,” Eleazar says.

“Sure.”

“Heh, I think I know why we’re here. Is it okay if we help you today?”

“Knock yourselves out.”

Help her? Nothing about helping her sounds like the start of our previous adventures. Why is Eleazar looking at me as if he knows something I don’t?

“What?” I say.

“Oh, nothing. You’ll see why we’re here soon enough.”

“I hope so.”

Eleazar gets changed into casual farm worker clothes that remind me of how he looked back when we were younger. For the whole day, we go from farm to farm helping people with their needs similar to what I do back home, which I hate. It’s easy to get around thanks to Eleazar’s portals, but it still sucks. Why are we meant to do this? What am I meant to learn? This feels like a waste of time. Maybe I’ll meet someone along the way who I’m actually meant to follow.

A little after noon, we eat lunch at one of the farms we work at. Eleazar is having fun chatting it up with the farmers inside so Miquita and I step outside since we aren’t part of the conversation. While we’re outside, she gives me a strange look that I catch before she can turn her head.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Nothing,” she says.

“I know you looked at me.”

“…That best friend of yours is annoying me. Can you tell him to stop being so positive and cheerful all the time?”

“Trust me, I’ve tried, but he never stops. Oh, and he’s not my best friend. He just visits and bothers me from time and time, and this’ll be my last time seeing him after I get my Heart Absolute ability.”

“Heh, so you feel the same way I do about him. It must be nice being given this journey by the Absolute.”

“It has its ups-and-downs. Still, even after witnessing so many big events, I don’t completely understand what I’m supposed to learn.”

“Even so, I wish I could go on an adventure like you. A girl like me probably won’t see the world outside of this town for my entire life just like the other farmers and I don’t think I’ll ever get my Heart Absolute ability. All my efforts and prayers are for nothing as far as I’m concerned.”

“I felt that way and still do to an extent.”

“Tomorrow is my birthday. My parents invited everyone in the town that I’ve worked with, but I don’t think anyone will come. These people don’t really care about me. I’m just another farmer that does the job averagely well. I’ll…I’m planning something that will either make my Heart Absolute ability or change my life for the better.”

“How are those two things mutually exclusive?”

“Because…because I’m going to try to kill myself tomorrow.”

“What?”

“I can’t live like this anymore! You don’t understand how hard it is living like this with people that don’t appreciate you and people our age being put on pedestals because of their efforts or because they have their Heart Absolute ability.”

“I understand completely as a community service worker who lives in pretty much the exact same situation.”

“Community service worker? Heh, between that and that guy I understand why the Absolute had mercy on you and put you on your adventure. So, you must understand why I want to do what I’m going to do. If I try to kill myself, my Heart Absolute ability may kick in just like some of the stories I’ve heard. If I do end up dying, then at least I’ll be free from this miserable life.” Dang it. I don’t feel like I could talk her out of this. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being here. It’s good to know that there’s at least one person who is like me in this world.”

What am I going to do? Eleazar’s positivity will probably make her want to kill herself more and I can’t exactly argue with her without affirming her views. Perhaps the real person I’m supposed to follow will come to save her tomorrow? Tonight, Eleazar and I stay over at Miquita’s house and sleep in the guest rooms. Unfortunately, I have to deal with Eleazar’s snoring, which doesn’t help me go to sleep when thoughts of Miquita’s potential suicide attempt are already keeping me up. I spend the time I have awake praying that she doesn’t do anything drastic or that her attempt fails at least.

Early in the morning, I wake up as soon as the rooster crows and try to find Miquita. I find her outside putting a noose around her neck and a rope around a wooden beam. Running outside, I try to find words to say, but just end up saying nothing except for her name.

“Hey. I’m glad that you’re here at least,” Miquita says.

“Hold on,” I say.

“It’s going to be okay. Let’s see how those ungrateful people react when they see me hanging. Who am I kidding? They probably won’t care for long. Still, here’s hoping I get my Heart Absolute ability, but I don’t have much hope in it.”

Before I can run up to Miquita to stop her, people come out of her home and her mom calls out to her. Everyone that’s here seems to be concerned about Miquita. They’re all people we met yesterday and have presents in their hands. Seeing everyone makes Miquita take the noose off her neck and walk toward us. She’s speechless and looks like she’s about to cry as her parents embrace and berate her at the same time with tears in their eyes as well.

“I thought you didn’t love me because I didn’t have any unique abilities like the others and because I’m working a dead end job,” Miquita says.

“Honey, we still care about you despite that. Everyone here cares about you. You’ve touched their hearts with all your dedication and hard work. If anything, that’s your amazing ability.”

People start coming forward presenting gifts to Miquita along with their testimony of her hard work and how much they appreciate her despite her being just another farmer. One of the people that give her a gift and their appreciation is a young man that’s about our age. He gives her a crown that he made from the flowers on his farm and basically confesses his love for her. All this puts a smile on Miquita’s face and seems to change her not too dissimilar to the others that I’ve met with Heart Absolute ability. Miquita’s parents hug me and thank me for saving her to which I can’t say much since I didn’t really do anything except stall her for a second.

Of course, because of this, I have to stay for Miquita’s birthday celebration, and when everything is over, I’m left speechless to see nothing else happening. No one special comes and nothing spectacular really happens. While sitting on Miquita’s porch waiting for something, anything else to happen, Eleazar sits next to me.

“You did something great today,” he says.

“I didn’t do anything special.”

“You may think that, but it’s you have to give yourself credit for saving Miquita.”

“Whatever. I’m still waiting for the reason we came here.”

“What are you talking about? We already accomplished it.”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about. I haven’t learned anything new. What was I supposed to learn exactly? That sometimes we already have everything we need around us?”

“Exactly.”

I can feel my heart stop for a second as soon as Eleazar said that. His smile fills me with such hatred for him that crushing his head passes my mind for a second.

“No, no! Take me somewhere else!”

“There’s no point in it. I might as well take you home. I’m sure your parents are worried about you-”

“No, they’re not! They don’t care about me!”

“Miquita thought the same and looked at what happened with her.”

“I’m different though. Take me back to your advisor and ask him if there’s anything else we need to do.”

“Let me see if the Absolute will let me.”

A portal opens up and brings us to the office with Adivino at the front desk like he was before.

“Ah! Eleazar and Cornelia! How did your adventures go?” he asks.

“Tell me there’s something else I have to do. Tell me I missed something,” I say.

“For what reason?”

“I don’t have my Heart Absolute ability. Nothing has changed about me and I haven’t learned anything.”

Adivino looks confused and then at Eleazar who shrugs.

“Okay. If you’ve gone through everything you were supposed to, this shouldn’t take too long.”

I pace around waiting and thinking about what I could’ve possibly missed for a short while before Adivino comes back to confirm that there’s nothing more that I need to do and I already have everything I need. This upsets me to no end and I almost scream out loud.

“See? I was right,” Eleazar says.

“Shut up!” I snap at him.

“Hey, calm down. It’s okay to accept things the way they are.”

“I refuse to accept that I went on that adventure for nothing!”

“You didn’t go on it for nothing. We learned about what being conceited does to a person and how the Absolute can save the conceited through an unlikely person with Lionel. From Caleb and Kyla, we learned that having a Heart Absolute ability doesn’t instantly make your life better, happy, or make you perfect. Finally, with Miquita, we learned that a person’s Heart Absolute ability doesn’t have to be something grand or magical, it isn’t always obvious, and that even the simplest Heart Absolute abilities are greatly appreciated and needed all the same.”

What Eleazar says hurts my ears to hear them because I realized the same things but didn’t want to accept them. Still…still…there could be a chance.

“Take me somewhere else.”

“I can’t take you anywhere the Absolute doesn’t want me to. If the Absolute wants you to go home, you’ll go home.”

“But if I’m supposed to go somewhere else, we’ll go somewhere else. Prove me wrong that I’m meant to go home.”

“Okay.”

Eleazar opens a portal to a place that blinds me with its light. Hopefully, this isn’t home. Come on! Prove me right! This can’t be the end of my journey!