Chapter 20 The Land of Veritas

Chapter 20 The Land of Veritas

Aurora’s POV

My body jerked violently as if some invisible force had ripped me away from reality.

One moment I was inside my room at the Dragon Palace, terrified and unable to breathe properly after hearing that strange whisper, and the next…

I was somewhere else.

I stumbled forward, nearly losing my balance before my feet touched soft ground. My heart hammered wildly inside my chest as I looked around in confusion.

The same black sky stretched endlessly above me, glittering with thousands of golden stars. The strange rainbow-colored soil beneath my feet shimmered faintly, changing shades every few seconds as if it were alive. Tall glowing trees surrounded the entire place, their branches heavy with diamonds, crystals and fruits that emitted soft halos of light.

My breath caught in my throat.

No…

No way.

“This…” I whispered shakily.

It was the same place.

The same mysterious land from my dreams.

The same floating island.

The same beautiful impossible world that had haunted my sleep ever since I left Christian.

I took a slow step back, panic and disbelief mixing inside me. My mind desperately tried convincing me that I was dreaming again. Maybe the stress had finally driven me insane. Maybe all the crying and emotional breakdowns had affected my magic somehow.

“Yes… yes this must be a dream,” I muttered to myself nervously.

To reassure myself, I pinched my arm hard.

“Oww!”

I yelped instantly and rubbed the sore spot with wide eyes.

That hurt.

That actually hurt.

My breathing became uneven.

This was real.

A cold shiver ran down my spine as realization settled over me slowly. I looked around once more, this time properly observing every tiny detail around me. The air smelled fresh and sweet, carrying the scent of herbs, flowers and rainwater together. The wind was warm against my skin and strangely comforting.

Everything here felt alive.

Not in a dangerous way.

But in a welcoming way.

As if the land itself knew me.

I swallowed nervously and began walking slowly through the glowing forest. The trees towered high above me, their trunks covered with shimmering silver vines. Some of the leaves glowed blue while others glowed gold or pink. Tiny sparkling creatures floated around the flowers like living stars.

The deeper I walked, the calmer I felt.

The suffocating pain in my chest slowly eased.

Even the constant ache from my mate bond seemed quieter here.

My fingers brushed softly against a nearby tree and suddenly golden flowers bloomed instantly along the bark.

I jumped back in shock.

“What the…”

The flowers swayed gently toward me.

Almost affectionately.

I stared at them in complete disbelief.

“Okay… now this is getting creepy.”

A soft laugh echoed behind me.

Warm.

Gentle.

Motherly.

I turned around so quickly that my hair whipped behind me.

A woman stood a few feet away from me, dressed in flowing white robes lined with golden threads. Her long silver hair cascaded down to her waist and her pale skin seemed to glow faintly beneath the starlight. She looked ethereal… almost unreal.

But it was her eyes that made me freeze.

They were filled with so much warmth.

So much affection.

As if she had known me forever.

“You finally came,” she said softly.

I blinked rapidly.

“What?”

The woman smiled gently and stepped closer. Despite her strange appearance, I didn’t feel threatened by her. Somehow her presence soothed me.

“Wh… where am I?” I asked shakily.

The woman looked around the glowing land before meeting my gaze once again.

“This is the Land of Veritas,” she said quietly. “A land as ancient as this world itself… perhaps even older. This is where the celestial realm was born.”

I stared at her blankly.

The celestial realm?

Okay.

Now things were becoming too much for my poor brain.

The woman seemed amused by my expression because a soft chuckle escaped her lips.

“I know this is overwhelming, child.”

Child.

Why did everyone ancient call me child?

I folded my arms suspiciously while narrowing my eyes at her.

“Who are you?”

She placed one hand gracefully over her chest.

“My name is Celesta. I am merely the guardian of this land.”

Guardian.

The word echoed strangely in my mind.

“And why exactly am I here?” I asked cautiously.

Celesta’s expression softened further.

“Because this land belongs to you.”

I froze.

“What?”

“You are its master now, Aurora.”

I stared at her as if she had grown another head.

“No, no… wait a second. I think there’s been some misunderstanding here because I am definitely not anyone’s master. I can barely manage my own life properly.”

Celesta laughed softly again.

It sounded musical.

“You underestimate yourself greatly.”

I opened my mouth to argue further but paused as movement behind her caught my attention.

A familiar white mare emerged from between the glowing trees, her silver wings shining beautifully beneath the golden starlight. Her aquamarine eyes sparkled the moment they landed on me.

“Stella,” I whispered instinctively.

The mare neighed happily before trotting toward me.

“Oh my God…”

She was real too.

Everything was real.

Stella nudged her head affectionately against my shoulder while I stood there completely stunned. My fingers automatically moved through her silky white mane and she made a pleased sound.

“You remember her,” Celesta observed quietly.

“How could I not?” I murmured while staring at Stella in amazement. “I thought she was part of my imagination.”

“Nothing within Veritas is imaginary.”

I looked around the breathtaking land once more, still unable to fully process any of this.

The streams sparkled like liquid stars beneath the glowing trees while the strange colorful soil pulsed faintly beneath my feet. Beautiful birds with crystal-like feathers flew across the sky, their songs blending with the peaceful sound of flowing water.

“This place…” I whispered. “It’s beautiful.”

Celesta smiled knowingly.

“The land reflects its ruler.”

I frowned slightly.

“What does that mean?”

She gestured toward the ground beneath us.

“The soil of Veritas responds to emotions. The waters heal. The fruits strengthen the body and soul. The trees absorb celestial energy and the flowers bloom according to the emotions of their master.”

I blinked slowly.

“So basically… this place is magical.”

“More than magical,” Celesta corrected softly. “Veritas is alive.”

A strange chill ran through me.

Alive.

Somehow I believed her.

As if to prove her words, the wind suddenly wrapped warmly around me and nearby flowers opened wider.

My eyes widened.

“Did… did the land just react to me?”

Celesta nodded calmly.

“It knows you.”

I swallowed nervously.

“That’s honestly terrifying.”

Another soft laugh escaped her.

“You will get used to it.”

I wasn’t so sure about that.

Celesta began walking slowly and I followed beside her while Stella trotted behind us peacefully. As we walked deeper into the glowing forest, I noticed more strange things around me. Some streams floated upward instead of downward. Crystal butterflies rested on flowers made entirely of light. The fruits hanging from trees looked like jewels instead of actual fruits.

Everything here felt unreal.

“Not everyone can enter Veritas,” Celesta explained as we walked. “The land only accepts those connected to celestial blood.”

I frowned immediately.

Celestial blood again.

Everyone kept speaking in riddles around me lately and it was beginning to irritate me.

“What exactly am I?” I asked suddenly.

Celesta glanced at me briefly before looking ahead again.

“Someone the world was never prepared for.”

I sighed dramatically.

“There it is again. Why can’t anyone just answer me directly?”

Her expression turned slightly sad.

“Because some truths carry consequences, Aurora.”

I looked away quietly.

I hated cryptic answers.

But deep down…

I was also scared of the truth.

We eventually reached the sparkling stream I had seen in my earlier dream. The water glowed faintly beneath the starlight while soft musical sounds echoed around it.

“It’s the same,” I whispered softly.

“You came here before through dreams,” Celesta explained. “Veritas was calling you.”

“Why?”

“Because the land had awakened.”

My brows furrowed.

“And what does that mean exactly?”

Celesta stopped walking and turned toward me fully.

“It means its ruler has returned.”

Silence fell between us.

I could hear my own heartbeat.

“No,” I whispered immediately. “No, there’s no way.”

Celesta didn’t argue.

Which somehow made it worse.

I backed away slowly while shaking my head.

“I’m not some ruler. I’m just Aurora. I’m confused, pregnant, heartbroken and hiding from my mate who probably wants to kill me right now.”

At the mention of Christian, pain flickered across my chest sharply.

Celesta noticed.

“The bond troubles you deeply.”

I looked away instantly.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“But you think about him constantly.”

That hurt because it was true.

Even here…

Even in this beautiful peaceful place…

I could still feel him.

His anger.

His loneliness.

His obsession.

Sometimes it became so intense that it physically hurt.

I wrapped my arms around myself tightly.

“He hates witches,” I whispered painfully. “And I’m the very thing he despises.”

Celesta studied me quietly for several moments before speaking again.

“Love and hatred are often separated by only a thin line.”

I laughed bitterly.

“Well in our case that line is currently on fire.”

To my surprise, Celesta smiled slightly.

“You sound very much like your mother.”

That made me freeze instantly.

“You knew my mother?”

“Very well.”

My throat tightened.

“Is she safe?”

Celesta’s expression softened.

“She is alive.”

Relief crashed into me so strongly that my knees almost weakened.

Alive.

Mom was alive.

Tears burned my eyes immediately.

“Oh thank God…”

Celesta placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“You will meet her again someday.”

Someday.

Not now.

My heart sank slightly but I nodded anyway.

At least she was alive.

That was enough for now.

Stella suddenly nudged my arm again and neighed softly. I looked toward her and smiled faintly before stroking her mane once more.

“She likes you very much,” Celesta observed.

“I like her too.”

The mare huffed proudly.

For the first time in weeks…

I genuinely smiled.

Not forced.

Not broken.

Real.

Celesta watched me carefully before speaking softly.

“The land responds well to your happiness.”

I looked around curiously and realized the glow around the trees had brightened slightly.

Even the stream sparkled more beautifully now.

“This is insane,” I muttered under my breath.

“It is your home now.”

I stared at her immediately.

“My home?”

Celesta nodded.

“You may come and go from Veritas freely. No barrier shall ever reject you here.”

I swallowed hard.

“Why?”

Her silver eyes met mine calmly.

“Because only the blood of Veritas’ true rulers can enter this land.”