Chapter 83 Council of Spirits
Amara’s POV
For a while, the world was dark. Then I felt weightless suddenly. My body was pain-free. There was no burning in my lungs. My hands did not shake. When I opened my eyes, a huge moon filled the sky, and I was standing on silver grass that was sparkling.
"Where am I, exactly?" My voice echoed as if it weren't mine when I said.
Figures appeared as the air shimmered. They were tall, gleaming creatures composed of stars and light. Their eyes were as bright as the moon. Like thunder concealed in the clouds, their voices mixed, thunderous but delicate.
One spirit remarked, "Child, you have arrived at the moonlit plane."
Another said, "This is not the land of the living."
I took a deep breath. "Did I... die?"
The ghosts exchanged looks. Then someone said, "Not quite yet. Your body continues to struggle. However, judgment is required, which is why your soul was summoned here.
Judgment. My gut twisted at the word.
I stepped forward unsteadily. "Why me? I didn't request this authority. I never requested the mark. I didn't volunteer to take on Lilith.
With voices resonating like bells, the ghosts collectively declared, "You were chosen." "The mark of balance is on you. The scales tilted to darkness, causing the Hollow Witch to ascend. You were created to fix them.
"But I'm just me!" I yelled. My voice broke. "I'm afraid. I don't succeed. I shatter. I cause harm to others. I'm not sure how to be the person you desire me to be.
For a moment, the radiance of the spirits softened. "The absence of fear is not courage. It is the decision to continue fighting despite it.
My eyes welled up with tears. "What if I'm insufficient?"
A spectral hand, composed of moonlight, hovered nearer, gently resting on my heart. The world will thereafter collapse. And all you cherish will be gone.
Painfully, my chest clenched. I saw visions of Kian shouting at me to keep going, my pack keeping the line against the monsters, and Ryan standing resolute with his sword.
I balled my fists up. "Then let me know what I must do."
The brilliant faces of the ghosts were inscrutable as they looked at each other. "The decision will be made shortly. The equilibrium can't last forever. You'll be put to the test.
"What option?" I said.
They didn't respond. Rather, the moon overhead pulsed, filling the plane with silver light, and I felt as if the ground itself were drawing me in for yet another ordeal.
My heart pounded. "Hold on! Don't abandon me in the dark!
"You already know the answer," was the last thing I heard in their united voice.
I was completely engulfed by the light.
As the light dimmed, I found myself standing somewhere else. Two figures suddenly stood in front of me, yet the moon was still there.
Kian Rowan.
However, they weren't precisely them. They resembled fragments of my soul given shape; they were sharper and brighter. They both came for me.
Rowan had a powerful voice. "I am your shield, Amara. You won't fall with me. Pick me.
Kian's tone was ferocious. "I am your fire, Amara. Your strength won't ever fail when you're with me. Pick me.
I gasped. "You mean to say—choose?"
Once more, the ghosts circled us. Together, their voices boomed:
"You have two bonds. Two anchors. However, both cannot be sustained by your mark. You must pick one to stabilise your power. The other will eventually disappear.
I stumbled back. "No, you can't mean that," I said. Do you want me to cut off one of them?
"Yes," the ghosts replied. Your soul won't be able to resist the Hollow Witch until then. The bonds will rip you apart if you don't. And the entire planet alongside you.
Panic swelling in my chest, I shook my head. "You're not getting it! I can't let either one go! My strong suit is Rowan. My fire is Kian. I require both. I am who I am because of them!
With calm eyes, Rowan took a step closer. "Amara, I'll accept it if it has to be me. If you are alive.
"No!" I sobbed. The moonlight broke the split in my voice.
Kian took hold of my arm and drew me toward him. Desperate anger blazed in his eyes. Just because you're scared of hurting Rowan doesn't mean you should choose me. You know it's the right choice! Take action!
My face started to well up with tears. "Don't force me to do this—I can't!"
The voices of the spirits sounded like thunder. "There isn't another option."
As the mark grew hotter than ever, I fell to my knees and gripped my chest tightly. It felt like my heart was breaking in two.
"Please," I pleaded. "There must be another way, please. Don't force me to break my heart. Don't force me to ruin them.
For a long, ponderous minute, the ghosts were silent. One then gave a chilly response:
"There isn't one."
I held my breath. The mark's light exploded from my chest, blinding everyone below, and the ground trembled. As I was engulfed in blinding flames, my cry reverberated throughout the starry aircraft—
Then there was darkness.