CHAMPIONS (The Lost Chronicles of Eden, #1) [Published]

24: WHEN ONE DOOR OPENS, CLOSE IT; WHEN ANOTHER CLOSES, LET IT BE

24: WHEN ONE DOOR OPENS, CLOSE IT; WHEN ANOTHER CLOSES, LET IT BE

 In the beginning, there was darkness.

In the beginning of her death, anyway. But then, there was light. Endless, infinite, stretching on towards forever. She was a weightless feather floating in the vast expanse of white nothingness.

Nothing. No pain. No anger. No hate. No fear. Just nothing.

She didn’t know how long she stayed in the fields of nothingness, but then suddenly it felt as if something was pulling at her.

She fought at first, because the white, though having absolutely nothing, was warm and comforting and it just felt so good, she didn’t want to go away. But the pull was strong. Slowly, she drifted, floated and glided across the white, white sea, until there was a searing pain in her chest that knocked her out cold again.

Then she opened her eyes, and everything hurt. “Solenn!”

Her friends were all gathered around her, wearing different expressions of fear, anxiety and relief. Even Selina, who was just about as expressive as a rock, was looking at her with slightly wet eyes.

“You guys are weirding me out,” Solenn said. She opened her mouth to tease her some more when she remembered where she was and what she was doing before everything became dark. “Sol!” she cried out, suddenly frantic. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was Xandros standing over Solomon with his sword raised. “Solomon! Where’s Sol?”

“I’m right here, ‘Lenn.”

Solenn was out of Gabriel’s arms and into Solomon’s in a heartbeat. Solomon’s arms were warm and firm around her shoulders. His heart was strong and steady, and it was music to Solenn’s ears. Solomon was alive.

Thank the Triune.

She quickly let go of Solomon and stared at Lukas. “You did it?” Lukas nodded with a small smile. “You didn’t…?”

“No,” Lukas answered her unspoken question. No, I didn’t absorb your wounds. For some reason, the wounds didn’t transfer to Lukas this time. He didn’t know what happened, but what he knew was that he was so desperate to heal Solomon and Solenn, he was willing to absorb all their wounds just to bring them back to full health.

He didn’t want to see his strongest friends broken like rag dolls on the ground, and he didn’t want to see that broken look on the strong commander’s face anymore.

“‘Lenn, Sol,” Selina said, “we still have to close the Gate. Samson said we could use our holy weapons to close it.”

“Well,” a voice said, cutting through their conversation, “that’s something I’ll have to see.”

Seven heads turned towards Xandros, who, all this time, was sitting on top of a tree stump, reading his book again. He was wounded all over from his earlier battle with Solomon and Solenn. His clothes were tattered, and there was blood soaking the side of his armor where Solenn had pierced him with her sword.

And yet, he was still as serene as if he had just finished drinking his afternoon tea.

“I would like to believe I’m being kind by allowing you to have your heroic healing session and your tearful reunion, but you see, the Gate stays open unless someone closes it.”

“Why didn’t you tear it fully if you wanted it blaring open?” Solenn demanded as she pushed herself to stand up.

Xandros closed his book and kept it in his coat again before standing up. “You would be pleased to know that the two of you were successful in stopping me from opening it fully. The planets have misaligned. The sword is now ineffective. I would like to watch you close the Gate before I return to Astana and receive the punishment of the emperor for failing my mission.”