Original Souls (A World Apart #1) (8 page)

The sun was dawning, peeking out through the clouds. I ca
n’
t believe how quickly the hours were flying by. It felt like only seconds ago Julia was in my arms. But the sight tells me otherwise. A carefree bird flew overhead. Off to start its routine day, likely free of consequence. Unlike the dove in the distance, I am in a very peculiar and dark situation. I have almost no recourse to contact Julia. None I can think of without her Letra de Tesoro.

While pondering, out of the corner of my eye, something caught my sight, grabbing it hard. Something enticingly shining as the sun began its trek across the morning sky. I had to cross the bridge to get over to whatever it is tha
t’
s catching so much light. I walked away from the gold and silver railing, stepping down off the brass metal sidewalk and into the cobblestone roads. These roads were especially beautiful in the daylight. Mostly because of the tiny specks of gold and silver pixie dust that sparkled when given attention from the sun's rays. I thought for a second that maybe that's all I had noticed, just the streets shining in the light because of the angling of the sidewalk in proportion to the road. Then it gleamed again. Like a beacon of light guiding me to its place, it began to blink off and on every few seconds. It was in a fixed position on one of the support pillars that rose high above the Puente del Cielo. These support beams for the bridge are made of marble, so this gold little light flickering on it stood out quite a bit. I reached the other sidewalk, and as I stepped up onto the curb, the little gold light suddenly stopped blinking.

I walked over to it, hunched over, and gently rubbed my hand over it. Slowly, I discerned the markings at the center. I realized that it was a keyhole. Just a small little keyhole in the bottom center of this large support pillar for a bridge constructed over one-hundred and fifty years ago. Why? Tha
t’
s the first thought that came to mind. This couldn't have been here when the bridge was built.

Then I started to put the message together, because that message spoke to me. Literally, the keyhole starting turning and the mechanism inside projected a holographic image. The image flickered in front of me, as I was jostled back by the sudden outpour of lights. It uttered a single phrase. "Insert key, please," the computer generated female voice stated firmly.

The video instruction seemed somewhat unnecessary, even redundant. But whoever designed it wanted it to be perfectly clear what was expected of the key holder. Julia was always the biggest micro manager kind. She probably thinks this type of set up is spelled out perfectly. No ambiguity. She didn't like when things weren't absolutely certain. I guess that's why I'm here after all. If she were more optimistic, she would have never broke the law like she did.

The video and computer voice started up again. I got up and began pacing about the bridge's sidewalk in front of it. I wondered what my next move should be. While I thought, I noticed something interesting in the video. I took a closer look at the instructional tape and saw that the key that the computer voice was referring to is a llave. Why would there be an image of a llave going into some random lock? That's not their purpose. They're for wielding magik. They replaced wands decades ago, and keys for doors are an out dated technology. Maybe that keyhole has actually been there since the bridge was built?

After a few more seconds of pacing I started to put it all together. Julia's need for absolute certainty and the llave in the picture. The fact that she chose the Puente del Cielo as her place to create her new World, without me, of course. And lastly, the blinking beacon that lead me over here. Had Julia left a secret message here specifically for me? It would appear so. The video message kept playing over and over again, with the voice asking for a key to be inserted. While I watched the video for the millionth time, I realized the key, the llave being inserted into the lock, i
t’
s my llave. I
t’
s a hologram replica, but sure enough I recognize all intricate spells engraved on it. I knew Jules wouldn't simply leave me hanging. She wanted me to able to see my son. Perhaps even rethink my decision and position in all of this.

Still, her need to be certain is getting in the way of my initial plan. She wants me to sacrifice my llave in exchange for letting me into her World, where she is all powerful, because she is its creator. Why such a tactic, since she does have absolute power in a world of her design. She must still be weak from using the spell that invoked all this chaos. She wants insurance for my visit. She wants to make sure she has the upper hand in case something goes awry. I can't blame her. She used all that power to create this World and became a fugitive in the process. She wouldn't want it to collapse just as quickly as it came to be.

That's why this act is so very illegal. To create a new World would destroy most, but anyone who could manage it would be a potential threat to the eight Worlds already established. The massive power drove all but one of the Great Eight into madness. Even wielders of magik as powerful as they couldn't manage this kind of power. All the wars of the past are because of this simple fact; with great power, comes a great deal of responsibilities. If you neglect those responsibilities, the entire system will collapse on you. That's what happened to the Great Eight, except Aurora. Why would it not happen to Julia too? If Julia can be like Aurora then she just might have a fighting chance. So, if she needs me to come to her defenseless and humble . . . then I guess tha
t’
s what
I’
m going to do.

I quickly inserted my llave into the keyhole that still played the instructional recording. I turned the lock that would open an entirely new world of wonder to me. A portal began opening up as the gold locking mechanism shifting inside, like a self-deconstructing maze. The metals inside clicked and clanked against themselves and the entire wall of the pillar opened up from its center. The marble started to diverge in opposing directions. While the wall split into two separate parts, I heard a voice calling from the other side.

"What is the Letra de Tesoro?" the soft but robotic voice inquired. I didn't expect that question, considering Julia hadn't left any clues to what the treasured letters could be.

I shouted back to the woman with the soft robot voice, "I don't have the Letra de Tesoro, I haven't been told what it is!"

"You may not enter without that information, it is forbidden," said the dark figure shrouded in the white and gold lights radiating from the other side of the entrance.

I got angry. I wanted this riddle to be done now. "I don't know the pass code, but my son's in there, lady, and I need to see hi
m
… now!!!" She ignored me, and turned away. I shouted that just before the splitting pillar started to close back up, attempting to reform a single structure.

Without thinking, I crazily jumped into the portal, but some mysterious force started repelling me as soon as I did. With my llave already gone through the lock, I had no way to push back. I was vertically hanging from a grove that was a part of the untwisted locking mechanism. I was halfway inside of a closing wall in the middle of a bridge in the sky, when I finally realized that Julia is smarter than I am. As if me being a cop, and her being a doctor hadn't already said it all. Well, why sell myself sort, I am a specialist in my field of work. Well, I was a specialist. But the only stupid thing about Julia, is that she still thinks that I'm half as intelligent as her.

The dark figure from the other side turned back. "You must let go, sir, or else your hands will be crushed by the resealing of the Pillar of Corinthia."

Tell me something I don't know, lady, I thought to myself. This mystery wind force trying to push me away started to intensify. They really didn't want me in that World without that pass code. The split pillar was close to reforming and my hands were slipping from the edges. She called this wall, the Pillar of Corinthia. Maybe that's the Letra de Tesoro?

"The Pillar of Corinthia, that's the pass code ... right?" I yelled to the mystery lady, but she wasn't biting.

"No, you are mistaken," she informed me with audible sadness in her tone. It seemed like she wanted me to get across this boarder.

I had to think. Julia would never put me in this type of situation without all the right pieces to the puzzle. There has to be an easy way to put together a clear picture. What could the Letra de Tesoro possibly be? One of her favorite words or something similar?

"Shut up, Criston, just shut up!" I said to the lady, but she didn't budge. "You're wrong . . . you're an idiot . . . I love you . . . I hate you!" I kept shouting out all the most common things Julia ever said to me. But the lady continued speaking her ominous phrases.

"You are losing time," her composure had returned. "You must say the required phrase or forever be banned from Corinthia," she informed me with less compassion in her robot voice than earlier. "Use that which was given to you ... Criston," she said with a confusing sense of urgency.

Because of her tone, I looked up from the ground, where my head hung low, trying to keep the winds out my face. I twisted sideways, where I witnessed the beginning of the end of me. Both sides of the wall were creeping up against the edges of my fingernails. I could feel them grinding against my nails. Just a sliver of space left to see the mysterious lady. She was nearly gone from sight. The wall crept closed very slowly, but wasn't stopping to wait for me to let go. I could see the blood running down my arm as the two edges that opened up inside this pillar started to inch steadily closer, back into one wall. They would crush my fingers whole if I don't come up with the correct pass code.

The lady told me to use what was given to me. This is my last shot before my fingers are permanently severed from my hands. The sides are too close to let go any longer. I will either be maimed or allowed inside. I cried out in pain the only phrase left I could think of to get me through. The converging walls crushed my fingers as I shouted.

"Insert key . . . please!!!!!"

March 26, 1002 ~ Nightfall

"Wow!" is the only thing I could think to say after the portal sucked me through. I was saved from a bitter fate of living without my fingers. This day, I deem fingers a necessity for getting through life. I don't think I could have managed without them. They burn now, as the blood dries from my debatably insignificant wounds. But-at least I still had them. I ca
n’
t imagine how people get around without certain limbs. I need my legs, arms, hands and yes, fingers.

Julia really knew her stuff. It was all in the pudding from the start. She didn't miss a beat. I can't believe I was stupid enough to question the audio and video examples.

This is my first look at what Julia's plan entailed. Apparently, she didn't think this all the way through. There isn't much here in this so called paradise. Just a beach looking house a few yards away from a beautiful shoreline. The sunset looked just like the sunrise I witnessed a moment ago on the Puente del Cielo. I guess the time frames from her World to the next were a little different. It's not surprising at all really. All the Worlds have different time frames. It's got something to do with the original time of day they were created. Julia created Corinthia at close to sunset on the Puente del Cielo yesterday. When the sun rises on the bridge, then it will be setting in Corinthia and vice versa. A beautiful site, this twilight. The sky's orange and gold hues reflected off the white shutters of the beach house and made this place look perfectly serene. I guess there is some magik here after all. I felt right at home.

Julia stepped through a white porch door with a gray netted screen at its top center. She was wearing a turquoise sun dress that fluttered in the ocean breeze. The dress was nearly the same color as Corinth's eyes. The mix between my Draconian heritage and Julia's La Envidia heritage was to thank for that. Her brown hair was down, and it too was flying around in the wind. A sweet and natural beauty. This was a surprise to me when I first met her. Her people aren't exactly known for being easy going or friendly. She had her moments, but for the most part, I think she's put most of that stereotype to rest.

"You're late!" Julia shouted down to me, with a smile, from the wooden porch. The sea winds muffled her voice. She spoke up as much as she could. "Come in off the beach, someone's been dying to see you."

I walked over and as I lifted my leg, putting a dusty black boot on the first white painted wooden step, a bolt of lightning burst out of the door! It flew down the steps and into my arms. It knocked me clear back off the stairs and sent me falling on my back into the sandy beach beneath me. This lightning bolt, or at least what I thought to be lightning, sparked an excited fire in me the likes of which I haven't felt in years.