The crack in the sky grew wider.
I couldn't breathe.
Something was moving behind it.
Something enormous.
The First Queen stared upward.
For the first time, I saw fear in her eyes.
"What is the fourth world?" I asked.
She didn't look at me.
"The place where everything that was rejected was sent."
I frowned.
"Rejected by who?"
"By us."
The crack opened another inch.
A cold wind rushed across the battlefield.
The sea creatures screamed.
The silver soldiers lifted their weapons.
Even Nerath backed away.
I stared at it.
"Nerath is afraid?"
The First Queen nodded.
"He should be."
A deep sound came from beyond the crack.
Not a roar.
A heartbeat.
Boom.
The sea shook.
Boom.
The sky trembled.
Boom.
The ground cracked beneath our feet.
Shawshank grabbed my hand.
"What is coming?"
The First Queen finally answered.
"The forgotten world."
I swallowed.
"What was forgotten?"
"Everything we couldn't control."
The little girl stepped closer.
"Creatures."
"People."
"Powers."
"Memories."
She looked toward the crack.
"And children."
I stared at her.
"Children?"
She nodded.
"Children born with powers the three worlds feared."
A figure appeared inside the crack.
Then another.
Then hundreds.
They were walking toward us.
Some had wings.
Some had tails.
Some looked completely human.
But all of them had one thing in common.
They had black marks across their faces.
Nerath suddenly shouted,
"CLOSE IT!"
The First Queen raised her hand.
"I can't."
"Then destroy her!"
I turned toward Nerath.
"Destroy me?"
Nerath pointed at me.
"She is the only one who can close it."
The First Queen looked at me.
"He's right."
My heart dropped.
"What?"
"The fourth world is connected to you."
I shook my head.
"No."
"Yes."
She touched my golden mark.
"You carry the power that can unite the worlds."
Then she pointed toward the crack.
"And the fourth world wants that power."
A figure stepped through.
He was tall.
His skin was pale.
His eyes were completely black.
And around his neck hung a broken golden crown.
He looked at me.
Then smiled.
"Bjei."
I stepped backward.
"Who are you?"
He laughed.
"You really don't remember me?"
I shook my head.
He slowly removed the broken crown.
"I was the first king."
Shawshank stepped forward.
"First king of what?"
The stranger looked at him.
"The world before yours."
Shawshank's expression hardened.
"What do you want?"
The stranger pointed at me.
"Her."
I stepped behind Shawshank.
"No."
The stranger smiled.
"You always say no."
I froze.
"What?"
He stepped closer.
"You said it the first time."
My head began hurting.
A memory appeared.
I was standing in a golden hall.
But I wasn't alone.
The same man stood before me.
He was younger.
And I was holding a small golden crown.
He knelt before me.
"You can save us."
I heard my younger voice.
"I won't."
"Why?"
"Because saving your world means destroying another."
The memory vanished.
I gasped.
Shawshank held me.
"What did you see?"
I looked at the stranger.
"I knew him."
The First Queen closed her eyes.
"You knew all of them."
"Why don't I remember?"
"Because your memories were divided with your power."
The stranger laughed.
"And now they are returning."
He lifted his hand.
The black crack spread across the entire sky.
The sea began rising.
The clouds turned black.
The ground split open.
The war stopped.
Every creature stared upward.
Then the stranger spoke.
"Three worlds have fought for centuries."
He looked at the First Queen.
"Because of you."
Then at Nerath.
"Because of you."
Finally, he looked at me.
"But the fourth world…"
His smile widened.
"…has come to take back what was stolen."
I felt the golden power inside me rising.
Shawshank's hand tightened around mine.
"Bjei."
I looked at him.
"If they come for you, I won't let them take you."
The stranger laughed.
"You still don't understand."
He pointed at Shawshank.
"He isn't protecting her."
Shawshank frowned.
"What?"
The stranger's eyes turned toward his golden mark.
"He is protecting the door."
The mark on Shawshank's chest suddenly turned black.
He cried out.
I grabbed him.
"Shawshank!"
The stranger smiled.
"The door is opening."
Behind Shawshank, a dark doorway appeared.
And from inside it…
I heard thousands of voices whispering my name.
Bjei.
Bjei.
Bjei.
Then one voice rose above the others.
A voice I recognized immediately.
My grandmother.
"My child… don't trust Shawshank."