Although he was unaware of how she did it, his guide turned those trials into a speed race. If he had just seen the dawn, night suddenly appeared, returning them to darkness where he was not entirely comfortable. The stars became silent spectators, distant and patient, offering a slight glow that paled with the great full moon that would captivate anyone’s eyes.

He couldn’t get enough of such visions, especially since the nights in Madrid couldn’t be more different. Living in a city had its advantages, but as soon as it got dark, the light from the city prevented them from enjoying the sky that nature offered them. That was a detail that he only began to appreciate there and that he looked forward to doing the same once he returned home.

“Even the best watch in the world couldn’t keep up with you,” Finnian said.

Although his grandmother was not one of the chattiest people, or not at that moment, the Star Gate would be the fifth one he would have to face. Quite evident from the scenery before their eyes.

“It focuses on the truth and is blocked by lies. The ones you tell yourself.”

To which Finnian wanted to comment that they were not few.

“You are a Signer, the chosen one to save Elthea. Why do you find it so hard to believe what we tell you?”

How often had he been told how important he was, and how often had he chosen not to make it relevant? Who would make an eleven-year-old boy the saviour of an entire world when he barely knew anything about it? Why did he keep whispering to himself these questions to which he had no answer?

“Because I never considered myself valuable,” Finnian admitted, wanting to close his eyes even tighter. “No one had ever cared, and I didn’t think I could do anything. I’ve always been invisible.”

“You can’t lie to yourself about your nature. It would be best if you accepted that you are a Signer, that it is you who will save them all. You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t true.”

This had nothing to do with his magic or his abilities. His grandmother once told him that heroes were not heroes because of how powerful they were but what was in their hearts. Breathing in, he concentrated his whole being on those words. He remembered every occasion when he was in danger when they fought. Their escape from High Sword, in Ellery Forest or against Ailfryd, even when Ariel kidnapped him! Each of those experiences flashed before him, reminding him that there was much he was capable of.

“Excellent, Finnian. You are very close. Look around you.”

Opening his eyes, he soon understood what she meant. Shooting stars were streaking across the sky, offering him a spectacle not everyone would have experienced. He would give her points for beauty, but she was direct with her actions when she wasn’t direct with her words.

“The Light Gate focuses on perception and is blocked by illusion. The greatest belief is separation. Aspects that you consider distinct from the pieces of a single picture.”

“Like the Signers and the elthean?”

“Exactly. They may appear different on the surface, but they all have a beating heart. I’m sure more things come to mind now.”

Love, compassion. Theri and the Little Warriors were one big family. Ailfryd cared for his own with all his affection, while Braunah and Flicka may have been pack leaders, but they were also mothers. Ariel was not so different from them, and even he, a Signer who seemed to question everything this world had ever seen, walked in Elthea as one of their own. They were not so different, even if some preferred to see only that. They might be divided, but they were connected.

“Even the elements are an illusion, Finnian. If you open your mind, you will see that they are one energy in reality. What is space but the aggregate of them all? And time?”

What moves everything. Perhaps in Elthea, they were born with one energy, but there was so much more in their universe, no matter where they were, that could not be organized into those categories.

“There are five, we talked about six gates, but you said seven,” Finnian said.

“That’s the one we’re missing now, patience.”

“As if you haven’t said that before,” Finnian mumbled, smiling sarcastically.

The last door was the door of the mind, of his heart. Once he managed to open it, he would get more than the egg they all coveted.

“What do you mean?”

“Since you first came here, you’ve managed to do things that others couldn’t, so you’ve been told.”

He had not one partner but four, who could evolve without problems, responding to his magic. Everyone looked at him differently for that very reason, and he understood. He had seen the power he awakened in his friends, being something the others craved. But not everything was limited to that, and other details did not escape him. How was he able to defend himself? Why did he seem to be more connected to Elthea than Blanche, another Signer like him?

“You will be aware of your powers and be able to control the actions you take.”

“Let’s do it,” Finnian said, eager to get it over.

“This last one focuses on all the energy around us blocked by emotional attachments.”

“Emotional attachments?”

“Think about what ties you to this place.”

Their partners? No, it wasn’t just them. He loved them madly, but there was something else. There was also the chance to see what He could of a magical world Finnian had always dreamed of. He had a unique opportunity, and he wouldn’t waste it. Who would? Everywhere he looked, or any place he visited, made him want to know it as best he could. The friendships he created, everything that hadn’t ended, and he hoped he’d get the chance for it, he knew his time in Elthea would end at some point, even if he didn’t want to face something like that. Or not until now.

“Now, let all those emotional attachments flow like a river.”

The shower of stars became an aurora borealis. The sky was covered with different colours, like the water streams that had just been described to him.

“Let them go. Forget them.”

“What?” he shouted so loudly that his heart almost leapt out of his chest. Ironic timing, isn’t it? “Why should I forget my partners? All the eltheans I’ve known or what I’ve experienced here? That was a good thing!”

“You have to learn to let them go,” the old woman said. “If you’re not able to give this up, not only will you not get through the last door, but you won’t get what you need.”

“No more riddles. What do you mean?” Finnian exclaimed.

He was more than angry. He felt cheated, manipulated. Many had tried to make him a piece in their games, someone they wanted to take advantage of because of his strength and youth, although he was not stupid.

“Yours lost to Azazel,” the old woman said. Finally, an answer!

“I know that, but they fixed it,” Finnian snorted. “They solved that problem. They saved Elthea.”

“Maybe they did, at the time. However, some wounds take time to heal and upset the natural balance. Why do you think an egg came out of all that misfortune?”

“Good question. I thought you would have the answer,” Finnian said.

“Why were you chosen to come into this world?” she continued.

While she spoke calmly before, she showed emotions for the first time since they had met face to face. Perhaps it was not anger, but concern, maybe fear.

“Why did you dream of Elthea even before you were summoned? Why did you dream of this place and the egg you seek?”

“How do you know?” Finnian said, but the older woman held his gaze. “Answer me!”

Being young had its good things. All the adult obligations didn’t go with it. He had to focus on school and little else. But to be controlled, manipulated to the point of being taken to an unfamiliar place and put into a situation he hadn’t asked for was something that had no name.

The urge to leave there never left him, but the need to answer all the questions the older woman had just uttered would not go away if he did. That’s why he stayed in his seat to add:

“Who are you? What are you?”

“I am a memory of old times, and at the same time, I am not,” she replied. “I am the one who started it all. I am the reason why yours should exist.”

“Are you... the Signer’s creator?” Finnian murmured.

However, she shook her head, though the power within her was at far greater levels than he currently possessed. Still, something made him trust her words. Every step they had taken, every cue and door he opened, all were charged with human emotions that seemed alien to him. Perhaps, in the past, she had been like him—magical, flesh and blood, mortal. What stood before him was an ancient being.

“Now you understand.”

“You’ve said it yourself, all along,” Finnian admitted. “You’re not elthean, you’re not human, but you’re part of both worlds, and you can’t fix what’s happening. Why?”

“Because I couldn’t let what was dearest to me go.”

“Is that why the egg is so protected?” Finnian said, to which she nodded. “Why are our destinies linked?”

The questions were not only those. Would he be able to give up everything he had learned? Was that the mystery why his grandparents never told him about Elthea since they only remembered snippets of their adventures?

“Does it matter what I answer you?” Finnian said, causing the older woman to raise her eyebrows, not understanding what he meant for the first time. “Do I have to let go of my loved ones? Get away from all my friends here? We both know that’s impossible. When you love someone, whoever they are, they are inside your heart. Those bonds remain, wherever you are.”

“Even if it means forgetting them?”

Even when something like that happened, he had made peace that he would have to part ways with his friends at some point. He ignored how, but not even the most potent magic could break the bonds they shared.