Delilah sat atop Solla as she carried them alongside Lunos through the vast expanses of the universe. Stars wheeled by, and multi-colored nebulae, and marvelous ringed planets. They arced around a cold, long-dead star, and Delilah gazed at it, struggling to think of it as “dead.” The white dwarf had a marvelous, blue-white brilliance to it, and the fires within and along its mass roiled and whirled. The dead star was spinning, rotating, and smaller meteorites and astral debris were pulled into its orbit.
The star seemed more alive than ever.
“I bet no one’s ever seen one this close before,” Delilah murmured, gazing in awe.
“This kind of travel isn’t exactly common,” Alice said with a grin. Her white eyes shone, reflecting the white dwarf’s intense brilliance.
“Any ordinary vessel that found its way out here would be pulled into the star’s gravity,” Terevalde said, his whole expression and posture radiating his awestruck wonder. “And none would allow us this kind of view without us being blinded in the process. The Travelers… are truly amazing.”
“Yeah,” Isabelle said, surprisingly nonchalant. “But how come they haven’t opened up a portal to get us home yet? It’s like they’re taking the long way home.”
“Where exactly are we going?” Terevalde asked. And Delilah almost laughed — at herself. All of them had been so caught up in other topics and conversation that even Delilah, the one supposedly in the lead on this journey, hadn’t made their destination clear to Terevalde.
“Not many places we can go,” Alice said before Delilah could respond. “We don’t exactly have many allies. Miss Prime Paladin herself kind of forbid us from having anything to do with the Key of the World.”
“Lady Kodoka is opposed to your quest?” Terevalde asked. He looked at Isabelle, Maribelle, and Sarabelle. “Yet you travel with —”
“We aren’t the most obedient of daughters,” Maribelle said.
“Technically, I’m on this quest by accident,” Sarabelle said with a soft chuckle. Perched on her shoulder was Bella. The little white cat had left her usual hiding place within Sarabelle’s long, thick curls ever since their flight on Solla had begun, and she’d constantly been gazing at everything in sight, her eyes full of curiosity and wonder. “Yet even so, I support Delilah.”
“And I’ll always stand up for Delilah!” Isabelle proclaimed, raising her hand. “And, I mean… I don’t like it, but sometimes Mommy gets things wrong.”
“I suppose it isn’t surprising that she would oppose the Key’s turning,” Terevalde said. “She… not only was she present for the Tragedy, she gave so much of herself to undoing it — as much as she could, at least. She was still a Princess of Solitude back then, and had suddenly been thrust into the position of Prime Paladin. She… has every reason to fear the Key’s power.”
“You knew Mommy when she was younger?” Isabelle asked, leaning in close. “Before she had any daughters? Did you know our Daddy?”
“Belle-Belle —” Maribelle started, a strange melancholy in her voice as she reached out a hand. But she stopped herself, and looked away, sadness in her eyes.
“I never knew of any man in her life,” Terevalde said. “I apologize. I… while I knew her, and did assist her in undoing the devastation Gio wrought, I never knew her well. I…” He bowed his head. “I was much closer with the previous Prime Paladin.”
“The previous Prime Paladin died in the Tragedy?” Delilah asked.
“Yes,” Terevalde said, his voice heavy with sorrow. “Because his Daylight Bastion was the previous Prime Bastion, stationed the closest of all Locations to the Edge of Night, and had a very specific charge.” He nodded to Delilah. “The Key that you wear once resided in that Bastion.”
“You mean the Bastion that gramps robbed was —?” Alice started, looking at Marcus.
“ ‘Robbed’?” Terevalde asked.
“I… stole the Key,” Marcus said, a faraway look in his eyes. “I knew that place was once a Daylight Bastion, but I had no idea it was once the Prime Bastion. It was almost fully devoured by the Darkness when I retrieved the Key. I suppose you could call it a rescue, but I…” a glint of playful amusement shone in his eyes, “always thought it sounded more exciting to say that I stole it.”
“It was indeed a rescue,” Terevalde said, and he bowed to Marcus. “A most daring rescue, and far more exciting than any heist. I do not know if you realize just how much you risked, but I thank you for saving the Key.”
“But… we have to go back there, don’t we?” Delilah asked. “The Key that came from that Bastion has to be turned in the pedestal it came from.”
“That is true,” Terevalde said, his expression grave. “And I shudder to think what horrors you will face inside a Fallen Bastion.”
“Fallen?” Alice asked. “I thought Bastions that weren’t working anymore were called Lost.”
“A Location — even a Bastion — that is Lost is one that has been broken from its position in one of the three spirals of the Enchanted Dominion,” Maribelle said. “Bastions that lose their purpose but are not ruled by Darkness are Lost, like the ones we saw in our journey to Revue Palace. A Fallen Bastion… is a terrible tragedy. It is a Bastion wholly and completely consumed by Darkness. It is, for all intents and purposes, a dead Bastion. It will never function properly again.”
Delilah’s attention turned to the white dwarf, the dead star, as they started to fly away from it.
I still… think it looks so incredibly alive.
“Revue Palace?” Terevalde asked, his eyebrows lifting. “You don’t mean… but I thought it was Lost. The Lost of the Lost, at least from what I had read. Even its name had changed — the Drowned Theater — and its original identity forgotten.”
“You read and heard correctly,” Marcus said, smiling with gentle pride. He nodded to Delilah and Alice. “These two changed all of that. Revue Palace is restored, and they are her Paladins.”
Terevalde’s eyes widened, and he gazed at the girls in silent awe. Delilah felt the urge to pull up her hood and hide, embarrassed by the intense amount of praise and reverence she was on the receiving end of.
Alice, for her part, chuckled. “Don’t tell Revue that it’s been ‘restored’,” she said. “She’ll start a long rant about all the many rooms and halls and theaters that we still need to clean and fix up.”
Isabelle giggled. “Yeah, and you’d never get her to stop,” she said.
“But it’s true,” Maribelle said, rolling her eyes. “We have a great deal of work left to do before Revue Palace is restored to her former glory.”
“And Revue Palace is… where we are going?” Terevalde asked.
Delilah nodded. “It’s the safest place that we can get to,” she said. “Revue’s been protecting us from Lady Kodoka’s ire, and helping us find the Book and any other information we can about the Key of the World. Oh!” She leaned forward, remembering something. “She showed us the Reflection Theater, and it’s the place that we can see the Key ‘through the glass.’ We’re still not sure how to reach it, but we at least know where it is.”
“Ah, yes,” Terevalde murmured, tilting his head back, gazing at the beautiful, multi-colored expanse of this region of space. “Knowing is half the battle.”
They left the white dwarf behind, speeding through space. They also sped through sections of the Enchanted Dominion, frequently close enough to Locations that Delilah and the others could actually see into those places. She recognized some — they flew past Starlight Spires which, to Delilah’s relief, was as bright as ever, and full of people.
Darkness is spreading. But it’s nowhere close to winning yet.
And then, finally, a portal split reality wide open. And in that portal waited a silver door.
“You know what to do,” Alice said, grinning.
Delilah nodded. “Yeah.” She raised the Key, pointing it at the door. A beam of light shot from Key to door, and a soft click sounded.
The door opened. And they flew through.
All around was light and color, magnificent brilliance that they couldn’t make sense of. Delilah sat on Solla at the front of the group, smiling. Alice plopped down next to her, and her hand touched Delilah’s.
And she held on.
Delilah looked at Alice, and saw in her black eyes a measure of uncertainty. A dread, which she hid from the others by sitting at the front, face-forward, but she didn’t hide from Delilah.
She’s… trusting me.
Solla’s song came to her, and Delilah smiled as tears stung her eyes.
Right. I’m her big sister.
Delilah held Alice’s hand with a gentle but firm grip. Just to let her know.
I’m here. And I always will be.
Their hands pressed together against Solla, so they could feel the song that was meant only for them.
Dark Eater.
That term, that phrase, that title, whatever it meant, sent a shock of fear and dread through Solla and Lunos. But though that title ostensibly applied to Alice…
Solla and Lunos did not fear Alice.
They loved her.
Delilah felt Alice’s hand trembling, and she gave it a gentle squeeze. And she thought, for a moment, she could feel a song from Alice, just like how she felt the song from Solla and Lunos.
A song of fear. But also, buried in there, but slowly surfacing…
A song of hope.
Their journey through the colorful brilliance ended, and they came out in the vast harbor of Revue Palace. Solla and Lunos took their places, and the passengers disembarked. Delilah shared one more thanks with the Travelers, and then led the way with Alice up to Revue Palace proper.
They heard Revue long before they saw her. She was singing, her voice magnificent, bold, and beautiful.
But also… tragically sad.
And a touch angry.
“Follow the music,” Delilah said, leading on. But she was a bit worried. Perhaps she shouldn’t be — numerous operas were tragedies, after all, and Revue was a magnificent actress. And yet…
I’m not so sure she’s rehearsing.
Through many halls they roamed, taking paths that they knew quite well now. Revue Palace was huge, so the journey took time, but Delilah found herself smiling, especially when she passed by hers and Alice’s rooms.
More and more, this place felt like home.
Yet Delilah’s smile didn’t last long. As she’d feared, they didn’t find Revue rehearsing in one of the many theaters.
They found her at the entrance to the Chambers of Departure, where the many doors to different Bastions stood ready and waiting. Revue knelt on the floor, head in her hands, grieving with a song that wrenched Delilah’s heart and put tears in her eyes.
And then she felt a spike of fear. Because scattered around Revue’s feet were shards of glass, and thin slivers of wood.
Delilah was running before she knew it. “Revue!” she cried out, reaching Revue’s side and touching her shoulder. “What’s happened?”
“You’ve returned?” Revue asked, raising her head. Delilah gasped in shock at just how mournful her painted face looked, tears tracking makeup down her mask.
“Yes,” Delilah said gently. “Revue, what’s happened? Are you all right?”
“I am the picture of health, love,” Revue said, but there wasn’t as much bite in it as she normally would have used. The grief was too powerful. She gestured with a long-fingered hand at the entrance to the Chambers of Departure. “It is the Palace that has faced injury!”
Delilah looked inside and gasped.
There were hundreds of doors in the Chambers of Departure. Revue Palace was one of the largest and most important Daylight Bastions of all, and so it had a door to every single Daylight Bastion — including ones that no longer functioned, leading to Lost or abandoned Bastions.
But what Delilah saw now was a disaster. Two dozen doors were gone — shattered, destroyed, their fragments scattered outward in the clear aftermath of a vicious, violent explosion.
And she immediately knew the cause.
“It’s… my fault…” she said softly, staring in anguish.
“Your fault, love?” Revue asked. She rose to her full height, eyeing Delilah with a look of curiosity. “Whatever can you mean by that?”
And Delilah explained, with the help of those who had come after her and Alice. About leading the Lingering Will away from the Astral Wall. About leaping into the door to Revue Palace.
About the sudden, violent shift, the explosion she heard in the distance, and being flung so far off-course she and everyone who’d come with her had ended up at the end of the world.
“But I never thought…” Delilah said, shaking her head, staring at the destroyed doors. “I never thought something like this would happen!”
“I wondered about that particular explosion,” Revue said, surprisingly calm now, her tragic grief dispensed with. “I see… well, I’ve only heard of such a thing, and I’m older than anyone you’ll ever meet.”
“You know what happened?” Delilah asked.
“Failsafe feedback,” Revue said. “The Light protected you — that is why you were not harmed, only the Lingering Will was. And the Light also protected the Bastions. It could not allow a creature of the Void to travel through its pathways. So it forcibly ejected both it and you. But in doing so, in enacting that defensive measure, there was a powerful surge of feedback that caused the explosion, the results of which you see before you.”
“The Light destroyed its own pathways?” Alice asked. “Isn’t that kind of suicidal?”
“Nonsense, love,” Revue said. “It is a vital defensive measure, a true last resort. And the pathways aren’t gone forever. The Door will regrow in time.”
“Regrow?” Alice asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Did you think the Doors from Bastion to Bastion were built, love?” Revue asked. She laughed softly, her masked face losing all pretense of sorrow or grief as her lips spread in a smile. “They are alive. And even such a powerful explosion will not kill them. Give them time, and they will recover. Centuries, at least — it’s not a trivial matter, regrowing what took ages to grow the first time — but those Doors and their pathways will exist once more, someday.”
Delilah placed her hands on her hips, pursing her lips as she looked up at Revue. “You were rehearsing,” she said.
“Caught in the act!” Revue said. “But come, now — I couldn’t resist such a perfect scene. And it is a heartbreaking event, nonetheless. The perfect inspiration for the heartrending aria in the second act of ‘The Everlasting Rain.’ No proper artist lets perfect inspiration go to waste!”
Delilah glared up at Revue for a few more seconds, and then let out a heavy sigh, bowing and shaking her head. “You’re impossible,” she muttered. Then she stepped forward, hugging Revue as well and as tight as she could, despite only coming up to Revue’s hips. “I missed you.”
“And I, you, love,” Revue said, returning Delilah’s embrace. And then, a sudden “urk!” and Alice was pulled in, too, enfolded in Revue’s embrace alongside Delilah. “I missed you both.”
“Yeah, yeah, thanks,” Alice said, squirming but finding no escape. Delilah laughed. A moment later, Revue let them go, and Alice swiftly stepped out of Revue’s long reach.
“We’ve also, um, brought a guest,” Delilah said, finally finding a way to introduce Terevalde, and feeling a little bit embarrassed that he had to see all of that before getting a proper introduction.
Revue greeted Terevalde with her trademark dramatic elegance, and then looked him up and down appraisingly. “So you’re one of the ones spoken of in the Book of the Key, are you?” she asked. “I hope you’re here to help my loves. They’re very precious to me, and I won’t allow harm to come to them, do you understand?”
“Fully and completely,” Terevalde said, bowing to Revue with a theatrical grace. “It is an honor and a privilege to be in your most illustrious palace. I come as a friend, not a foe, and I swear to put all my heart and soul into seeing Delilah and Alice’s mission through to a successful end.”
Revue raised a hand to her mouth, raising her eyebrows. “Oh, but he’s a charmer!” She held out a hand, and Terevalde took it lightly in his own, planting a graceful kiss upon the most prominent of her rings. Revue slowly withdrew her hand, as if reluctant to do so, and let out a dramatic sigh. “He’s marvelous. Can I keep him?”
“No,” Delilah and Alice said in unison, and then laughed. “Revue,” Delilah continued, “we need to focus. And I need to apologize in advance — we won’t be able to do any work on restoring the Palace, not this time. We need to figure out our next steps and then get moving as soon as possible.”
“Oh, you don’t ever need to apologize to me, love,” Revue said, waving a hand and clucking her tongue. “Not you. To you I owe the world, and would gladly give it. The same goes for you,” she eyed Alice, “even if you continue to oh-so-rudely spurn my affections. I thrive on physical affection, love. You’ll just have to come to accept it.”
“Your song was beautiful,” Alice said with a rather flat tone that didn’t make it sound like all that much of a compliment. And yet…
Revue very nearly swooned. “Ah, you bring life to my heart and breath to my lungs! Thank you, dearest Alice!”
Alice nodded, then turned away. Only when she wasn’t facing Revue did she manage a smirk. “She’s too easy,” she muttered. Delilah fought laughter.
Revue led them to a more appropriate place for discussion — the premier atrium, outside the premier theater. There, Delilah, Alice, Marcus, Maribelle, and Isabelle explained — primarily to Terevalde, but this also helped to get Sarabelle up to speed on certain details she hadn’t yet been privy to — their entire journey. It all started with Delilah and Alice freeing Solla, which was where and when Delilah first received the Key of the World from Marcus. They walked through their entire journey — training, visiting the Lost Bastions, following the trail of Sen and Valgwyn, teaming up with Maribelle and Isabelle, the Revue of Night, discovering the truth about the Key of the World, putting it forth at the Council of the Light, being shot down by Lady Kodoka, and then undertaking the journey on their own. They walked through the ringing of the Bells, the discovery of the Lingering Will, and how they ended up in the Final Frontier.
Terevalde asked very few questions. When they were done, he sat in quiet contemplation for quite some time, and no one interrupted him.
It really is a lot to take in.
Now that Delilah had actually put it all into words, she realized just how much she’d been through. And just how much she’d changed.
It all started with failing on the Nightmare Road. Leaving Shana’s group after she’d been so gracious in letting me join…
And just… begging for some direction. For somewhere that I could actually be useful.
And I was taken to Solla.
Despite all the terrors she’d seen and faced since then, despite how hard and perilous so much of it had been, Delilah was incredibly grateful.
Because she’d finally figured out where she belonged.
During the conversation, Delilah had also presented to Terevalde the Book of the Key — what they had of it, anyway. As Terevalde contemplated all he’d been told, he also read the book. Slowly, carefully, his fingers lightly turned the pages, as if he was terrified it would fall to pieces. Delilah felt kind of bad for how carelessly she’d treated it in comparison. The pages were made of thick, sturdy wood — she’d never even considered the possibility of them breaking, despite knowing that the Book was tremendously old.
Finally, Terevalde put down the book. “There is a problem that presents itself just from looking at these pages,” he said.
“What’s that?” Alice asked, leaning forward.
“One of the pages you are missing… it is in a difficult location, to say the least,” Terevalde said. “It is safe, there is no doubt about that. But… well, I hadn’t expected things to take the turn they have.”
“If it’s safe, then what’s the deal?” Alice asked. “Let’s just go get it. We’ve taken on a lot, you know.”
“Oh,” Delilah said, watching Terevalde’s expression. “It’s… complicated, isn’t it?”
Terevalde nodded.
“What’s complicated?” Alice asked, frowning. “You know I hate vagueries, right?”
“That’s a fun word,” Isabelle said, giggling.
“The page he’s talking about is safe, because it’s in a Daylight Bastion,” Delilah said. “In the strongest Daylight Bastion there is.”
“Ohhh,” Alice said, raising her eyebrows. “It’s in the Library of Solitude, huh?”
“Indeed,” Terevalde said. “Lady Kodoka… likely does not know of its whereabouts. It wasn’t meant to be found except by the Keybearer. But if she is opposed to your quest, then simply entering the Library of Solitude may be a dangerous endeavor.”
“It isn’t dangerous!” Isabelle said, pouting. “Mommy wouldn’t hurt any of us! She’ll say stuff, and she might try to punish us, but Mari and Sara and me can grab her attention. Besides, she’s all focused on training people for the big battle. She’s gonna be distracted. We know secret paths. We can get there!”
“But we have to start by going in the front door,” Maribelle said. “And while you were able to sneak in alone and Sarabelle was able to sneak out with you, a larger group might be more noticeable. And it can’t just be you and one of us who go in this time. Delilah at least has to go.”
“And if she goes, I go,” Alice said.
“And we’ll need Terevalde to show us to the page, right?” Delilah asked. “I’m guessing it won’t be hidden somewhere that directions can easily get us to.”
“Correct,” Terevalde said. “And… well, I can find it. I’m confident in that. But I have to be there, to walk those paths again. I can’t walk them simply in my memory.”
“So we all go,” Isabelle said. “It’ll be fine, right? We’ll work on Mommy so you guys can do what you need to do.”
“Belle-Belle’s got it all figured out,” Alice said with a smirk. “And anyway, I’m game. I like going where I’m not supposed to.” She grinned at Marcus. “And you’ve stolen the Key of the World from its proper pedestal. So I know you’ve got some of that rebellious spirit, too.”
Marcus smiled. “Oh, I’m quite looking forward to this,” he said, a twinkle in his eyes. “Shall we all go together?”
Delilah nodded, standing. “We will,” she said. “But… first.” She smiled sheepishly. “I, um… I think we could all probably do with a meal.”
“Yes, please!” Isabelle said, hopping to her feet.
And so it was decided. They all pitched in together, leaving only Sarabelle and Terevalde to sit out and relax while they waited for… lunch? Dinner? Breakfast? Delilah’s sense of time was a total mess with all her adventures in the Enchanted Dominion. But it didn’t matter.
A delicious meal with good company was always wonderful, no matter what it was.
After they ate, they bid Revue farewell and departed from the connection linking Revue Palace to the Library of Solitude’s main entrance.
When they entered the Library, braced for danger… all of them were surprised.
“Huh?” Isabelle asked, trotting forward, spinning in a circle, looking all around. “Where is everybody?”
The entrance hall — usually a hub of activity, with constant comings and goings — was completely empty. Even the service desk was unmanned.
Delilah felt an eerie chill. She’d seen the entrance hall this empty before. And while the Library was as bright as it had been since Shana had restored it —
“Princesses!” came a sudden voice, and everyone turned. There was Merric, head librarian of the Library of Solitude, his long red ponytail sporting a few strands of silver since the endeavor to rescue the Library from Darkness. He was a bit flustered, and paused before their party, catching his breath. “It is good you have come. Despite my warnings, Lady Kodoka insisted she couldn’t wait any longer. With you three gone we knew not where, and Lady Annabelle aiding the Dreamer, I was worried the Library would be without a Princess to safeguard it.”
“Mother left?” Maribelle asked, stepping forward. “Merric, what’s happened?”
Merric adjusted his round, silver-framed spectacles and smoothed his robes. “Maestro Siegfried returned from his mission with great news,” he said. “They discovered the Lord of Night’s weakness. After some more preparations, Lady Kodoka and the Maestro led the entire force of Paladins and Sub-Paladins — the Host of the Light — out from the Library. They sally forth to the final battle. And yet… somehow, my heart quavers with dread.”
“The final battle?” Delilah asked, a powerful dread filling her own heart. “They’ve all gone? But there were hundreds of Paladins!”
“Thousands all arranged, with the Sub-Paladins they also counted in their force,” Maribelle said solemnly. “They truly believe they’ve found the Lord of Night’s weakness?”
“Yes,” Merric said with a nod. “Maestro Siegfried called it a great triumph.”
“Indeed it would be,” Marcus said softly, gazing thoughtfully into the distance.
This isn’t right. It’s too soon. Too… simple.
I don’t like this. I know there are so many of them. And I know Paladins can fight the Sons of Night.
But…
The Sons of Night aren’t the Lord of Night.
Please. Please don’t let them be walking into a trap.
——
“Oh, you are right to worry, Delilah,” Sal murmured, smiling as he closed one of the Eyes of Darkness. Watching the young Paladin run around doing her very best was exciting. “That worry keeps you sharp. You’re the best kind of hero for this story — sharp, quick-witted. Brilliant, really. You’ve already bested my Sons, more than once. How many Paladins can boast of that? And yet you don’t let your victories delude you into foolish arrogance. You recognize the danger. A danger that they fail to see.”
He turned away from where he spoke to the Darkness, to see the great force arrayed before him, a host unlike any ever seen. They were still arriving, breaking through the shroud of Darkness around the Throne of Night, shining with brilliant light.
Hundreds of Paladins and Sub-Paladins already. And this wasn’t even half of the enemy force. Hundreds more were still breaking in.
Not that they would see the danger. I made sure of that.
“My Lord, let us —” Jormungand started, but Sal gestured casually, and Jormungand fell silent.
Sal’s great advisor stood before the throne. So too did Sen, Valgwyn, and Dullan.
All were gathered. Yet Sal shook his head.
“You don’t see, do you?” he asked. “I’m very pleased with how well my grand plan has been advancing so far. All has gone as I’d hoped. And yet the one disappointing element of this endeavor is that I haven’t had an opportunity to take the stage. I’m jealous of you four, don’t you see? I’ve been living vicariously through you, marveling in your adventures, but also wishing I could be a part of them. Aside from a few background endeavors that I couldn’t entrust to anyone else, and my brief moment in the spotlight at the Seat of the Seven… I’ve been sitting. Far too long.” He smiled up at the brilliant, growing host. “All of you may take your leave. It’s time for me to show the heroes of this world what I’m truly capable of.”
“But my Lord —” Jormungand started.
“Be silent,” Sen said, stern yet not disrespectful. What a master of control he was. Sal was tremendously proud of him. “Father has commanded. We obey.”
Dullan was already gone. He was focused and understanding.
Valgwyn only remained because his next mission was one that he needed Sen’s accompaniment for. Sen turned away, opened a portal in the Darkness, and stepped through. Valgwyn followed, and the portal closed.
Jormungand cast a long, uncertain look at Sal.
Is that worry for your Lord of Night, Jormungand? I’m disappointed. You helped create me. And yet you still doubt my power?
But Sal merely smiled. And Jormungand turned away, departing through his own rift in the Darkness.
Sal was alone. Blessedly, perfectly alone, against hundreds upon hundreds of Paladins and Sub-Paladins.
And at their fore, none other than the Prime Paladin herself, Lady Kodoka, and the great Knight-Commander and Champion of the Light, Maestro Siegfried.
Sal’s smile deepened. He remained in his throne, but his heart thrummed with excitement.
Yes. The time has come.
First here. And once this battle is concluded…
It’s about time I made my way back home.