Curse of Soulmate--The Complete Series

by D. N. Leo

  "You mean a manmade gate?" Tadgh asked. "If it's manmade, exactly what is being locked in here?"

  "It's not going to be anything friendly, so I’d try not to think about it if I were you,” Madeline said.

  "The handle to lift the gate is underwater. By my gauge, it might take all four of us to turn it," Ciaran said. His voice shook a bit, and his teeth started to chatter with the cold.

  "Okay, let's go and get it done then," Zach said.

  Ciaran leaned on the rock wall, gesturing that he needed a moment. He sat down.

  Madeline put her arm around him. "What’s wrong, Ciaran?"

  "Nothing."

  His lips turned purple. Ciaran knew the snake poison had spread throughout his body. He was surprised it hadn’t killed him already.

  Madeline looked at Ciaran's face. "Tell me, Ciaran."

  Ciaran pulled up his sleeve to show the snake bite. The wound had turned black now as well as the area around it. “The snake left me a souvenir,” Ciaran said.

  "Oh, Jesus Christ!” Madeline cried out.

  Tadgh grabbed his dagger.

  Ciaran gestured Tadgh to stop. "I could have done it myself. But the snake said I'd need it."

  "It meant you needed the poison?" Tadgh said.

  Ciaran found it hard to talk now. He was too cold. "We have to get out of here,” he said. He got into the water and started swimming toward the gate’s handle.

  The metal bars of the gate stared at them in challenge. There was only a foot between the water’s surface and the ceiling of the cave. The water was not too deep. It was more of a tunnel than a cave.

  The wheel to open the gate had four handles. They all dove under the water, grabbed a handle, and turned.

  The door shifted up an inch. They came up for air and dove down for another round. Each time, they managed to shift the gate up only an inch.

  Suddenly, they felt a strange movement in the currents. In the dim light, they could see a pair of beady eyes deep inside the tunnel.

  They surfaced. There was nowhere for them to go. They couldn’t go back inside to the rocks.

  "What is it, Ciaran?" Madeline asked.

  "I think it's some kind of sea monster,” Ciaran responded.

  "Like a seahorse?" Tadgh asked.

  "But this isn’t the ocean," Zach said.

  "I don't think it’s here by choice. It's locked in here with us,” Ciaran said.

  "What are we supposed to do now?" Madeline asked.

  They felt the water being sucked into the cave, rushing from the river outside, gushing through the bars and flowing toward the monster. They grabbed the bars of the gate. The suction was incredibly strong. The water brought with it whatever was in the river.

  “It’s feeding time. Great,” Ciaran muttered.

  Chapter 126

  Ciaran ducked his head under the water to take a look at the animal. Then he came up again.

  "It's going to feed now. It will open its mouth and create a strong current to suck everything in. We have to open the gate and get out as quickly as we can. But I don't think we can handle the gate and the current at the same time. So Madeline, Tadgh, and I will open the gate, and Zach, you have to distract it with your sound wave."

  "How?"

  "I don't know—that's your job,” Ciaran said and dove down to the handle. Tadgh and Madeline did the same.

  Zach dove under the water along with them. He looked at the sea monster. He had never seen a fish that ugly in all his life—the mouth of a whale, alligator eyes, and a scaled body.

  It stared at Zach. He stared back. Then, looking bored, the sea monster turned and opened its mouth as wide as the tunnel.

  The current started to flow in.

  Zach concentrated and shot out a sound wave that he thought the monster would hate. Nothing happened. The current grew stronger.

  The gate lifted one more inch.

  Ciaran, Madeline, and Tadgh were not coming up for more air. They kept turning the handle.

  One more inch.

  Zach shot again. It hit something. The monster startled and shook. It looked angry.

  Shit. If I make it angry, it might eat more. Suck everyone into that ugly mouth, Zach thought. He sent out another sound.

  The gate lifted one more inch.

  The monster grew angrier. They heard a high-pitched sound, followed by a low rumbling sound, and then felt a gigantic rush of current.

  They couldn’t keep turning the gate now. They hung onto the bars as tightly as they could. The current drew in fish, rocks, logs, and many other things from the river.

  Zach couldn’t send any more sounds. He hung onto the gate, too. They didn’t know how long they could hold on.

  Ciaran had only one functional arm now. The other had been numb with the pain and the snake poison.

  The current grew stronger by the second. Ciaran knew the first person it swept away would be Madeline. She couldn’t possibly have as strong a grip as the men. He had to do something about it.

  Ciaran let go of the gate. The current drew him toward the monster’s mouth.

  Ciaran pulled out his dagger and cut his left arm. The black poison released quickly into the water and flowed into the monster's mouth. Before Ciaran's body hit the mouth of the monster, it clamped its jaws shut.

  The current stopped.

  The monster did not move. It looked as if it had passed out.

  Ciaran surfaced and drew in a breath. “Bon appétit!” he said and quickly swam back to the handle. The four of them dove again and turned the handle.

  One more inch. And one more. Finally, they created a gap just large enough for their bodies to slide under.

  Suddenly, the monster rumbled. It roared and charged at the gate.

  Tadgh was the last person to slide through the gap. As soon as he slid through, the monster’s teeth snapped at the steel bars.

  They kicked to the surface of the river just before dusk.

  Ciaran was as white as a sheet. He didn’t know how long he would last. Madeline grabbed him and kicked toward the bank of the river. It was growing cold quickly. A few feet from the bank, they saw movement in a bush.

  A red human-sized lizard stood up on two legs and ambled toward them.

  Tadgh, Zach, and Madeline drew their weapons.

  "No, it's a salamander,” Ciaran said. “We’ve passed the black stage.”

  He walked toward the lizard. He tried his best not to reel although his knees wanted to buckle. "Is that correct?" Ciaran did not know why he expected the lizard talk to him. It just stared. There was something in its eyes that he recognized. He didn’t know what it was. But those weren’t a reptile’s eyes.

  Ciaran pulled his sleeve up. His left arm had now turned black. He revealed the crucifix and the bite mark.

  "Is this what you're after?"

  The salamander looked at the wound. It stuck out its reptile tongue and licked at the wound. Then it stood up and looked Ciaran in the eyes.

  "Have we passed the black stage?” Ciaran asked.

  The salamander nodded.

  Ciaran slumped and passed out cold on the ground.

  Madeline darted toward him. The salamander hissed at her. It whirled back and forth and sucked at the cut on Ciaran's arm. Soon, his arm returned to its normal color.

  The salamander sauntered away and disappeared into the bush.

  Madeline hugged Ciaran, who was shivering as the temperature continued to drop.

  "Can you two make a fire?" Madeline said.

  "Like a campfire?" Zach asked, looking hopeless. “We don’t have a lighter.”

  "I can do it," Tadgh said and started gathering dry branches.

  "Didn’t Ciaran say this was the just the first stage?" Zach asked.

  Madeline nodded at the rhetorical question and smiled.

  Tadgh shook his head and concentrated on making the fire.

  Chapter 127

  The dawn came suddenly, casting light onto a reflective surface of ice. Ciaran
opened his eyes to find himself lying next to Madeline, her arms still wrapped around him. They were no longer on the river bank. Instead, in front of them was a magnificent and endless snowfield.

  Everything was white, including the sky.

  Ciaran reached over and kissed Madeline. She woke and responded to his warm kiss.

  Tadgh and Zach awoke nearby.

  "Holy cow,” Tadgh gasped when he saw the snowfield.

  "Just like in a hologame, isn't it, Ciaran?" Zach asked.

  "Except it's not a game,” Ciaran said in response. He looked out at the snowfield and up to the white sky. Ciaran continued, "This is the White stage, everyone. While the Black stage focused on physical aspects, this stage is more of a mental test."

  "Will it be more difficult than the last one?" Tadgh asked.

  "It reflects personal experiences. I'd say it's more difficult for some and easier for others. Just in case we get separated, you need to know that this stage uses air and earth elements, and it’s prone to catastrophic effects. It doesn't mean we’re dealing with an apocalypse. It means, mentally, it will test our capability to make significant decisions. Those that change your life and the lives of others."

  Ciaran looked at everyone. The lack of responses worried him.

  "Am I understood?"

  "Yep, sure,” Zach said.

  "Yes, Ciaran. Why do you seem more worried about this stage than the last?" Madeline asked.

  "In alchemy, there are two small steps in this stage—separation and conjunction. In the Black stage, everything is burned so that only the essence remains. In the White stage, we have to focus on separating the good parts and the bad parts, and then joining the good parts together. For me, it’s more difficult because there is no clear boundary between good and bad."

  "Just stick together. We’ll combine our brain power, I guess," Tadgh said, although he had absolutely no idea how he would go about choosing between good and bad. This was more Ciaran's kind of game than his.

  "What's the sign for us passing this stage, Ciaran?" Zach asked.

  "We may see a rainbow or a peacock's tail," Ciaran said.

  Tadgh shook his head.

  They headed deeper into the snowfield. They didn’t have to walk for long before they found an ice castle located imposingly in the middle of the snowfield. The wide entrance to the castle was open and inviting. It was quiet. There was no sign of anyone—no guards, no soldiers, no people.

  "Is that sleeping beauty’s castle?" Zach asked jokingly.

  "I think we're about to see Snow White,” Tadgh said.

  "I don't have a fairytale feeling at all. I think it’s a white pyramid, and we’re about to be chased by snow mummies,” Madeline said.

  "I'm afraid Madeline is right. Not sure about the mummies. But this is a test—or a trap, to be precise. Still, we have to go in,” Ciaran said.

  "That sucks. Knowing it's a trap and still having to go in," said Zach.

  They crossed a small, snow-covered bridge to enter the castle. It was like any other picturesque castle that Madeline had seen in England. Except that everything here was icy.

  They walked into the main hall. The magnificent round hall was decorated by ice pillars and white roses. A couple of white swans swam in a small pond in the middle of the hall.

  Two doormen in white uniforms pushed open a gate opposite them to reveal a long corridor inside. The doormen smiled at them when they strolled past.

  People here were eerily friendly, Madeline thought. Ciaran didn’t look around much. He strode straight in as if he knew what to expect. The door closed behind them after they entered the hall.

  Along the corridor, many people were milling about and talking animatedly as if they were at the intermission of a concert. They all looked oddly human. In this place, Madeline expected to be attacked by weird creatures rather than standing here watching fellow human beings interacting in a civilized manner. She couldn’t quite catch the language they were using to communicate.

  A door at the far end of the corridor opened.

  They entered a grand reception room with a raised platform, where a beautiful White Queen sat on her icy white throne. Around the room were others who looked like servants, counsellors, and other authoritative figures.

  Madeline noted that even Ciaran did not know the appropriate greeting etiquette. When the queen stood up and gave them a warm smile, he merely smiled back.

  "Welcome to my humble residence,” said the queen in a throaty and mysterious voice.

  “Holy smoke, she spoke English,” Tadgh muttered.

  “You think she should speak French?” Zach asked.

  “I’m not talking about the language. It’s her tone. She sounds human. But she doesn’t have any emotions. Not that I can tell.”

  “She might be robotic,” Ciaran agreed.

  The queen smiled. “Before we go any further, I’d like to let you know, I can hear what everyone says in this castle.”

  Madeline wanted to roll her eyes internally but resisted from doing so as she wasn’t sure what game they were playing and whether the queen could read her thoughts.

  The queen reached her hand out. Ciaran kissed it. "Thank you for having us."

  The queen smiled graciously, "I love having you here. But I’m sure you don’t want to remain residents here forever. It's best if you remain passing travelers."

  Ciaran nodded. "Understood, White Queen."

  The queen put on a bright smile. "Rumor has it that the King-to-be of Eudaiz is knowledgeable. You certainly do not disappoint, Ciaran."

  "I wish the previous stage had been as hospitable as this one. My friends are tired. What do we have to do to obtain a pass through this stage?"

  The queen laughed. "The Black stage is not meant to be friendly because you'd die if you didn't pass. We are friendly because we don't know who may end up being a permanent resident here."

  "What are the odds?" Tadgh asked.

  The queen smiled again. "This must be Tadgh, the last minute passenger. I can give you that information. No king successor has ever failed this stage. For others, however, eight out of ten fail. We can accommodate many as you can see." She gestured widely toward the people in the room.

  "There are jobs and plenty of activities for you here. But you can't compare this place with Eudaiz. This is not a universe. It's just a humble institution," she finished with a smile.

  "So at which stage would a king successor normally fail?" Madeline asked.

  The queen cast a warm gaze on Madeline. "I know what you must be feeling, Madeline. But I can't give you that information."

  "You are not serving the king?" Ciaran asked.

  "Correct. Daimon Gate is a gateway to multiple universes. Not just Eudaiz. We manage and legitimize leaders of universes. Depending on the constitution and the setup of the universe, the test requirements will always be different."

  "But you must have a leader?"

  "Yes, we are governed by the Host and the council of the Daimon Gate. If you are successful to the kingship of Eudaiz, you might be dealing with them directly in the future."

  "Can we meet them when we are passing this time?"

  "Yes, but only if you win an invitation. No one has won it in the past."

  "How can I get an invitation?"

  "That information will be revealed after you have passed the next stage."

  Ciaran nodded.

  "Now, would you like to proceed through this stage as a group or as individuals?" the queen asked.

  "I'd prefer as a group, and I'm happy to take the bulk of the tasks. But it’s up to the individuals,” Ciaran said.

  "I'm in with Ciaran," Madeline said.

  "Same," Tadgh said.

  Zach contemplated, and then he nodded. "I'm in with the group."

  The queen smiled. “Your group is quite cohesive. So hang on tight. And good luck.” She turned on her heel and headed toward an endless corridor of white marble.

  Chapter 128

  They
entered a square room with a wall-sized computer, similar to the one at the villa outside London. The air in the room hummed with the sound of technology. It felt as though ants were crawling on their skin with the computer eyes everywhere, watching their every move.

  The queen entered a command into the control panel then turned around.

  "This is not a computer-simulated game. This is the reality in Eudaiz at the moment. Each decision you make here will be executed later after you pass the Daimon Gate and take your respective roles in Eudaiz. The decisions cannot be undone. You will get a green light for an optimal decision and move on. A red light will indicate a suboptimal decision. You are allowed only one suboptimal decision. There is no time restriction. Stay as long as you like. Questions?"

  "What's next?" Ciaran asked.

  "If you pass, the whole group will progress to the next stage. If you fail, you will all remain here until the end of your natural lives."

  The queen left the room.

  Ciaran shifted his still not perfect left shoulder and pressed his palm onto the control panel for print verification.

  After the welcome message, text flew across the screen like breaking news:

  * * *

  The Black Rock is attacking District Five again and has killed several residents.

  The death toll is not available at this stage.

  Sciphil Five - Juliette Dubois has taken no action.

  The district has received help from Sciphil Two - Ayana Dee and Sciphil Nine - Pete Chandler.

  * * *

  "We know why Juliette isn’t taking action, you idiot,” Tadgh mumbled.

  * * *

  Action needed. Choose one of the two solutions below.

  One: Elimination by force.

  Probability of success: Sixty percent.

  Costs: One tower, one Sciphil, and two hundred thousand fighters.

  Record: Attempted by Sciphil One - Richard Kelly.

  Result: Failed.