THE DEVIL'S BRIDE
Episode 46: The Vault of Origin
By Rapwizzy Debaron
"Beneath the dead lands of Aeryth, past the ruins of the First Temple, lies a gate made of stars and sorrow."
Kael recited the ancient prophecy aloud as the trio stood at the edge of the Wastes. The landscape ahead was scorched black, the air thick with ash and silence.
Lucien narrowed his eyes. "The Vault of Origin. No one has walked that ground in eons."
Evelyn, still faintly glowing from her confrontation with the Harbinger, whispered, "But we must. Aleir waits there. And so do answers."
---
As they moved through the dead lands, strange visions began to haunt them.
Kael saw a young boy—himself—kneeling before the Seraphim council, begging to save someone he loved.
Lucien saw his wings burning, melting under divine judgment, while Evelyn screamed in the distance.
Evelyn saw herself crowned in light… and then in blood.
"The Vault doesn't just seal gods," Lucien muttered. "It unravels your soul."
---
They reached the First Temple ruins by twilight.
The air shimmered like heat mirage. Beneath a crumbled altar lay a silver gate—circular, etched with the language of origin. No door. No handle.
Only a mark.
A symbol that matched the one branded on Evelyn's palm.
Kael frowned. "You're the key."
Evelyn stepped forward. Her palm touched the seal.
It screamed.
A thousand voices tore through the air, speaking in languages long forgotten. The gate began to open—not outward, but inward, swallowing itself into darkness.
---
They stepped through.
On the other side… was silence.
No wind. No stars. Only an endless space filled with floating ruins, fragments of time frozen mid-moment—wings, swords, laughter, screams—all suspended in air.
Lucien stared in awe. "This… is the memory of creation."
Suddenly, the air shimmered—and from the shadows emerged a figure in white robes, hood drawn.
"You were not meant to remember," it said.
Evelyn stepped forward. "Who are you?"
The figure lowered its hood.
Kael gasped.
Lucien stepped back.
And Evelyn's heart shattered.
"Aleir."
---
He looked the same.
The boy from her visions. The light in her dreams.
But his eyes… were hollow.
"I waited," he said. "For you to find me. But now… you must choose."
"Choose what?" Evelyn breathed.
Aleir raised his hand. Behind him, a second vault door began to appear, carved in gold and pulsing with energy.
"One path will restore balance to creation. The other… will let you stay with me. Forever."
Tears welled in Evelyn's eyes.
Lucien stepped forward. "You can't force her."
Kael's blade was already in hand. "You're not the boy she remembers. You're twisted by isolation."
Aleir's voice echoed coldly. "I loved her first."
---
Power exploded from him—light so pure it tore through the vault.
Kael blocked Evelyn with his wings. Lucien flung a shield of fire.
But Aleir wasn't attacking.
He was remembering.
"You held my hand as Heaven fell," he whispered. "And you begged the gods to spare me."
Evelyn's heart ached. "I remember…"
Aleir stepped closer. "Do you still love me?"
Silence.
Then Evelyn whispered, "I love who you were. But I don't know who you've become."
Aleir smiled. Sadly.
"Then test me."
He stepped into the light of the second vault door—and vanished.
Leaving only a trail of feathers… and a choice.
---
To be continued…
A first love returned. A choice with cosmic weight.
Can Evelyn walk through a door that could end everything?
Vote if Aleir's return broke your heart.
Comment: Should Evelyn trust him—or fear what he's become?
Follow @RapwizzyDebaron — Episode 47 will challenge the gods themselves.