WHISPERS OF THE FORBIDDEN CREATURES: The Memory Gate

Chapter 44: The Memory Gate

The stars were brighter than Lila had ever seen them, sprawled like glitter across the obsidian sky. As she stood at the edge of the Verdant Circle, a hidden grove deep in the enchanted forest of Arcanwyn—she felt something in the air shift. Magic shimmered in waves, brushing her skin like whispered secrets. The grove pulsed with ancient energy, its trees humming with life. In the center stood a stone archway, weathered by time but still standing tall, its surface inscribed with runes that seemed to glow faintly in the moonlight.

Niall glanced around warily. "This place feels… alive."

"It is," murmured Caelum, the Head Archivist of Arcanwyn, who had appeared almost soundlessly behind them. He wore a dark emerald cloak embroidered with symbols of the old world. "This grove is where the Memory Gate lies. A portal not to space, but to time."

Lila turned to him, eyebrows knitting in confusion. "You brought us here to time-travel?"

"Not exactly," Caelum replied, placing a hand on the archway. "The gate does not allow passage in the way you might think. It allows you to see glimpses of the past, the truths buried in history, the secrets people want forgotten."

The idea was both thrilling and terrifying. Lila's heart pounded with the weight of all the unknowns waiting behind that gate.

"Why now?" she asked. "Why show me this?"

"Because it's time you learned the full story of your bloodline—and the real reason the Forbidden Creatures were sealed beyond the Veil," Caelum said solemnly. "You've only scratched the surface. And what lies beneath is… complicated."

Niall took a step forward. "Are you sure this is safe?"

"As safe as truth can be," Caelum replied cryptically.

Lila stared into the center of the archway. As she did, the space within began to ripple like disturbed water. Images danced across the threshold—fragmented scenes, voices muffled by time. She took a breath and stepped through.

She expected coldness, darkness, disorientation but instead, she was enveloped in warmth, like sunlight filtered through leaves.

She was standing in a vast hall carved entirely from quartz, glowing with internal light. Banners of silver and gold draped from the high ceilings. Elves and humans walked side by side, and at the head of the hall stood a throne made of entwined branches and moonstone. Sitting upon it was a woman with silver hair and sharp, storm-gray eyes.

It was her.

Not her mother—but someone who looked nearly identical. An ancestor, perhaps. Her presence was commanding, her aura radiant with untamed power.

A voice echoed in Lila's mind.

"She was the first Keeper of the Veil. Your blood runs from her line. Her name was Lysira Valemorne."

The scene shifted. Lysira was arguing—shouting at a council. Creatures with scales, wings, and fire-breathing throats gathered in the shadows. They looked cornered. Afraid. The council argued for their imprisonment. Lysira resisted.

"They were once our allies!" she cried. "We cannot exile them based on fear and prophecy!"

But the others were unmoved.

Lila watched, heart in her throat, as the Forbidden Creatures were banished behind the Veil—not because of crimes—but because of what they might become. Because they were different. Powerful. Unpredictable.

It wasn't justice.

It was fear disguised as wisdom.

Lila reeled as the weight of the truth crashed over her. The Veil had not been erected to protect the world but to contain what society refused to understand. Her legacy was built not only on magic, but on guilt.

A sudden burst of light tore through the vision, and Lila stumbled back, falling to her knees in the present. Niall rushed to her side.

"Lila! Are you okay? What did you see?"

She gasped for breath, clutching her chest. "I saw… the truth. The Creatures—they weren't evil. We turned on them first."

Caelum looked grim. "History has many authors. But now you know what was hidden."

"And now what?" she asked, shakily rising to her feet. "Do I just carry this knowledge alone?"

"No," Caelum said, eyes gleaming. "You use it to change what comes next."