I stared at the woman standing behind my grandmother.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
The woman looked strangely familiar.
Not because I had seen her before.
Because she looked like me.
The same dark eyes.
The same shape of her face.
The same golden mark on her wrist.
But there was something different about her.
She looked older.
Tired.
Like someone who had spent years carrying a secret too heavy for one person.
I slowly turned toward Grandmother.
"Who is she?"
Grandmother looked at the woman.
Then at me.
"She is the first keeper."
My heart stopped.
"The first keeper?"
The woman nodded.
"My name was Elara."
She stepped forward.
"I was the first girl chosen by the sea."
I looked at her crown.
"Then why do you look like me?"
Elara's eyes filled with sadness.
"Because you were created from what remained of me."
I couldn't breathe.
"What?"
Shawshank stepped closer to me.
"Bjei, don't listen to anything until we understand what she's saying."
Elara looked at him.
"You have already been part of this story longer than you know."
Shawshank frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Grandmother answered.
"His blood helped complete the protection spell."
I looked at Shawshank.
"The spell that saved me?"
He nodded slowly.
"I remember now."
His eyes closed.
"I was there."
The memory returned.
He had been a little boy.
Standing beside the sea.
Marina was holding me.
A baby.
Me.
Shawshank had touched my forehead.
Then golden light had passed from his hand into mine.
I stared at him.
"You saved me."
"I didn't know what I was doing."
"You were a child."
Grandmother nodded.
"That was why his memory was erased."
"Why?"
"Because if Azrael discovered what had happened, he would have searched for you."
I looked at Grandmother.
"Why was everyone so afraid of Azrael?"
Her expression changed.
"Because Azrael didn't want to protect you."
"Then what did he want?"
Elara answered.
"He wanted to use you."
The water around us became cold.
"For what?"
Elara looked toward the ancient gate.
"To replace the queen."
I shook my head.
"But the queen said I was supposed to replace her."
"She was telling the truth."
My heart sank.
"But why me?"
Elara touched her own crown.
"Because the sea needs a keeper."
"And you were the keeper."
"I was."
"What happened to you?"
She looked down.
"I trusted the queen."
Silence.
"She promised me that if I gave her my power, she would protect my family."
"And did she?"
Elara laughed bitterly.
"She killed them."
I covered my mouth.
"She took everything from me."
The queen's voice suddenly echoed from the darkness.
"And yet you still blame me."
Everyone turned.
The queen appeared behind the gate.
Elara stepped in front of me.
"You don't belong here."
The queen smiled.
"Neither do you."
The gate began shaking.
Shawshank grabbed my hand.
"Something is coming."
The queen looked directly at me.
"You have heard enough lies."
I shouted,
"Then tell me the truth!"
The queen became silent.
For the first time, she looked almost human.
"Your mother Marina did not simply give birth to you."
I stared at her.
"What do you mean?"
"She made a bargain."
Marina's voice came from somewhere behind me.
"Don't."
I turned.
She was crying.
"Mom?"
The queen continued.
"She begged the sea to let you live."
Marina closed her eyes.
"In exchange," the queen said, "Marina gave me something."
"What?"
The queen smiled.
"Her immortality."
I looked at Marina.
"You gave up your life for me?"
Marina shook her head.
"I would give up everything for you."
The queen laughed.
"And that's why I own part of your soul."
My heart broke.
"No."
The queen pointed at me.
"And that part of her soul is inside you."
The golden crown on my wrist suddenly turned black.
I screamed.
Shawshank held me.
"Bjei!"
The black mark spread toward my elbow.
Grandmother shouted,
"Don't let it reach your heart!"
"What do I do?"
"Fight it!"
I closed my eyes.
I tried to push the darkness away.
But it became stronger.
I heard the queen whispering.
"You are mine."
"No."
"Your mother gave you to me."
"No!"
"Your blood belongs to the sea."
I screamed.
"I belong to myself!"
The darkness stopped.
The golden light returned.
It pushed the black mark backward until it disappeared.
Everyone stared at me.
Elara smiled.
"That is the power the first keeper never had."
I looked at her.
"What?"
"Choice."
I looked at Shawshank.
He was smiling.
"You did it."
I breathed heavily.
Then Grandmother suddenly looked toward the gate.
Her face changed.
"What?"
She whispered,
"The gate is opening again."
A deep crack appeared.
The queen stepped backward.
For the first time, she looked afraid.
"What is it?" I asked.
Grandmother shook her head.
"We were wrong."
"About what?"
She looked directly at me.
"The queen isn't the creature behind the gate."
The ground shook.
A terrifying roar came from the darkness.
Grandmother grabbed my hand.
"The queen has been keeping it imprisoned."
I stared at the gate.
"Then what is behind it?"
Grandmother's voice trembled.
"Something even the queen fears."
The gate burst open.
A massive shadow emerged.
The queen screamed.
"NO!"
The shadow's eyes opened.
And then it spoke.
"My daughter."
Everyone turned toward me.
I couldn't move.
Shawshank whispered,
"Bjei…"
The creature reached one enormous hand through the gate.
And I heard Marina cry out behind me.
"That's your father."