Chapter 25: Enchanted

The Celestial Palace of Elven Masters existed in a parallel dimension where faeries still lived and thrived. The Elves had built this palace eons before, and even though it had been abandoned for thousands of years, it still inspired awe and wonder. The complex architecture remained intact, as if the structure itself waited for the Elves’ return.

The palace was an enchanted temple of dimensional portals, most of which lay dormant, but some of them were still functional to human magicians as well as beings from other dimensions. Wherever the Elves may have gone when they departed, they had never returned.

Asha landed in a courtyard at the bottom of a grand staircase. Siannon looked around but saw no other signs of life.

“We appear to be alone,” Siannon said. “Is this the real palace, or is it another projection of my memories?”

“It is real,” Asha said. “The sense of magic is palpable, like the smell of smoke from an unseen fire to your senses.”

“Do you know where I should go?”

“I do not,” Asha said. “Let your instinct guide you. Trust your feelings.”

Siannon climbed the stairs and entered the temple. She immediately felt a sense of déjà vu, not a memory but a feeling she had dreamed this before, and she navigated a series of hallways and turns until she found herself in a chamber that descended on all four sides to a marble pedestal in the center of the room. She understood what it was.