THE LAST BEAREER OF CREATION

The attic was silent.

Too silent.

Aria stared at the glowing journal in her hands, her breathing uneven.

“This can’t be real...”

The brilliant white light faded until only the old leather cover remained. It looked ordinary again, as if nothing had happened.

With trembling fingers, she looked back at the first page.

The words were still there.

If you’re reading this, then I have failed.

A lump formed in her throat.

She had spent years wishing she could hear her grandfather’s voice one more time.

Now, somehow...

It felt like he was speaking to her.

She swallowed hard and continued reading.

If the journal has opened, it means the power of Creation has chosen its next bearer.

That bearer is you.

Aria let out a nervous laugh.

“No... You’ve got the wrong person, Grandpa.”

She glanced around the attic as though someone might jump out and explain it was all a joke.

No one did.

The journal suddenly flipped to another page on its own.

Fresh words slowly appeared, as though an invisible pen was writing them.

I knew you would doubt yourself.

Aria’s eyes widened.

“What...?”

You always believed you were ordinary.

That is why Creation chose you.

A cold breeze drifted through the attic, rustling the pages.

She remembered something her grandfather had once told her.

“The greatest strength isn’t power, Aria.”

“It’s kindness when no one expects it.”

She had never understood what he meant.

Until now.

Her fingers tightened around the journal.

“If this is real...” she whispered, “then why didn’t you tell me?”

The answer came on the next page.

Because I wanted you to have a childhood.

A tear rolled down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away.

The journal continued.

The world has hidden the truth for centuries.

There are two ancient powers.

Creation...

And Destruction.

One gives life.

One brings endings.

Neither is evil.

Aria frowned.

“Neither?”

Every story she’d ever heard painted destruction as something terrible.

The next sentence made her heart skip.

Never judge the Bearer of Destruction before learning their story.

“What does that mean?”

Suddenly—

THUD!

A loud noise echoed downstairs.

Aria snapped the journal shut.

Someone was in the orphanage.

She quickly slipped the journal into her backpack and hurried toward the attic door.

When she reached the hallway, everything looked normal.

The lights were on.

The younger children laughed in the dining room.

Mrs. Evelyn, the orphanage director, smiled as she walked by.

“There you are,” she said. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“I... couldn’t sleep.”

Mrs. Evelyn noticed the dust on Aria’s clothes.

“Were you in the attic?”

Aria froze.

“No.”

Mrs. Evelyn studied her for a moment.

Then she smiled gently.

“Your grandfather used to disappear up there for hours.”

Aria’s heart skipped.

“You knew?”

“Of course.” Mrs. Evelyn chuckled. “He donated half the books in that attic.”

She started to walk away.

Then stopped.

“Oh... there was one strange thing.”

“What?”

“The day before he died...”

“He asked me to give you something when you turned eighteen.”

Aria’s eyes widened.

“You still have it?”

Mrs. Evelyn nodded.

“I never understood why he wanted me to wait.”

She disappeared into her office.

Moments later, she returned carrying a small wooden box.

It was beautifully carved with vines and flowers.

Across the lid was the same strange symbol Aria had seen inside the journal.

Mrs. Evelyn handed it to her.

“It belongs to you now.”

Aria carefully opened the lid.

Inside...

was a silver necklace.

At its center hung a crystal unlike anything she’d ever seen.

It glowed with a soft white light.

The instant her fingers touched it—

A wave of warmth spread through her body.

The crystal floated into the air.

The room shook.

Books tumbled from the shelves.

Windows rattled violently.

The children screamed downstairs.

Mrs. Evelyn stared in horror.

“Aria...”

The crystal shot toward her.

Before she could move—

It fused into the silver compass hanging around her neck.

The light vanished.

Silence.

Complete silence.

Aria looked down.

The compass had changed.

Its needle no longer spun aimlessly.

It pointed in one direction.

East.

Toward a place she had never been.

At the bottom of the journal, new words slowly appeared.

The journey begins.