41. Eternal Flame at the Cosmic Cliff
That day, a chase was unfolding at the cosmic cliff Aporia, where perpetual darkness and intermittent flames intersected.
Aria was fleeing breathlessly while the Emperor’s hunters pursued her relentlessly.
Aria was cornered at the edge of the cosmic cliff.
One step back would mean falling. Below the cosmic cliff lay Melak’s dissolution pit, a dark magma abyss whose depth no one knew.
It was said to be an abyss that completely melted all matters and transformed it into new forms.
“The magic tribe Belia is finished. Your magic is finished, Aria.”
The Emperor’s voice echoed through the void’s silence.
“If you want to save your son, go to the Silent Plains.”
The Emperor’s voice echoed once again.
The Silent Plains was a space covered with angular crystals like shattered glass. The space itself had the ability to absorb and eliminate magical energy. When magic users entered this space, their magical abilities gradually weakened until they completely disappeared.
From Aria’s eyes flowed not tears, but starlight. She slowly removed the Parallel from her neck and placed it around the neck of her infant son whom she had been holding close to her chest.
“Leon… my love… Leon… I will love you forever.”
The Parallel was engraved with the Belia family motto in hieroglyphics:
[Lux et Sapientia]
“Cassandra… please protect my son.”
Aria summoned the noble prophet, Cassandra. Cassandra appeared suddenly. No emperor of the cosmic empire could kill Cassandra. Cassandra looked at Aria with infinitely pitiful eyes.
‘Your destiny will be to become a bridge connecting two worlds. Maintain the balance between magic and empire.’
Cassandra recalled her mother’s last words. Cassandra accepted Aria’s infant son.
“This child will never die… He will become Emperor.”
Cassandra whispered to Aria in a very small voice.
Aria reached out to her infant son in Cassandra’s arms. But her desperate reach did not make contact. Aria gazed at her infant son with eyes that had given up everything, then suddenly turned and threw herself toward Melak’s dissolution pit at the cosmic cliff. Aria’s body burned like flames as it melted into Melak’s dissolution pit.
Cassandra spoke to the sky:
“According to the Cosmic Empire’s Life Preservation Code, an infant’s right to survival is absolutely guaranteed regardless of parental crimes or political background. This child cannot be harmed.”
Meanwhile, Aria’s body blazed brightly with flames before slowly melting away. It wasn’t a simple death. Nor was it a simple ending. The last power of magic, the last will, and the last love for her son Leon began to merge into one, becoming cosmic energy. Aria’s flesh gradually fused with the dark magma molten iron, and during this process, an amazing transformation occurred. The molten iron began to shine, and that light contained all the memories of Aria’s magic, will, and love.
“Love is memory… Leon, as long as I hold the memories of you… love won’t stop… so I’m not dying… Leon… Leon, you are my star. The memory of stars will be eternal.”
Aria’s voice rose from Melak’s dissolution pit. The dark magma gradually formed the shape of a sword. A sharp blade, an intricate handle, mysterious hieroglyphs… slowly revealed themselves. The last flame cooled… and the sword took its complete form.
[Memory of Stars]
This name was now neither a simple weapon nor a mere sword. Aria’s soul within the sword awakened. She had now become the sword itself, destined to survive eternally.
Aria’s son, Leon… did not yet know which civilization in the parallel universe he would go to. After all, the universe was a place of infinite memories where neither time nor space existed.
Suddenly, the catalog message transmission was cut off. The story of Malta and Aria that had been streaming until just now disappeared.
“…What’s going on? I’m worried…”
Suri looked around anxiously.
“I’m worried about you. Malta is boiling… and you’re just casually watching videos… aren’t you the one creating anxiety?”
Maru was crumpled like wet tissue paper.
Nova Emperor had turned the entire Malta island into hell. The lightning shield had covered the entire Malta island, making it look like it had been swallowed by the mouth of a giant monster. There was now no way to penetrate the lightning shield. Nova Emperor’s goal was clear. It was to destroy the Memory of Stars, the sword. To do this, he would not stop at destroying not only the children but also Malta.
“Maybe we’ve got a chance… right now Malta is completely covered by the lightning shield. The lightning that comes every 72 years can’t arrive… even if Malta starts up… it can’t fly into space… Let’s freeze this time… run to the prophesied location… and escape outside. Then let’s go find the Memory of Stars…”
Suri gave an energetic speech.
“Freeze this time?… You’re either crazy or stupid… Does time stop just because you want it to?… My heart aches… I feel sorry for you… ache… ache… I’m hungry. I’ll eat anything.”
Maru clicked his tongue while sighing.
“…. Glutton, Shut up and… But Suri, and Marblem, can we go without being caught? That’s the problem… Nova Emperor will be watching.”
Sabi stamped her feet.
“…Hey. Stop it now. Before insulting me as Glutton, please respect what I say too. We don’t have time to waver like this. Please let’s go… anywhere but here…. We’re going to be steamed to death here anyway, right?… And you probably don’t care, but it’s my birthday soon. I want chicken. There’ll be chicken wherever we go, right?”
Maru looked like he was about to die.
“Chicken is good… good… if we survive.”
Suri said teasingly.
“…Are you threatening me now? I have a phobia of threats… What are you saying, you who’s not worth even a chicken?”
Maru was blind with rage.
“Stop the chicken battle… forget about chicken… it’s completely dark, right? It’s hard to even walk… Marblem… want to merge with Suri?”
Sabi spoke to Marblem.
“Yeah. Marblem… I had forgotten about your presence… wonderful Marblem.”
Suri praised Marblem excitedly.
“…Sigh… Suri… are all Earth people as stupid as you?… Right now Malta is in a sealed environment. The movement and accumulation of electricity is restricted. The lightning shield is blocking the external release of electrical energy, and there’s no path for internally accumulated electrical energy to disperse, so strong discharge is impossible, Suri… Let’s try to think a bit while living…”
Marblem looked at Suri with disdain.
“Hey, blonde kid… you didn’t know Suri is last in the whole school?… He’s a legend at Omega High School. Since the school’s founding… he’s a triple star. Attendance deficit, assignment non-submission, exam non-attendance… That’s why he’s last… So how could he have learned anything… Should we say he learned from the wild?… Hahaha… I’m so hungry but it’s so funny my stomach hurts… Hahaha.” Maru clutched his growling stomach and cackled.
[To be continued…]
** Starting November 2023, The Korea Daily is excited to publish the fantasy novel series “Sword of Malta – Lightning in 72 Years” on our website. This new captivating series follows a trio of young adventurers on their quest to uncover the mysteries of ancient civilizations, including the Maya and Inca. In an exciting development, Netflix is currently adapting the novel’s storyline into a film.
The ‘Sword of Malta – Lightning in 72 Years’ is the latest novel authored by Jeeyoon Ha, who created the “Pangaea series.” Ha’s debut novel, “The Pangaea: Finding Xibalba,” was selected by the Korea Creative Content Agency in 2022 as part of their initiative to support the global export of fantasy literature.
Readers can eagerly anticipate the online publication of two installments each month, with new chapters appearing bi-weekly, offering a regular escape into this magical realm. *Mark Oh translated the Korean novel into English.
