Chapter 2 - The Magic of What Comes After

A brilliant, searing light pierced through Aiden's eyelids as he awoke.

Where…where am I?

He groaned, throwing a forearm over his face until the sharp glow faded. Slowly, shapes came into focus. He was lying on a bed of such a pristine, luminous white it looked like it had been carved from bone. The sheets were cool and so impossibly smooth they offered no friction, no imperfection.

He kicked his feet free and planted them on the cold floor, standing. He was standing.

He flexed his toes, wiggling them against the ground just to be sure they were real. No sharp pains. No crushing weight. He bent his knees, testing them like a man waking from a long illness.

This doesn't make sense. I should be in a hospital bed, hooked up to beeping machines and IV bags. Not... here.

A hand went to his chest. Nothing. No bandages, no cuts, not even a bruise. Just his own smooth, undamaged skin.

If I’m fine, then she has to be. She has to be. His heart pounded. Please… please let her be okay.

A surge of pure panic flooded him.

“Valerie.” His voice was a raw croak as he spun around the room. “Valerie! Where are you?!”

Fwoosh—

The door slid open with a soft, gentle glide.

A man stood in the frame, draped in a gleaming white robe that was as impossibly bright as everything else. He didn’t seem to walk so much as flow, his feet making no sound on the floor.

Aiden stumbled back, his fists raising from instinct. “Who are you? Where am I?” His throat tightened. “And more importantly… where’s my wife?”

The man only smiled and gestured for Aiden to follow.

“All will be answered shortly.”

The warmth in the man’s voice seeped through Aiden’s skin like sunlight. His hostility crumbled. He wanted to resist, to demand answers, but the urge simply slipped away, leaving only confusion. His legs moved before his mind could argue.

They moved through a maze of stark, polished hallways, each a mirror of the last. Aiden dragged his fingertips along the wall, searching for a seam, a scuff, anything that showed a human had been here. But it was all just… seamless.

Eventually, the halls gave way to a massive atrium. Ahead, a grand staircase swept upward, its railing a solid, gleaming line of what looked like pure gold. He ran a hand over the cold metal; beneath his fingers, he felt no seam, no joint, no single point of weakness.

And then his eyes caught on something at the top of the stairs.

Someone.

His breath caught in his throat. His entire body went still.

“Valerie…?” His voice was barely a whisper. Then louder, stronger. “VALERIE!”

He bounded up the staircase, taking the stairs two at a time. The moment his foot hit the top, he lunged forward, wrapping her in his arms. His head buried into her shoulder, tears stinging his eyes.

“Valerie, I’m so sorry! I couldn’t save you! I wasn’t strong enough!”

His knees gave out, and he hit the ground with a grunt, clutching her tighter, half-expecting her to turn to smoke in his arms.

“I’m just so glad you’re here…”

Valerie bent down, cradling his head. She pressed a gentle kiss against his hair.

“You didn’t fail me, Aiden,” she whispered. “You were there. You always were.”

Her words dragged up a dozen memories—nights she’d fallen asleep against him, mornings they’d argued over nothing, the way she always laughed at his stupidest jokes. All of it, flooding him at once.

His tears stung harder. “I should’ve been stronger. I should’ve—”

She pressed her forehead against his. “You were enough. You’ve always been enough. Don’t carry that weight anymore.”

Ruuuuumble…

The ground trembled beneath them. The massive doors behind Valerie, huge slabs of some ivory-colored stone, groaned and shuddered. They began to pull apart, a grinding sound echoing through the air, revealing a vast chamber.

Three grand thrones waited inside, aligned side by side. None higher, none lower. Equal. Seated upon each… a presence.

The man who had guided Aiden bowed low and gestured toward the chamber.

“This way.”

Aiden let out a deeply held breath. He squeezed Valerie’s hand and led her forward.

Light flooded the hall as they crossed the threshold. It wasn’t just light—it danced. It shimmered across the floor like waves of liquid diamond. Every step sent ripples of brilliance pulsing outward.

Thick white pillars towered into the heavens, so high they vanished into the endless sky above.

Wait—the sky? Aren’t we inside?

Aiden craned his neck until it hurt. Endless blue stretched overhead where the ceiling should’ve been. He rubbed his eyes, but the illusion didn’t break.

The silence here wasn’t empty. It was alive, humming through the walls like an invisible choir. The thrones ahead gleamed with veins of gold, their surfaces carved as though from a single slab of eternity. Between the towering pillars, banners of woven light hung suspended, shifting as if stirred by a wind that did not exist. This wasn’t a room. This was…something greater.

The guide stopped before the thrones. With a final bow, he turned and vanished without a word.

Aiden blinked after him. “Uh…what now?”

Before he could piece it together, Valerie tugged his arm. She dropped to her knees, pressing her forehead against the ground, arms stretched outward in reverence.

“What are you—” Aiden turned back to the thrones.

He froze.

These weren't men. They were… entities. Faceless shapes draped in white robes that flowed without a whisper of a breeze. They had no eyes, no mouths, no features at all. And yet, their presence was a weight on his chest, heavier than any glare he'd ever felt.

The center being dwarfed the others, nearly twice their size. On Aiden’s left, a robed figure stroked the wool of a lamb curled in its lap, a wooden staff resting against its shoulder. On his right, the other being cradled a leather-bound book, its pages flipping endlessly as if guided by invisible fingers.

I feel like I should be afraid. And yet…

Peace washed over him.

His knees buckled, dropping him to the ground beside Valerie.

Then, the chamber trembled with a booming voice.

“Rise.”

There was no hesitation. Their bodies moved as if commanded by instinct, rising together.

Aiden’s throat bobbed. “Pardon our intrusion…well, I mean, you invited us here so that doesn’t make sense…” He scratched his head, heat rushing to his cheeks. “Sorry, sirs. I must still be out of it. My name’s Aiden. This is Valerie.”

Valerie dipped her head politely. “Thank you for the invitation.”

The faceless being at the center inclined its head in return.

“Yes. I know you both very well. I am glad to see you.”

The voice wasn’t sound at all. It vibrated through his chest, his soul, every fiber of him.

“You…know us?” Aiden stammered. “Forgive me but…who are you?”

“I am The Creator.”

“Oh…” Aiden’s mind reeled, a new reality unfolding before him. “The Creator?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, so then that would make him…” He jabbed a thumb toward the staff-bearer.

“That is my son. The Prince.”

“And him?” Aiden pointed toward the robed figure with the book.

“That is The Advisor.”

Aiden’s arms hung limp. His head swam.

I must be dreaming. I fell into a coma after the crash. Yeah. That’s it.

“You are not dreaming, my son.”

Aiden froze.

…Okay. Maybe he’s just a really good guesser. Like that mentalist in Vegas.

“If you allow me a moment, I will tell you things no mentalist could ever know.”

Once again, the voice tugged at the corners of his mind.

Valerie squeezed his arm. “Honey,” she whispered, “I think he might be the real deal.”

Aiden stumbled back, ready to faint but before he hit the ground, a plush white chair materialized beneath him. Another appeared beside it, and Valerie took her seat gracefully.

The Advisor was the first to speak, its faceless head tilting as the infinite pages slowed. The air thickened, heavy with expectation.

“The crash you endured,” the Advisor’s voice was softer but no less binding, “was no dream. Your mortal lives ended on that rainy afternoon.”

Aiden’s blood ran cold. His chest clenched as the memory of scrapping metal and Valerie’s fading hand clawed back into him.

“That has to be a lie…” His voice cracked. “She’s right here. We’re alive!”

Valerie reached over, threading her fingers through his trembling hand. “It’s okay,” she whispered, though her eyes glistened.

The Creator leaned forward. “As The Advisor has said, the crash was no illusion. But while your physical bodies perished, you held on to each other. Your bond is what brought you here.”

He paused, allowing the truth of the situation to sink in.

“You have been set apart for a purpose. A calling few have been deemed worthy to bear.”

Aiden blinked, his brain stuttering over the words. “A…calling?”

The Creator’s faceless gaze bore into them. “There is a world beyond this one. A world where magic flows through all living things. Men wield fire and earth. Women, air and water. But greater still is Heartlink magic. It is the power born only of two bound as one. A bond of marriage. Its strength depends entirely on the unity of the couple.”

Aiden’s jaw slackened. A slow grin spread across his face, a spark of pure, bewildered wonder igniting in his eyes. "Magic? Marriage magic?" he stammered. "That’s..."

Valerie spoke up, her voice trembling but clear. “Why us? Out of everyone who’s ever lived…why choose us?”

The Creator turned its faceless head toward her. “Because your love did not die with your bodies. Even when your breaths failed, you clung to one another. That bond is rare. That bond is worthy.”

The Prince’s hand stilled on the lamb, as though in agreement. The Advisor’s pages slowed, pausing for the first time.

Aiden’s head swam with a mix of pride and disbelief. So…this is really happening.

The Advisor’s pages began to flip again, a dry rustle echoing. “But heed this warning. Should squabbles or mistrust fester, Heartlink turns foul. Misfires at best. At worst…toxic bond magic, corrupting not only yourselves but all around you.”

A shiver snaked down Aiden’s spine. He glanced at Valerie, whose lips pressed thin.

“So…we could literally blow ourselves up if we argue?”

The Prince’s hand stroked the lamb absently. His voice was softer, more melodic. “What was created to heal, can destroy if twisted. Do not take it lightly.”

Aiden swallowed hard.

The Creator raised a hand. “What we offer is a choice. Neither answer is better or worse than the other. You may remain here in the Great Eternity, where peace has no end. Or continue my work in this new world.”

The choice lingered between them, heavy with meaning but bright with promise.

A wave of conviction washed over him. Eternity sounded perfect. No pain, no sorrow, no goodbyes. Anyone would call it paradise. But as he thought about Valerie, her hand trembling in his, all he could think was how little time they’d really had. They were only getting started. Their love wasn’t finished. Not yet.

Aiden turned to Valerie, only to find her eyes already on him, steady and sure.

“What do you think?” he asked.

Her hand tightened in his. “I think…I’d follow you anywhere. Even into another world. As long as we’re together.”

His chest burned with warmth. “Val, this is…this is a chance to prove love matters. A chance to live again, together. Let’s do it.”

Valerie smiled through her tears. “Then let’s live again. Together.”

They both turned to the thrones.

“We’ll go,” they said in unison.

The Creator lifted its hand. “You have our thanks. Aiden, Valerie. Take our blessing. Show this world the power of marriage.”

Light engulfed them, blinding and warm. Aiden reached for Valerie, and their hands clasped tight.

The throne room dissolved.

Wind flowed over Aiden’s face. Leaves rustled.

When his vision cleared, he stood in a lush forest. Sunlight filtered through emerald branches. Birds sang above.

And Valerie was there, fingers intertwined with his.

Aiden exhaled, a shaky laugh bubbling out of him. “Well…guess this isn’t Vegas.”

Valerie leaned against him, eyes glimmering with awe. “No. But it’s ours.”

Together, they stepped forward into the unknown.