The Key
Elara stared at her mother.
“The key to what?”
Her mother was silent for a long moment.
“The end of the voyage. The closing of the door. The final rest.”
“I don’t understand.”
Her mother led her to the heart of the ship.
The room was bright, the walls of glass clear, the floor of stars glowing. The heart pulsed strongly, its light steady, its beat regular.
“This is the heart of the Morning Star,” her mother said. “The source of its power. The source of its curse.”
“I know. I’ve been here before.”
“Have you ever wondered why the heart keeps beating? Why the ship keeps sailing? Why the voyage never ends?”
Elara was silent.
“Because it’s waiting,” her mother said. “Waiting for the key. Waiting for the one who can unlock the prison. Waiting for you.”
Elara stepped back.
“Me?”
“You are the last key. The final key. The one who can end the voyage.”
“How?”
Her mother took her hands.
“By becoming the heart.”
Elara’s blood went cold.
“The heart?”
“The ship needs a heart. A living heart. A heart that beats with love and hope and sacrifice. The first captain gave her heart. The second captain gave her heart. Now it’s your turn.”
“That will kill me.”
Her mother nodded.
“Yes.”
“You’re asking me to die.”
“I’m asking you to live. Forever. In the ship. In the light. In the hearts of the lost.”
Elara pulled her hands away.
“I can’t.”
“You can.”
“I have a life now. A family. A home.”
“The ship is your family. The passengers are your home. The lost are your purpose.”
“That’s what the first captain said.”
“Because it’s true.”
Elara walked to the heart.
It was warm.
“How long will it last?”
Her mother stood beside her.
“Forever.”
“Nothing lasts forever.”
Her mother smiled.
It was a sad smile, small and tired and full of years.
“Love does.”