Read Online Creeping Shadow (The Rise of Isaac, Book One) by Caroline Peckham - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Caroline Peckham
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impossible. The Gateways could only be restricted."
"Restricted how?" Oliver asked.
"Ganderfield designed challenges for those wishing to pass through them. He wanted to restrict the Gateway to Vale with a challenge that he hoped no one would ever want to complete, thereby, effectively locking it."
"What was the challenge?" Oliver asked, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck inexplicably creep up.
May leant forward in her seat.
"Vale's challenge is to sacrifice someone you love before the Gateway: a family member, a friend, a partner - anyone that you hold dear. Ganderfield believed that even the most coldhearted of people would never murder someone they loved."
Oliver nodded slowly and leant back in his seat. "But what's any of this got to do with my father?"
"Everything, Oliver." Ely let out a slow breath. "Because, your father was murdered by the second person to ever enter Vale: his closest friend, Isaac Rimori."
6
What Lies Within
T he words seemed to bounce off of Oliver's ears, taking a moment for them to unfold in his mind until he understood the implications of what he'd been told.
May looked between Oliver and Ely, chewing at her lip.
"You're telling me my dad was murdered ?" Oliver got up, unable to stay seated a moment longer.
"I'm sorry you had to hear it this way, but you need to know the facts before we go to Aleva. It's for the best that you find out from me and not someone else," Ely said softly.
"Why? Who else would tell me?" Oliver demanded.
"Your father is somewhat famous in the other worlds. He, Rimori and another man travelled to Vale's Gateway with the supposed intention of finding a way around the challenge. Rimori betrayed your father, murdered him and entered Vale alone. The other man fled to the Council and recounted what had happened. When the public found out, the story spread like wildfire."
Oliver nodded slowly and realised he was pacing. May reached out an arm to stop him and he met her eye, softening at her worried expression. He returned to his seat and dropped his head into his hands.
"But why did they want to enter Vale?" May asked.
"There's a cult in the other worlds that worship a god-like being called the Arc which resides in Vale. They call themselves the Arclites. Their ideology teaches that the Arc is the source of all power across the seven worlds and that it alone is responsible for bestowing magic upon the mages. "Arclites believe that the Arc will one day come to the other worlds in human form, gifting each of its followers with magic. The Arc would supposedly destroy the Gateways which would leave the rifts open for anyone to walk through then unite the seven worlds as a single empire under its one rule," Ely explained.
"So you're saying my dad was one of these Arclites ? Oliver asked.
Ely nodded. "All of them were, he and his friends."
"Including Mum?" May asked with a concerned frown.
"I think perhaps she was, for a time," Ely said. "Though I'm certain that is far behind her now. Once she had you, Oliver, your mother's priorities changed."
Oliver nodded, feeling marginally comforted by the thought.
"Is that why they went to Vale then? To find the Arc?" May asked.
Ely nodded. "Though no doubt what awaited Isaac Rimori on the other side of Vale's Gateway was death."
Oliver couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at his grandfather's words, knowing that the man had paid for murdering his father.
"Wait. You said my dad didn't die when I was a baby. How long ago was this?" Oliver asked.
"You were six," Ely breathed.
Oliver had grown up with an idyllic picture in his mind of the man he had never known. The person he had imagined was a lie, he knew nothing about the real William Knight. His father had been murdered for something that Oliver hadn't even known existed.
"You'll have to complete Aleva's challenge to get the key to the Gateway," Ely said.
"What's the challenge? Is it difficult?" May asked.
"I'm sure you'll both pass."
"Restricted how?" Oliver asked.
"Ganderfield designed challenges for those wishing to pass through them. He wanted to restrict the Gateway to Vale with a challenge that he hoped no one would ever want to complete, thereby, effectively locking it."
"What was the challenge?" Oliver asked, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck inexplicably creep up.
May leant forward in her seat.
"Vale's challenge is to sacrifice someone you love before the Gateway: a family member, a friend, a partner - anyone that you hold dear. Ganderfield believed that even the most coldhearted of people would never murder someone they loved."
Oliver nodded slowly and leant back in his seat. "But what's any of this got to do with my father?"
"Everything, Oliver." Ely let out a slow breath. "Because, your father was murdered by the second person to ever enter Vale: his closest friend, Isaac Rimori."
6
What Lies Within
T he words seemed to bounce off of Oliver's ears, taking a moment for them to unfold in his mind until he understood the implications of what he'd been told.
May looked between Oliver and Ely, chewing at her lip.
"You're telling me my dad was murdered ?" Oliver got up, unable to stay seated a moment longer.
"I'm sorry you had to hear it this way, but you need to know the facts before we go to Aleva. It's for the best that you find out from me and not someone else," Ely said softly.
"Why? Who else would tell me?" Oliver demanded.
"Your father is somewhat famous in the other worlds. He, Rimori and another man travelled to Vale's Gateway with the supposed intention of finding a way around the challenge. Rimori betrayed your father, murdered him and entered Vale alone. The other man fled to the Council and recounted what had happened. When the public found out, the story spread like wildfire."
Oliver nodded slowly and realised he was pacing. May reached out an arm to stop him and he met her eye, softening at her worried expression. He returned to his seat and dropped his head into his hands.
"But why did they want to enter Vale?" May asked.
"There's a cult in the other worlds that worship a god-like being called the Arc which resides in Vale. They call themselves the Arclites. Their ideology teaches that the Arc is the source of all power across the seven worlds and that it alone is responsible for bestowing magic upon the mages. "Arclites believe that the Arc will one day come to the other worlds in human form, gifting each of its followers with magic. The Arc would supposedly destroy the Gateways which would leave the rifts open for anyone to walk through then unite the seven worlds as a single empire under its one rule," Ely explained.
"So you're saying my dad was one of these Arclites ? Oliver asked.
Ely nodded. "All of them were, he and his friends."
"Including Mum?" May asked with a concerned frown.
"I think perhaps she was, for a time," Ely said. "Though I'm certain that is far behind her now. Once she had you, Oliver, your mother's priorities changed."
Oliver nodded, feeling marginally comforted by the thought.
"Is that why they went to Vale then? To find the Arc?" May asked.
Ely nodded. "Though no doubt what awaited Isaac Rimori on the other side of Vale's Gateway was death."
Oliver couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at his grandfather's words, knowing that the man had paid for murdering his father.
"Wait. You said my dad didn't die when I was a baby. How long ago was this?" Oliver asked.
"You were six," Ely breathed.
Oliver had grown up with an idyllic picture in his mind of the man he had never known. The person he had imagined was a lie, he knew nothing about the real William Knight. His father had been murdered for something that Oliver hadn't even known existed.
"You'll have to complete Aleva's challenge to get the key to the Gateway," Ely said.
"What's the challenge? Is it difficult?" May asked.
"I'm sure you'll both pass."
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