Month 1, Day 4, 9:00:26; Arvium, Trinity Mountain Pass

Aella's eyes widened as she paused, stopping for a moment on the narrow steps that led up the rocky face of the mountain peak. Even in her winter uniform, the chill still bit her fingers, stinging her skin. They had just crossed a turn and were momentarily protected from the harsh wind that whipped through the tips of the mountain range, carrying frigid wind and ice crystals.

Jothan waited for them higher up the path, waving them on. The tall man was burly, his massive frame covered only by a thin jacket, pants, boots, and a fur-lined hood.She stepped forward, climbing up the steps.

She gasped as she turned the corner, seeing the narrow path widen into a hill that rose to the base of the peak, where a massive block of black stone rose a hundred feet high. In it's center, steps carved from the rock led to a gaping hole of darkness.

That's where we going?

She frowned, stepping into the tightly packed snow that coated the steps.

When they reached the top, Aella paused, staring into a narrow tunnel that led downward, lit only by flickering torches. Jothan had already disappeared into the tunnel, the wind whistling past her.

She shifted for a moment, looking back down the path that led to the valley far below. She shook her head and squared her shoulders.

She stepped into the tunnel, and jogged to catch up with Jothan. She clenched her fists as she thought about what Garron had told her. The orbs were representations of live organisms that held memories of past Trinity-and the crystals were what the organisms turned into after they died--the whole idea was ridiculous. Whoever designed the Game was crazy.

The temperature rose as they continued walking down a twisting path that led them deeper. The darkness became lighter as the rock turned to a light blue shade, the path lit by long streams of burning oil as they entered a massive room. Stalactites and stalagmites rose and dropped before her, guarding the sides of the flat walkway. All sounds were muted, and the air felt heavy and silent, as if the mountain was sleeping.

She paused, reaching out a hand to touch the light blue rock of a stalagmite, seeing it shimmer as an orb appeared next to her, the soft light from the orb illuminating the surface. The surface of the rock looked slick as if it were covered with slime. She ran her fingers along it, frowning and pulling back as she felt her glove start to rip. That's sharper than it looks.

"Aella?" Jothan called to her, waiting just before a bend.

"I"m coming," she answered, making her way down the steep incline. They entered a short tunnel, where no torches were perched on the walls, nor any oil.

Jothan stopped, turning to her in the semi-darkness. "You are about to enter Trinity's Temple."

Her eyes widened, and her hand reached up to touch her necklace, which felt warm to the touch.

"Please," he said, bowing to her. "Listen to whatever is revealed to you. I will not be able to accompany you on this journey, as it is considered a personal journey and the truths revealed of a private matter, so I wish you peace. I hope that you find whatever it is that your heart is seeking."

He stepped to the side and held out his hand, motioning for her to continue on. She nodded, walking past him and down the rest of the tunnel.

Her mouth opened as the tunnel ended and led into a massive, fifty-story high cavern, glowing blue crystals bursting from the walls and twinkling in the light of hundreds of white orbs that floated high above. Some were ceiling length, and others, clustered around the base of the floor were no bigger than her pinky finger.

Hundreds of floating white orbs drifted near the top of the ceiling and the crown of a tree, that sat in the center of the room. A few orbs trailed along the base of the tree. A moat ran around the small island, reflecting the light, it's smooth surface looking like glass until it met the edges of the room, where it fell into darkness, the soft roar of the waterfall filling the air.

Aella stared up at the floating white orbs, remembering them from the meeting she had witnessed. One of the orbs slowly floated toward her, the light within it pulsing. It stopped just in front of her, and she reached her hand out, then pulled it back several inches.

The orb came closer, and touched the tips of her fingers.

"Welcome, Aella, to the Temple of Trinity," a soft voice said. "I am the Keeper of the Temple. My name is Ciana."

The orb changed, growing and taking the shape of a human female. The entire apparition was light blue, the color of the crystals. Her hair flowed as if it were being blown by a slight breeze, but Aella felt nothing but the still, cool air of the cave. The woman bowed to her then stood straight, looking up to the ceiling with her eyes closed.

Aella watched as Ciana held her palms upraised, murmuring words in a foreign language. Then she opened her eyes and let her arms fall to her side before turning and walking to the edge of the moat. She knelt and laid a hand on the surface, soft blue light shining where her palm rested on the water.

Aella stepped closer, seeing something rise from the bottom of the moat and float to the surface. The woman picked them up, and turned around. She held out five slender blue crystals that glowed with a light inside of them. "These are Galaxium crystals," she explained.

Aella looked up at her, her eyes wide. It sounds almost like the crystals are talking to me.

The woman smiled, selecting one of the crystals. She held it in the air, shaking it. The crystal burst with bright blue light, the inside moving as if it were liquid.

Aella smiled as she saw the glittering surface.

The woman nodded at her reaction. "These crystals power the weapons and ships of Trinity. They are native to Europa and are powered by moonlight. They were recreated for the Game, and have a magic and health boost of 50 units for each crystal." The woman stepped closer to her, holding out the crystals. "These are for you, Aella. A gift from Trinity."

She held out her left palm as the woman placed the crystals onto her glove. She felt warmth flow into her muscles, relaxing her. She glanced down at the crystals in her hands then up at the walls of the massive cavern. "There are so many" she whispered.

"Each crystal has a life of five years away from a power source before the components begin to die. Trinity can grow more crystals, and it is how we have sustained our systems while on Earth," the woman said softly, making her way to Aella's side.

Aella glanced upward and watched as an orb detached from the ceiling and began drifting down toward them. "What are the orbs for?"

The woman smiled, and nodded. "They are representations of the organisms that live within Europans. Like the symbiotes, they are telepathic and can share memories. When they die, they transfer their memories to the crystals."

"I've seen them before, when I watched one of the Trinity meetings," she said, looking at the woman. "One of them gave me a tattoo." She pulled her sleeve up, showing the woman the crisscrossing lines and circle on her forearm.

"The orbs are powered by the spirit of the people of Trinity, and of Europa," the woman said, bowing to her. "But generally, only Trinity related to the royal line can see them."

"But I'm from Earth," Aella said, feeling goosebumps appear on her skin. "I'm not Trinity."

She stepped away from the woman, shaking her head. She reached up to her neck, touching the crystal around her neck. She blinked as a lump formed in her throat.

She pulled the necklace from under her armor with her right hand, letting the silver and blue charm swing back and forth.

The woman stepped forward, her hand outstretched as she motioned to the necklace. "Where did you get that?"

"Chloe," she answered. Her hand covered her mouth, hot tears filling her eyes. "She was my sister," she whispered through her fingers. "She told me her necklace would protect me."

"It is of Europa," the woman said, bowing her head to Aella. "You have been granted the abilities of a Europan."

"But--" A tear ran down her cheek, then another. "Chloe was an alien?"

"If you can see the orbs, then the necklace belongs not only to a Trinity Europan, but to a princess of Europa," the woman said.

Aella sank to her knees, her hands on the stone floor. The crystals clattered as they fell onto the stone. She glanced up as an orb appeared in front of her face, its light soft. She used her hands to wipe the tears from her face, sniffling as cleared her throat.

"Touch your necklace to the orb," the woman told her.

Aella moved to her knees, sitting on them as she looked into the orb. Slowly, she took the necklace off and touched the tip to the orb's surface, gasping as her surroundings changed.

She was enveloped in a soft light. It was warm, and smelled like the sea.

The light cleared, and in its place was a garden. Tears filled her eyes as she recognized the tall tree that took up the center of the greenhouse, it's green crown hiding the small treehouse she and Chloe had spent their off hours in, staring up at the stars.

She laughed as she saw a younger version of Chloe bending over a stalk of cucumbers, measuring the leaves with her ruler.

"Are you almost done?" called a younger voice, and the younger version of herself appeared. "I want to check on the potatoes next."

Chloe laughed, and stood up, pointing to Aella with the ruler. "How about you check on them right now, and I'll meet you in the treehouse when you've finished?"

The younger Aella nodded, and ran down the path toward the end of the greenhouse.

Chloe finished measuring, inputting the measurements into her handpad. She slid the ruler into her work coat, then stretched and yawned. Her hand reached for the necklace hanging around her throat and she closed her eyes.

Her voice sounded as loud as if she were talking, but her lips did not move. "The time is coming closer, isn't it?"

A deeper voice came from nowhere, echoing inside her head.

"You must keep the secret, protect Trinity. The fate of Earth and Europa lies in your hands."

"Why?" Chloe said, shaking her head. "Why couldn't we have stayed home, where we were safe?"

The voice laughed, and Aella felt warmth flow through her body. "No matter where you are, the spirit of Trinity will surround you. No matter what evil befalls you, the light of Trinity will light your way. No matter what despair envelopes you, the hope of Trinity will sustain you. No matter what pain you bear, the love of Trinity will heal you. Be strong and walk with courage the path that opens before you. With the light to guide you, you will never be alone. This is the prayer of Trinity, and the belief of the ones who came before you."

"Chloe," the younger Aella called, running towards her. "I finished with the potatoes."

Chloe opened her eyes, and smiled as she patted the younger Aella on the head.

Aella closed her eyes, remembering the soft touch and warmth of her sister's hand on her head.

"Are you ready?" Chloe asked.

Aella's lips moved in time with her younger self. "As long as you come with me." She opened her eyes, feeling Chloe's laugh.

"I'm always with you," she said. "Even when you don't realize it."

The light filled her vision again, and the memory dissipated, leaving tears on Aella's cheeks.

Slowly, the cave came back into focus, and Ciana reached forward, her finger tracing the path of the tear on Aella's face. The orb had vanished, and Ciana seemed to smile--though her features were hard to distinguish because of the light coming from her body.

"It seems that you have found what you were looking for, my dear."

Aella blinked, and shook her head. "I didn't know I was looking for that. I hadn't remembered."

Ciana knelt in front of her, placing her hand on Aella's shoulder.

Even though Aella felt no weight from the woman's hand, a warmth seemed to come from the apparition.

"The orbs never lie. They see into your thoughts and show you what you wish for the most. A wise person heeds their message, and moves on into their future with the strength gained from what they have learned."

Aella smiled, her head bowed. I wanted to know Chloe was with me. Even if I'm not Trinity, I know she loved me. She gave me her necklace and told me it would protect me. And that she was always with me. Her fingers rubbed the surface of the crystal.

She was relaxed, and her mind was clear. She smiled, feeling her heart become lighter. She looked up at Ciana who had risen and stepped away, her hands folded in front of her. "I will fight with Trinity. I will protect my sister's legacy."

Ciana smiled, and her form started to melt away, turning into an orb that rose toward the ceiling.

Aella sighed as she was left alone in the cavern. "For Chloe," she whispered, placing the necklace around her neck.

She stood, and looked up toward the ceiling and the glowing orbs and crystals. She squared her shoulders, and placed her hand on her chest in the position of a salute. "I pledge to join Trinity. I will fight with you against the Founder. I will make sure that Trinity return home."