by J G Smith
I shrug.
“Skye says you’re going to die,” he tells me with a sadness in his voice. He’s worried. “That girl – Ahteirus – seems to think so too.” He stops walking and stares at me with longing eyes. Skye almost walks into him and takes a step back. “We don’t have to do this,” he says. “Surely there is another way.”
“I’m afraid there isn’t,” I let out, falling against an inya tree. “We don’t really have a choice.”
“We don’t have any leeway,” supports Skye, forcibly.
“Not with Lighkame,” I add. “Not until we find the Arcane Messenger and hear what she has to say.”
“And you think it’s Ahteirus?” asks Bradley. He was listening.
I don’t answer. I don’t think his question needs answering. When he realises that neither of us are coming up with an alternative, his face crumples. He wants to cry, but doesn’t. Instead, he rolls his eyes with a heavy sigh and bolts off, leading us back to the campsite. I can only imagine that the longer it takes, the more it hurts.
“I told you,” breaks Skye. “He loves you.” She walks off and follows after Bradley. I linger for a second before following. This isn’t going to be easy on anyone.
We make our way into Phantom Forest Incorporated, through the same small gate as before. Skye unlocks the padlock and unravels the chain. Where did she get a key? I wonder, but not as much as I do about the unnervingly quiet route leading to the campsite. Even the nighlops’ beeping can scarcely be heard.
As we near the intended location, still out of view, I ask Bradley and Skye to hold up. I tell them, in a whisper, that I’d like to do something before heading in.
They seem puzzled, but pause nonetheless.
I close my eyes and try putting one of my newfound skills to use. Now that I’m more adept at using them. I see, in the speckled bluish white overlay, Bradley, Skye, a few tents, an SUV and more than a couple of trees.
I follow onwards with my mind’s eye, passing a high-end car and our original campsite before seeing what Skye had described. There are a number of people gathered in a semi-circle. At the head of them is me? No, it must be Lighkame dressed as me.
Most of the people are seated with their hands wrapped around their legs. I can see Skye’s parents, without any distinguishing features or colours, Dylan and David. Closest to Lighkame is Ahteirus, kneeled and crouched over a boy – our age. Though, he doesn’t seem to be breathing.
There’s a bit of commotion. Lighkame throws his hands in the air and I can even hear him where I am. “Where are they?!” he calls out. “I’m running out of patience.”
There’s only one way, Robert, I tell myself. There are too many people. You’ll have to leave with Lighkame first.
Something else grabs my attention, though. The bluish white speckles that give Ahteirus’ body shape begins to glow brighter from her centre. Her expression doesn’t change, though. It expands and moves to her hands which are rested on his chest and abdomen. There’s a shimmer and a glow that moves into his body. And then, to everyone’s surprise, he rises.
Ahteirus’ hands jump back to her person and the boy takes a deep breath.
My eyes open and my sight returns to normal view.
“Rob,” calls Skye with her hand on my shoulder. Bradley looks concerned as well. “Is everything okay?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
SAVING ROBERT
It’s cold, dark and quiet, wherever I am. Very quiet.
I lift myself up, feeling weightless, and wonder how I got here – where there seems to be nothing for my formulapathy to calculate. Not even when I look at my arms or feet.
“You shouldn’t be here,” a voice echoes, from almost every direction.
“Where?” I ask. “Where am I?”
The voice seems to ignore me. “It isn’t your time,” it says, continuing to echo. “Not yet.”
“Where am I?” I repeat, turning frantically in search of the voice’s source.
“This is the home of the eidolon,” it states. This time, I feel its words inside of me.
A light appears before my eyes and a man, glowing a ghostly blue, appears from within it. He’s shirtless and covered in tribal tattoos.
“You’re supposed to help the Arcane Messenger,” his omnipresent voice continues.
“She’s real?” I ask. “Who is she?”
“Robert will help her remember,” he answers. “You will help her between the verses, with the ring.”
I feel a warmth spread from my chest, throughout my body. My vision jitters. “Sorry?” I question.
A large breath of air fills my lungs and I find myself sitting upright in the campsite with Ahteirus kneeled beside me. I feel dizzy and light-headed. It takes me a moment to recover.
Everyone around me seems shocked. Lighkame nears from my right to Ahteirus, who is on my left, and questions her about what just happened – and Robert. The ringing in my ears makes it difficult to hear, at first, and my mind keeps repeating the ghostly figure’s words, “…between the verses…the ring.”
I stare at the ground and reflect upon my thoughts, wondering where I was and who it was that I saw. The most prominent thoughts, however, pierce, ‘Who is the Arcane Messenger?’ and ‘How am I supposed to help her between the verses?’ I just learnt of them.
The ringing in my ears fades and I hear the Lighkame say, “He has something inside of him that can help me get home.”
Ahteirus huffs and, behind tears, retorts, “I don’t know what makes you think that, but that’s not going to happen.”
Lighkame swings his arm viciously and lashes out, “Robert has an energy inside of him that can open a door to my universe. I can feel it without even touching him and that green-eyed visitor confirmed it.”
“The what?” questions Ahteirus. I turn to look at her and, with working formulapathy, notice that her question is more about surprise than enquiry. She knows who Lighkame is talking about.
“The green-eyed visitor inside of Robert,” repeats Lighkame before adding, “But there’s an energy inside of you as well, and that ring.”
Ahteirus pulls her right hand back, hiding the ring.
“What does it do?” he asks.
She remains quiet.
“Show it to me,” he yells, loudly and fiercely.
“Don’t,” I mutter, moving closer to Ahteirus.
“And what do you think you’re doing, Artificial?” spits Lighkame. His readings flare with volatility.
Ahteirus whispers my name, touching my arm. “Don’t,” she begs.
‘If only I had that gun,’ I think to myself. Natalia’s words then echo, “What’s your aversion to weapons?”
Lighkame grabs my shirt and pushes me aside. “Give me that ring,” he demands, glaring at Ahteirus.
The crowd is silent – too scared to do anything. I start to grow fearful as well. However, in that moment, Robert walks in (the real Robert), accompanied by Bradley and Skye. He diverts Lighkame’s attention, triggering a flutter of hope within me. But, just as soon, it fades. There’s a glimmer in Lighkame’s eyes and a sadistic grin on his face.
Ahteirus turns around and sees the trio. “No!” she cries out. Her readings show that she’s even more distressed by Robert’s arrival. “Run, Robert!” she yells. “Get out of here.”
Lighkame vanishes with a flash of red light, appears in front of Robert, grabbing his white shirt, and vanishes with him in another red flash. Skye falls to her knees and tears stream down Ahteirus’ face. I notice Bradley, frozen in position, with readings of shock – pure shock.
The police and military officials take out their radios to call for help and gather the remainder of us. “We need to take you someplace safe,” they say to all of us. “And we’ll need to take everything you have for processing.”
“What?!” most of us exclaim, abruptly and almost in unison. Ahteirus, appearing inconsolable, Skye and Bradley, don’t. They remain fixed in their positions, unable to move.
> “I’d like to speak with your General,” I declare, standing to my feet.
“Our General is at the hospital,” they scoff. “He’s busy with more important matters at the moment.”
“He?” I question. “No, I’m talking about your first in command. I’d like to speak with her.”
They break out laughing. “Her? Since when has a General ever been female?” they chuckle, shaking off my question.
I don’t think I like this universe.
I notice Tiffany shuffle through her pockets, hiding something before an official reaches her. I move to Ahteirus and hold her shoulders. “Hide the ring,” I tell her.
“What?” she asks, incoherently.
“Hide the ring,” I repeat. “We can’t let it get in the wrong hands.”
“Where?” she asks, still distressed but more at grips with herself.
“Pockets,” I whisper.
She feels her jumpsuit and I see that she remembers – the pockets are hidden. Tears, however, continue to stream down her face.
“We’ll find him,” I assure her as the officials walk us off. Though, she doesn’t seem convinced.
§
David bangs against the glass door of the boardroom we’ve been locked in. “This is not witness protection!” he yells. “This is imprisonment!” He keeps banging and yelling louder and louder, but no one answers.
I stand with Desmond and Tiffany one side of the uncluttered room, Skye stands with her parents to another and the rest (Bradley, Ahteirus and Dylan) are at the table – centre of the room.
“No word from Mr and Mrs Peters?” Desmond asks Tiffany.
She shakes her head, “No.”
‘Does she still have a communication device none of us are aware of?’ I wonder before Desmond asks, “You gonna be okay with the atmosphere?”
I nod. “I didn’t realise your days were so short this side,” I tell them. “And it may have been a combination of that and my lack of sleep.”
“Speaking of which,” Tiffany begins, “how did she bring you back?”
I shrug. “Her readings are more than a little peculiar. Trying to figure them out gives me a headache. I don’t know. Maybe it’s normal where she comes from.”
“Is this reading thing normal in your universe?” Desmond asks.
Good point. “No,” I answer. There’s a bit of silence, on our end, before I ask, “How long are they going to keep us here.”
“No idea,” Tiffany and Desmond answer.
“I need to get back to my universe,” I sigh. There’s a sarcastic mutter from across the room before I finish, “…with Robert.”
Ahteirus, still devastated by what happened, declares plainly and loudly, “He’s not going back with you.”
“I’m sorry?” I question, moving towards her.
“Robert’s not going to make it away from Lighkame,” she utters, doom and gloom.
“We’ll get him back,” I try and assure, but she’s not accepting it.
“I saw him die,” she bites.
Bradley, who hasn’t said a word since returning, cuts in, “Robert thinks you’re the Arcane Messenger.” He looks at Ahteirus with disdain, while fighting to keep himself together. “And Skye says the Arcane Messenger is the one who kills him.” Jaws drop around the room – mine included. “So as long as you are here,” Bradley states, “Robert is safe.”
“That’s not what I saw,” Ahteirus retorts. Her sadness turns to anger and she continues, “I saw Robert and Lighkame fighting.”
“Is that all you saw?” Skye questions.
Ahteirus frowns with readings of confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Is that all you saw?” Skye repeats. “Because I am an oracle of the Falgron faith and my prophecies are fixed. The Arcane Messenger is there when Robert dies – and she is the reason it happens.”
“So, I am the Arcane Messenger? And I am the one who’s going to kill Robert?” Ahteirus questions. Her readings, though, show that she’s refuting their claims. Is she being sarcastic? “I can’t believe I’m listening to this.” I’ll take that as a yes.
“I didn’t say it was you,” Skye defends. “But if it is, Bradley’s right.”
Ahteirus is taken aback. Skye’s parents listen intently, but don’t say a word. Their readings seem to be in reverence of Skye. ‘Is she their leader?’ I wonder. Tiffany and Desmond try approaching, but they seem hesitant. David gives up banging against the glass door and Dylan simply pays attention. His readings indicate that he isn’t surprised like almost everyone else, but he doesn’t want to be a part of it.
“If I may,” I interrupt, remembering Skye’s wording of the Arcane Messenger’s involvement. “Did you actually see the Arcane Messenger kill Robert?”
Skye is now the one with readings of confusion. “No,” she answers. “My prophecies are like dreams. There are parts that you see and parts that you feel.”
“I see everything,” Ahteirus breathes, “as if it’s happening right in front of me.”
“What are you kids talking about?” David asks.
“We’re trying to figure what we actually know so that we can formulate a plan,” I state in answer, turning to face him.
“That’s the officials’ job,” David says, baffled by my statement.
“The officials don’t know what they’re doing,” I tell him, turning back to Skye. “I’m asking because you said she’s the reason Robert dies. What if it’s a cause and effect?”
“A what?” Ahteirus and Skye ask, at the same time.
“What if seeing the future causes it to change?” I suggest.
“Like I said,” Skye interrupts, “my prophecies are fixed. I don’t know about her visions, but what I see and feel happens.”
“And maybe by her just being here, a chain reaction is set off, causing Robert’s death,” I explain.
Ahteirus scoffs. “So, this is my fault?” she questions. Her readings indicate that she’s taken serious offense.
“I’m just saying, Robert could still be in danger. Maybe you’re both right. Though, what you saw with my parents and sister makes me think that the future could still change. So, either way, we need to do something.”
“And how, exactly, do you plan on doing that?” Dylan asks, writhing with readings of contention. “They’ve taken all our stuff and locked us in here.”
“I’ll see what I can do to get us out of here,” Tiffany says, revealing a phone she had hidden in her… upper chest area.
I blush. Everyone else, except for Dylan, is surprised. “That doesn’t help us find Robert, though,” Dylan adds.
“He has his phone,” Bradley informs. “I gave it back to him.”
“Do you know his number?” Desmond askes.
“By heart,” Skye and Dylan say in unison.
“When Tiffany is done, we’ll call and message him,” Desmond proposes. “If that doesn’t work, we’ll try tracking him.”
Everyone, though shaky, is pulling together. Dylan’s eyes continue to roll at every suggestion and both Bradley and Skye continue to distrust Ahteirus. But something we all have in common is Robert. We want him to be safe.
When Tiffany finishes on the phone, she tells us that she’s organised for Ahteirus, myself, her and Desmond to be released. “We don’t really have jurisdiction over the rest of you,” she says.
This causes another outcry with the prominent, “We’re not letting her anywhere near Robert.”
“Let’s see if we can get a hold of Robert before we get ahead of ourselves,” I suggest, struggling but eventually succeeding in calming them down.
Bradley gives Tiffany Robert’s number and we wait. We wait in uneasy tension. I don’t want to say anything to Ahteirus about the spectral figure from earlier on. If she doesn’t remember being the Arcane Messenger, then Bradley will help her remember. At least, that’s what the figure said. For now, the ring is safe. We have to make sure Robert is safe too.
I sit down next to Bradley as time g
oes on. “What happened with your parents and sister?” he asks, referring to my earlier comment.
“Ahteirus saw them on top of a building in my universe,” I tell him, “just moments before she saw me…” I stop myself. “You do know about other universes, right?” I ask, only just realising what I said.
“Rob mentioned something about it earlier,” he says, shrugging. “But back to Ahteirus… You still trust her?”
“Just because she saw it, doesn’t mean she makes it happen,” I defend her.
“I get that,” he mutters. “But why does that make you think the future can change.”
My heart feels as if it’s being squeezed. “My mother and sister are dead,” I tell him, “and I haven’t seen my father in quite some time. He’s probably dead as well.”
Bradley puts his hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he says.
I force a smile and add, “Something must’ve happened to change what she saw, so maybe we can change what she, and Skye, saw with Robert.”
He smiles – the first that I’ve seen from him. “Maybe,” he says, adding, “I hope we can.”
“What about your parents?” I ask.
“They’re on vacation… the Auquanelle islands,” he tells me. “They tried coming back when the investigation started with Rob and the hospital, but the airport is shut down because of some electromagnetic interference above it.”
Wait… that’s what Dr Albatross reported with the portal that led me here. An uneasy feeling comes over me. I ask Desmond if he knows about any other portals on Lithon and he says, “No, only the one in the laboratory.”
“There’s two in my universe that I know of,” I tell him.
“And there’s four here that I know of,” Ahteirus reports, referring to a building with tombs (which Skye calls the Temple of Prophecy), the forest, the hospital and the laboratory.
“Four?” Tiffany and Desmond question in dismay.
“Five now,” I believe, “with the airport included.”
Bradley frowns, but listens.
“I think they’re spreading,” I tell them. “Maybe even six, depending on how Lighkame got here.” Could this be what the ghostly figure was referring to?