The Sphere of Time

by TIME, S. O.

  I feel a hard impact from behind and I lose all feeling. We’re all sent flying in the direction of the opening and my consciousness fades so quickly I completely lose track of what’s happening.

  “Eiji!” is all I hear before I black out.

  #

  “I will never give up on you.” I hear in the blackness, though I can’t make out who’s voice it is. I open my eyes inside a cave. It’s equally dark in here as the sun’s light is nowhere to be found. Unsure of my surroundings, I panic and try to move, but Hitori comes up beside me and pushes me back down.

  “Don’t move, you’re still healing. We’re safe. We made it.”

  “What happened?” I ask.

  “You were hit pretty hard. You’re lucky the claw didn’t cut you in half. It took me hours, but I managed to heal you… for the most part.”

  She smiles faintly at me, but I can sense the worry in her energy. She slouches forward slightly and her eyes seem to be fighting against her as she forces them to stay open. It looks like she’ll collapse any moment.

  “How long have I been out?”

  “About three days,” she replies.

  “Three days? What happened to the tower, where’s Botan?”

  “He’s out getting us food. He managed to sneak back and get our packs, but now we’re about out of rations.”

  “What about the nymians, is he crazy?”

  “The nymians seem to have spread back out. They got bored of us pretty quickly once they realized they couldn’t get in. And Botan’s green crystal is really effective when he’s alone and moving slowly.”

  I look around and see the ashes of a small campfire. All of the blankets they had left appear to be under and over me.

  “Hitori I’m so sorry.” I try to take the blanket off of me to give to her, but she smiles again and keeps the blanket on me.

  “You saved us. Had it not been for your shield, we would’ve died back there,”

  “If it wasn’t for me falling, we would never have been attacked.”

  “You don’t know that. Don’t do that to yourself.”

  I open my mouth to reply when we hear sounds from the opening of the cave. Botan crawls through the opening, ration bag in hand. He sees me.

  “Ah, you’re finally awake. Good, I was really getting worried.”

  He sets the bag down beside us and opens it.

  “It’s not much, but it’s all I was able to find.”

  Inside are a few different nuts and berries. There are even some leaves in here.

  “It’s no feast, but at least it’ll keep us from starving,” he says.

  I reach for a few berries and we all start eating. Despite the light conversation, I sense immense activity in their energies. They’re very similar—cold and scattered. As if frantically reaching out to anything that could take them away from this situation.

  We’re so close, yet one more nymian attack will finish us. I look at my shield and see with relief that it’s been recharging—its energy output should be almost back to normal by tomorrow.

  Botan uses a small knife to sharpen a few long, sturdy branches he’d grabbed during his foraging. No one mentions anything else about our current situation or presents any plans to get us out of here. I try to return their blankets but they both refuse. They use the clothes they have and whatever they can find in their rucksacks to cover themselves. Botan lights the fire once more, keeping the flame low and hot, and they lie down by it. I sit up to rearrange the blankets on me and by the time I turn to Hitori I see that she’s already asleep. I lie back down and close my eyes as I listen to the crackling of the fire.

  “Eiji?” I hear a voice calling.

  I open my eyes and see Sahra’s mother standing beside me. She’s shaking. Quickly I sit up.

  “W-What are you doing here?” I ask.

  “Look after her,” she says.

  “What?”

  “Save her.”

  I snap awake in a cold sweat. The fire has burned down to embers and Botan and Hitori are asleep. What was that? I stand up slowly as my body gets acquainted with moving again and glance outside the opening. It’s the middle of the night. I jump at the sudden vibration on my arm and look at my holo. It’s a message from Alma addressed to all of us. The time stamp is from over a day ago—she must only now be close enough for the message to pass along the microfrequency.

  Where are you? Are you okay? You said you’d be back! I’m coming.

  I turn to the opening and pulse out. I feel Alma’s energy heading toward us by the lower end of the path. The path that Botan told us not to take because of the heavy nymian sightings.

  Along with her energy, I sense eight nymians.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I stumble as I hurry to Botan, biting back the urge to yell out. As I drop to my knees beside him, I shake his shoulder roughly and hiss his name.

  “What’s going on?” he demands, his energy jumpstarting into activity. I show him the message on my holo, and he squints hard at its light as he reads. I know he’s understood its meaning when I feel the spike in his energy. He gets up and rushes to the opening.

  “Get Hitori,” he orders in a hoarse whisper as he sprints out of the cave. Before I have a chance to ask him anything, he vanishes into the darkness.

  Hitori has already started to wake from the noise. “Eiji?” she says as she rubs her eyes. “Is something happening?”

  “Alma sent us a message—she’s left the safehouse.”

  “What?” Hitori asks, grabbing her boots.

  “She’s coming to us. She must have just reached the proximity threshold for microfrequency messages.”

  “Where’s Botan?”

  “He just ran out and told me to get you.”

  “Alma,” she says under her breath as she finishes tying her boots. She grabs one of Botan’s sharpened sticks and we sprint out.

  The winds are picking up again, stinging my lungs with cold at every breath. Despite this, sweat trickles down my spine at every crunch of our footsteps.

  I pulse out to find Botan. He’s slowed down, and a bit farther ahead of him I can sense Alma, distressed, and racing toward us up the mountain path. All around us I sense more nymians closing in, their rage growing as they sense intruders in their territory.

  It doesn’t take long for us to reach Botan and Alma, tightly holding each other on the side of the trail.

  “What the hell were you thinking?” Botan snaps at her in a harsh whisper.

  “You were gone a long time! A-And I was alone. And the comms. And the beasts!” Alma cries as she burrows herself into his chest.

  “Shhh, it’s okay, we’re here now,” Botan says as his energy eases a bit with their embrace.

  I hear a twig snap to my left and immediately activate my shield, darting in front of Alma and Botan. The nymian’s strike sends spiderweb cracks shuddering through the shield as our ears ring with the beast’s enraged howl.

  Hitori skids up, her pointed stick raised. I’m about to warn her that it won’t pierce the nymian’s hide when she lunges with it—directing the point right into the creature’s eye. It shrieks and stumbles back, giving Botan a chance to grab Alma.

  “Into the trees!” Botan snaps.

  With Alma in hand, Botan rushes off the path and Hitori and I follow as the nymian whimpers behind us. Other nymians howl in response. After a panicked minute of charging through the forest, Botan drops into a crouch in a wide hollow created by the roots of a large tree.

  “Get down!” he hisses, tucking Alma behind him.

  We drop beside him and his crystal activates, the faint green shield appearing around us. No one makes a sound. My breathing feels thunderously loud, and I struggle to inhale more slowly. One nymian charges by, then two more. Their cries call out from every direction, but none stop to look toward us. Botan’s illusion is enough to hide us within the shrubbery.

  Eventually the cries diminish, but we can still hear them moving nearby. A sudden, sharp cru
nch freezes the breath in my throat as a nymian drops down from a nearby tree. Jagged spikes of terror emanate from the others’ energies in the same moment, causing my heartbeat to pound painfully in my ears.

  It stalks closer, but its gaze is not focused on our position. Yet. Alma squeezes her eyes shut as she clings to Botan, her bottom lip trembling. I fear she will scream at any moment, but Hitori gently taps her shoulder to get her attention. She holds Alma’s hands and tries her best to smile. I feel Alma’s energy calm slightly, and it eases my tension as well.

  The nymian eventually moves on. I’m about to let out a sigh of relief when I sense a dip in energy. I glance at Botan and realize that his energy is fading fast. His camouflage won’t last much longer. The nymians haven’t yet left the area, but I’m sure that if we stay here, our chances will only worsen.

  We have to move

  I show Botan while Hitori is busy keeping Alma distracted. He nods hesitantly and I show the message to Hitori. She turns to me worriedly but also nods.

  Back to cave? I send to Botan. He shakes his head.

  We’re out of resources and I don’t want Alma out here any longer. Go up the path. I’ll create a diversion.

  I begin shaking my head rapidly. His jaw tenses and he doesn’t meet my eyes as he starts to turn. I grab his arm, forcing him to look at me as I hiss, “NO.” Hitori, noticing our tension, glances away from Alma and gives us a concerned look. Botan drops his gaze from mine and taps out another message to show me.

  You can’t stop me from saving my daughter and niece.

  My grip falls from his arm as my breath hitches in my throat. Botan moves to Alma, and nods for Hitori to shift over to me. Hitori’s gaze is nervous and questioning, but I don’t know how to tell her. He taps out another message and shows it to Alma. Her eyes widen and she shakes her head frantically as Botan puts his hand on her shoulder. Tears spill quickly down her cheeks, and Botan gently brushes them away. He kisses her forehead and whispers something in her ear. She nods, chest shaking as she holds back sobs. I feel Hitori grab my hand as a rush of regret pours through her energy. She understands.

  Feeling desperate, I hurriedly type out one more message to Botan: I’ll go with you. But he shakes his head and types out a quick response.

  Keep them safe. Wait for a couple minutes after I go.

  Before I can protest any further, the green shimmer around us dissolves and he begins moving away. Alma’s fear for her father batters at my consciousness, and I fight to keep it from overwhelming me. Soon after he leaves, I hear a nymian shriek. We press ourselves as far back into the hollow as we can as the forest around us fills with the rushing sounds of sprinting beasts.

  As the sound of their chase fades, I motion for Hitori to help Alma climb onto my back. I feel her tears as she presses her face into the back of my neck. Once she is settled we begin moving, striding as quickly as we dare in the direction of the road. It feels dangerously open once we reach the path, but we’re able to move significantly faster on its paved surface. My ears strain for any hint of approaching danger, but the few shrieks I hear are distant and muted. We pause only once, to move Alma onto Hitori’s back when I begin to slow. As we move, I pulse out occasionally for Botan’s energy; somehow, despite the many creatures he drew away, I still sense his soul bright and alive.

  About half an hour later we reach the base of the tower. It’s a massive structure, with steel lattice stretching over four hundred meters into the sky. One of its foundational pillars is heavily damaged, but the tower remains mostly upright as it rests against the side of the mountain. Its base consists of a square, two-story concrete building with only one door and two barred windows. I notice a section of the building has caved in, providing an easy entrance. We’re finally here.

  Hitori takes her holo and scans the tower as Alma hops off her back.

  “It looks like the electrical input cables aren’t functioning,” she says, “we’re going to have to manually attach the generators to get power to the tower, and then we need to manually reset the routers to connect to the satellites above.”

  “What do you need from me?” I ask.

  “Do you know anything about electrical engineering?” she asks. I shake my head. She sighs heavily.

  “Okay, I’ll take care of it. Find a defensible spot inside and keep watch with Alma.”

  “Got it.” I say as Alma takes my hand. Hitori races into the building as we follow at a more sedate pace. The path leading back runs between the cliff to our right, and the mountain to our immediate left. The only way the nymians can get to us is straight away, so we should be able to see them coming. Alma and I pick through the rubble until we find a room with one of the windows. Based on the panels of buttons and screens, it appears to be the main control room. We pull a couple of rolling chairs over to the window and take up watch.

  “It’s going to be alright,” I tell Alma.

  I pulse for Botan’s energy again. It’s been growing fainter the further apart we get, but I can still sense it. Alma’s hand trembles in mine, the same way Sahra’s did back in Vale. She’s trying her best to quiet her crying, but I don’t know what else to say. How can I convince her that we’ll be fine when I’m not the least bit convinced of it myself?

  We listen to the muffled clanks as Hitori rummages through the equipment on the floor below us. After a few minutes, I hear the activation of the generator. The manual generator here doesn’t produce the same quiet hum that condenser-based ones do—instead, this one makes a static-y sound that pierces through the air. It’s certain to call attention to our presence. I pulse out for Botan’s energy once more to see how far he has drawn the nymians, but I can no longer sense him. My body stiffens and I pulse again. Still nothing. He probably just ran out of my range.

  “Is everything alright?” Alma asks.

  “Yes, I’m just a little cold,” I say with a forced smile. It reminds me of the smile I gave to Sahra.

  At the sound of footsteps, we both turn to see Hitori run into the room as a few of the monitor screens flicker to life. We trade tense smiles as she goes to one of the control panels. Her eyes soften as she takes in Alma’s tear-stained face.

  “Help me out?” she asks, waving Alma over. The girl nods and hurries over, sniffling. I turn back to the window as they work.

  “Okay, hold that button down until that screen turns on,” Hitori says. A few seconds pass. “Good, now put in this code. Tell me when a green box pops up.”

  I hear Hitori curse softly as she connects wires under the desks.

  “The box!” Alma exclaims, and I hear Hitori smack her head against the underside of a desk in surprise. “Sorry! Sorry!” Alma stutters as Hitori crawls out.

  “I’m fine, Alma, you did great,” Hitori assures her quickly. Alma inhales a sob. I feel all her worries and shame rush forward. I turn, aching to do something to ease her pain.

  “I should have listened. I should have stayed. Papa’s in danger and it’s all my fault!”

  “Hey, no, it’s not like that. You were worried for your papa,” Hitori says, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Listen, your papa is strong. He’s doing his best to get us out of here. Trust in him, okay?”

  Alma sniffles. “I can’t lose papa. Not after losing mama.”

  Hitori’s energy sinks even deeper. “Hey, look at me,” she says gently. Alma lifts her head so Hitori can see her better. “I know how hard it is. I lost my mother when I was born. I never really got to meet her. I’m still trying to find out how to deal with it myself. It’s not your fault.”

  Alma takes a deep breath, and then suddenly hugs Hitori. “When we get out of here, I’ll tell you how I best deal with it,” she says. Hitori smiles and nods.

  “I’d love that,” she responds to Alma.

  I pulse out again and immediately regret it. The sound of the generator has already given away our presence. Nearly a dozen nymians have begun to move up the road. They’re coming straight for us.

  “Hitor
i we have to hurry!” I yell to her.

  “I just have to finish resetting the routers!”

  I feel a sudden dip in energy from Alma as she checks her holo. I hurry to her and look over her shoulder.

  I love you so much, Alma. You’re the best gift I could’ve ever received. Be brave for me, okay? I love you.

  I love you.

  An explosion goes off in the distance. I rush back to the window to see a fiery ball rising in the south. Several nymians cry out, and I see three moving up the path toward us.

  “What does this mean? Where’s papa?”

  “Alma…” my mouth dries out and I completely forget all words. I can’t speak.

  “Why did papa send this?” she yells as she starts banging on my chest while I try to hold her. Her panic and dread threaten to overwhelm me as an awful certainty cements itself in her mind. I feel her growing intensely hot against me. Her crystal has activated and she begins glowing a bright, powerful red. Before long, she becomes too hot for me to touch, and smoke starts forming around her. I remember Botan’s words about her energy and try to calm her down.

  “Alma, please, I bet he’s on his way. He’s right behind us!”

  She shakes her head and starts taking steps back. I try to go to her but even the air around her is becoming so hot it’s hard for me to breath.

  “Then why would he send this?”

  As we talk, the nymians get closer. Their howls echo off the mountainside.

  “Hitori!” I shout.

  “Almost there!” she yells back.

  I turn back to Alma and see the air around her ripple from the heat. Her holo cracks as I try again to calm her. “He probably just wanted you to know he’s on his way back!”

  She keeps shaking her head and taking steps back.

  “Papa’s not coming back. Just like Mama.” Suddenly she bolts, charging down the stairs and out of the tower.

  “Alma, no! We’re almost through!”