“Let Morrigan go,” Aidan ordered, but she made no move to do so.
“You have deeply wounded us,” she said, folding her hands. “No matter how hard we try, we will never have the power we once had. You have crippled us.”
“Not if you work with Bailey and the others. Not if you work with the people and atone for what you’ve done.”
“The people,” she scoffed. “What do they know? They act on emotion just as much as you do. Are we to wipe away every tear? Satisfy every complaint? We may live in luxury, but we have earned our right. Who are you to question our way of life?”
“There is a better way.”
“But do the people want it? Of course if they demanded such, we would be forced to adapt. We are but few. But they do not truly want change. Because they are comfortable. They are content. They are happy with their scraps. Why tantalize them with anything more when so much hardship comes of it?”
“It’s not right for you to decide for them.”
“You know nothing of what it takes to lead. How every decision you make affects the very world we live in. Your defeat of Necrosis today, for example. Were you proud of it? It may have been noble to come to the defense of your comrades, but have you thought it all through? Do you think word has not spread of your victory beyond these walls? Do you not think that others just as strong or greater will not come to our borders and seek a challenge? We maintain a delicate order here. Eugene Balthasar disrupted that order, and that is why he died. He brought that monster to our doorstep in the first place when we would have never, ever, ordered such a thing to happen. Why are we the monsters because we took advantage of a force already set in motion? Now Lowsunn stands on the brink of annihilation. All you have done is delayed its demise.”
“We’re all to blame in one way or another,” Aidan said. “But it’s what we do after our mistakes that continues to define us and shape our future. That –” he said, pointing to Morrigan, “– just shows how much you’re not ready for change. I believe that everyone in Lowsunn, including the Elders, can work together. That’s why we’re not fighting right now. Because I believe we can all do better, and that even what you did, can be forgiven.”
Elder Thine took a deep sigh, looked at Morrigan and then back at Aidan.
“I do not like you, Aidan Serafino, but I do respect you. I do not think it is fitting that one who has fought and survived against an Omega deserves to die at the hands of bitter old men and women. Though you cannot deny that is what could happen at this very moment. If we so desired, we could wish for abilities right now that would surely bring about your end, but the day for that will come, in time. The truth of the matter is, I am tired. We all are. I am sick of this life and especially sick of all of you.”
Elder Thine unsheathed a dagger from beneath her robe and turned it on her Elders and not the intruders, killing them one by one with swift strokes. Not one of them moved to stop her, and soon, only Elder Ainsley and Elder Thine remained.
“What are you doing?” Aidan shouted, but Elder Thine held the dagger to her throat in response. Elder Ainsley unsheathed a dagger of his own and did the same.
“Dad,” Leah cried out at him. “What are you doing?”
“I’m sorry, princess,” he said. And then he took his life. None of them could bear to look. Elder Thine gave a heavy sigh.
“Look at me now, Aidan Serafino. And you as well, Leah Ainsley.” Leah slowly lifted her head to look at Elder Thine through angry, teary eyes. Aidan’s face was exactly the same, for he knew how much pain Leah’s father had just caused his beloved. Elder Thine’s eyes were listless and dry as she steadied her blood-stained blade.
“Listen to me well, both of you,” she said. “Your reputation will be known throughout the world. I am certain that you both will accomplish great things, but know that with every decision you make, there will be consequences, seen and unseen, and you will have to bear the burden of each of them. I was willing to endure those burdens, to make a haven in Lowsunn. A place unlike any else on Obsidian. I was willing to become a legend. To establish a legacy within these walls. But I see now that will not happen. You have made that clear tonight.”
“Where is this going?” Aidan asked, and she closed her eyes.
“I am sure your names will become even greater than mine would have been. Perhaps equal to the Omegas in prestige. You will have many victories, and many losses. Each adding to your legacy in their own way. Those who have aided your causes, and those who have taken from them. Mr. Serafino, if my name will not be established through Lowsunn, it will be through you. Whether I take my life, or you do, it has already been done.”
“What has?” Aidan asked.
“Every Elder here used the last of their wishes to ensure one thing: that upon our deaths, the connection between you and Ms. Ainsley will be severed.”
“What?” Aidan said, looking into Leah’s eyes.
“It might be repaired, but only time will tell if you can endure that test. It doesn’t matter. You will forever remember Elder Serah Thine. On the day you defeated an Omega. On the day you won magnificently, and on the day you lost…most terribly.”
Aidan reached his hand towards Elder Thine, but it was already over. Her lifeless body fell to the floor, and Isaac could not bear to watch what happened next. He ran over to Morrigan and began to unchain her as Aidan continued to look forward. His breathing erratic, his heart racing faster than ever before, he finally fought the fear and turned around to face her.
It was a bluff. It had to be.
But he couldn’t find her anymore.
It just wasn’t her.
This was not Leah Ainsley. That Leah glowed. She was his sun, warming his soul to the point that he felt invincible. She was so breathtakingly beautiful that he would find himself taking peeks at her even in the midst of the most serious conversations and battles. He smiled whenever he thought he heard her name. His mind raced with poetry when he felt her fingers intertwine with his. There was magic, and wonder, and her very presence made Yen feel like a worthless toy.
She was his wish.
She was the embodiment of all he could dream and hope for.
And now…now…she was so strange. She looked like an imposter. She was smiling. Her hair was the same. Her lips. Her eyes. The way she leaned. The softness of her skin. The curve of her figure. It looked like her. And his mind told her it was her. That he loved her.
But he didn’t feel it.
She was as dull and unappealing as Eugene’s puppets.
He fell to his knees, and she embraced him. His head rested against her stomach and she held him even tighter. But even her touch was loose and distant, like a mother consoling a stranger’s child.
“I know,” she said, her tears falling onto the crown of his head. “I know.”
When she let him go, he took her hands and smiled, despite the pain. At least he hadn’t lost her. At least she was still with him.
“We’ll get that connection back,” he said to her. “You know we will.”
“We have no choice,” she said, with a half-smile. “It’s fate. We were meant for each other. And even the heavens themselves can’t change that.”
“We should go,” Isaac said, placing a hand on Aidan’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we shouldn’t hang around here. Not until we’ve told Bailey what’s happened.”
“Right,” he said, letting go of Leah’s hands. Isaac nodded and walked past them with Morrigan on his back.
“Thank you for saving me,” she whispered as she passed by. Aidan nodded and then looked to Leah again. He tried to give her a smile.
“What are you smiling about?” she asked, and he shrugged his shoulders.
“Nothing,” he said. Suddenly she leapt into his arms, and kissed him tenderly. It felt awkward and forced, but there was nothing he wanted more. When they parted, he gazed into her eyes.
“Go ahead. I’ll be right there,” he said.
“Sure,” she re
plied, turning away. She left the room and he watched her walk for a moment, trying to conjure up some of the emotion he had once felt for his wife. But when nothing came, he turned back to the late Elder Thine, and decided to set her corpse on fire.
Chapter 24 – Behind Us
He awoke with Leah on his chest. He didn’t remember her coming in, but he had been tired. For the first time since they had been married, they were both fully clothed. Aidan tapped her arm and her eyes fluttered open. She placed both hands under her chin and they just stared at each other.
“We could use our Yen,” she said, but Aidan quickly shook his head.
“We got this,” he said. “I’m not worried. Are you?”
“Nope,” she said, rolling off the bed and onto her feet. She was back in her Lowsunn uniform. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Falling back in love with you will be the easiest thing I’ve ever done,” he laughed. “You make it so easy.”
“Darn it, and I was trying to keep my charm and beauty dormant.”
“Liar,” he yawned as a knock came on the door. “Is this going to become a regular thing? Geez. Just one moment!” Aidan climbed out of bed and stretched. “Isaac told Bailey about last night, right?”
“He went straight there,” Leah yawned back. “After you crashed I went to see if he and Morrigan were okay. It was a pretty gruesome scene.”
“Yeah,” he said with a heavy sigh. He opened the door and Isaac and Morrigan were standing on the other side.
“Morning!” Isaac said with a big smile. Aidan raised his eyebrows.
“What are you two, an item now?”
“He saved my life,” Morrigan muttered. “So I promised to spend the day with him.”
“It was a compromise to marriage,” Isaac laughed and then covered his mouth. “I’m sorry. That was awkward.”
“You’ve been really killing it with the jokes lately,” Aidan said, punching his friend in the arm. “So what’s going on this morning? I hear the Elders and Movement meeting is cancelled.”
“Yeah, Bailey wants everyone to meet at Otalli. Said it was very important and that it concerns Lowsunn’s future.”
“I take it the shields are going to be down?”
“At least for everyone to leave. Can’t say much about getting back in.”
“Got it,” he said, pushing Isaac and Morrigan outside. “Well, let’s not be late to the party.”
Leah followed not far behind.
* * *
“Is this everyone?” Bailey shouted, standing on one of the tables outside. Jessica and Makana stood, one on each side of her, with the rest of the villagers crowding as close as they could to the makeshift podium. Even Elroy was in attendance – if you searched hard enough for him you could spot him. The whole village of Lowsunn had arrived, and there were so many people that many were even standing beyond Otalli’s small borders. Aidan had lent Bailey his loudspeaking beetle. “I’m going to ask again!” she shouted. “Is this everyone?”
The crowd nodded and murmured. Many of them had never been outside the village walls. So even being a few miles away was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking.
“Can we confirm this?” Bailey asked. A couple teleporters in the area gave the thumbs-up. “Okay, I’ll start. Ladies and gentlemen, as many of you may know, last night was a historic one for the village of Lowsunn. One of the most disturbing revelations we had last night was that a man by the name of Eugene Balthasar was using two factions within Lowsunn against each other. Now make no mistake, the Movement and the Elders were at odds before his actions, but the fact that he was able to cause such fracture and devastation is both revelatory and disturbing. From our in-fighting, and his manipulation, we almost caused the destruction of our village. If it weren’t for our brave warriors, we would have been lost…but the travesty didn’t end there. In a move that was not foreseen, the Elders took their own lives. For what reason, I’m not sure. All I know is that neither I nor the Movement was involved.”
The crowd remained silent as Aidan gauged the reactions.
“I know how that sounds,” Bailey said, fidgeting with her hands. “It sounds like more lies. More deception. More of the status quo. Well, I arrived at a decision last night myself, before the Elders had gone. I had decided that no member of the Movement was fit to lead in Lowsunn, including myself. The foundations that were laid there…they’re too damaged. There’s no way to say whether or not we could do a great job from here on out. Even if it was the Elders, or me, or one of you…it would be hard to break tradition. It would be hard not to fall in familiar patterns and rituals. There comes a time when a system must be renewed. But I will have no part of it. Not in this one. And for that, I am sorry.”
An ear-splitting explosion rocked the foundation beneath them all. The crowd cried out in fear and anxiety as they were thrown off balance. Aidan clenched his fists and searched for the cause. He noticed Isaac and Morrigan by his side doing the same. Finally, someone in the crowd pointed outwards, and all eyes turned to Lowsunn.
It was no longer standing.
It had been reduced to debris and ash. Eyes both afraid and angry turned to Bailey, but she was unmoved by their response.
“All of your belongings have been placed behind Otalli’s buildings,” she said. “And I made sure the demolition occurred in the early morning so you would have plenty of time to make your decisions - about what to do next and where to go.” She rolled back the sleeve on her right arm and revealed her three unused seals for all to see. “In good conscience, I couldn’t let the foundations under Lowsunn stand. The shields disappeared with the death of the Elders last night so there’s not even that to protect us. But if any one of you desire to rebuild Lowsunn. If you think that place was helping us, then by all means, use my seals to rebuild.
“But if you think you can do better. If you think there’s still a whole world out there for you to explore and enjoy. If you think you can take your wishes and ambitions and become more than a tool or a weapon for others, then by all means, go on. Fly. Teleport. Run. Fight. Hide. Love. Hate. The choice is yours. But there will be no more control unless you desire it. No more suffering unless you invite it. With the new era came death and hope all at once. You choose which one your life will follow. You’ve all just graduated. Welcome to the real world.”
Bailey jumped down from the table, and there was no applause. Even better, there was excitement and new possibilities. Old friends and classmates began talking with each other, asking where they wanted to go. What to see next. What to wish for. What to experience. Some left without a good-bye. They just grabbed their bags and ran off. Some hugged a couple acquaintances and then flew off into the horizon. Others formed groups and sat within one of Otalli’s taverns to think. But not one came to Bailey asking for Lowsunn’s return.
For even with protection and shelter and food and water in their grasp – they had had no life, whatsoever.
Aidan clapped as he approached Bailey, and once he was in range, they embraced.
“So,” Aidan sighed, letting go. “That was unexpected.”
“Very,” Isaac said, appearing from the side. “So where are we all going?”
“What?” Aidan scoffed. “Who said you’re coming with me?”
“Stop playing. You know I’m coming.” Aidan rolled his eyes. The next moment, Morrigan appeared out of the crowd too.
“If you wouldn’t mind,” she said. “I would like to come as well. I’ve seen what life as an Elder had to offer. I would like to see what the infamous Aidan could show me.”
“Sure,” he said. “I’m thinking we stop by Onyx Major to say hi to Jin and Grain, and then from there, we see what this world is all about.”
“So that’s three of us, at least,” Isaac said. “Who else?”
“Well, if you’re going to go see Jin and Grain,” Jessica replied, leaning on Aidan’s shoulder. “Of course I’ll stick around at least until then.”
“Yes,�
� Makana replied, sneaking up behind them. “I would like to see how my brother is faring.”
“I’m not sticking around a sleeping Omega,” Elias laughed, and George was not far behind him.
“Geez, maybe we should use those seals of yours, Bailey,” Aidan laughed. “It’s basically the whole village all over again…Bailey?” Bailey’s head was down. She refused to look him in the eyes. “Bailey, what’s the matter?”
“You wouldn’t want me around, would you?” she asked. “After all I’ve been responsible for. You couldn’t trust anything I had to say. None of my advice.”
“Are you kidding?” Aidan laughed. “You’re the syrup on our pancakes.”
“Isn’t he awesome when he speaks in metaphors?” Isaac asked, elbowing Morrigan in the ribs. She slapped him in return.
“If you’ll have me,” Bailey replied with a grin.
“Always,” Aidan said, grasping her arm. She was beginning to nod when Makana suddenly picked her up from behind and thrust her onto her shoulders, parading her around the pavilion. Everyone watching started laughing.
All except Aidan. He scanned the crowd, from one end to the other, but he couldn’t find her.
His face fell once he realized she was gone. To where, he may never know.
Then a pair of hands covered his eyes.
“Guess who?” she asked sweetly. He didn’t respond. He quickly turned around, picked her up and spun her in the air. She giggled and laughed, and just seeing her so happy was all he needed.
To know that his world was still complete.
“Got room for one more?” she asked, as he let her drop down to her feet. His hands stayed on her hips. He refused to break his hold on her.
“Well, we were thinking of adding Trevor over there. You know he’s a cool guy and all. You weren’t thinking of coming, were you? Because I got plans. Sights to see. Omegas to conquer. They call me the Omegaslayer. Did you hear?”
“I heard you had some help,” she winked. “And that without a special someone, you wouldn’t have even got half the job done.”
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