Landry drops his hands, looking at me with surprise.
“After all of this? After all the pain I’ve done as Videus, you actually want me to be happy?” he says, his eyebrows pulling in.
“I do. Landry, you’re a good man who was led astray. You have a chance at a redo. I know you’ll make the right choice next time,” I say, smiling.
“I just—I’m surprised,” he says shifting his gaze from me to the Beacon. “I thought you’d happily kill me—that you’d want me to suffer. In fact, I banked on it.”
“That’s the difference between the two of us,” I say.
He shakes his head, and I turn to face the Beacon.
For what it’s worth, I’m no longer afraid to make this final leap. This resolution with Landry—the revelation that I don’t want him dead, I never really did—it’s enough to give me peace.
“You have to go inside it?” he asks, standing beside me.
As we stand shoulder to shoulder, the irony washes over me. Who would have thought I’d be standing here at the edge of the abyss and at my side would be the man who started it all?
“Yes,” I say taking a deep breath.
“Is there anything you need from me? Anything I can do to help?” he asks.
I shake my head, “No, it’s up to me now. But I do want your promise that you’ll do better. That you’ll push through the pain to see the other side.”
“I’ll do my best, Runa,” he says. “I really will.”
“Good,” I say, patting his shoulder. “Goodbye, Landry. Take care of yourself. You’re not alone.”
Before he can respond, I leave his side and run into the beam of light.
23
Runa
THE LIGHT SURROUNDS ME, blinding disorientation from every angle. I’ve felt like this before—as though I’m no longer me, but instead, part of the light. My consciousness is still oddly separate, though. It’s a strange sensation.
After a moment, the searing white light subsides, and I feel myself pulled from the abyss as pieces of me slowly meld back together. No longer completely shattered, or dismantled—instead, I’m becoming whole again.
The wind whips and howls loudly. My hair dangles, occasionally splashing up against my face. It’s odd how I can feel my body, but am still slightly removed from it. Unable to move, unable to open my eyes—it’s as though my soul is pouring back inside this vessel one drop at a time.
For a moment, it’s nice to remain in this space—calm and waiting. My body sways from side to side in a movement very familiar, though I’m not sure why.
I never expected to feel myself again. I expected to enter the abyss and never come back. To allow the nothingness to wash over me and swallow up everything I was in order to make Pendomus whole again.
Suddenly, as if flicking on a light, memories of all I’ve done—what my friends and I have accomplished—our newly found comrades—the chance we have to heal Landry and prevent him from becoming Videus—each memory comes flooding back in rapid succession.
I open my eyes and lurch forward. The white light around me is as blinding, if not more so, than before. My physical eyes and body feel drained—tired beyond measure and I sink back into my cocoon. The air rushes up to meet me as I plunge downward, suddenly aware I’m not alone. I’m in someone else’s arms. Once we’ve dropped, I feel a hand along the side of my face.
“I’m taking you to get help. Hang on for me, okay?” the man says.
I reopen my eyes, following his attempts to guide my gaze toward him. I take in all of his beautiful glory. His blue hair, his dark, concerned eyes.
My heartbeat quickens and elation washes over me.
I never thought I’d see him again.
And yet…things are still not fully righted.
The timelines are trying to repair themselves, to set things right. Flashes of the past, the present, and the future begin to jumble in an odd juxtaposition. It suddenly becomes hard to stay focused, as I try to sense which version I’m really in. Where I need to attend. Who I need to be.
“Runa, are you with me?” old Traeton from the future asks, blood running down the side of his head. His face is smattered in blood, ash, and dirt. Behind him, the forest burns. Everything burns.
“I’m so sorry, Runa. I’m sorry we couldn’t stop this,” he says, holding onto my limp body. “I need you to know that. And I need you to know how much I love you. I know things have always been difficult for us. Everything has gotten in the way. But I do. With all of my heart.”
As the timelines flit back and forth, repairing and restoring themselves, I oscillate between the future and my past as they shift and realign. Trae’s face changes each time I blink between bloody and damaged, to the man I first met in the woods.
I reach out, placing my hand along his jaw and running my finger across his lip. He doesn’t know it yet, but when the timelines heal the way they should, he’ll never experience this pain. This future will cease to exist. I can already feel it.
“You don’t need to be sorry,” I say, my voice barely a whisper. “I understand.”
Searching his eyes, there’s so much pain and angst hidden there. He has to know there’s nothing to be sorry for. He wasn’t in control of Caelum. Caelum wasn’t even in control of Caelum. They tried—they tried until the end.
The one thing in all this world I know to be true is how much his presence means to me. How much I need him to be okay. How much his words send shockwaves through my soul because I know we can change everything and make a difference.
His dark eyes watch my every move, and I concentrate on them as the surroundings begin to flash between a fiery backdrop and the frozen wasteland. I try to hang on, needing him to know in his core how much I need him.
“I love you too,” I say as the timelines seal together, resting on the day Traeton found me in the woods for a second.
My body feels so heavy, so disoriented, but I hope he understands.
Instead, he looks so confused—but I can’t worry about that now. One day, maybe he’ll understand.
Then this moment, too, slips away. The light consumes me and I’m thrust back further, beyond anything I’ve seen in my own lifetime. I flash forward and back, bouncing from one event to another. As I do, the landscape and scenery on Pendomus shifts slightly—becoming just a little less civilized—a little less built up.
I watch the Helix go from the fully formed building, to slightly smaller, to being under construction. Then, completely missing.
The power in the bloodlines sends a message we’re heading to one final stop. One mission I need to complete before stepping aside and letting it all go.
As the light pulls back, I’m laying on my back in the snow. It looks like the same old Pendomus, with a small exception; the sun is held higher in the sky. Not by much, but still noticeable.
I wipe the cold dampness from my face and sit up. The trees surrounding me look the same, but in the snow are inklings of white flowers buds. They’re everywhere.
“It’s over here. Ya gotta see it,” a voice says nearby.
I search for the source and see two young men walk in the direction of the Tree of Burden. They’re dressed differently, in bulkier clothing and hats on their heads. It’s hard to tell anything else from here, but I get the distinct impression they’re my mission.
I pull myself up to a stand and follow them. Surprisingly, there are others outside. In the distance, a group of children are building a snowman. Not far to my right is a couple kissing. The woman’s back is against the tree, as the man leans in—both consumed by each other and oblivious to the rest of the world.
The younger man stops, surveying the area.
“Please tell me you aren’t lost,” the older one says.
“No, uh—just need to orient myself here,” the younger says.
I shake my head and smile. Kneeling down, I pluck one of the little flowers from the ground. Twirling it between my fingertips, I’m mesmerized by its five white pet
als. They glimmer in the sunlight, giving off a subtle, but noticeable energy.
“What is it you want to show me?” the taller man says. “You could just tell me.”
“You’ll see,” the other laughs. “Ah yeah, this way.”
I hold the flower between my fingers and continue after them. My feet crunch loudly in the snow. I’m surprised it hasn’t alerted them to my presence, but they continue on undeterred.
“It’s the craziest thing. Every time I go out adventuring, I’m always finding new, amazing things. You really gotta get outside more often,” the younger one says.
“Sure, I’ll keep that in mind. There’s a lot to do with getting this new technology I’ve been working on developed, but yeah—I’ll get out and play in the snow with my little brother,” the older one laughs, grabbing the other’s hat and wrapping his arm around his neck. He pulls him in close and runs his knuckles across the top of his head.
“Hey, quit it, man,” the younger one says, grabbing the other’s arm and breaking free.
He stands tall, straightening out his jacket—his golden hair shining in the sunlight.
“C’mon Landry, I’m not twelve anymore, for phugsake,” Fenton says.
“You sure? Ya kinda look—”
“Do not finish that sentence if you want to keep your toes,” Fenton says, pushing Landry aside.
The two of them laugh. The sound is so carefree, and it’s oddly unsettling, considering.
“Alright, we’re almost there,” Fenton says, his signature accent clearly missing.
I shake my head, not totally surprised. He always said it was just to impress the girls. Maybe he was telling the truth.
“God, I hope so. My feet are frozen,” Landry chuckles.
“You’re such a baby,” Fenton says, leading the way.
We walk past the Tree of Burden, to wherever we’re going. I stop to run my hands along its bark, then turn a full circle around its trunk. The gaping hole is missing. Instead, the enormous tree is completely solid.
“Hello old friend,” I whisper, patting its trunk and continuing on.
The two of them walk all the way to the entrance of the Safe Haven’s cavern system. No longer sunk in or destroyed, it looks almost the same as it had before. The only change is the entrance is closed off by two large boulders, rather than being open wide. A narrow walkway, barely wide enough to squeeze through is all that exists.
Hiding behind a tree, I pause, getting as close as I dare.
“Whaa-la,” Fenton says, flourishing his hands.
Landry stops and makes a face. His eyebrow quirks up and he says, “Really? You brought me all this way for a cave?”
“Yeah. How cool would it be to build our home away from home in this? The temps would remain consistent, it’s got great protection, plus, I like the darkness,” Fenton says.
Landry stands still, a stoic look of almost boredom spreading across his features.
“C’mon, ya gotta come inside. Give i’ a try, bro. Ya won’ beyes dissapoin’ed,” he says, a hint of his accent bleeding through.
“You’re ridiculous,” Landry laughs.
“I learned from the best,” Fenton says, patting Landry’s shoulder and heading inside.
“Don’t ever do that accent again, and I’ll check it out,” Landry laughs.
“Deal,” Fenton says, a gigantic grin spreading across his face.
With that, Fenton turns on his heel, clamoring over the boulders and through the tight squeeze.
Landry follows him in, shooting one final glance around the snow covered woods before ducking inside completely.
Torn, I wait for a moment, debating whether or not to follow them further. Surely they’d notice me if I did? The question is, would it matter?
Finally, I take the risk, acting on the hunch I’m meant to be here. To see something, or do something.
The darkness as I enter the cave is consuming the moment I walk in. Far in the distance, the ambient light from their handheld microLights are all I can see as they explore further on. Reaching into my pocket, I find it empty of my own.
“Looks like I’ll be sticking to the shadows,” I mutter under my breath.
The two of them explore the cavern, but it’s far more rough than I’ve seen it. The tunnels lack their moulded shape, and all of the built in lighting is absent.
As we reach the area of the Haven, Fenton stops.
“Check this out, Landry. I could see this being a mainframe room,” he says, holding his hands out and creating a square with his fingers.
Then he turns and looks in another offshoot.
“And over here, this could be a kitchen or something. Oh, wonder if there’s another offshoot for a bedroom or two. I could get Trae in here with me. I’d need my own space, though. You know, for when I’ve got the ladies back at the locale,” he laughs, jabbing Landry with his elbow. “We all know Trae’ll be celibate until he’s an old man. So I’m sure he’ll need some book shelves or something for his virginity to collect dust.”
Landry snorts, “Look, Fenton, this is great and all. But I really don’t think it’s necessary to have another home. I mean, c’mon, the Helix is nearly finished after all these years. We can finally get outta the Lateral and into someplace above ground. Why would we want to develop another cavern?”
My eyebrows shift downward—as confusion consumes me.
Helix is nearly finished?
I thought we’d been on Pendomus for centuries?
Then it occurs to me—that was the story of my timeline. One of the tangents Landry had taken us on.
“Why do you always gotta do that?” Fenton says, frowning. “I just want something to look forward to for once. Besides, maybe it connects to the Lateral. How awesome would that be?”
“I’m not meaning to disappoint you. But you have to know it’s just a pipe dream. We need to get out of this planet’s natural habitat in into our own. The locals could be hostile. Did you see those gigantic spiders the other day? They came outta nowhere, and tried to, I don’t know what. They were damn scary. Not to mention the rumors floating around about an invisible beast. Pendomus isn’t safe,” Landry says, heading my direction.
I lean back, pressing my body against the cold stone, trying to remain hidden.
Fenton follows, his head hung in disappointment.
“It would be really cool, you know.”
“I know,” Landry agrees.
Not wanting to draw attention to myself, I hold as still as possible. I even hold my breath as they walk past me. Neither of them notice I’m here, both probably lost in their own thoughts.
When I feel there’s a safe enough distance, I leave my current location and follow them, sure to hang back in the shadows as we exit.
“Maybe I’ll just go ahead and develop it on my own,” Fenton mutters.
“It’s up to you, I suppose,” Landry says. “Lane likes it here, too. She keeps talking about how she’d like to remain in the Lateral,” Landry says as they exit the cave.
“Well, I hope they do. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the Helix—it’s just, I dunno. Too sterile,” Fenton says.
“I know it’s not for everyone,” he says, “but trust me, it will be great.”
As I reach the cavern exit, in the distance is a herd of Waterbears. An actual herd.
My mouth drops open and I stare in awe. They’re absolutely beautiful.
“You say that, but—c’mon Landry, look around you. This place is practically paradise,” Fenton says, opening his arms out wide.
“Shhh—did you hear that?” Landry says, suddenly serious. He draws a finger to his lips, signaling to be quiet.
Fenton looks around, trying to see the source of Landry’s concern—but it appears he doesn’t see what he’s looking for.
“What is it?” Fenton says, leaning in toward his brother.
“There’s something here with us. It’s those invisible monsters—I know it is,” he says.
&nbs
p; My eyes flit to the herd of Waterbears, not far from where they both stand. None of them are giving a second thought to the two men, crouched nearby. They lazily munch on the grass and sip water from the stream. Off to the side, two cubs wrestle playfully.
“You’re hearing things, Landry—honestly, there’s nothing here but us. I’ll prove it,” Fenton says, standing up and heading out into the clearing where the cubs play.
He swings in circles, “Hey—hey, anybody out here? Monsters? Are ya here to eat us both?”
As he makes another full circle, he trips over a rock, falling back on top of the two cubs, who cry out in surprise. Instantly, two of the Waterbears, probably the mother and father, come charging from the stream. Fenton scrambles to his feet, his face white and eyes wide.
“I just landed on something,” Fenton says, putting his hands out in front of him. “Animals or something—they were soft.”
“I told you,” Landry cries, “I told you they were out here.”
He whirls around, wildly trying to locate what he can’t see. The two of them gather together, back-to-back, surveying the scene.
The mother and father charge—one veering off to help the cubs, the other butting in between the cubs and the two men. The howl the father releases is terrifying—and believe me, I know what it’s like being on the brunt end of that, not knowing how gentle they really are.
Landry is the first to lunge forward, his fist connecting squarely on the male’s muzzle. He recoils his hand, shaking out the shock.
“Holy hell—whatever it is, it’s huge,” Landry says.
The male takes offense, roaring again, and leaping forward. His front paws pin Landry to the ground—ripping open his trouser leg, and splattering blood in the snow. Instantly, Landry screams out in pain as he arcs back from the weight.
This is why the Waterbears were all but wiped out in my reality.
The realization hits almost too slowly as I watch Fenton clamber over his brother to attack the Waterbear. He swings wildly, trying to find the source of the attack.
The Complete Pendomus Chronicles Trilogy: Books 1-3 of the Pendomus Chronicles Dystopian Scifi Boxed Set Series Page 71
