by Jason Letts
They passed several homes before reaching the new outpost, which was suspended in the air on long archways just as it had when they first built it. On the ground, the market stalls had been cleared away for the night, but the fountain ran more triumphantly than ever with the added rainwater. In its center, with water spilling all around, was the diamond carafe, waiting in the open for anyone to grasp.
Mira gave it a look and breathed deeply as they passed. There were large lights near the outpost’s gateless entrance, facing out to the mountains, but Mira could only faintly discern the shady figures Knoll mentioned. Not another soul had ventured out into the blustery downpour.
“I’ve brought you the elder. Now kindly state what business summons her at this late hour,” Knoll resounded a fair distance away from them.
When Mira came to his side, the faint light gave her a glimpse of the ragged group that had sought her out. Most of them were in their teens, boys and girls seemingly like any other, but there were two men standing together in the back. Mira gasped when she realized there were nine of them.
“You’ve done well, Knoll,” she said to her companion. “Please take the rest of the night off. Tell no one of this.”
“Certainly. Thank you,” he nodded, taking his cue and departing through the courtyard. Mira took another step to get a closer look at these young faces. Dewey eyes, dirty hands, and a strange energy marked them. There must be one among them who was not so young.
“Aoi?” Mira called, peering through the rain.
“Yes, Mira, I’ve come home,” came the tempered voice of her old friend. Though she had been staring right at her, Mira couldn’t see her until she stepped out from the others. Aoi had grown a bit taller, but she was still shorter than a few of her companions. It may have been the rain, but Mira thought she could see something of her longing and hardship through the drenched strands of hair curving around her dark eyes.
Mira’s mouth hung open, searching for something to say, but she spilled forward and wrapped Aoi in a hug instead. Her friend seemed hesitant, perhaps unused to being touched, but soon her hands offered some warm pressure. Pulling back, Mira finally looked into her eyes, hoping to coax a smile from her with her own.
“There’ve been times when I’ve felt you, and I didn’t know whether it meant you were in danger or safe. I always knew you would come back someday,” Mira whispered.
“You’ve always been my inspiration. I’d never be what I am without you,” she replied.
Aoi released a sigh and looked back at her ragged band. The teens appeared both groggy and concerned. One of them was in chains and another had lost her arm. Though so much time had passed, Mira looked for the mesmerized, fascinated stare of the cosmic destroyer who haunted her nightmares.
“Which one is he?” she asked.
“He is me,” replied a girl with long braided hair, but she appeared to have nothing of Goober’s perverse disposition.
“Let us delay no longer,” urged the twin bald men. Together, they lifted their hands. Out to the left, the ground began to swell, absorbing the falling rain and growing into a ball. Tentacles emerged from underneath, and all at once eyes of dirt began to blink. The surface became skin-like and slick, and the land octopus came to life. It was larger than any of them and so close, making Mira’s heart speed up. She returned her attention to Aoi, who looked solemnly into her eyes.
“The end will never come for us, Mira, and now we must hide from the present in the endless depths of eternity.”
“I’ll keep you safe,” Mira promised, her heart in her throat. “We never would’ve made it here if it weren’t for you.”
Aoi nodded faintly. Mira wondered what kind of life she must’ve lived spending all these years canvassing the globe for these lost souls.
“Do you have a place for us?” the twins asked, though their tone sounded much like a command. It felt like sandpaper grinding against her heart for Mira to nod and show them back to the outpost.
“I made a room near the subterranean storage hangers,” she explained. “No one will ever find you there.”
The group started forward. A few pushed the one in chains, causing the sound of the metal dragging against the ground. The rain poured onto them through the dark night. Though they would stay so close, Mira felt the pangs of loss resounding in her chest.
They went around the side of one of the buildings, where the rain clattered against the metal of a cellar door. It looked rusted and forgotten, creaking when Mira grabbed its handle and tried to yank it open. She had trouble lifting it though, and it looked as though she would drop it, but Aoi caught the edge and the heavy door seemed perfectly weightless.
“Thank you,” Mira shuddered, overcome by her small act of kindness. She couldn’t look her friend in the eyes, instead dropping onto the first step and descending the stairs. The others followed, and soon they’d left the rain and all traces of the surface behind. Mira grabbed a battery-powered lamp to help her maneuver around the tunnels. The floors and walls were made of concrete. They passed large storage bays with doorless entranceways.
At the end of the hall, far from the entrance, Mira stopped abruptly before a much smaller archway. Shining the light, there was nothing inside, not a window or a vent, just a gaping hole connecting it to the hallway. Mira turned, her shaking hand making the light twitch. It caught her off guard to see so many eyes directly upon her. She swallowed before saying something she knew she shouldn’t.
“Aoi, you don’t have to do this. Everyone would be so happy to see you again. You could meet our kids. So much has happened, but you always have a place with us.”
Mira wanted to say more, but the look on Aoi’s face told her it could not be helped. Until they did this, things wouldn’t be put back the way they were. The octopus had taken to the ceiling and slipped into the room while she spoke. Nothing could distract Mira from these precious moments though.
“How I wish, Mira. You’ve been such a good friend to me, and this is how I can repay your friendship. I’ll keep you safe and your children safe and your children’s children, and then we can all be together again at the end of time.”
There was deep emotion in Aoi’s eyes, but not the slightest hint of tears. She passed Mira to enter the small room, and her eight companions followed her. They formed a circle, facing out. Aoi stood next to the twins. Looking directly at Mira through the entranceway. Mira took a step forward, but Aoi put up her hand and stopped her. Mira was breathing deeply, having trouble even understanding what she was feeling.
“No one can ever know of us, or chaos will once again reign. Let us be the silent hand that holds the universe together,” the twins said.
Suddenly the entranceway started to seal up, slowly swelling together from all sides. The tentacles wrapped around the foreheads of the Specials. Mira and Aoi never took their eyes from each other.
“I’ll never forget you!” Mira called.
“And you’ll never be forgotten,” Aoi promised.
Aoi’s eyelids lulled and fell as she was pulled into stasis, the entranceway sealed itself completely, and Mira, out of breath, pressed her hands to the cool cement. And so the last remaining strands of a war-torn world were sewn together in everlasting peace at the hands of one woman who embraced eternity and one who changed history.
Acknowledgements
I would first and foremost like to express my profound appreciation and gratitude to the readers who made it here with me through all five books. If I was able to keep your interest the entire time, that’s an accomplishment beyond any I could ever imagine. Thank you for reading.
The Powerless series is the product of two years of my life, countless thoughts, and many personal struggles, but it never would’ve become what it is without a few extremely important people. To its very first reader, my love Hannah, thank you for your constant support and inspiration. It means the world to me, and it’s what made this all worthwhile before the first book was even released.
Ano
ther huge thank you to Casey Hickey, who slaved away on the typography, formatting, website design, basically everything. I can’t be deserving of the kind of generosity you’ve shown. You’ve been the hero who made so much of this possible.
More heartfelt appreciation to Grace Onorato and Garrett Alley. Your thoughtfulness and guidance have been incredibly helpful. I’m honored to have been lucky enough to receive your support, and I want you to know that I’m always available if you need help with anything. Chuck Wightman and the graphic design team at SF 360 are also both deserving of thanks, as is Joelyn VanEss for her excellent artistic contributions to this last book. They’ve all put a lot of talent into the construction of this series.
Again, thank you all for choosing to read these books. It’s my hope that you found them interesting and enjoyable.
Thank you!
Jason
About the Author
Jason Letts is an author and editor of young-adult and paranormal fiction. In addition to Powerless, the books of his paranormal trilogy, Inevitable, are available now. In addition to writing, Jason cultivates diverse interests such as playing tennis, endurance sports, cooking ethnic food, salsa dancing, napping, and traveling. You can contact him at [email protected]
Facebook: facebook.com/authorjasonletts
Powerless
The Synthesis © 2010 by Jason Letts
The Shadowing © 2010 by Jason Letts
The Stasis © 2010 by Jason Letts
The Submersion © 2011 by Jason Letts
The Carafers © 2011 by Jason Letts
All rights reserved: no part of this book may be reproduced by any means without written permission from the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any actual person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Epigraph for The Stasis used with permission from Tim O’Brien, the author.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
Title Page
BOOK 1: THE SYNTHESIS
Epigraph 1
Chapter 1: Cloud Cottage
Chapter 2: The First Day
Chapter 3: Corey Outpost
Chapter 4: The Blood Stone
Chapter 5: The Tournament Trial
Chapter 6: The Toughest Medicine to Swallow
Chapter 7: The Diamond Carafe
Chapter 8: The Team Trial
Chapter 9: The Piecemeal Assassin
Chapter 10: The Birthday Party
Chapter 11: Paint and Pencil
Chapter 12: Dustfalls
Chapter 13: The Final Trial
Chapter 14: The Synthesis
BOOK 2: THE SHADOWING
Epigraph 2
Chapter 1: A Mother’s Tears
Chapter 2: Darmen Bound
Chapter 3: Pinchy Publishing
Chapter 4: Beginnings
Chapter 5: Trial and Error
Chapter 6: In the Dark
Chapter 7: In the River
Chapter 8: The Garden Party
Chapter 9: Homecoming
Chapter 10: Power Sources
Chapter 11: What Lies Beneath
Chapter 12: Reunion
Chapter 13: The Quagmire
Chapter 14: The Slope
Chapter 15: Ascension
BOOK 3: THE STASIS
Epigraph 3
Chapter 1: The Equinox Festival
Chapter 2: Shade Base Camp
Chapter 3: The Condemned
Chapter 4: Sink or Swim
Chapter 5: A Mind of Madness
Chapter 6: Flight
Chapter 7: Dreamscape I
Chapter 8: The Specials
Chapter 9: Dreamscape II
Chapter 10: Tied Hands
Chapter 11: Apocalypse
Chapter 12: Dreamscape III
Chapter 13: Revolutions
Chapter 14: The Night of the Undying Sun
Chapter 15: The Eradication of Corey Outpost
Chapter 16: The Pilgrimage of Lost Souls
Chapter 17: The Battle of Darmen
Chapter 18: Attrition
BOOK 4: THE SUBMERSION
Epigraph 4
Six MontHs Later
Chapter 1: The Savior
Chapter 2: Speechless
Chapter 3: The Thread That Binds
Chapter 4: A Mouthful
Chapter 5: The Ghost
Chapter 6: The Caravan Man I
Chapter 7: The Caravan Man II
Chapter 8: Reversal of Fortune
Chapter 9: A Lucky Break
Chapter 10: Circumvention
Chapter 11: Sawdust
Chapter 12: The Laugh Riot
Chapter 13: Setting Sail
Chapter 14: Stowed Away
Chapter 15: At Trail’s End
BOOK 5: THE CARAFERS
Epigraph 5
Chapter 1: The Final Trial Rematch
Chapter 2: A Change of Plans
Chapter 3: The Corporeal Cave
Chapter 4: The Drifter and the Wanderer
Chapter 5: Everything
Chapter 6: The Southern Fingers of the Frozen Desert
Chapter 7: Chucky’s Plan
Chapter 8: Lines in the Sand
Chapter 9: The Other Half
Chapter 10: In A Flash
Chapter 11: The Trinity of Energy
Chapter 12: Mira’s Outpost
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Copyright Page
