An uneventful day passed, and there was little buildup of trust from either side. Kamsa assisted in evacuations as best she could, and while no one in the City would’ve suspected that a pretorian was among those helping them, Milla and the others rarely spoke to either Garder or Kamsa. Garder had explained as best he could, but it seemed the others were still angry with him over his sneaking away and befriending a former enemy.

  When she wasn’t busy telling the local rebels about the pretorians, Kamsa spent most of her time wandering the quiet streets of I. Snow lazily floated down from a pitch-black sky; now the only sign of normality left in the City. Of the three million that once called it home, only half a million remained. Their numbers had been divided into two groups, but they were all leaving the place behind, having come from the epicenter of a coming new Aurra. Those in the caves were just closer to home than the rest.

  For the first time in her life, Kamsa was beginning to understand what it must have felt like to be truly alive—to fear and love, and to accept and respect those emotions. She had spent her five years being brought up as little more than a weapon. And now she was in a deep regret.

  Two years ago, before her combat training was complete, she was forced to take the lives of nine people she didn’t know—just to prove that she could do it. She never found out if they were prisoners, inadequate Guardsmen, or perhaps worst of all, completely innocent civilians. She had never really wondered about it before, but after Garder told her how he felt about human life, she had begun to understand her actions.

  Throughout all of her time as a pretorian, she had not killed—or even seriously injured anyone at all, other than Garder. She had never been directly ordered to, but she certainly was capable, and was often within reason to react in self-defense several times. The world, she found out, really didn’t like the pretorians. And all of that dislike slowly, but somehow, gave her the power of freewill. She realized that she didn’t have to obey every last order given to her. Assignments could be adapted and changed.

  Months of self-reflection ended when Garder saved her from drowning, for no reason at all. Even in Aurra, a world where death was hardly a finality, he managed to see value in every life. Despite all of his many shortcomings, that idea alone was what Kamsa wanted to follow, and it took his effort for her to realize it.

  This was what she tried to relay to his friends whenever they met, and while they listened, she could easily tell that they were still wary of her. Garder assured her that they would accept her in time, but for now she put earning trust on the side to direct her energy into aiding the evacuation. All she really wanted to do was assist, hoping it would help her make amends.

  Tess, kind to her and probably the second most understanding of the lot, had just asked her to perform a relatively simple, but important task. She obliged with a quiet nod, and set off. In a loading bay near the center of the City, she used basic manipulation to create a cushion of air beneath a cargo loader, its destination being the nearby underground train station.

  The loader, itself already weighing a ton, would be used to transport five more of the large architectural data tablets onto the next train out of I. Kamsa knew how much the data meant to Tess, so she was determined to get the job done quickly and correctly.

  As she carefully maneuvered the loader and turned into the last empty street leading to an Administration access station, a voice spoke to her and sent a cold, fearful shock throughout her body.

  “You’ll never be like them, you know.”

  She turned to see Trinqit, her arms crossed as she leaned on a streetlight and offered a small, wry smile. Kamsa forgot to keep the spell up, and the loader crashed to the ground. Trinqit wore a black scarf—and a crossbow at her side, but didn’t look like she had dropped by for a fight.

  “Y-you’re not supposed to be here…” Kamsa replied quietly.

  “I can be anywhere I want. Just thought I’d pop in and see how the old icebox is doing.” She looked down from the sky and towards Kamsa. “You really upset Viveri, ‘chickpea’. Are you sure that you chose the right side? Do you really want to make enemies of us?”

  “I don’t. It’s just… Being here, I think I can help people more…”

  “Help people? So that’s what you want to do now, is it?”

  “Did you come here to kill me?”

  “Oh, Kamsa dear, why would you think such a thing? I can hardly lift a finger in this cold without it getting to me. Nasty place, really.”

  “I don’t think it is at all.”

  “I’m sure. Everything is beautiful to you now, is it? Let me assure you of something. We’ll come for you in due time. We’ll kill you when it’ll really hurt your new friends. But they still don’t like you yet, do they?”

  Kamsa didn’t know what to say.

  “Hm. Kamsa, from the descriptions I’ve heard, you really do look like Escellé. I’m disappointed that I won’t get to see what becomes of you.”

  “I’m going to tell them about Jeryn.”

  “No, you won’t.” Trinqit’s smile grew. “You sweet, stupid little thing. You couldn’t bear to tell them such news.”

  Kamsa hesitated.

  “Just as I thought. You may think you have freewill, but you’ll find that courage takes much longer to grow and be of any use. And know what? I don’t think they’d believe you, anyway. Jeryn is their friend. You, are not.”

  Kamsa brought up the cargo loader again and attempted to get away from Trinqit, but she grabbed her arm before she could take a step.

  “Remember, you’re not one of them. You’re just a little life form wondering why she even exists. You’re not even human. You have no soul.”

  Kamsa tugged, freeing herself from Trinqit’s grip. She glared at her intensely and went off without a word. Trinqit sighed, shook her head, and disappeared from the City before anyone else knew that she had visited.

  Inside Tess’ warm apartment, everyone was halfway through their dinners when Kamsa opened the door and slid inside.

  “About time,” Garder replied after he swallowed a mouthful of beef. “You took a while that time, Kamsa.”

  “Sorry,” she replied and hung her scarf on the coat rack. “I had some… delays getting to the data center…”

  Tess filled a bowl with stew. “You do good work, dear. Come eat.”

  Kamsa squeezed into the chair between Lechi and Pip where she ate her meal in silence. Garder could tell that there was something up with her—she had yet to be as cheerful as Lechi could be, but now she seemed more reclusive than when they had first met.

  “Got in touch with Klayson today,” Dak said and took a sip of hot chocolate. “He’s been securing the City even more for our arrival.”

  “Tess and the other officials are coming, right?” Garder asked.

  “Yeah,” Kyler replied. “Only Hekens is staying with his people in the caves. It won’t be long until you can go tell Rivia we’re ready for him.”

  “The City’s military is down to a skeleton crew, though,” Milla noted. “Think the Guard may try a last-ditch attack on us?”

  “Possible,” Jeryn replied. “But it’s not likely that would be a pretorian decision. An effort by Lontonkon, maybe.”

  “But there’s no way to stop the evacuations from completing, right?” Xavier asked. “Not like the Guard will want to be in the City, either. Who knows what’ll happen when old J warps back in right on top of it.”

  “Garder, tell us more about the strange guy leading that village,” Lechi changed the subject. “The one who saved you from killing yourself.”

  Verim snickered. “Sounds like he was sharing the task with us.”

  “Yeah, thanks,” Garder moaned. “Already told you; not much to tell. Just a strange guy, really. And he scared Viveri—that was the oddest thing about him. As for looks, think a shorter, dirtier Wendell. Less beard.”

  “Yeah, that helps.”

  “Do you know his alignment?” Wendell asked.

  “No idea. Just know that Viveri’s didn’t like him.”

  “And Viveri came there to take Kamsa back?” Shin asked.

  “That’s right. He was really determined, too. Kamsa almost made him cry when she went against him. You should’ve seen it.”

  “Kamsa’s a good person,” Tess said. “Yes, I can tell. She isn’t like the other pretorians at all. And she’s helped out Garder, too.”

  “Milla…” Kamsa spoke up, “Milla, do you trust me yet?”

  She didn’t say anything at first, but then with a smile, answered, “When I was Queen, I worked closely with pretorians. Even back in my age, they were all far more… I’ll say, more brutish than you, Kamsa. I don’t think you were ever destined to be one, no matter your origins. I’m sorry that I was so critical of you. But I can admit to my mistakes.”

  “T-thank you…”

  “Um, excuse me,” Rayna piped. “Rivia is in the same world as my parents, right? Can I come when you go to visit him?”

  Milla replied, “That could be dangerous, Rayna. Our enemies are still after you, and could be waiting for us there, even if it is under our protection. But yes, of course we’d still bring you. Just give the City the last week it needs to clear out, and we’ll go.”

  “Thank you. You’ve all been… so nice to me. At first, I was really scared when Shin and Verim brought me to this world… And while it’s a very different place, I’m really… thankful to have all of you as my friends.”

  “And we like being yours, Rayna,” Lechi replied.

  “I think…” She took a deep breath. “I think I’m ready to tell you why I wanted to come to this world, when I first arrived.”

  “That was some time ago,” Shin said. “If you’re still not sure…”

  “No. I am. I want to tell you the rest of my… story.”

  “Wait, what story?” Garder wondered.

  “Rayna’s past,” Verim replied. “We’ve been waiting until she was sure of herself—until she could tell us without it distressing her. In case… you know, in case the demon was to take advantage of it.”

  “It doesn’t feel like it’s alive anymore,” Rayna said. “And even if it were… I think I’m strong enough now to keep it back. I feel that way.”

  “Tell us,” Shin said and finished off the stew. “We’ll listen.”

  “Okay…” She took another deep breath and began. “I told Verim and Shin and Wendell a little bit, about the demon keeping me up at night and sometimes taking control. I scared my parents, and they were afraid to put me into school… And this was just preschool, where everyone acts out already.” Rayna laughed just a bit. “I was fine for a little bit, and although everyone pretty much ignored me, I did make one friend. A boy named Dustin. He was the tough kid in class, too. He wasn’t a bully, but he did tease people—including me sometimes. He wasn’t mean. He just liked to win all of the games we played, and being the best at everything.

  “We didn’t live too far from each other, so we played together a lot. But I didn’t go to his house much… He didn’t really like his home. His mom, I remember her—she smoked and always seemed sad. And she never paid attention to him. She gave me more attention the few times I visited. His dad yelled at him, too. He never got in trouble, though. Just yelled at for every little thing. Maybe that’s why Dustin always wanted to be the best. Maybe he wanted his dad to just be proud of him.

  “He liked to swim. He was good at it—really good. My family took him to the beach with us once in the summer. I didn’t really like the beach, since the water was so cold. But it didn’t bother him. He could hold his breath for a minute, and he would always try to start races with me in the water. I didn’t care that he won every time. In fact, I liked it. I liked seeing him happy, because I don’t think he ever would be at home.

  “After about a year and a half, we became good friends. I never had any… problems when he was around. Sometimes, I’d feel the demon wake up, and I’d act a little strange. But he never made fun of me. He’d just call me weird, and laugh, and that’d be the end of it. But it got worse as we got older. And one day, in kindergarten, I got a really easy question wrong and made myself sound stupid. All it took was ten seconds of the class laughing. It didn’t even bother me that much, but it still… pushed me over the edge, I guess. That horrible thing finally took hold of me again.

  “I woke up in the clinic with my mom looking at me. The nurse said something about me losing control in class—something about seeking treatment or putting me in some special class… I don’t remember exactly. As my mom walked me to the car, I saw Dustin outside the clinic. I think he had been waiting for me, and he just waved as I left.

  “The other kids started insulting me, while some were just scared. But not him. He didn’t understand what was wrong, but that didn’t matter. He tried hard to keep me from losing my mind again. And it got him in trouble sometimes, especially when he’d tell other kids to shut up if they were laughing at me. Sometimes he even attacked them.

  “We went to the beach again one weekend. It was a nice, clear day. We forgot about school and everything else and just played in the sand and swam. Dustin didn’t show his emotions a lot… but that was the day he made me this necklace.” She took it out and showed the shell to everyone. “I really liked it and thanked him. He was… modest, I think is the word? He said that he just happened to find a nice shell with a hole in it, and then he got some fishing line from someone and made a simple necklace. He didn’t think anything of it. Sometimes he was even embarrassed that I wore it to school. It was the only real gift he had ever given to me.

  “But his behavior was making things with his parents worse. They decided that he needed some… activity for it or something. I don’t know why. I guess that’s just how parents think sometimes. His dad signed up for a swim class. Dustin pretended to be angry that he was forced into it.” Rayna laughed. “Then he began swimming all the time, to be the best at it. And we didn’t see each other as much as we used to after that.

  “He tried so hard to impress his dad. He wanted to be the best swimmer. But then he started getting in trouble again, and… I think it was his parents’ fault. He lived next door to an old couple that owned a pool. And his family didn’t like those neighbors. He’d sneak in through their fence and swim when he could. He kept getting caught, and he got angrier about it each time. He started hitting other kids at school for no reason. Sometimes, he’d even shout at me, though he never meant to. He seemed to be in trouble all of the time, with his parents or his teachers.

  “He told me how his parents were going to stop his swimming class if he kept acting so badly. That just made it worse… It’s ridiculous to think about, isn’t it? He just wanted his parents to be proud, and he chose to do that by swimming. He gets in trouble for standing up for me, they put him in a class, and then they tell him they’ll take him out of it.

  “But he really just wanted to swim. Maybe it was the only thing that kept him calm. I couldn’t help anymore when I tried to do that. And the first day of summer after kindergarten ended… he…” Rayna fought back a single tear. “He must’ve tripped or something… because it never would’ve happened to him once he was inside the pool. But… he… he drowned in the neighbor’s backyard. I couldn’t believe it when my parents told me. Dustin would never… And it hurt so much that I couldn’t keep the demon back anymore… Dustin was gone, for no reason at all. His parents moved away, and I had no one in school to watch over me. I was all alone with that horrible monster, and fighting it tired me out so much that I almost collapsed every day after I went home.”

  “Oh, Rayna…” Milla murmured sympathetically. “I’m so, so sorry that something like that happened to you…”

  “So, I guess it makes sense now? Why I wanted to come here?”

  “You want to find your friend,” Verim replied. “Of course we understand. We all have people we want to see again.”

  “But this world wasn’t what I expected it to be. There are rules. You can’t just go out and find someone.”

  “I could give it a try,” Verim assured. “That’s something I’m good at. And Wendell—he’s even more qualified than I am.”

  “But, you know…” Shin added, “Your friend might not have his memories back yet. They don’t return until you’re three or so.”

  “Then I’d just have to wait about five months…” Rayna regained her composure some. “Please, help me find him… I know it’s not right, because no one on Earth ever gets this chance, but I just want to tell him thank you. Thank you and goodbye. That’s all.”

  “It’s okay. I think you’re deserving of that much, Rayna.”

  “You’re all my new protectors…” Rayna added. “You can keep the demon from coming out again. Just like Dustin did for me once. I am very happy that I can call you my friends.”

  “You’re a brave, strong girl,” Milla said. “Our losses on Earth can be so cruel to us. Especially to someone as young as you.”

  “Are friends and family really that important in Aurra?”

  “Very important,” Garder replied. “But in a different way. In this world, you truly value your companions—more so even than you would on Earth. It’s amazing, really, but when you gain the perspective Aurra gives you, it becomes harder to hate others. And not to mention the everlasting bonds you form here. Friends in Aurra can be close for lifetimes.”

  “So… all of you could always be my friends?”

  “That’s right,” Milla replied. “In this life or the next.”

  “I see. Thank you. I don’t want to be scared anymore. And with all of you around… I don’t think I’ll have to be.”

  Tess held Rayna’s hands tightly and lovingly for a brief moment, and then started to clean up the plates. Soon, everyone was back to their normal conversations—all except Temki, who for the first time in a while, was lost in thought. Not even the training Dak and Kyler had given him could help him find the answer he was looking for.

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  Milla and Jeryn went for a walk that night. The sky clear and the deep purple stars of Aurra above them, they traversed through a frozen park, its trees locked in slumber, any visitors long gone. The skating rank was barren and unkept, and the damage done during Trinqit’s reign had never been reversed. A couple of burnt-out tanks laid dormant—one of which had tumbled into the creek and was now locked firmly in the ice.

  “All of this will be gone soon…” Milla thought aloud. “Thank you for coming with me, Jeryn. I figured everyone else would think it was too cold. I just wanted to see the City at night one last time.”

  “I wanted to ask you something in private, actually.”

  “Yes?”

  “Milla… You’ve lived long enough to have this kind of experience. What do you do when you find out someone is something they don’t seem to be? Secret lives. Deception… that kind of thing.”

  “What about those kind of people?” Milla asked and took a seat on the railing of a stone bridge. “I mean… what are you asking, exactly?”

  “Well, would you try to remain their friends and adapt to their true selves, or do you punish them? Would you reject them?”

  “I think it’d depend on who it was. Obviously, something like that could hurt more if the person in question is close to you.”

  “And has such a thing happened to you before?”

  “It happened with Lontonkon. Back when I was a kid during this Aurrian life, everyone lauded him as a great ruler. They were still excited about a new start, after the longest family line in history—my line, ended. ‘A bolder, brighter Aurra.’ He even promised to rid us of the haze. But the truth was, he was out there constructing a demon and wiping out clans to steal their secrets. He’s a man obsessed, a tyrant who cares nothing for us.”

  “Yes, but that can often be expected of world leaders…”

  Milla’s heart skipped a beat, and she looked to the ground in remorse. “I never told you the rest of my story, did I?”

  Jeryn shook his head. “No, but you don’t have to.”

  “What’s wrong? You’ve been this way for so long now. I keep thinking that something is troubling you, conflicting you… Especially since Kamsa came to us, I’ve noticed it even more. Can’t you tell me anything?”

  “This isn’t my assignment anymore, Milla. I only joined your group as something of a fluke… I wish I could explain, but Rivia sought me out for the mission, without knowing who I really was.”

  “What are you keeping from us? Jeryn, please, just tell me. I won’t judge you. I won’t even tell anyone else.”

  “That’d be wrong,” he said sharply.

  “But—”

  “I’m going to go soon. I can’t tell you why… but if I stay with you, harm will follow us. I truly wish that you all succeed, but my role is done.”

  “Jeryn, you saved our lives several times! How can you just walk away from us now? Don’t we mean anything to you?”

  “Of course you do. And that’s why I can’t be with you anymore. Any other lifetime—here or on Earth, we could’ve had something, but…”

  “Then you do have… some feelings for me. Don’t you?”

  “Maybe. Some, maybe… And perhaps they could have grown, but not… not this lifetime. If only you could know how much this hurts…”

  They said nothing for a while. The ground rumbled below them at some point for a brief period of time; the large Guard train was tearing down the subterranean tracks with some of the last evacuees.

  “I was the wife of the leader of a small state in a poor nation,” Milla spoke up solemnly. “I had an unusually high personality carry over from Aurra, so I always saw myself as some kind of leader at heart. Someone who would devote their life to getting to the top.”

  “Milla, you don’t have to tell me this—”

  “If you won’t tell me your story, then at least let me tell you mine.”

  “But…”

  “We had little,” Milla continued and gazed up at the stars. “Our military power was small, our people weak. The man that would be my husband led a rebellion in our state capital, which became a quick, violent coup. He assassinated the man he would replace, in a public square with no hesitation. And the people cheered… No, they howled. Like animals—all of them, even those passing by on the street. Myself among them.

  “He got away with it, because he could pay off our country’s administration. They were just as corrupt as the local officials that he had forced out. And he wasn’t going to stop. He was too ambitious. He could have toppled the nation if he had gotten the chance. He was charismatic of course, and I fell for him. No, actually, I wanted to be him. I saw him as my chance to become someone meaningful. Maybe, in the back of my mind somewhere, I wanted to be a queen again. But how could I know, right?

  “As you might have guessed, he was worse than his predecessor. And all I did was encourage him. After several years, he grew paranoid. He thought that the nation’s military was going to come in, maybe even start a civil war. He traded food for weaponry, and began building an arsenal. We watched as our people starved, and then revolted. Chaos ensued, and the national military had to restore order. Hundreds were injured and killed before our cabinet was arrested. And, I shouldn’t have, but… I shot two of our countrymen to defend him, when they reached his office.

  “Firing squads are quick, Jeryn. A brief explosion of pain, and then nothing… More developed nations don’t use them anymore. Too violent, what if the shots miss, it’s inhuman, etcetera. But you only need a few of them to hit you. And then you wake up in Hold, and you collapse as soon as you’re out of the entrance tunnel. If days existed in Hold, then I might’ve been there for a month, just… hating myself. And what sickened me most was that I didn’t have any remorse until my recollection was restored.”

  “Milla—”

  “Please, let me finish. I didn’t argue with the judges. I actually wanted a harsher sentence. But they saw that what I did—even several lifetimes ago—was more than enough to somehow redeem me. So, all I got was a top rank demotion to City B and a birth in City N. A slap on the wrist for all I did. That’s how it is in Aurra. You first reach it as a corrupt leader, you get the worst and you stay there. But be a beloved queen for one life, and you’re set for all of the ones that follow. Garder’s right about judgment. It needs to be replaced. It just doesn’t work, and everything is a double standard. Salvation and damnation come far too easily.”

  He didn’t know what to say, if there was anything to say at all.

  “I’m sorry, Jeryn… I’m sorry for how I must appear to you now. It’s hard for me. I’ve only ever told Garder about this half of my life, back when we were twelve. And I don’t know how he does it, but it didn’t perturb him a bit. He was perfectly understanding, whereas anyone else could justifiably hate me for as long as they saw fit.”

  “But Milla, you weren’t entirely at fault. What you did was…”

  “It was unforgivable,” she said angrily. “I didn’t know how I was supposed to live with it. I wanted to eradicate it from my mind, even if it took the memories of all my previous lifetimes with it. But do you see now? Are your secrets really any worse? Am I still the same person to you?”

  “It’s different,” Jeryn replied in a serious tone. “What you did was in your Earth lifetime. What I’ve done is still with me—this body carries my sins. I’m sorry for what happened to you, but look at what you’ve got now. Friends, and a brother, and they love you. And you’re leading them, because you have a rare talent: the skills of natural leadership. You never needed me just because of your age or any other reason. I can cede my position to you. You have to watch out for them now, because I can’t any longer.”

  “Why…” Milla wiped away a few tears, “what could possibly be hurting you so much? Don’t you think we all suffer here? It’s Aurra’s curse. But what can be so bad that you can’t tell anyone? We could be friends. We could maybe even be more than that—if you just opened up a little…”

  “Maybe in another life.” He turned from her. “But for now, forget about me. I’m going to leave in a few days. And please, do not follow me.”

  “So that’s all? Not even a proper goodbye? Not even a reason?”

  “What’s so wrong with this farewell? Surrounded by the loneliness and the stars. It’s as proper a setting as any. But… there is one thing I should tell you. Even if it makes no sense right now.”

  “What? What is it?”

  “It’s about Drides… I might have some ideas on his objective.”

  “H-how? How could you possibly know something like that?”

  “I was out looking for answers for three weeks, remember? And I didn’t come back empty-handed. I think I learned something about Drides, but… I don’t know. Maybe it’s not even that important…”

  “Milla! Jeryn!” Pip’s voice suddenly shouted from the darkness.

  They both turned to see him running across the park, huffs of condensed air following right behind him.

  “Pip? What is it?” Milla asked as she recomposed herself.

  “It’s Temki…” He caught his breath. “Temki’s gone.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He just disappeared. Tess is worried sick. My cousins have been looking, but there’s just no trace of him.”

  “Where could he possibly—”

  “Milla, he took one of the pairs of claws and a demirriage.”

  “Oh… Oh, no… Why would he do that? Where could he be?”

  “I have a good idea.”

  “Y-yes?”

  “I think it was something we said. He’d been lost in his thoughts since Rayna’s story. Kyler picked up remorseful mental patterns… And then the kid asked a few questions about Aurrian families, and if anyone on Aurra has ever paid a visit to the ones… to the ones they leave behind. I didn’t think anything of it at first, but…”

  “There’s no way we can follow him,” Jeryn said. “I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do but hope he makes the right decision and returns to us.”

  “Is that really all we can do?” Pip asked.

  “Let’s return to the apartment,” Milla said. “Jeryn’s right. He’ll just have to work this out on his own. I… I think he’ll do that, in time.”

  “Right.” Pip sighed. “I’m sure he’ll come back. He’s a good kid. He knows we need the things he took, and he wouldn’t let his friends down…”

  “Yes—you’re right about that.”

  Pip set off back to the apartment, leaving the two alone again.

  “About what you were going to tell me…”

  “I’ll you later, Milla. I don’t think now’s the time, anyway.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes… I’ll tell you when you’ll be able to understand better. I’m still figuring it out myself. I don’t want to give you bad information.”

  “Okay. Okay, Jeryn…”

  They left the frozen park together, with Milla feeling the slightest bit more confident in herself. He had reacted to her story in the very way she had hoped he would.

  Perhaps the Jeryn she knew was still in there somewhere.

  Rayna’s story circled around in Temki’s head. It was maybe the first time that he had taken a moment to consider what life and love meant. He thought about the bonds people formed in Aurra and on Earth, and how cruel mortality could be. Mortality—suddenly the great enemy in his eyes.

  He didn’t remember many things about his one short Earth life aside from feelings. He could recall the warmth of his mom, and the playful happiness of his dad. And suddenly, he had to know what happened to his parents, even if no one else in Aurra had that kind of chance.

  Would they still be sad? Would anything remain of their son that they could recognize? What would happen if he started a conversation? There was no possible way to explain Aurra to them. Telling them that he was their son, somehow alive and well but much younger than he was supposed to be, would only bring them further pain.

  He didn’t know what he would do once he saw them, but he didn’t really care. He was robbed of his only Earth life, and he never got to grow up and see the world around him. Perhaps just the fleeting glimpse of his parents’ happiness would be enough.

  But would he even be able to find them? It was eight years ago since last they had seen each other. There was every chance that the tragic memories the neighborhood brought upon the young couple would have forced them away. If that were the case, then there was little Temki could do. At least he still had his friends and a kind, strong grandmother.

  He disembarked the carriage in the neighborhood park. His exact arrival location had been by the side of a creek he used to play near with his friends, a place somewhat secluded from the rest of the park. It had been a while since he had last been to Earth, and the sun hurt his eyes at first. He took in the fresh air and took a seat on the grass.

  At first, he did nothing but feel the dirt below. Realizing that he was getting a bit warm in the mild Californian winter, he removed his scarves and outer robes and tied them to his side. Aside from the staff, he looked like he fit in a little more on Earth. His baggy, velvety violet shirt covered his brown pants, which almost covered his leather boots; it was a bit of an unusual look, but certainly satisfactory. His appearance acceptable, he left the creek and went through the familiar park, towards his old home.

  He watched the kids on the swings and slides as he passed them. Many were his age, but they were otherwise so very separated from him. He tucked his staff away in his tied robes and continued down the road.

  It was such a familiar street. He closed his eyes, took in the few memories he had of it, and walked, steadily. He made a turn and saw his own road, devoid of traffic as it always had been. In the distance was the busy highway—and the intersection where he lost his life.

  The moment of his death was only a blur. He was probably about Dustin’s age, a time when curiosity was becoming dangerous, but exciting. Temki didn’t know why, exactly, he went out into the road. Chasing a ball, perhaps. Maybe he saw something interesting on the other side. Ever since he could properly recall, he had been plagued by a clear, repeating memory. Stepping out onto the asphalt. Then being hit by something hard.

  And then a painless, deep sleep followed. He wanted to wake up, but his body wouldn’t let him. He could hear his mother and father, but he couldn’t reach out to them. Yet he was comfortable, and he was without fear. And slowly, he faded away. After that came a brief burst of energy and pure happiness, and then the feeling of timeless nothingness.

  The next thing he knew, he was rubbing his eyes tiredly with one hand, while the other was held by a person who looked like a nurse. She was guiding him out of a long, stretching tunnel, filled with so many people. Some were confused, most were tired like him, some were running to their destination, others were mumbling about how they wasted their lives “this time.” He didn’t know what to make of any of it.

  “Poor dear,” the nurse would say repeatedly. “It’s always sad to see young ones here. Newsouls, especially. Poor dear. Don’t be afraid now.”

  First, she took him to a small group of other children, all dressed in white like him. She left him there, and for the next few days, he rarely spoke. He could sleep sometimes if he tried, but he spent most of his time listening to the others’ stories. Being so young, he didn’t understand most of that they talked about. They spoke of things like illnesses, or accidents, or their parents and siblings. But he couldn’t connect to them.

  Not knowing about judgment, all he could comprehend about what happened next was being taken to a room with two men and a woman who looked him over, their brief discussion, and the nurse taking him back out.

  “Newsoul children just have to be checked off a list, so to say,” she tried to explain. “Normally, your life is judged. Not this time. This time, you will be born into a mid-tier City. I know that you can’t understand this, but you will in a few years. It’s all part of my job, you see.”

  She stood with him in a long line leading to a tunnel with no markings. On its sides were two other such tunnels, and across those were smaller tunnels with letters from the alphabet above them. She walked him in, but he had to take the last few steps himself. He was scared. So many strangers surrounded him. And he still didn’t know where he was or why.

  And then, his very next memory was of a fire burning out in his grandmother’s home. The warmth and happiness he had once felt from his parents had returned to him. But they wouldn’t last. Soon, the men would come, and they would take him away and lock him up.

  And that was Temki’s life thus far. There were many things he still couldn’t understand about himself or others. He knew that there must have been other people like him, but because of his friends, he had a chance that they would never have. He also felt as if he had deserved it, and for the time being, gave no regard to how those friends would react to his actions.

  He just wanted to gaze upon his parents again. To say goodbye.

  He found his house. The outside had been repainted, and there was a new car in the driveway, yet it was definitely still his house. But did it belong to his family? He wasn’t sure, and the two children playing on the front lawn outside just added to the residence’s new unfamiliarity. He watched them from a distance, only occasionally taking a step forward.

  Two girls, each with blond hair. One was probably six or so, the other no older than four. They were happy—he could tell. They seemed to be playing tag. Temki, only two years older than the eldest, walked up to them and watched the pair from the sidewalk.

  It didn’t take long for them to notice him. He felt as if he should run away, but he knew that he had nothing to fear, and he stayed.

  “Who are you?” the older sister asked. “Never seen you around here before.”

  “I… um…” Temki murmured quietly.

  He suddenly realized how completely unnatural this was. How many Aurrian laws had he already violated? He had never let them concern him before, but he knew that this simply wasn’t meant to be taking place.

  “Funny clothes,” the smaller sister commented.

  The older giggled back. “Yeah, kind of. You want something?”

  “N-no. I was just… passing by.”

  “Oh?”

  He could feel the tension in his legs. He was about to dart off, when the front screen door opened. And the person that walked out of the house… Now he had to keep from running up and hugging her. For a brief moment, he thought of the possibilities of staying. He could be friends with his sisters, visit his family everyday—even grow up with them. Maybe there was a chance they would take him in if they found out he had no parents.

  He had to hold back tears and struggle to relinquish such thoughts.

  “Hey, you two, dinner’s almost ready,” Temki’s Earthen mother said in the voice that he suddenly so fondly remembered.

  “Mommy, you seen this boy before?” the older sister asked.

  “Why, no… I haven’t. Hi, there,” she greeted Temki. “Are you new in the neighborhood? Where are your parents?”

  Temki choked, but with all of his strength, finally managed to get out, “I’m s-sorry. I’m just lost.”

  “Oh. Do you need me to call someone for you to pick you up, or… Well, there’s a phone in the house. Would you like to come in?”

  “No. That’s okay. I—I think I see my mom and dad waiting for me. Thanks anyway.”

  “Okay, then. If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask.”

  “T-thanks…”

  “Come on, girls. I made your favorite.”

  The sisters gave Temki a passing glance before running inside. As his mother followed them, their eyes met for a moment. Unblinkingly, they gazed at each other. Temki could have used his powers to delve into her mind and see what she was thinking, but he decided that he didn’t need to.

  She smiled at him and went in, shutting the door behind her. He waited on the sidewalk for a minute, as he tried to decide what to do next.

  He reasoned that he might not get another opportunity to see what had become of his family, so he needed a more complete image before he left. Deciding not to waste the journey, he crept up to the window by the driveway. If memory served, it’d give him a look inside the dining room.

  The table and chairs hadn’t changed. Sitting in his old seat was the older girl, who seemed quite polite and would likely grow up to be a good big sister. Temki’s father was at one end, checking his watch even during dinner—he remembered that he did that constantly. His mother finished serving the girls and took her seat at the other end of the table. His dad said something he couldn’t hear, and whatever it was, it made the girls laugh.

  Temki hadn’t expected such happiness to survive in the family, but somehow it did, and that made him happy in return… even if he couldn’t share it with them. But there was still one thing left that he had to see.

  He angled himself against the wall so he could see the old space above the piano where the best of the family photographs were hung. After glimpsing at the newer ones of the girls, he found what he was looking for.

  Above a picture of a baby, likely the older sister, and between pictures of his parents when they were younger, was one of the last photographs taken of him in his Earth life.

  He was still a part of the family. He suddenly felt an overwhelming melancholy. His mind flooded with ideas of how their lives must be today.

  He wondered how often his parents would talk about him. Would they share stories about their road trips together? About all the times he got himself into trouble? And how did the girls feel about having an older brother they’d never meet, at least in this life?

  Temki chose to respect the privacy of those answers. This was still his family, and yet, it wasn’t. He, like everyone in Aurra, had to let them go. But he got his chance to say goodbye, and that felt like more than enough.

  Glad to see that his parents were still together and love was shared among them, he prepared to depart. The only thing that bothered him was if his mysterious appearance would haunt his mother. Maybe she’d never think about it. Or maybe the encounter would bother her throughout her life. He hoped that he hadn’t just initiated the latter possibility.

  Regardless, he promised himself to seek her out in Aurra someday. And if she did at least end up remembering their brief meeting…

  He saw himself, much older, approaching his now young mother. And with the mysteries and truths of Aurra and life opened up again, he could tell her something that he’d hold onto for the years to come.

  “I was that boy,” he’d tell her. “I was the one who approached you that warm winter day.”

  And he would tell her this, in the new world that Garder and Milla and all of their friends would help create.

  With that passing thought, Temki felt pure happiness for the first time in his young life. He knew what it meant to live and have lived. All of his questions had been answered, his worries quelled.

  A large sigh of relief came over the group when Temki knocked on the door later that night. At first, no one spoke. They all knew what he had done, and he understood of the gravity of it.

  “I just had to see them. One last time,” he said. “I know that my place is here. Aurra is my home. Tess is my family. There’s nothing you need to say to me. I won’t do it again.”

  And he quietly handed the claws and the scroll back to Milla. She didn’t seem angry, but rather, sympathetic.

  “Did you find out what you needed to?” Tess asked him.

  “Yes. Everything is well…”

  “Then I’m glad for you. I should be very… well, disappointed? Angry? I don’t know. But I’m not any of those things. You didn’t get the kind of life the rest of us have had, many times. So, I think you deserved to look the way of things in the face and go up against it. If just once.”

  “As long as you didn’t tell them anything.” Garder yawned. “Yeah, you worried us there, but I knew you’d come back. No harm done. I hope.”

  “Thank you, Garder…” Temki replied. “Thank you everyone, for giving me this chance…”

  Milla turned to Jeryn. “Well. I’m glad he’s back. That would’ve been very bad for us had he not returned…”

  “Yes,” Jeryn replied simply. “Did you really doubt him? He sees us as his family now. He wouldn’t abandon us.”

  “Yeah. You’re right…”

  “Bonds through lifetimes…” Jeryn murmured.

  “Hm? What was that?”

  “Nothing, never mind. Everyone, we’ve had a busy, stress-filled night, and we have an even busier day tomorrow. Why don’t we turn in?”

  “Sounds good to me,” Garder agreed. “All right, then… Good night, everyone. And Xavier—try not to snore this time.”

  “I don’t mind it so much,” Verim replied with a chuckle. “It kind of reminds me of my Earth days, sleeping in the jungle.”

  “Sorry about that,” Xavier sighed as they left for their apartment.

  “I’m glad that you came back,” Kamsa said to Temki courteously before she left with Lechi and Shin. “If you have time… I’d love to hear some more descriptions of Earth.”

  “Rayna…” Temki whispered to her.

  “Yes?”

  “You and I… We’re a lot alike. It was actually your story that made me want to do what I did. I don’t know if it was right, but I think… I think I’m going to be stronger because of it.”

  “Oh. Um, I’m glad that I helped you.”

  “And we’re going to free your parents—and find your friend.”

  “I’d like that.” Rayna smiled. “And Temki… I think I may need you to do what Dustin did for me. You have your mind powers and everything, so I think you’d be good at it.”

  “Yeah. I’ll definitely do whatever I can to make sure that the demon doesn’t come out again.”

  “He’s a good boy, Rayna,” Tess replied. “You can trust his word.”

  “Thank you,” Rayna said with a yawn.

  “Yes, well, see you all in the morning,” Tess said. “Busy, busy…”

  She and Temki split off towards their rooms, and the others began departing soon after.

  “Talk to me in the morning, Jeryn,” Milla asked before she left. “You don’t have to tell me anything. I… I just want to talk some more.”

  “Yeah. First thing,” Jeryn assured her.

  She left him with a smile, and soon everyone was in their beds for the night, with a cold and empty City outside.

  And at first light, it was soon discovered that Jeryn had gone.