Shadow Beings

Epilogue

"When will they all reach?" I asked, moving quickly across the open air. A sense of thrill coursed through my energy as I eagerly waited for their arrival, though I had to make sure everybody was ready before that.

"The demons are on their way."

"Good. We must start the ball on time."

I walked swiftly from one place to the other, completing one tiny task after the other. Ava had been helping me with a lot of things lately, providing her guidance wherever she could without ever being imposing.

Since he was no more with me, physically, it was difficult to handle everything all of a sudden. But if he believed in me, I certainly would do my best.

I sighed with satisfaction as the evening sky adorned Sylva Vita, a fresh smell filling the air. The flowers danced lightly in the cool breeze as the sky darkened, giving a serene look to my surroundings.

"It's good!" A distant voice called out to me, pride underlying her tone.

"Yes," I said. "Yes it is."

My eyes brightened with delight as colours of the visible spectrum flowed through the ground. With the help of Elek's notes, our past practices and under Trina's guidance, we had arranged glasses and mirrors around Sylva Vita such that it reflected the moonlight in a gently amplified manner and in different colours while maintaining the darkness of the sky.

I walked towards the control room, our former defence room. After reading Elek's book and from what Trina told all of us, we realised that the changes Elek made to its controls weren't for defence, they were to better the system as a whole and slowly remove the 'need for technology'. The circles of light that we had used for defence would soon no longer need any electrical energy; they may not even be needed for defence, but rather for a solitary space among a group of Shadow-Trappers. Using a sort of technique and mostly his personal zeal, he transformed the ground in such a way that after a certain amount of external energy was supplied, it would forever amplify its effect of 'enlightening' our minds and keeping us away from much concrete sensations.

I was worried about his zeal, keeping in mind what killed him, but in the book he insisted he had an 'abundance' of it and that his time had come. It was hard to know when Elek spoke the truth, but this time I was confident he did.

I ran up the stairs of the building, heading towards the roof. I felt a rush of excitement and nervousness within me, though the heaviness in my chest still lingered.

Taking a deep breath, I walked out to the terrace, holding my breath as a beautiful sight filled my eyes. I spotted the busy groups of Shadow-Trappers move on the vivid ground as they made sure everything was in position, or simply enjoyed the scene of Nature. Most importantly, the Trees of Remembrance remained isolated, an aura of peace and content surrounding it.

It was finally the second of November, the day of a New Ball. It was our first true step towards change and alliance. My emotions were confusing; a complete blur. I didn't know what to think and how to feel about anything. I was simply grateful to the nature of our annual ball; remembering our loved ones that left us, being together in the prayers that made us alone. In a style of grief and celebration.

It made me uncertain, but I also felt content.

The more I thought about it, though, the more I was able to understand it. To part away from the ones who lost their lives, where we all come together and celebrate life.

Time gave life meaning.

The Trees of Remembrance were a part of our headquarters' beginning. There were only a few trees here that grew since its creation, I think. Other than Paliv Verasel, these other trees were rather 'ordinary', with the exclusion of their time of existence. Perhaps it had to with the environment, like the circles of light.