I toss and turn practically all night long. A couple of times, I catch the Ghost checking on me, which means I must've cried out in my sleep, or I'm making more noise than usual. But he never talks to me, and he never goes any further than the doorway.
By sunrise, I give up and get dressed, taking my time in the showers before the Ghost and I silently make our way to the cafeteria, grab some food, and then move to my favorite spot in the monastery where I can watch the colony slowly come to life.
It's an alcove on the highest portion of the TAG treeouse. It's designed to be storage, filled with red dust-covered boxes that make me want to sneeze every time I touch them and seasonal supplies, but there's a small section with just enough space for two people to sit, and a window overlooking the entire colony on this side of the monastery.
Watching the sun rise is beautiful. Shades of purples and blues and pinks fill the sky, casting a pink glow over the entire rust-colored planet, making it look beautiful and dreamlike.
"No matter what I choose today, I'm still Trinity?" I ask after taking a bite of my breakfast sandwich (with my newly cut face mask, complete with a hole to eat through).
"Only if you choose to be a Ghost," he says quietly. "Magnus and Gamma aim to take your power away from you and make you their tool."
"How about—"
The Ghost holds up his hand. "I can take you to Edmond if you wish to talk to someone about this. Until you announce your intentions, I cannot have this conversation."
My shoulders slump and I stare over the colony one more time before pulling in a breath and saying, "I'm ready."
We stand, dust ourselves off, gather our uneaten food and supplies, then I follow the Ghost down the stairs, along the winding hallways, and to Edmond's office door.
Despite it being shortly after sunrise, Edmond is already awake and looks like he's been awake for hours.
He greets us with a warm smile and open arms. "You have your answer?" he asks me?
I run my gloved hands down my thighs and nod.
"And you did not have any conversations about your choice with Tradon?" Edmond asks, raising his brows.
I steal a quick peak at the Ghost. Did my question count as a conversation?
Shaking my head, I say, "No. I tried, but he told me to talk to you if I wanted to discuss it more."
Edmond grins at the Ghost. "I would expect nothing less of him. Always a man of his word." He steps out into the hallway and closes his door behind him. "Alright. Let's get on with it then. Follow me."
We follow Edmond down the carved wooden hallways, down the bleached spiraling walkway, through the Throne Room, over the clear floor with the fish in it, and into the Receiving Room.
When we enter, Magnus and Gamma are already sitting in their chairs, talking and laughing and eating from an exhaustive buffet of fruits, pastries, meats, and eggs.
Magnus is in a new armored suit. This one consists of grays and browns and oranges. Gamma's outfit is skin-tight today, hugging all her curves, but it looks like it's made entirely of braids, zigging all over her chest, around her neck, swirling over her arms and legs and waist.
Her hair is pulled high onto her hair, with more of those braids, the same white as her dress, woven in with her hair to look like it's fanning over her massive bun, caging her black hair in.
As the three of us approach, Magnus and Gamma pause their conversation and focus on me, bright, expectant grins on their faces.
YOU ARE READING
Legacy's Ghost
AdventureAtan is invisible. At least that's how he feels as an orphan in the Legacy Colony monastery where they raise the next generation of leaders for their planet. When he's forced to join the classes for Trinity candidates, he becomes a target. None of...
