A Hero in the Dark: 2nd Edition

Chapter 133: A Hero in the Dark

~ 3 ½ Months Later ~

"Everyone!" Lexa exclaims. "Look!"

Startled, John and I scurry off the cot and hurry to the front of the ship. Lola's wide awake in my alien boy's arms. I've been singing her a lullaby to get her to fall asleep, but it looks like that'll have to wait. Pixie bounds in and around our ankles; I haven't seen her this excited in a while—if ever. She shapeshifts from a rabbit to a cricket, and crawls up my leg, up to the edge of my shoulder, popping up at my collar. All the Chimærae are just as restless.

Lexa's right: We're here. A dark planet blacker than black lies ahead. It's almost scary to look at. If it weren't for the Loric, I might have trouble figuring out there was anything there at all. It's as dark as the void around it. It isn't nearly as big as Earth, but it's big enough. Suddenly, I'm worrying. It didn't look that bad in my dreams. Actually, it looked like a piece of cake.

"That's it," Henri confirms. "Lorien. We're home."

"Shoot," John mutters. "Are you sure about this, Em?" He's seeing what I'm seeing. Its size and decay. Lorien... it looks... lifeless. I knew this already, but this looks so much worse.

I hope so. Honestly, I'm not sure. I tune into my bond to Lorien, and once the Entity, Many-Voice resonates, I ask it if it's visions for me are true. Yes. Yes, I can still do this, but it'll take time.

"Just think," Marina murmurs, "Liam and Lola will be the first generation back."

"Can I be real?" Eight adds, not taking his eyes off the sight. "There was a time on Earth, after Reynolds died, that I never thought we'd make it back. But being here, now... I'm hopeful."

"If only the others were here..." bae adds.

"They'll get to see it eventually," Henri assures. "But for now, we have a planet to rebuild." He turns to me, and I nod. I'm ready. "Lexa? Take us down." She pilots us down through the void straight through the planet's atmosphere—I hardly feel any pull in that regard too, unlike Earth; I suppose it makes sense; after all, Lorien's not as big as Earth. If I recall correctly, it's ten times smaller, and it has two moons instead of one; that, at least, seems to be normal. Both moons hang on opposites sides of the horizon as we land. Its sun gleams at me through the window, but it's strange; it's not as bright as it should be. No matter. Soon, that'll change.

Soon, everything will be set back to the way things were, to the way things should be.

I'm about to erase Setrákus Ra's work for good, and that thought alone is enough to make me smile. I hold up my pendant to the dark grey—Lorien's pendant it gave me; I know he's in there somewhere. I feel his energy, like I feel Adelina, Crayton, Five, Ella, and the first three Garde. See this? I'm about to undo everything you did; every ounce of your life's work you used to rip this planet away. I promise, it'll be as if you've never existed. I'll do whatever it takes.

John takes my hand. "You know the plan, right? You're certain there's air out there?"

I turn to him. "As soon as Lexa opens the doors, there should be," I note. "I'll start right away." My gaze locks onto Henri as his locks onto me. With my journal taken care of, so too is my letter. I trust that Henri will send them should anything go wrong. I take a big breath and nod to our pilot to open the door. "Leave the ramp retracted," I ask her, and she does as she's told.

As the door slides open, the heavy metal stirs under my skin. I inhale a sharp breath and connect my bond to the pendant—to the Entity. This is it.

Are you ready, child? I hear it say.

For once, I am. I'm more determined to do this than I was the whole trip. My vision sparkles cobalt, and as soon as the door opens wide enough, I exhale, and an array of azure mist spreads out like hot breath on a cold winter's day. For John, I remind myself. For Lola. For all of them.