EPILOGUE ~ Until we see each other again

After Orphie was forced to return to Nochightdad after losing sight of us in the forest full of veils, he had to deal with the chaos that was still spreading.

The two veils in Nochightdad had grown so much that they had combined in a single one, threatening to engulf the entire city in darkness. It surely would have been so, but it all changed when a screeching sound, following by a snap, resonated through the entire world.

Everyone was a witness to the spectacle, as the stream of light that shot to the sky split in two, leaving only empty space behind.

For most of everyone? A clear sign of the end of the world.

For the world? An actual improvement, in a way.

The strip of light that always was in the sky had disappeared, cut in two, never to return. Even so, the world was not engulfed in darkness. If anything, if started to get brighter over time. The veils stopped growing, and the middle lands became safer as the moving veils became less and less common.

Orphie was still unhappy with it, in the end. When the stream went away, he completely shut down. Some people started panicking, saying that it was the same thing that happened to his father, but he had something that Meofor did not.

Howard took care of him, albeit kind of begrudgingly, and just like he had done so many times before, he managed to keep him alive. Truly, he is a man with miracle hands.

Although he survived, Orphie was forced out of the leadership role. Some people proposed me to take the place, but I refused it. There was an immense amount of work to do to rebuild the entire city, and my mind was occupied with so many more important things. I simply could not do the job.

Even so, I managed to find a place with the family of one of my old villagers. They had received their long lost family member gladly and when they asked to receive us too, they did so in an instant.

There was a single thing that I did find important to do then, and it could not wait. I reunited with several other people, and together, we parted towards our old village.

There was nothing left. I once thought that all I had was ashes, but now that it was literal, I can only feel like I was being slightly dramatic about it all. It was still justified I think, just a slight snudgeon dramatic. That’s all.

We recovered the bodies to bury then with respect. We recovered anything that survived the fire and was not engulfed by the darkness, and in between it all, I found something I had completely forgotten about.

It was a notebook, an extremely old one, written in the language of sacrificed. When I opened, something did clic in my head.

Why did Pole look so worried back when I talked to him, I wondered. Howard also had said that Pole always looked a bit paranoid, but I never understood why.

I had messed up, and I didn’t even know it.

The day we escaped with Lyra I found the notebook when freeing the prospects. Just by skimming over it I understood its purpose. It was too cruel to let it pass.

The sacrifices needed to complete their training to be eligible, but how do you convince them to do so when they know you are going to kill them? By making them think that they are going against you when they are actually helping you.

They hid the notebook in an obvious place, let the sacrifice train by itself, and write the instructions for the actual ritual in it. They will think they are outsmarting you, when in fact, it was simply the standard procedure for all sacrifices.

Such a deceit was unforgivable in my mind, I took it with me that day, and then put it somewhere in an abandoned hut during those few weeks I was despondent.

What were the chances that would be the same hut Pole was in? I may have caused Howard and Lyra a lot of trouble.

Lyra…

I took the notebook, determined to burn it to ashes this time.

We all returned to Nochightdad, and as I felt that my last responsibility with my people had been fulfilled, I could finally dedicate myself to the task that I cared about the most.

“You finally returned.”

Howard greeted me, standing up and getting closer to give me a hug, but stopping in the last second.

I did not stop in the last second, I gave him a good squeeze, so much that he lost breath.

“Now, you are going to take your hands, and you are going to give me a good hug. One that I’ll actually feel” I told him, refusing to let him go.

“Eh, Eury?”

“Don’t think you can escape from me now. I am no longer the chief of anything, and we have all the time in the world for ourselves.” I said, moving slowly side to side, still hugging him.

He finally returned the hug, slowly. It was still the hug of a wimp, but it was a good start.

“Why are you so reserved only with me?” I finally asked.

He released a single dry chuckle, but after that, silence. I let him gather his thought, and after a sigh, he finally answered.

“I… regret so many things that happened between us. I wasn’t sure if it was adequate or not.”

I finally released him from my hug, looking at him with care… and then headbutting him in the forehead.

“Eury for the love of God stop that at once!” He complained, in a way that was even funnier for me.

“To think that you and I had the same problem. I can’t believe this.” I said, laughing softly.

He started to laugh too.

After what felt like an eternity, we had a good conversation. We talked about everything we felt and everything we thought. We paced until we ended up in the backyard, looking at the sky that was starting to fade from black, to blue.

“Where do you think little Lyra is now?” Howard asked, looking to the spot where the stream used to be.

“I have no idea, but at the very least, I know it HAS to be better than this place.” I said, sighing.

“Don’t say that, it’s a bad omen.”

“Shut up. THAT is a bad omen.” I said, punching him lightly in the arm.

We stayed there in silence for a moment.

“Do you think we will ever see her again?” He asked, with a wistful voice. Ever since Lyra left, he looked lonelier.

“I’m sure of it.” I said, with full confidence.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because she didn’t say goodbye. You only do that when you plan to return soon.” I said, letting my head rest in his shoulder.

“But… that soon could be longer than we expect. Who knows how long it could take?”

“Then we will be here, waiting for her, until that happens. Is not like we have anything else to do.” I said, smiling towards him.

He looked back at me with his glassy eyes. I hoped that despite everything, he still could see me through those beautiful eyes of his.

“We will wait, however long it takes.”