Goodbye

Celeste lifted her head as the doors across from her shuddered, and creaked open. A pair of women walked in, one with long silver hair and a tweed grey dress, the other in a blue robe, a fresh scar running over her left eye.

The woman in blue smiled, walking towards her.

Celeste pulled her knees against her chest, her eyes burning as she held back tears.

The woman froze, holding up her hands. “Celeste?”

Celeste clenched her jaws, wanting to spit or scream at her but saying nothing.

“My name is Koharu,” the woman said, lowering her hands to her knees. “And… I’m a friend of Ignacio’s.”

The woman with the grey hair walked up to her, holding out a hand.

“Hi, Celeste,” she said, smiling sweetly. “My name’s Veyndara. I can help you, okay?”

Celeste shrank away, but there was nowhere to go. “Don’t… Please don’t hurt me.”

Veyndara's hand began to glow with a pale light, electricity crackling along her finger tips. She lowered her head, her smile tightening.

“I just need to touch the side of your head, and you’ll wake up, Okay?” she said.

Celeste panted, her heart quaking. But she nodded, trying to hold still as the woman’s fingers touched the side of her head.

Celeste gasped, her chest heaving as tears streamed down her face.

“Ignacio,” she whispered.

Doctor Ivo rushed to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Celeste? Celeste, can you hear me?”

She nodded, pressing her palms into her eyes as she sobbed. “Ignacio,” she cried, her body shivering. “Ignacio!”

Doctor Ivo hugged her as she cried, wrapping her arms around him and digging her fingers into his back. Something cold pressed against her chest, and she pulled away. She ran her fingers along the thin gold chain around her neck, pulling it out and staring at the pendant.

Mum’s necklace.

The moon and stars, right there in her palm.

“Ace,” she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clutched it. “Thank you!”

She pressed it against her chest, gasping between sobs as Ivo tapped on his visors, calling someone.

“Koharu,” the Doc said. “Celeste… she’s awake.”

Koharu stood beside Ignacio’s Cypher, chewing on her lip as tears streamed down her face. She kept her head tilted to the side, making sure she could see all of him. It felt strange, not being able to see out of one eye.

He lay with his eyes closed, thick blood running from his nose down to his chin. A slight smile curved the corner of his mouth. The way it did when he said or did something for her. She placed a hand to his hair, holding his head still as she wiped the blood from his nose and mouth.

She pressed her lips against his forehead, another tear running down her cheek.

“I’m sorry, Ignacio,” she said, her nose flaring.

A tap on glass came from behind her, and she turned to find Ivo standing outside the Cypher room, Celeste beside him.

She wiped her tears from her face, clearing her throat. “Kai.”

The door slid open and they walked in. Koharu stuffed the bloody cloth into the pocket of her hood, then did the same with her hands.

Celeste walked up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She cleared her throat again, stepping away as Celeste placed a hand to the side of Ignacio’s face.

She took a deep breath as tears fell from her eyes, throwing her arms around his body. She sobbed against his chest, sinking to her knees.

Koharu cleared her throat again. Not entirely sure what to do.

What would your Ethergeist self do? She smiled, a tear forming in her eye. What would Ignacio do?

She kneeled beside Celeste, placing an arm around her shoulders.

“I’m…” she said, pausing. “I’m sorry.”

Celeste pulled away from him, nodding as she rubbed her eyes. She sighed, taking a deep breath.

“Were you there when he died?” she asked.

Koharu nodded. “Yeah.”

“What was the last thing he said?”

Koharu swallowed a lump in her throat. “He said, ‘I know you won’t.’”

Celeste closed her eyes, pressing a hand to her forehead.

Koharu frowned. “What?”

“He heard me,” she said, turning to her. “I could… feel him dying, Koharu,” she said. “It was like having something cut out of my body while I was awake. So I tried reaching out to him. I tried thanking him, and…” her eyes flooded with tears. “I told him, ‘I won’t let you down.’”

I know you won’t.

Koharu lowered her chin, lips parting as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“Did he die in pain?” Celeste asked.

Koharu shrugged, taking her arm off the girl’s shoulders. “Not that I could tell.”

Celeste paused. “Can you please give me a minute?” she asked.

Koharu nodded, not entirely sure if she’d done and said the right things. She stood and walked out the room, grabbing Doctor Ivo’s arm and pulling him out with her.

The glass door slid closed as she folded her arms.

“You could’ve just asked,” Ivo grumbled, dusting off the sleeve of his white jacket.

“My eye. Can you fix it?” she asked.

“Wow, just back to business with you, isn’t it?” Ivo said.

“That’s none of your concern,” she growled. “Can you fix it or not?”

“You’ll need to convince your brain that you didn’t lose it in the Ethergeist,” Ivo said, shrugging. “I have no clue how to do that.”

She sighed, scratching her forehead with her thumb. She glanced back at Celeste. The girl was still on her knees, clutching Ignacio's hand.

“They’re going to come for her again,” Ivo said, folding his arms. “This time, they’ll take her in the real world, too.”

“Yeah,” she muttered, turning back to him. “And we’ll find a new way to crush them.”

Ivo raised his eyebrows, sighing.

“And… there’s something I needed your help with,” Koharu said.

Ivo frowned. “Go on.”

She paused, clearing her throat again. “Do you know where I can find Thiago?”