Fan Fiction ❯ Crimson Skies ❯ Chapter One: Failed Hope ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter One

Failed Hope

Val opened his eyes, listening to a song. A soft, high song, a sweet smell filled his senses, and a serge of warm feeling around himself. He opened his eyes, looking around. Standing in front of him was Kaeldra, beaming down on him like the suns. She smiled and her bright green eyes lit up.

"Wakey, wakey, little sleepy-head," she said with a childish smile.

"Kaeldra...what are you doing in my room?" he asked, getting up, then looked out at the window, seeing the overview of the galaxy around them. He always liked to sit next to this window, watching as they passed glimmering balls of light that Clarus Animus had told him twenty-six years ago, that those balls of light were stars. Clarus was always so kind to him.

Kaeldra sat at the other side of the window, humming that song that Val had recognized very well. He gawped at her, as she had not answered his question. "You like that song, don't you? You sing it all the time."

"I don't know what's wrong with me," she said, "it just sort of came into my head. I know we're not supposed to think the way we do, but," her eyes formed a bright smile, "I guess I can't help myself."

"That's okay," Val said, "because I like your song."

"Not just my song," Kaeldra turn her head towards him, her smile so pure, "our song, Val."

That was true. She told him she created that song when she was walking with him one day. Kaeldra told him that she made it because of him. But she had never told him that it was both their song.

Val smiled. "Yeah. Our song."

***

From that morning, Val never left Kaeldra's side. Strange, because Val wasn't as aloof when he was with her on this day as he normally is. They walked through the hallways together, talking, as well. Mainly they liked to sit in the Salvus Room, an exact replica of the planet that the Illaturos used to live on. It was a beautiful place, completed with plants, animals, and all life that lives upon Terrenus that they could get, as most of their creatures were lost by the Eradico.

Another thing that Val never could understand was why the Hope members were always so quiet whenever he asked them why they hated the Eradico so much. He remembered Clarus once cried, and that made him feel bad so he didn't say anything else about it again.

On the other hand, Kaeldra always talked to Val about those sorts of things, but she was always a dreamer, always listening in on Val on what he had to say, she always gave him an open ear. After all, they had spent of passed fifteen years together aboard the same ship, as opposed to him being alive on the Hope for fifty years, he had known his friend, Ronei, his entire life.

There the two of them sat, next to that same willow tree, or what Val was told. He never knew much of any life that once lived so vibrant. Their backs towards the tree, looking upwards at the ceiling, though what it really was, was a hologram to look like the sky, a clear blue sky that Val had always wanted to see. He used to just sit here, watching the sky, and wondered if it still looked like this on Terrenus. If it had, then why would the Illaturos was to leave?

Just then, a white bird flew passed the artificial sun. Val shielded his eyes, to get a better look. The bird looked much like the one he had seen on the computer, a dove. It looked like it was glowing through the shine of the sun. He watched as the bird flew off, and landed in the branch of the tree overhead.

"Have you ever wondered if that bird feels like it's being trapped?" Val wondered.

"What?" Kaeldra turn to him.

"That bird, see? It looks like it has everywhere to go, all this land, but really, it should feel privileged to live, but it's boundaries are only limited. It's just like this ship. Everyone knows why they are here, but still, we float, staring down at their former home, and we're all just waiting to die, except for us, you, me, and Ronei, who can't even age," he looked over at Kaeldra, who was smiling. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Kaeldra said. "Nothing at all. Just that you are quite comical when you talk like that. You're face gets all serious, and you look like you've never been happy all your life, like being alive isn't a privilege of your own. Feel grateful."

"I am," he told her. "I am happy to be alive. To be sitting here right now when I could be down there."

"It's not all as bad as you may think," she told him. "Just think of it this way, there is no one down there who knows you, here...what more could you want? Besides, what Daytona told me, was that the reason why we are here is because of the Eradico."

"He makes it sound like their evil, they all do. They don't even give us much information on them, only that they are the monsters that took their home."

"Maybe that's all we need," Kaeldra said, her voice drawn silent, as she turned around, looking behind them. "Hey, Ronei."

"Ronei?" Val looked over the stump, and saw a man with long, silver-blue hair, with one blind eye and icy red color, the other a deep, dark brown, they made him look like he was such a dark man, though. But Ronei was a good person. They weren't that much different between Val's sea blue eyes and maroon colored hair. His physical appearance designers messed up with his hair, they meant to make it red for some reason, and it ended up darker than they had planned. They would never be as efficient as Doctor Pasqualle Rahamim, who created Ronei in the first place.

Kaeldra, on the other hand, looked just like any other normal girl, with soft, with long, dark brown hair and green eyes. She always had this sense of kindness weather if you knew her or not. One could take one good look at her and know that she was a kind person. Her eyes went deeper, showing what kind of person she was, and that you could always have a person you could trust within her. And her spirit was so carefree, she always made you feel like you would have known her your whole life, despite the fact that she was created for the same purpose as Val and Ronei, and not to have much of any feelings at all. She had a kind persona, and always liked to help people, even if they were unpleasant, Kaeldra always found a reason not to hate them to a full extent. There was no other living creature that Val knew of that had a soul just as pure as hers. Of all the people that Val knew, he never knew someone quite like Kaeldra before. Daytona did say that she was one-of-a-kind, and that he better make sure that she doesn't get herself into much trouble.

Ronei smiled, waving at them. "Nice to see you, too," he said.

"Well, I didn't expect you to be here," Val continued, "I didn't mean to sound rude."

"None at all," Ronei said with a grin. "I was looking for you two, by the way," he told them. "Just trying to find some entertainment, that's all."

"Entertainment?"

"Yeah," Ronei leaned against the wall with a grin on his face. "Most of the people here are stiffs. As for you, at least your a fun stiff to hang around with," his eyes turned to Kaeldra. "Hello, you. How's it going?"

Kaeldra gave him a weird look. "What are you so happy about?"

"Oh, just wanted to hang around with my fellow Dimindiums, that's all."

"Well, it's scary, go away," Val said with a smile.

"Hey, I get it," his eyes brightened, looking between Val and Kaeldra, "you two want some quality time together. Okay, I'll just go pick on Sano at the infirmary. Later," he turned, walking behind the tree again and disappeared.

Ronei was probably still behind there, listening in on their conversation. How? Because Val knew Ronei. He had known him for fifty years, and most likely Ronei will stay that way. Kaeldra, on the other hand, didn't know Ronei the way Val had. Kaeldra had only been alive for twenty-seven years, so she wasn't considered to be that much experienced in life quite yet. Ronei, on the other hand, lived for ninety and has yet to actually mature.

"Funny, isn't he?" Val asked.

"Yes, very," Kaeldra replied. "Look, Val...I've been wanting to ask you something."

"What is it?"

Kaeldra was acting strange. She was picking at the ground, tearing up shreds of grass into tiny strands, making it so that they looked like hair pieces. Val stared at her, wondering what it was that was making her act so strange. She didn't look so carefree like she used to, this time she seemed like something was really bothering her, and this made Val feel bad. He didn't know why, it just did.

"Just because we're not an Illaturos, like them...does that mean we can't feel for things?" she asked quietly. "Its a stupid question, but I was just wondering...you know...if we do have the same aspects as the others do."

This was sudden. Of all things for Kaeldra to talk about, emotions was something different. Val sighed. "I guess you could say that we have some Illaturos inside of us. What Jess once told me, was that they created the Dimindium for a special reason: to right the wrongs of the past. I didn't quite understand it, but," he looked back up at the sky, the dove that had flown into the tree flew back out, "I believe that we were given the gift of Illaturos emotion, to feel and think like they do, not to have no emotion of our own so that we have close to no control over ourselves."

Kaeldra forced out a short laugh. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Whenever you talk like that, it always makes me feel like there is not a worry in the world that can break us apart. Val, do you want to know why I asked you that question?"

"Why?"

Kaeldra leaned over towards him, her face close to his. He could see right into her beautiful green eyes. It was the first time that he had actually ever noticed how deep her eyes were, that they showed everything there was hidden behind her face. Kaeldra then kissed Val, her mouth to his. At first it came as a surprise to Val, but then it grew to be rather pleasant, and he knew Kaeldra felt the same, because at that moment, he felt like the two of them melt into one.

Finally, but somehow it didn't seem long enough, Kaeldra pulled herself away from Val. "That was why," she said, with a bright smile on her face. There were no words that could be explained from that look she had on her face right then, just that this was the best day of Val's life.

***

On the other side of the tree, Ronei stood, listening in on what they were talking about. When Kaeldra had asked Val why she asked him that question, Ronei took a few steps away from the tree, focusing his red eye so that the tree image was null, and he could see right through it. He watched Kaeldra lean in towards Val, and that was it.

Way to go, Val, Ronei thought for his friend.

With a smile on his face, Ronei touched the trunk of the tree, a door opened, and he walked in.

***

Ronei made his way towards the bridge of the ship, looking out the window. There were only four people who worked on the deck, while the rest of the ship was made up of fifty other people, mainly scientists, physiologists, and the offspring of the original civilians that had once lived on Terrenus. They learned to live their lives like everyone else; just to stay out of the way of the important people.

There was Chishioki Inga, who always operated the computers and such. She always never really liked to talk to the other guys, mainly she'd rather have a computer as a friend then any of the others. She was a type of Illaturos that Ronei could never really figure out, because she didn't like to talk to other Illaturos, but she was always quite fond of the Dimindiums.

Hunter Sol was one of those guys that would at times act like a really kind person, and then a complete jackass the next. It was hard for Ronei to determine which was the most common mood for Hunter, but then chose not to really care. He never really hung around that man much anyway.

Pen Norsk-Ved always talked in a strange accent, it was weird because he'd speak in slurs all the time, and his eyes were droopy, either he drank too much alcohol or he just never got enough sleep. Often he would hang out in the Salvus room, and whenever Ronei would go in there and see him, Pen would just stare up at the sky and remain silent no matter what was told to him. The only way to break him out of his trance was to just wait until he woke up from whatever kind of world he lived in, or to flash a red light in his face. For some reason whenever there was a red light, he'd always jump, and his pupils would become dilated. Ronei could never get that man figured out.

And lastly, there was Daytona. He went by that name his whole life, but no one's ever known his actual full name. He ran the whole ship. His father, and his father's father all ran the Hope ship when it was first established into space. If it weren't for the Daytona's, then most likely they wouldn't be here right now. Daytona kept himself to no other than himself. For some reason, if there was anyone that Ronei liked to pick on even for than Val, it was Daytona. He would always keep asking him questions until that man would chase Ronei out of the bridge deck.

This time, Chishioki was hanging in the front of the deck, under the computer desk. Ronei couldn't see much of her, so he kneeled down beside her, watching her until she pulled herself out of the computer and screamed when she saw Ronei. "Ronei, don't do that!" she warned him, taking deep and heavy breaths. "You could have made me screw up while I was working under this board."

"If it's anyone who would be more concerned about their techno crap, it would have to be Chishioki Inga," Hunter said with grin, standing next to the computer desk.

"Shut up," Chishioki snapped. "I don't see you doing anything around here."

"Oh, I am doing something important," Hunter said, then Chishioki gave him a skeptical look. "I'm moderating the, um, screen. You know how much static can get stuck on these things. Hey, did you know that if you press that little blue button on the screen with the triangle on it, it clears all the static? Here," he leaned over the desk, pressing the computer screen with his index finger. Suddenly, the whole computer screen made a loud pop and went black. "Oops, guess that was the wrong one...."

Ronei couldn't help but bark out a harsh laugh, Chishioki gave both of them a dirty glare. "Not only are you an expert on being an idiot, Hunter, you're giving the kid bad ideas, you know?"

"Kid?" Hunter crossed his arms, leaning against the desk. "Ronei is ninety years old, for Christ's sake, so I treat him like any other on this ship," he gave Ronei a grin. This was one of those times where he is in a good mood. Whenever Hunter was in a bad mood, one would know it.

"Well, it should be done soon enough," Chishioki said, going back under the desk. There was a simple click, and the computer screen turned back to blue again. "There. It should be ready soon enough."

"What is it?" Ronei asked.

"It's a simulator," Chishioki told him. "Something that will take you to an artificial plain, stimulated from the mind. It helps retrieve lost memories and such, with this, we can use it for many other things, such as go to a fantasy world or...don't even think about it, Mister Sol."

"Okay, fine then. Guess I am stuck with fantasies the old fashion way then, huh?" Hunter said with a grin. "And what's up with all this 'Mister Sol' shit, huh?"

Chishioki rolled her eyes. "Just get out of here will ya? Ronei, can you help me bring this into one of the Tech room? I could use a guy like you, especially because of...you know," she said. She looked like she wasn't comfortable with the fact of calling Ronei a Dimindium. Most of the time, Chishioki just never liked to look at anyone on Hope as different. She believed in equinity, just like Daytona. Speaking of which, Ronei would have to find him and pick on him again sometime.

***

Val and Kaeldra walked out of the Salvus Room, after a long while of talking. He didn't know for how long, but him and Kaeldra had allot to talk about, since they had never actually had a thorough conversation before. Not like the one that they had.

She had told Val that she loved him, she had for years, and asked him if he felt the same. He replied that he didn't know. She nodded in agreement. She didn't scold him, she didn't even give him a lecture upon how she felt and how he should feel, she just nodded and smiled. Then she stood up, Val watched her as she spread out her arms.

"Do you think we'll ever fly?" she asked him.

"What?"

"Like the birds. Like the ones we've seen in here? They were blessed with the gift that most would dream about: flying. Do you think that one day we'll fly?"

His throat choked up. Flying? What was she talking about? Kaeldra always talked nonsense, but in a way, she was creating a point, she always made a point to everything she said, and they were also deep, Kaeldra was like a poet. She spoke in that tone that sung in a rhythm, and it drilled through Val's mind whenever he would talk or think about her. He used to listen to stories of Kaeldra's, the ones that gave him a firm image of what it would be like on a clean and safe planet through her eyes. It gave him thoughts, and it gave him hope.

Perhaps that was the reason why the first wave of Illaturos named the ship "Hope," so that they could dream of gliding back to their home planet. Kaeldra made him feel like she was a door to all open thoughts that she could muster. She had shown him everything that he needs to know, and for some reason, he felt like he didn't have enough time to fully understand Kaeldra's personal language.

"Do you know what doves stand for?" Kaeldra asked Val.

"No," he said, interesting in hearing what she had to say next.

"They stand for all that we feel for. Everything that makes us who we are. What unites all species into one breed," she turned around, and the look on her face, the gleam in her green eyes, it would burn though Val's memories forever. "They stand for love, Val."

It was hard for him to think now, for his whole brain had fuzzed up.

She didn't want to add more pressure for Val, he could see this when she turned around and smiled. "Hey, want to go on a walk? It'll help clear out your mind. A walk in the Salvus room reminds me of what it would be like on Terrenus, the way it was before the Eradico had taken over. When...the Illaturos were still in charge."

Val nodded. "It's okay, Kaeldra. You don't have to worry about anything."

"Yeah," she said with a sweet smile. I guess not."

Just then the ground below them shook. Kaeldra fell forward, but met Val's strong arms, and then the two of them both hit the floor. Kaeldra looked up, wondering what was going on. The lights overhead blinked.

The intercom beeped. "Val, Kaeldra," said Daytona's voice. "We need you to get your asses up here. We are being under attack."

"Attack...?" Kaeldra said, puzzled. "But...who would be attacking us?"

Helping her to her feet, Val brushed himself off. He only needed to say one word. "Eradico."

***

"Dammit, they blew out the wing!" Chishioki said, furious. She looked out the window, and turned to Daytona. "We need to send someone out there to repair the damages, otherwise we're sunk."

"Can't," Pen acknowledged. "The side that they blew was the quarters, along with our adapters. We can't get out there without being crushed. The only way we can get out there is by using one of the space suits, but their ancient, we can't use them without them being torn to bits."

Ronei saw from the corner of his eye, Daytona eyeing him. He knew what he had to do. Ronei sighed, and then raised his hand. "I'll go out. As long as I get a good pay roll after this, I'll be just fine."

"Pay roll?" Hunter barked. "Don't make me laugh, none of us get paid."

"Screw that," Ronei said. "We're the only ones that can get out there without being affected, so bug off."

Hunter became silent, he slumped down in the Lieutenant chair, where Dayton sat in the Captain's seat, his hand rested upon his chin, rubbing the barely visible hairs on his face. His dark brown eyes showing intense thought. It was then when Ronei had actually seen Daytona making a decision as a leader. The main reason why they had him there was because everyone felt comfortable with a leader, they needed a captain, and with Daytona's coming from a long line of Generals, they felt the best with him. Ronei recalled when Daytona first joined at twenty-five, he didn't like him at first, until Daytona stood up for Ronei when he had been picked on by the rest of the crew members. Because of that, it took an even longer time to gain Hunter's trust just for that, by saving his life when he had been blown out into space ten years ago, he had been treated the best way ever since then.

"Ronei, I trust you know what to do?"

"Yeah," Ronei told Daytona. "Pen, hook me up on vid, I am going to be needing some advice on what to do?"

Chishioki taped upon the computer, then turned to Ronei. "We have fifteen minutes to get it done. I am not sure how fast the job will be completed, we lost vid five minutes ago, right when we were attacked. There might be a second wave coming in as well."

"Thanks for the update," Hunter muttered.

Pen tossed Ronei a chip, who caught it swiftly with his left hand, holding it tightly in his palm. "Jus' place that behind your ear, and you'll be able to hear Chishioki's instructions."

"Alright," Ronei said, and began to walk out of the Captain's Deck.

"Hey, aren't you going to wait for Val and Kaeldra?" Hunter asked.

"We don't have much time," Pen told him. "You heard Chishioki, she said that we have fifteen minutes, and the damage is unknown. We can't wait for them to arrive now, we'll find something else for them to do."

Now the pressure was on Ronei. He didn't like the thought that everyone was placing their lives in his hands, a Dimindium, supposedly a hopeless machine, untrustworthy, so what he had been called before. He had been called many things for his difference between himself and the Illaturos, the only ones who treated him like their own was this crew. They accepted him for who he was. The insults were always directed at Ronei. He was the first, the one who started the line between him, Val and Kaeldra, after all.

Gripping the chip in his hand more tightly, Ronei turned, leaving the Deck, he made a turn, and was at the releasing room where if he made any form of a wrong move, he would slip and fall endlessly into space. He placed the chip in his ear, which instantly gained a form of spiked legs and jabbed them into the hold of his ear. All he did was wince in pain, but didn't have much time to complain. He quickly got dressed in the space suit, and bluntly waited for Hunter to release the locks.

A wave of air came rushing through, pulling Ronei slowly out into space. He gripped the sides with gloved hands, making his way out while clinging to the ship. Scared? Of course he was, that was why it would have been best or have Val on this job. Val didn't feel fear, he barely felt anything at all thanks to the bungled scientists who created him.

No time for complaining. Ronei climbed up to the top of the ship, then called into the chip, "Okay, I'm there. Give me the next move, Chish."

"Alright, open the blue hatch, there should be a bunch of cords in there. Try and find the green one, that is the wire that controls our power. Make sure if it is connected or not, because if that cord has been undone, we're going to lose our power and lose contact with you soon."

Ronei sighed. This all didn't sound like a good idea, seriously.

Suddenly, another wave of fire started to head their way. He could see it come from the planet below, and little figures leaving Terrenus as well. Working quickly, Ronei opened the blue hatch that was in front of him, gripping onto the edge of the ship so that he didn't slip away. Green cord...green cord. A spark flew in the air, coming from a whole bunch of other cords, but he didn't see a green one. But then he did see it, and it had barely been able to keep itself running. The cords weren't just severed, they were igniting!

"Oh shit," Ronei cursed, when suddenly the air around him was filled with flames, just enough to see a pod leave the ship and head downward to Terrenus.

***

The lights beamed red over their heads, but all that Val could do was hold Kaeldra close to him and keep her safe. At least she was going to be safe for now. He closed his eyes, trying not to think about what just might happen to either one of them.

"Please...Val...please don't go...."

"I can't just leave Ronai behind," Val said, pulling himself apart from Kaeldra. It pained him to watch the sadness in her eyes. However, neither one of them cried. "I'll be back, I promise, and then we can leave for the pods. Together."

Kaeldra nodded. "Alright. I'll be waiting here. Besides," she looked up at the clear blue sky overhead, she smiled with her eyes. A sweet smile, the one that always reminded Val how much he loved her, and why he did. That sky wasn't real, it was an artificial sky created by the people on the Hope ship. The same ship that is going to be crashing soon.... "if something goes wrong," Kaeldra went on, "this will be the place that I wish to die."

"We're not going to die," Val assured her. "We're going to make it out of here. I'm going to pick up Ronei and we'll all leave."

"What about the others?" Kaeldra asked him.

"The others? They're dead. They got caught in that blast," Val told her. He hugged her one last time, pressing a hand over her back and her head, stroking her light brown hair, and then kissed the top of her head, pulling himself away from her to get one last look at her. "I'll come back, I promise. I love you," he told her, then turned his back away from her and walked out of the room, the door that opened when the willow tree was activated by touching the trunk.

***

If ever did his head ache, it had to have been at that one moment when Ronei woke from that second wave. He found himself inside the ship, only when he looked up, he saw nothing but the ship being sucked into space.

Ronei gasped, gripping the edge, pulling himself back. The front of the ship had been destroyed, the controls were gone. Several people flew passed him and were sucked into the dark atmosphere....

"Oh my god," he muttered, dragging himself down the hall. The pod room...he had to get there before this entire ship collapses.

"Ronei! Where are you?!" came a voice from down the hall.

He smiled, pulling off the head peice of the space suite, and headed downward into the pod room, while right in front of it, Val had been continently standing there. "There you are. Let's get the hell out of here, what do you say?"

Val shook his head. "We can't, Kaeldra-"

"We don't have time for this, Val! We have to get out of here, the ship is starting to crumble!"

Indeed, it was. Ronei could just feel the hallway behind him slowly being torn into bits and peices, and Val had shown no sign of fear of it. "I can't leave her, Ronei! I have to go back and-"

Falling to the ground, Val had gone unconscious from the impact Ronei had given him. He picked Val up and dragged him into the pod room, swiftly taking him into his own pod. They were small, enough to fit for one person. Ronei closed it tightly, watching the sleeping Val disappear from behind the door, and the pod take off and off into space. The chances of them hitting Terrenus was a chance of slim to nil, but he had to try it.

Quickly, Ronei dashed to another empty pod, and jumped into it as well, turning it on and flung out of the ship, just in time to see someone peering out through the window, staring at them with her hands pressed against the glass.

Ronei gasped when he saw that Kaeldra was staring right at him, her lower lip quivering as she soon vanished within the incoming flames of the ship, and the entire ship of Hope had been destroyed. Guilt rushed through him. Kaeldra died, and Val will hate him for leaving her behind. But they didn't have much time! They couldn't go back and save her! And now Kaeldra was...dead.

"I'm sorry," Ronei whispered, pressing his hand against the glass, just as the ship gave him a harsh jerk and he, too, feel unconscious, slipping into a cold sleep that will only awaken him when he lands.

***

"What...what happened...?" Val whispered to himself, opening his eyes to reveal that he was inside the Salvus Room...or something that looked very much like it. He knew that the Salvus Room had been destroyed, just like Kaeldra. Or was it all a dream...? Please let it be a dream!

She sang...Kaeldra sang to him at that moment, he heard it. The words that matched the tune that she had sang for so long. The words to the song that now created chills on Val's spine.

"In my dreams I know that I

Can always be with you

Hold me close and sing me the

Song that always made me calm.

Under the sky so blue

The dark that drapes it

Reminds me of you.

Sing me a song that always tells me the

True meaning of you.

The true meaning of all that I have always knew."

"Kaeldra...." Val muttered, as a tear left his eye, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry that I failed...."

Laughter filled the air, and ahead Val saw Kaeldra standing before him, smiling like she always had. The artificial wind picked up her long hair, and when she smiled, he knew that she wasn't angry with him. She couldn't be, and she couldn't hate him, either. "Don't worry about it, Valdron," she said, her eyes forming into the brightest expression that Val had ever seen from her, "I know what you had to do, and I know that you love me."

"But...what about you?"

"Hmmm," her smile widened, and then she vanished, leaving nothing but her laughter and voice behind, and Val swept with wonder and fear.

"Did you...feel the same...?" he lowered his head, his spiked hair covering his eyes. "Guess I'll never know now, huh?"

"Val, I am sorry, but I have to go."

"Where are you going?"

"Wherever souls that have nowhere to go live."

"A soul...Kaeldra! Tell me you didn't...."

"Again, Val, I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault, really. Don't hate yourself for it, and please don't be angry with me. Just see it as a new journey for you has begun, and I am no longer a part of your life. My part is done, anyway. I am going home. It's so beautiful...so...."

This wasn't happening! Kaeldra couldn't possibly be dead. It didn't seem real, none of this did, and all he had left was the fear sweeping through him, taking away all the strength that she had given him, now turn into nothing but sad memories of his past, of when he was with her. That is all he'll ever have left of her anymore. "Kaeldra, don't talk like that! Don't leave me! I was going to go back for you, I promised! I promised!"

"Like I said, don't worry about it," she said, and then her voice faded, leaving Val alone.