44. Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Forty-Four

Iris

This is the end.

To be fair, Earth's natural course ended years ago when Remus set foot on our planet. But this is the celebratory end. Something about destroying the resistance has solidified Remus and his people's claim on our planet. The loud blast of foreign instruments and music rings in the distance as we make our way through the massive hall. I've been with Remus long enough to know what this celebration means for him. I take a peek at him as he walks ahead of me. His head is raised, proud. He looks like true royalty.

From this distance, I can hear the loud roar of the crowd beyond the extensive double doors that sit at the end of the long hall. My gaze shifts to the wide windows that allow me a look at our surroundings. We're in a tall building towering over the area. My mind skips to the day I escaped with Cypress. I felt so much hope in my chest at the time. I truly felt that we were going to be free. The pure adrenaline that rushed through my veins as we escaped from the highest peak of the building and rode fearlessly through the streets is a feeling I will miss.

I will miss the desire to fight for my planet and my people. But as I pass by the humans standing silently against the columns with blank expressions, I try and push down the guilt. I am only one person. I can't help them. I can't fight for them. No one can. Remus made sure I knew that.

I notice a woman coming near us, and my footsteps automatically falter as my brain registers just who it is coming toward us with all the poise of her brother before her.

Xion is dressed in all white. Instead of a dress, however, she's wearing long, flowing pants with a separate train attached to her waist as she walks with the poise and grace granted to her and her siblings. The attached top she wears is low-cut, and I notice the same symbol Remus has peeking from under her clothing slightly. Her hair matches the color and length of Remus's, flowing past her waist even though she wears an intricate braid that must be native to her planet.

She has a smile on her lips as she approaches Remus, her purple gaze shifting to me once she's close enough. Her smile immediately disappears, her gaze narrowing. The same fear I once felt in Remus's presence washes over me, and I suddenly find it difficult to stand. My mind replays images of her tearing through the resistance with the same perfectly manicured hands she now wraps around her brother in greeting. I take a small step away, immediately dropping my gaze to avoid hers.

She begins speaking to Remus in her native tongue. Her tone is quipped as she speaks, but Remus is gentle and patient as he responds. He even laughs softly. I tense when I feel him shifting toward me, placing a finger under my chin to lift my gaze.

"You do not need to do that any longer," he says gently.

"Yes, my brother has given you quite an honor, Iris." Xion's gaze is colder than her brother's as she speaks.

"Despite your attempt at killing our own instead of focusing on the real threats," she snaps. She lets out a bitter laugh, her purple gaze lighting up as she speaks.

"But I guess you did try and focus on at least one of us, huh?"

I keep my gaze focused on hers. It seems to be the only thing I can do.

"I do not regret fighting for my planet. I only regret that my fight had no effect," I say.

Xion smiles, but it's not at all kind as she takes a threatening step toward me.

Remus decides to step in, standing in front of me.

" T'a Juis. " 1 I don't know what Remus said to her, but she somehow collects her anger, looking back to her brother as she speaks in their native tongue. Her sentence is short, and she makes sure to glance in my direction once more before walking away. As she leaves my surrounding space, my body trembles, and my breath feels like it's been knocked out of me.

Remus chuckles lightly as he gently grabs my arm to steady me.

"I'm glad to see the fire hasn't completely gone out in you," he says in amusement. Silence stands between us as I regain my composure, giving Remus time to watch me.

"Breathe. She won't harm you. Nothing will harm you ever again." He gently touches my cheek, and I feel a small tingle of warmth emit from his palm.

I finally look him in the eyes, the color creating comfort as he watches me.

"Are you ready?" he asks. I slowly nod my head, and he smiles before standing to his full height.

"Very good. "

The crowd's roar increases in volume as we approach the large doors at the end of the hall. Remus continues his walk as the Leviathan on either side opens the doors, revealing what lies beyond. I'm momentarily blinded by the light, blinking rapidly so that my eyes will grow accustomed to the brightness of the day.

The sound of the crowd heightens immediately as we step out onto the balcony that overlooks the Leviathan city. The crowd stretches for miles as far as the eye can see. There are also Leviathan in floating crafts above the crowd, taking in the splendor of their leader—or rather, leaders. When I look to my left and right I see that Xion and Ezra both stand on their own separate podiums. Ezra looks much better than when I saw him last, every bruise gone. His hair is still short, unlike his siblings. His smile is wide as he waves. Xion's smiling as well. But Remus has a knowing expression on his face as he stands proud, looking out over his people.

The same holographic screens Jude and I saw at their celebration for Remus and his siblings float above them as well, just as Remus holds his hand up to silence the cheers. And to my complete and utter awe, the crowd slowly grows quiet until all you can hear is Remus's voice.

He's giving his speech in his own language, so I have no idea what he's saying. But as I watch him and the overall poise he gives, my emotions slowly grip my throat. How I could have mistaken him for anything but a threat is beyond me. He's completely collected as he speaks, not at all revealing whether or not he has been affected by the events of our planet. If I were his people, I would believe anything out of his mouth as well.

He pauses in his speech, gesturing toward the podium that his sister stands on. The crowd once again explodes in an uproar of cheers, and as they do, Remus's smile grows. Remus then gestures toward his brother, saying something else that echoes over the crowd. The speech he gives is uplifting for his people and in this moment, I can see the leader not only he is, but the leader they see him as.

The loud roar of the crowd pulls me from my thoughts, and I realize Remus is finished with his speech. He has a small smile on his lips as he waves goodbye to the people, turning away from the ledge. He silently walks past me, glancing at me briefly as he passes.

"Let's go."

Remus is speaking to Leviathan nearby as we ready for our departure. Strangely, Remus doesn't seem in the mood to join the celebration. But as a beloved leader, he must stop and speak with Leviathan.

"Did you enjoy Remus's speech?" I tense when Ezra gently pushes my hair behind my shoulder as he rounds me, a mischievous smile on his lips. His peculiar-colored eyes watch me with the intent of making me uncomfortable as he awaits my response.

"I couldn't understand it," I murmur. He laughs at my reply.

"It's probably better that you couldn't. I can't imagine you would be pleased to hear Remus announcing what happened to your planet's ‘last hope,'" he teases. After facing Xion, I am wary of Remus's siblings, especially the one who was trapped in the rebel's grasp but seems perfectly fine now. The only indication of his time in the resistance is the new length of his hair, which strangely matures him.

"And Iriel? What happened to him?" I ask. The last I saw of him, Remus had viciously crushed his skull right in front of me. I can't fathom he's still alive, but after paying attention to Remus's leadership style, I can't imagine he would execute him even on the battlefield.

"Iriel is heading back to Xyrannis to await trial. Normally, the council that was assigned your planet would handle his crimes, but his crimes are much more serious than what he's done on Earth," he says.

Ezra picks up my confusion immediately, explaining what that means.

"He not only conspired against this planet's colony, but he conspired to kill The Divine Three. That is punishable by death." Ezra winks at me as he speaks his next sentence. "Unless, of course, one of them has grown fond of the conspirator, in which case she is offered an entirely new life," he chuckles.

" Pors'chua relousevais. Ji'ton featralihn?" 2 Remus's voice washes over both of us as he gently pulls me away from Ezra. Ezra watches the exchange with slight irritation before straightening his spine and smiling at his brother. He quips something back in their own language before looking back at me.

"Enjoy your new life, Iris," he chuckles before walking away. I look at Remus in confusion. Whatever he said was enough to make Ezra walk away without so much as a response. Remus seems to sense the direction of my thoughts, answering my question before I can voice it.

"I only asked him to stop terrorizing you. And about the human he took from the resistance," he says. My eyes widen at his words.

"Sky?" I ask. Remus now looks at me with a strange expression, and I try my best to answer him as he answers me before I can voice it.

"I met her in there. She was... the lead researcher in charge of him," I say, purposely, leaving out that she's the reason the weapons exist and how humanity somehow was able to decipher his DNA.

"She told me she would kill herself before she let him…" I trail off as Remus laughs. He looks at me with an amused expression.

"The same way you tried?" he asks, looking back at Ezra's retreating form. I immediately know he's referring to the day we met when I tried to take us both out with that grenade. It makes me wonder what kind of power Ezra wields to have been able to stop such an intimate drug from killing Sky.

"I'm sure she did her best," Remus murmurs, pulling me out of my thoughts. He silently makes his way to the waiting ship, knowing I will follow. It makes my heart ache for Sky. I recall just how resentful she was when I last saw her. She has a long battle ahead of her, and I can't help but wonder if she will break as I did. It took me seeing humanity's true nature and seeing Remus's full power to understand my choice. But Sky already understood human nature. I fear what Ezra may have in store for her now that she's caught his attention.

It feels wrong the way things are playing out. Shouldn't I be fighting? Shouldn't I be yelling, running, or trying to at least kill myself? Somehow, as I look around the alien port, I feel a small sense of awe. I don't want to embrace it. I feel such a pang of weighing guilt within me for being able to take it in. It's very organized, with levitating platforms taking crates and Leviathan to and from. The large circular building has massive windows at the top allowing me to see the blue sky from the glass platform that we are traveling in.

"Feeling overwhelmed?" Remus is watching me with his knowing expression. I hate how well he knows me just by looking at me, and I know nothing about him.

"Would you let me stay if I asked?" I ask quietly. Remus chuckles softly.

"Of course not. This is no longer Earth. It hasn't been since we arrived."

I suck in a shaky breath.

"I know," I murmur.

"Don't look so glum. There is more to life than what was once your planet. You are one of the only humans who will see deep space. You are one of the only humans to not only witness your planet's history but what is happening beyond. Life is vaster than your seventy-year lifespan," he says.

I laugh bitterly.

"You only have me for seventy years. For me, it's a long time, but for you... it must be fleeting," I say, watching his reaction. A ghost of a smile appears on his lips as the platform comes to a halt.

"Yes, it is," he says, stepping past me.

I want to continue the conversation as we step out of the platform and onto the walkway that leads to Remus's ship. My eyes widen as I take in the massive craft, my memories immediately bombarding me. The memory of the massive ship so far away in the sky is one that will haunt me forever, but as I take it in from this distance, my legs tremble.

This is the ship that changed my life: that day, and today. I tense when I feel a hand on my cheek, looking into Remus's concerned gaze. My thoughts don't seem to be my own.

"...Don't," I whisper. I don't know what I'm even asking for. It feels like I cannot get a grip on reality. My new reality. This is it for me. My footprint will be forever wiped from this planet as were so many people's that day. And this god-like creature in front of me is responsible for it, without ever seeming to have broken a sweat.

"Iris?" Remus says my name gently, but just the sound of his voice makes me flinch. He releases a breath, looking over his shoulder to the ship, seeming to finally realize why I am so distraught.

"Look at me," he says gently. His eyes search mine as he finds the right words to calm me down.

"I am not the same as I was when I came to this planet. You will never have to worry about my wrath again. Never."

1. Translated: "Back off."

2. Translated: "Stop intimidating her. Do you not have a survivor to torment?"