Epilogue

Iris

As I think of Earth's history and advancements, I feel pity toward our race as a whole. We were on the verge of inventing space travel that would take months and even years to reach other planets in our own solar system. Reaching intelligent life was nothing more than a pipe dream, something that even if future generations were aware of, it would be further generations from that who would come close to interacting.

The Leviathan, however, seems to have it all figured out.

Remus's ship slowly rises out of the atmosphere, and from the large glass opening, I can see the planet Earth itself. A small laugh leaves my lips as I take it in. When I was a child, there were pictures circulating the world of what our planet looked like from space. Parts of the land were brown, the ice almost gone. You could literally see our planet's drastic decline in life from the years of pollution and developments. But as I look at it now, I almost can't believe what my eyes are taking in.

It's a swirl of earthy colors, the green overwhelming. The sound of Remus giving out orders slowly disappears as I step closer to the glass, my hand touching the clear material. I fight back tears as I take in my planet. My planet. I was born here; I fought for it and lost, and now I am one of the few inhabitants to leave with my free will intact.

I feel his approach before his hand gently presses against the small of my back.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asks.

I want to beat my fists against the glass and scream, but for once, I find it in myself to do something Remus has suggested to me on several occasions. I silently nod my head, my gaze taking in more and more of the planet's surface the farther we pull out of the atmosphere.

Admitting my planet is beautiful does not put me on Remus's side.

Against my better judgment, I take a peek at Remus. He isn't looking at the planet, however. He's watching me with a strange expression. I almost ask him why he's watching me, but I don't. I don't think I can handle whatever thoughts are running through his mind.

"Will I ever see it again?" I ask.

"Would you want to? It would not be the home you remember. Your people will not be on it living their free lives. It will be my people. Could you come back knowing what was lost?" he asks .

I flinch as his words slam me back into reality. Right. I am only looking at my planet like this because Remus has imprisoned its inhabitants, taking me away from it. I bite my tongue as my bitterness slowly rises. I chose this. I chose life. I chose to leave the planet behind.

"No," I finally answer.

Remus takes in my words without giving me a snide remark, and for that, I am grateful.

A Leviathan comes up behind us, pulling Remus's attention. I watch him as he responds, and I watch the Leviathan he interacts with. He looks young, his dark hair pulled away from his face as he speaks to Remus. As Remus responds, the Leviathan bows slightly before returning to his station, giving him the orders that Remus must have relayed. It makes me wonder what his role was on the day of the invasion. Was he on this ship, taking orders from Remus as he crushed my planet's existence?

Remus seems to sense my disdain, leading me away from the window.

"Come, the ship will take off at a very high speed soon. And I would rather you be situated before that happens."

He doesn't wait for a response as he walks out of the control room, knowing that I will follow. I follow silently behind him through the ship. The halls are nothing like the sci-fi metal interior that we saw our entire lives on television. They are solid materials with undertones of lighting, keeping the walkway lit. Remus finally reaches his destination, placing his hand against a marked wall, and I watch in awe as a door slowly forms, opening for us to enter .

Remus steps aside, watching me as he lets me know to enter without saying a word. I hesitantly step past him, my eyes widening as I take in the room. It's a stark contrast to the rooms I've seen on Earth. The walls are clear, allowing me a perfect view of space. The room only holds a large bed in the center with a calming beam of light under it as it levitates from the ground.

I guess the Hollywood producers got something right.

"My quarters haven't been equipped for a human. But I will have an escort take you to and from when needed," he says, watching me. As I look around, it suddenly dawns on me what he is talking about, and I look at him in shock as thoughts I've never had before cross my mind.

"You don't need to... go to the bathroom ever? ... Or shower?" I ask in shock. Remus chuckles at my words, reaching for my palm.

"No. I am a pure energy being."

I want to ask what that means but with everything happening around me at the moment, I don't think my brain can comprehend what exactly his explanations would entail. I focus my eyes on his hands.

"But I've seen you bathe... and sleep," I say softly. Remus pulls my hand to his lips.

"Just because I don't need it doesn't mean I don't enjoy participating in some of it," he says. His eyes meet mine, and I feel the familiar pull of him feeding. I watch in awe as his eyes seem to brighten as he does so, a smile forming on his lips when he knows I'm paying attention.

"I've told you, there's so much more to life than the Earth. There's much more out there. And you will be one of the only humans ever to see it," he says, letting go of my hand. His smile widens as he pulls me toward the window. My eyes widen. I can see the Earth—the entire planet.

"How is this possible?" I whisper. My brain feels as if it's going into overdrive. Remus chuckles softly, and my eyes widen as I take in the earth. It's beginning to shift, the planet growing narrow and angling.

"What?" I ask in shock.

"We're building speed," Remus explains. The Earth once again shifts, stretching far away before Remus speaks again.

"Say goodbye," he murmurs as he places a gentle kiss on the top of my head. Tears brim my eyes as I watch the Earth. I don't dare blink for fear of missing it. My tears spill over, and I pull from Remus's arms, placing my hand against the glass as my reality comes crashing down. In an instant, the Earth is gone. As is anything else that could possibly be visible around me as Remus's ship hits a speed so high, only streaks of random colors stream by my vision.

It takes everything in me to cling to the thought that I made this decision. I chose life. I chose to put Earth behind me. I fought for my home and lost; now, I am nothing more than a war prize. A war prize that the enemy leader is obsessed with. Everyone I've lost along the way are now memories. My parents, my friends, Margot, Jude, and even my brother. A brother I never had from the beginning. All I have now is Remus and his mercy .

I release a trembling breath as the tears fall, leaving a cool streak in their wake.

"Goodbye."

...In a Galaxy Far Away

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Feel the energy: the good and the bad. One cannot exist without the other. Feel it ebb and flow. Hold it...convert it... and release it.

My muscles tense as something familiar assaults my senses. It's faint... extremely faint. If I were a younger Celestivine , I would not be able to pick it up. It isn't on this plane. It's on a different one. But I know it. It is half mine. It is an essence that only formed because of the union between Me'rite and me. And I can only sense it because it does not belong wherever it is.

I never thought I would sense it again. When Me'rite disappeared without a trace, taking our child with her, I thought it was lost forever. But here it is, muddled with something else. Something extremely weak. It must be in another body—a body she hasn't had the chance to manipulate.

I open my eyes, rising as confusion washes over me.

"Is it truly you... Remus?"

The End

...of Book One