Alex slipped off her visor, turned it around, and snapped a photo of herself smiling, the meteor behind her. She looked at the photo. The tears in her eyes were visible. She wiped them away and took another one.
No tears this time.
Alex checked this photo. Good enough. She pulled the visor on again and hit the digital keyboard. A holographic keyboard appeared in front of her, and she typed a message to her parents. She would have preferred a video message, but she wasn’t sure she could keep her voice calm.
I love you a lot. You’ll never know how much because I’ll never be able to tell you, not in the right words. But you have to know I do because you raised me to be the way I am. I can’t thank you enough for being the kind of parents you are.
Tears were slowly streaming down Alex’s face. She wiped them off and kept typing.
Something happened here. I don’t know what being a hero is. I don’t know what makes people do stupid things. So, if anyone ever asks, I wasn’t trying to be a hero. I was trying to do something smart. I’m really sorry. Love, Alex.
Alex sent the message and dropped her visor, wiping away her tears and feeling stupid for crying like a child. Roy and Toppinir hadn’t shed any tears. They had made their decision with straight faces, with determination.
Behind Alex, a twig snapped. Alex jumped to her feet. Gill stood behind her, his eyes glowing in the dark. “I see you’re taking your time getting to the rendezvous,” he said softly.
Alex wiped her face again, hoping Gill didn’t see the tears or the snot. “Just wanted to take a little breather, that’s all.”
“We know what you’re planning to do.”
Alex couldn’t meet Gill’s eyes. Her lip quivered, and she wished she could crawl into a ball. Disappearing would be a close second. Everything felt too real at the moment.
Gill sat down next to Alex. They sat there quietly, watching the meteor above, expanding and contracting as if it were tearing open reality. Whatever was behind the meteor was beautiful. Alex didn’t know what it was. She knew it was beautiful, though.
Gill rested his hand on Alex’s and squeezed her fingers encouragingly. “I’m assuming there isn’t anything we can say that’ll change your mind?”
Alex shook her head as she fought back tears. Talking was making it worse.
“Jim is going with you,” Gill told her.
Alex threw back her head, tears trickling down her face, staring up at the meteor—at her destiny. There was no point in fighting it anymore. She might as well accept what was happening. “He can’t. He’s not invited. I can’t let him throw his life away.”
“Surprisingly, that’s what almost anyone would say to you. And it wasn’t a question. Jim said he was going. None of us can stop him. Just like none of us can stop you.”
“Did you come here to tell me that?” Alex asked.
“I assumed you needed someone to talk to. Jim couldn’t come. He’s too busy. Jollies can’t believe this is happening. She’s trying to talk Brath into tying you up or something. So, here I am. Figured you could use a friend right now.”
Alex leaned her head on Gill’s shoulder. “Appreciate it,” she said softly, her voice cracking. “Gill, I’m scared. I’m really scared.”
She didn’t need to say it aloud. Her body was trembling, her skin like ice. The tears hadn’t stopped, though they had slowed. Above, the meteor still watched like a menacing eye.
Gill put his arm around Alex’s shoulder and kissed the top of her head. “Anyone would be. It’s okay to be afraid. It doesn’t make you weak. I couldn’t do what you’re doing. Never.”
“What do drows think happens after you die?”
He chuckled softly. “It isn’t a very encouraging belief we hold. You might want to talk to a pixie about that.”
“Just tell me.”
“Nothing. You just stop existing. That’s why it’s so important to enjoy life while you have it. To live as well as you can by your standards because you only have one life.”
Alex leaned forward and wiped her face again. Sniffed loudly and spat. “You know, that’s kinda encouraging. Gotta make the one count for something. Might as well get to it.”
She stood and brushed the grass off herself. She felt the meteor watching her. It was unblinking. No need to blink since it could see everything. It could see deep within her.
There was a screeching sound somewhere far away. Alex could hear it, but she wasn’t sure where it was coming from. It must have been close by, though.
When she woke up, blood was dripping from her nose. She was in the fetal position, her hands cupped around her ears, whispering words she didn’t understand. Her chest was tight, and her head hurt the way it had when she’d first started using her eyes.
Gill knelt next to her, peering down at her, his bright eyes catching the little bit of light still in the evening sky. This wouldn’t be a bad last image before death, she thought before becoming concerned about why she was on the ground. “What happened?” she asked.
The drow looked very concerned. “You tell me. You were standing, and suddenly you fell over. You spoke the Old Tongue. I couldn’t understand what you were saying.”
“The Old Tongue?”
“Old words of magic, magic that predates humans. I’m pretty sure those words weren’t coming from you.”
“Where from, then?”
Gill pointed up at the meteor. There was no denying it this time. The meteor was definitely larger than it had been when they had first arrived at the valley. “Whatever is in there,” he said. “Maybe it’s trying to talk to you.”
“Why me?”
“You are the one planning on killing it, aren’t you?”
Alex met up with the rest of Team Boundless, and they all headed to
