Page 13 of Ever Dark Academy, Vol. 7

But maybe he should, Ryder said darkly.

No, Ryder–

It’s all right. I am not going to withdraw from the world out of shame. I must help shape the future. Make it better. It is the only way to make amends, Ryder said firmly.

“Elgar, all I can tell you,” here Ryder paused, “is that there is hope in the future that is not here now.”

Elgar’s eyes had been dancing between them again. He studied how Grayson cuddled against Ryder’s cheek and shoulder.

“You are different now,” Elgar’s voice sounded hoarse as if he’d been screaming. “Why could you not be this way before?”

“Because,” Ryder let out a sigh, “because I had to become a different man. A better man. There is nothing I can say or do to undo what I have done. But, for as little as it may be worth, know that I wish I could.”

“But you have time traveled!” Elgar pointed out. “You could–”

Ryder was already shaking his head. “I am changed, because of what I did. Because I died. Because I was reborn. Because of all of it. Undoing that would mean undoing the current me so…”

“So it cannot be changed?” Elgar asked dully. “And whatever’s coming can’t be changed either?”

Ryder slowly shook his head.

“At least, you are being honest,” Elgar said, “and that is surprisingly rare.”

“I wish I could tell you something else,” Ryder admitted.

“But you do not know everything that’s to come.” Elgar stood up taller. “You’ve admitted it yourself.”

“No, but–”

Elgar continued on, “So there may still be something I can do to ease my Master’s pain. And nothing will stop me from doing that.”

Last Immortal Standing

Fiona was getting frustrated. The sigh and glare she sent Eyros–who was standing like some kind of impressive statue to the side of the Nightvallen gate, arms crossed, eyes fixed on some point on the horizon, wind blowing his robes artfully–ten minutes ago told Charlie that she was likely beyond frustrated now.

“It’s not working,” Fiona said as she straightened up before the gate.

“What you’ve tried hasn’t worked, but that doesn’t mean something won’t,” Eyros contradicted.

Her arms flew up into the air. “Any ideas, Eyros? Have you ever seen me do this?”

His eyes shifted to her. “You kept that power tightly under wraps.”

Fiona muttered, “Of course, I did. It would be too easy otherwise.”

“You never looked into her mind, Eyros? To find out how she did it?” Charlie asked.

He was sitting on a stump just outside of the stone base the gate was built upon. Out of the way, but able to see everything. He wanted to witness this. It was history being written. He had never been so sure of that as he was now.

Seeyr foresaw this. She foresaw this moment. What happens next will be crucial to our future.

Fiona shook herself and went back to the gate. It was a stone slab over twenty feet tall and nearly as wide. It sat on top of an equally big stone base. Both were of the pale stone that seemed to be ubiquitous in the Ever Dark. She took out the dagger that Eyros had provided her with and sliced left palm again. Even as she was dipping her finger into the pool of her own blood, the wound was closing.

She painted the symbol in crimson on the stone. Immediately, the stone was replaced with what looked like a field of stars. If she stepped forward, she would have been sucked through the gate and into Nightvallen. But the king’s city would not have been quite so lively as it was in the future. Now it wasn’t really a city. It was a tomb. Slowly, Fiona walked around the entirety of the gate. Not all of the stone had disappeared. The gateway of stars extended within six inches of its edge.

“Do you see any markings?” she asked them.

“No. It is as smooth as perfect as it was the last dozen times you asked us that,” Eyros said with a dismissive wave.