The ground shook violently once more. Melonius knew what that meant, “More rootworms.”. His mind conflicted. “Should I save Efeehem, or Avaanel?” he asked himself, his head shaking in disapproval. “No. Just focus,” Melonius closed his eyes, ignoring all sounds, but his brother’s and sister’s breath. Then, his eyes started to emit a powerful light, sparks erupted from the corners as he opened his eyes and started to sway the winds. “Up, below, to the sides, just how he first taught me,” thinking of everything Kilon showed them all when he returned.

Just when he started to make himself and Efeehem float with his winds, a rootworm ruptured from below the hill on which they stood. Melonius’s eyes ceased in their glow at the prospect of death. “I wish I could’ve played some more. Talk with you, in your own way, brother,” Melonius spoke in his mind, his light and that of Efeehem connecting, as he hugged him in his arms. “Should we meet in another form, I will know who you are. Afterall, there is only one who speaks like you,” these words reaching Efeehem’s perturbed mind.

Efeehem, as the moments froze in minutes, and the minutes in ages, told his brother through his light “And there is only one who calls me like you do, brother.”. His words, clear as day to Melonius, who could only cry as the mouth of the worm slowly closed. “Until then, I will talk with our siblings,” Efeehem’s words, once more, hard to understand, but not like before.

“What do you me-” as Melonius tried to voice his question, he felt the radiant warmth of his brother enveloping him. It didn’t harm him, it protected him. “Efeehem no! If you do it, then your body will be destroyed, and we don’t know if your soul can-”.

“It is fine, Melonius. I know where my soul will reach,” Efeehem calmly said, the lights within him starting to swirl and act hectic. His body produced a powerful red glow, the flesh of the worm surrounding them, burning as they remained suspended in midair.

The rootworm got incinerated at a portion below it’s head, detaching itself from the body as if a hole got punctured through that part. Its body squirmed in the hole, as Efeehem and Melonius softly landed back down, this time, Efeehem carrying his brother.

“Efeehem…are you sure?” Melonius asked his brother. A part of him trying to look for another way, while knowing all too well that this might be the only option.

“I sure am. Avaanel someone care take of must,” his speech incomprehensible, but his will unbroken.

Melonius didn’t have the words for it. He could only walk away and watch as his brother shone hotter and hotter. Efeehem’s skin started to peel away, sparks erupting from everywhere in a futile attempt to regenerate his body. The ground started to tremble once more, as all the worms following them had made their way to the surface, launching themselves at Efeehem, getting their very being burnt in mere seconds.

Avaanel witnessed the sacrifice Efeehem was displaying. She then changed her focus on Melonius, who stood on his knees and watched their brother burn up. “Melonius!” she cried to him “We have to go! Otherwise this is all in vain!” her words resonating with Melonius.

Melonius lifted himself up, looked at his brother, burning up for them, and raised a prayer as his body lifted a bit off the ground “Guide his soul, o’ Creator. Let him find a better place, where he can be happy, for he is dear to me,” then his feet touched the ground, as he rushed towards Avaanel. “We should go then sister,” as Melonius said that, he extended his hand, which Avaanel grabbed, and with the other around his neck, they ran off.

As they made some distance between them and the hill, the whole region lit up all of a sudden. A powerful sound, then a shockwave followed, as fire erupted towards the sky. Melonius and Avaanel fell to the ground on their faces, the shockwave making their bones rattle, as their eyes got blinded by a powerful light.

Avaanel was in awe and fear of the giant explosion, while Melonius cried, as he knew all too well what this meant. “Efeehem, our brother…has died for us…,” Melonius whispered. Avaanel couldn’t hear his voice, even if she was paying attention and he was screaming, as the powerful sound made their ears deaf for a few moments.

After the dust settled and the fire ceased, Melonius got up, then helped Avaanel to her feet. “We should go, Melonius. There were more rootworms than we thought, there might be some-” Avaanel didn’t continue to talk. She saw Melonius cry, so she simply hugged him by his neck.

The warm winds of the explosion washed over them. Melonius, tearing up, could only think that “This world. It continues to take, without giving. How much do we have to lose, before we are spared the mercy of living?” Then, Avaanel interrupted his thoughts as she let go of the hug, only letting her right arm surround his neck, as she couldn’t support herself with her left foot.

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“Let us go brother. The others may think we are dead if we don’t,” she reminded Melonius.

“Are you not sad, perhaps mad, sister? That our sibling was taken with such cruelty from us?” Melonius wanted to know from her. His eyes looked at the burnt land in front of them.

“I am Melonius, yet, what can I do? Should I find all the rootworms in the Warm Lands and slaughter them? Maybe killing every last living being will suffice. But I don’t think so. It’s how the Creator intended us to be,” Avaanel explained to Melonius. Her words carried meaning and truth. A painful look on her face, as she looked at her brother’s misery.

“The Creator…you say. He intended for us to suffer? Struggle against his whole creation?!” Melonius got angry, although he knew the wiser. His mind getting clouded by his resentment, for leaving the Link, for following Kilon.

“You should be careful when you’re mad, brother. The Creator has made us, and can as easily unmake us,” Avaanel warned Melonius, his face showing getting embarrassed at his words. “Is it the Creator who told you to step beyond the light? Into the freezing unknown and beyond?” her questions reminding him that it is them who chose. There wasn’t a force that compelled them, but their own curiosity which pushed forward, to know more, to find more.

“I know Avaanel. Those were spiteful words, from a foolish one such as me,” Melonius responded, his anger going away.

Melonius and Avaanel then made their way back to the others. Eharel and Menoel were taking care of Kilon, who was in a deep slumber, his body far larger than anyone else’s. They looked around, their brothers and sisters were all safe. Some were praying, as others were looking towards where the explosion came from. Most gathered around the two injured siblings. One was missing a foot, both were missing a brother. They were both hugged and prayed with.

Melonius let himself cry once more, his brothers and sisters, proving comforting when his grief was so deep. Avaanel didn’t cry, but still prayed with her siblings. It wasn’t that she didn’t care, it’s just that she couldn’t “feel” in the same way about Efeehem as Melonius did, not after how many siblings they have lost. For her, it was another one lost, from the many that may come. In a way, she closed her heart to the suffering, so that it wouldn’t break her.

Menoel didn’t let Kilon unsupervised, even after the explosion and the return of their siblings. Eharel, on the other hand, ran towards them, wanting to know what happened. After he found out of Efeehem’s sacrifice and how they fought against the rootworms, he returned to Menoel.

“You see now, Menoel? This is why we need Kilon. If he isn’t there for us, then we are bound to fail!” Eharel told Menoel, his body glowing with the rage and ineptitude he felt.

“It wouldn’t have mattered. Efeehem, Melonius, Avaanel, you or me. If one of us dies, the others can go on. Kilon though,” Menoel paused as he looked up from Kilon to Eharel ``Could you or I take his place instead, brother?” His question, although reasonable, didn’t stand well with Eharel, who grabbed Menoel by his leather clothing , lifting his taller body up from the ground.

“Kilon’s duty is to protect and guide us, can’t you see that?! If not him, one of us will step up, yes. For that is what we must do as siblings!” Eharel’s words made Menoel question his own reasoning as he looked to the side, avoiding his brother’s gaze.

“You two…stop fighting. Siblings shouldn’t fight, no matter what,” Kilon mustered as he opened his eyes. Both forgot their reason for arguing. Eharel let go of Menoel, both approaching Kilon and falling to their knees, ready to listen. “Did-did anyone die?” Kilon wanted to know above all else.

Menoel thought of how to lie to Kilon, so that he could rest some more, but Eharel didn’t avoid it one bit, as he told Kilon that “Efeehem died,” the words making Menoel mad and ready to fight him, his eyes erupting sparks from the corners. However, Kilon grasped his arm, making Menoel calm down. “His death wasn’t in vain though. He sacrificed to save Avaanel and Melonius, us too.”.

“I see…where is his body?” Kilon wanted to say his prayers, if there was a body left. Eharel then told him everything, allowing Kilon to understand everything that happened. Kilon raised to his feet, Menoel tried to support him, but with a gesture, he understood that Kilon was fine by himself. Looking at his body, Kilon saw that he recuperated some. This made him understand that Efeehem, in a way, took away his burden with his sacrifice, even if that left him weaker.

Avaanel and Melonius made their way to Kilon. They shared in further detail what happened. Kilon, who gave Efeehem his lights, knew that, perhaps, it was him who furthered Efeehem’s demise. He didn’t want to rationalise it the other way, that him giving his lights to Efeehem, may have in fact saved everyone. He wanted to place the blame, once more, on his shoulders.

“You gave him power, didn’t you Kilon?” Melonius asked of him, as if he knew all along.

“Will you hate me for it, Melonius?” Kilon responded with a question of his own, ready to be yelled at, punched or even beaten to death. He just couldn’t see past his own mistakes.

Melonius, instead, hugged him. “He shone so brilliantly, so warm,” Melonius whispered in Kilon’s ear “All so that I, we, can move forward. In order for us to be happy.”. Melonius’s words made Kilon feel the weight he carried feel lesser and lesser, “So no brother, I don’t hate you. For like you, I have made my choice. Whether it is good or bad, I am not the one to give you judgement, no one is,” the wisdom and care in his words, making the mighty being which led this race beyond the light, cry once more. “We must continue…in their memory, we must live.”.

Kilon let tears in the form of sparks run down his cheeks. He breathed out, letting his emotions go for a moment as he hugged Melonius, and said “That we must do. For our struggle will be in vain otherwise…”.