{Earth}

Sagan’s dead.

No. That wasn’t right.

Kyle died. No.

Tameka?

Oh, god. Where was Rayne? They took her. They hurt her.

Why? Why?

How could Andrew save them all? So many times. So many ways.

He never met Rayne. They were married. Kyle was the best man.

No. No.

Andrew punched the ground. He punched it until he hit rock. And then he punched it some more.

The images never stopped. The memories. The lives lived. The lives lost.

The Icari deserved to die. For what they did. For everyone they took.

No. The Icari died. All of them. Eradicated in the tectonic decimation.

No. No. No.

He punctuated each “no” with his fist. Blood wept from his knuckles. From his eyes. Elden, his eyes.

Were they even open?

The burning Vittle produced no smell and still broke his heart.

Why? Starve the Icari. End the enslavement of humanity.

No. No. “NO!” He howled. In his heart, this was all wrong. But—but how—

“Andrew.”

Lucas. Thank, Elden. No. Kill him. He cost them the war. No, he didn’t. He sacrificed himself to save them all. He betrayed Xelan. Xelan was an evil spy for the Icari—

No. No. No.

Andrew’s scalp split open where he banged it against the rock. Blood oozed down his face.

“Help. Me.”

His voice. Atramentous wasn’t right. It wasn’t multiple pitches. It was multiple voices.

“Please. Help. Me.”

Fear compounded until his heart stuttered. The pain of it pulsed in his neck, wrist, and inner elbows. He wailed in the loss of it. Of his sanity.

“The fire started an hour ago. By the time, we arrived, it was too late to save it. Conscience… I can’t touch him.” Boklo. Icarus. Celindria’s spy. Imminent trash.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

No. No.

Friend. He helped grow the crop.

Their intentions. He swept over Boklo’s mind.

How can we salvage this? If we start first thing tonight, maybe we can recover the loss. But we need Conscience and he’s—

The intentions of the Icarus’ heart made Andrew groan. Love. He loved them.

How could Andrew reconcile this?

“Help. Me.”

Lucas took a single step toward him.

Traitor. Liar. Monster.

Andrew looked to the smoky night sky and roared. Both Icari went to their knees as he suggested they stay down. All the field hands that came to stop the fire fell to their knees.

Conscience stood. All of him stood.

Which one was he?

“Andrew,” Lucas called from his knees. “You touched Cascading Light?”

Did he? Yes. Yes, Andrew tried to stop the fire. Not all of him came to stop the fire. Some came to start it. To starve the Icari. To hurt the invaders. But many of him tried to stop it.

“What…” Millions of his voices layered in his head. He clutched his ears and swayed. Lost his fucking mind.

“No!” A voice cried from the zeppelin. The source appeared behind Lucas. “Elden, no!”

Sagan.

Always the same. Perfect. Kind. Never a traitor. But sometimes dead. Korac killed her. Nox killed her. She died stopping the Tantamount. She disappeared. She married Rayne, too.

The blond girl looked around at all the people on their knees and then gazed back at the fire. The black flames reflected in her eyes, glassy with tears. “Oh, Andrew. I’m so sorry.”

He closed his eyes to her love and fell to his knees.

Lucas and Boklo jumped up immediately.

“Don’t touch it,” Lucas called to Sagan as he ran to Andrew’s side. “Andrew. Andrew, look at me? Please.”

So desperate. So kind. Andrew obeyed, and Lucas recoiled. Tears sprung to the Icarus’ eyes. Must be pretty bad then.

“Don’t worry. We’ll help you.” Lucas kissed his hair.

The smell of him broke through the barrier. Expensive cologne and a hint of ginger. Andrew reached out and clung to him.

With everything and every him swirling in his head, Conscience’s heart broke as he wept into his lover’s chest. “Help. Me.”

“Shh… shh… I have you.” Lucas rocked him. “We’ll take you to Dr. Suarez. He’ll help us.”

“Uhm. That’s kinda why I’m here,” Sagan squeaked out from a respectful distance away. “Something happened at the Ecology. The prisoner transfer introduced a new element of fuckery.”

Pablo and Lynn. Alive. No dead. No, one of them alive and one of them dead. One of them killed the other. Andrew groaned and buried his head in Lucas’ chest.

“I’m happy to take you, anyway. I’m sure they can help.” Sagan took another step toward them, and Andrew swept her intentions.

I hope everyone’s all right. This can’t be a good sign. How much more could happen in one night? What about Rayne? Is she safe?

There. He remembered.

Rayne. All the way across the conduit, their King slept soundly. Safely. Her intentions always open to him. Love. Kindness. Strength. And a terrible sense of responsibility that left the young woman grave and severe. Resolute in her purpose. But—

“Rayne is safe. She’s undisturbed,” Andrew assured from where he sagged in Lucas’ comforting arms.

Sagan didn’t question him. She just sighed heavily in relief. “How do we put the fire out?”

“We don’t.” Boklo sounded so defeated that it crushed Andrew for doubting him. “Cascading Light never stops. You’re looking at acres of unquenchable, untouchable flame. How in the hell did this happen?”

Sagan shoved her fingers into her short hair. “Imminent. It has to be. Somehow, they knew we were preoccupied. I need to check on everyone. But first, let’s get you to the Ecology. I came here to find Lucas because you’re needed there.”

“Can you stand?” Lucas whispered against Andrew’s ear.

All of him could. Every single one. He climbed to his feet with Lucas’ steady help. The eyes. He looked through so many. His worlds blurred. But he had to try. “Boklo?”

“Conscience.” The other man straightened.

Andrew hung his head, heavy with the many inside. His voice carried their numbers, “Rebuild. Please.”

The Icarean botanist shouted orders, “You heard the Progeny. Get the tills. We begin anew. Let us build our fields in view of the flames to show we know no end. We will not be intimidated from our course. For Earth and Cinder!”

The people scattered and set to work in the dark.

Sagan hurried over and tucked herself under Andrew’s other arm because without her and Lucas, he’d kiss the dirt. His heart swelled. And cracked. And burned.

Every single one of him.