{Enki | Pantheon}

Without a Seamswalker, Silence would resort to flying through Torrentus. There, she’d reach the bridge and the presumed entrance to Ishkur. By now, Three Two Four would have opened it for the Shadow thanks to the Atheneum. It was only a matter of getting there.

The cursed azure light shimmered under Silence’s dark gray skin, a more frequent reminder of her dire circumstances.

But…

Kyle stared at her from below, impressed and happy to see her. Only a little sadness shaded those foresty eyes of his. Ones which looked as beautiful open as they did closed in ecstasy.

Silence wanted more.

“There isn’t time.” Lucas was right.

His lover looked on the verge of collapse, held fast by Kyle and the green Tritan.

Silence carried so much respect for these people, a family not meant for her.

As if hearing her thoughts, Smith asked, “Why not tell them?”

Lucas answered, his voice appropriately grave. “It’s a choice between Silence and Rayne. Who do you think they’ll choose?”

Only two people in the entire galaxy carried dual nacres powerful enough to destroy Enki, and Silence was no martyr. She chose the Probabilities which would lead her to happiness, and she refused to lose it. Cascading Light owed her a promise.

True still, how could Silence live with herself once Rayne died that noble death? Would her grandsons tolerate her presence? Would Kyle turn away from the sight of her?

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The least Silence could do was level the playing field. In her creation, the Aegis had meant for her to mold nacre glass for machinations before they offered Project Surra to the Tritans. Her affinity for the atomic structure of unbreakable bones was circuited throughout her nanites.

Why not destroy all the nacres of the Imminent army?

That was the difference between a pane of glass and the computer functioning inside of it. It was far too complex.

Technically, the Rayne and Nox abominations were still alive and conscious in their little bundles of foiled bones. Their nacres were untouched. Fortunately, they were mute.

“You’re stalling.”

Damn Lucas—

The lines between universes blurred and multiplied.

Smith hissed, “It’s a cosmic event.”

And no simple event. Where hundreds of thousands of Probabilities were typical, this new development issued millions of Probabilities here on the brink of Rayne’s end.

The azure pulse came and went.

Silence gripped Pax’s chain around her neck, noting the Shadow below had donned new ones. It was a brilliant strategy with Rayne returned to them. For now.

Gripping Lucas’ back, Smith announced, “It’s time, Silence.”

Yes.

Silence expanded her wings, alerting the Shadow below. No more words. They soared to the conduit, prepared to face any resistance in kind. The bridge was online, and an Aegis had opened the conduit to Ishkur. Nothing could stop Silence now.

There, the properties of Ishkur’s hull would render the Weapon in Silence’s nacre inert.

She’d finally know peace.

The shimmer of azure light traveled down her arms and through her fingernails to remind Silence—This was no way to live.

They stopped.

Kyle hovered over the conduit, flanked by Bones, Caedes, Jack, and an Icarean female who could only be the Atheneum’s mother, Karter.

Silence finally broke her namesake. “Your wings?”

Kyle looked like he’d expected the question. He held up the spent chain of Rayne’s blood. An offensive maneuver.

Tired.

That’s how Silence felt. Exhausted in her old bones. She would know peace. Happiness. There was little concern about knowing love again. It burned in Kyle’s eyes.

Silence tried Smith’s tactic. “Let us pass to Ishkur.”

When the azure light passed over her body, Kyle’s gaze followed it. Saddened, he said, “I can’t let you go in there without knowing why and if your reason harms our people.”

Lucas looked at Silence, begging something of her—Communication, logic, a paradigm shift?

She couldn’t feel it or see it. All Silence could see was the Probabilities where Kyle ended her in battle.

Was this it?

No.

Enki would not be Silence’s grave.