CHAPTER 70EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT, from the light of the sun, shimmering in tiny tubes through the forest leaves, to the fresh morning air. It brought back old memories, one which Carlos wished had ended later enough. Two years ago, he had walked through this colorful garden with Betty. They had promised to get married and had discussed the number of kids they were going to have. She wanted four children, a girl and three boys. Carlos had wanted four as well, but two girls and two boys. Everything had been so clear those days, the future was not as hazy as they were now. He would have had the best family with Betty. They would have lived happily ever after.Carlos kneaded his nose as the memory faded and was replaced by another scene. It was the day Betty had died. The picture was so vivid that he could still smell the smoke, the stench of sweat and the fibers from the leather belt

The sun was still hanging on the other side of the world when Len announced that they would camp for the night. Damian had argued with his decision pointing to the light of the sun that still created enough detail over the horizon. But Len had a better reason for choosing the forest. He explained that it would be best to stay within the shades of the forest, with the night to hue them from the eyes of the Darkeel than to wander out of the forest only to camp in an unknown open field. Of course, the Founders were not afraid of the Darkeel—and neither did the Darkeel—both parties would avoid each other at all cost, but that did not quench the fact that they were sworn enemies and could butcher each other if the need arose. The cause of the problem was still a piece which Damian doubted he would be able to fix in a very long time. Both Darkeel and The Founders were just too irritating for his liking. They could go ahead and kill themselves over some quarrel that was about a thousand year

 It was the morning hours of the fifth month, three years since she left the safety of her home, to find solace in the confines of the wall. Three years was short, yet not a day has passed without her staring blankly at the calendar, wishing that the date could run fast enough. That they had refused her visit from her father in her second year had added more salts to her injury. She was homesick and needed to get as far away from these walls as possible. The things she once found exciting had become boring and flat. From her training to her class exercise. It was a repetition, everything. The same books, the same songs, the same training and the same people. It was all a repetition, an endless cycle of stupidity and foolishness. It’s no wonder why some of the students were beginning to commit suicide. Some of them had been told they were not good enough. And the environment is not encouraging either. It would be a miracle to find a

The smell of alcohol continued to hang in the air, giving the room a hospital whiff. Tina sat on the chair nearby and was tending to Carlos' wound again. Their fight with the gang members had not gone without a scratch. She had a little cut on her shoulder, but it was a flesh wound. Carlos was the one in a critical state. He had been shot on his left side and had lost too much blood. She would have taken him to the hospital, but that would be risky as it would only lead to questions being asked. And he was a wanted man. A notorious criminal. Tina had taken off the bullet. She had masterfully stitched them some days earlier and now she was removing the wire on the suture to avoid infection. Carlos could not say if she had worked in the hospital or the army. She had perfected the skill so much that he was barely feeling any pain. How was she doing it? Carlos hissed, looking the other way. He hadn't asked the girl where she had gathered the skill. He was not going to ask her, maybe anot

  It was the evening of the tenth day, three weeks after they had left the arena back in Terah. The party continued to match through the world of dust and heat, hoping to get to the other side of the desert before nightfall. There was no forest as far as the eyes could see, just the dune of dust, stretching towards the horizon until they were almost touching the gray clouds. The sun kept sitting over their heads, but its heat had become soft in their touch, posing no threat to their travels. There has been a time when there were about two moons and one sun, all appearing at the same time. It had come as a surprise to Damian, even though the founders happened to be unfazed by the change at that time. According to Catherine, she had claimed that they were not on earth, and were on an undisclosed planet, whose activity affected the universe at large. Damian was finding it hard to believe, especially since they had told him his brother was he