Aliena Numina Book 2

2 - Decisions

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Marcus wanted everyone to understand, so Cordy took Filiana, one of the sisters who could speak the language well.                                                                                 

After Kate nodded with her head that everything was ready, Marcus began with his humble voice.

"Dear Oberrima People," he said, waiting for a while. Immediately afterwards, Filiana translated it into Gauga, the language they were speaking. It was like the voices were suddenly echoing all over the planet. It was effective, and if you'd never heard of it before, it would make you instantly excited. The biggest impact was Marcus's rhetoric, which resembled a president who loved his nation very much.

"The evil and injustice that was done to you some time ago is over. I want you to know that the people who did this to you have been arrested and that you will make the decisions. All the work they have done has records and is ready to be seen.

Your pain is big, and there is no recompense for what has been done to you. However, as human beings, we always experience pain and happiness. Grief and joy are two bonds held together. When there's one, there's got to be another. That's why I'm saying you're done with the grief.

When we, as a handful of people, landed on your planet, we thought there were no human beings here. But then we came this far, both with the events and the courage of my friends. I don't want to prolong your captivity any longer than you should ever have to go through with this.

You'll all be released. You will be able to walk away unconditionally and without any problems." When Marcus said that, there were cries of happiness from the crowds. It was like the seeds that were sprinkled into you. After dark, you'd feel like a sun rising on a beautiful day. That unspeakable description of freedom was the same as when you realized you were going to die of suffocation and suddenly found yourself in a beautiful garden. Its taste was as beautiful and attractive as it had ever been tasted anywhere in the universe. It was everything.

"As human beings, we always poison life by wanting more. Every unlawful desire and pleasure are a price we will painfully pay. Sooner or later, we'll come back and face what we've done.

What we do today will shape our tomorrow. That's why we have one request from you. When we get out, we don't want anyone to wake up that devil lying inside you. Today is a day of charity and togetherness. That's the only way we can alleviate our pain.

Vehicles will be waiting to take you to your old homes at every point you are held. Millions of people died. Therefore, general security was established to keep the vacant places intact. What we're asking is that you don't cause mayhem and keep your peace. I'm sure there will be a sharing of the laws you'll make later that everyone will be happy with. You're good people.

We'll wait for you until you settle in your homes. Then we'll leave your planet. But we have a problem, too. We and our people, who are your common ancestors, are in serious trouble. There's a big problem on our original planet, Earth.          

Our ancestors began to self-destruction. We want this to end before it even begins. That's why we came to your planet. We need an element you call Sassonasin Keviras. The world is going to have a big energy war if it doesn't have this element. There's a lot of that on your planet. I hope that you and our ancestors will one day even create a common world through this element.

We're going to take some of this element and go. I'm saying this because we didn't come here for us or for you. However, we do not know that the unexpected are sometimes pregnant with happy results. We've found you as a result.

I hope you'll all live a happy life from now on. No more captivity. You're free and you can go."

Right after Marcus shut up, Filiana shut up. First there was a deep silence, and then there were the cries of joy that stopped the hearts. Every time the feet of tired and tortured people who were thrown to happiness and freedom kicked in; my heart was slammed with it.

Esme's blurry eyes and Nina's beating heart at almost the same speed as mine were exuberant enough to tear the ears of time. Simon and Jason's yelling got involved and made the floor tremble. Both sisters were happy. Roder held Kate's hand.

It is said that essences are prisoners in the bodies of people. However, when it is time to leave, it is difficult for them to separate from this owner. So is bondage, which binds one's feet. It brings with it the fear and anxiety of the first moment when it steps into freedom. So, it can never truly be free. But when it stops fearing, it's truly free. Otherwise, it never is.

There was this fear that accompanied them, from those who went out and drew fresh air into their lungs in the beautiful light of the morning to everyone who came out crying. It was never going to leave us. We had to suffer meaningfully or senselessly. That was our most obvious habit. Our eyes were smiling and our hearts were covered with the rust of life. We couldn't really be free. We couldn't let go of our fears.

Nina grabbed my arm and dragged me with her. There was no sign of the Avokasso Block's terrifying state of the night. The bright, insupquisic horizontal lights of the day were everywhere. Water drops from trees and plants on the roads, emitting colorful lights, were tingling inside.

When I was in the fresh air, I convinced myself that captivity was over. Here on another planet, I was seeing the morning sun for the first time. There were people flying to freedom. Nina was with me. The happiness on her shining face was shining inside me like a second sun. I was happy.

People were waving and singing to each other. Those who were older were buried in deeper emotions, and now they were looking at these big buildings where the silence had passed. Each of them had memories of this place. That's when I knew why I was lonely. There was no memory of me here or in the current time of the world. I was nothing but an entity with no past. We were all in the same situation. Nina was in the same situation. Marcus was in the same situation. Even Jason and Simon, who didn't care about anything, were in the same situation. But we were happy somehow. And that was nice.     

"I think I'm tired now." Kate said as she rested her head on Roder's shoulder and wrapped his body with both hands. Roder put one hand around her waist and began to help her walk. He smiled at her and kissed her where her forehead met her hair.

Esme was right next to Marcus, and they were both smiling. They were talking. Jason started his day as a new person. He was walking right next to Miliziana and telling her something with a smile. Simon and Filiana were right behind them. They both seemed happy about the way they were.

Serma brought his tank and stood right in front of us. He took his head off and smiled. His face was covered with joy I'd never seen before.

"I know the perfect place to take you!" He said in the same voice. When you look at him, you would see caring and dedication. It was like he was trying to make people happy.

"Where are we going?" asked Marcus.

"You changed our lives in one day. There's no recompense for that, of course. But a perfect place to relax wouldn't be bad. And don't worry about the element. A few robots are doing it right now. I'm sure they'll collect enough for you."

We jumped in the tank and stopped a few minutes later. In front of it stood a domed, glass-built building. It was like a garden of heaven in the greenery that surrounded it. Plants that reflected a strong green under the morning lights made it mysterious and exotic. Near us, the elongated size of the plants led to the lighting poles. The paths between them, filled with bright, virtual movements reminiscent of labyrinths, drove you from dream to reality. Human life was perhaps sacred because it could do so much beauty. It must have been their courage and imagination that dominated the universe.

Anything that could be programmed could make sense. A computer could create a great work of art, but it couldn't enjoy it. That's what set us apart from everything else. We could laugh, cry, love or hate. We were human beings, and that's what made us who we were. That's what made sense of the intellectual world.

I took my eyes off the four obelisks that were standing ahead and had bright virtual markings on them and looked at Nina. The door opened slowly. Since me and Nina were the last ones on board, we got off first.

We waited until Serma got off. Nina was still standing next to me. When Serma walked up and we started following him, I turned to Nina and looked at her. Her facial expression was calm.

"So, it's over?" I asked.

"Nothing ends. Remember, the end is just the beginning." She said in a meaningful voice.

THE END IS JUST THE BEGINNING.

Nina was right. It was never over. Her words, which sometimes led to thought, were profound and meaningful.

"You're forcing me to think." I said with a smile. Everyone was moving forward. She was standing there looking at me. I saw my hands reaching out and holding her hands. A sweet energy began to come into my body from her soft, warm hands. Her loving and kind face also contained surprise and excitement.

"Ed?" She said after a long time.

"Ugh! Sorry! I shouldn't be doing this."        

"Ed... Are you going to tell me something?" 

"Yes!" I said suddenly.          

"Okay. I'm waiting." She said with a sweet excitement on her face. My heart was going crazy. Her eyes and natural red lips, staring at me, were waiting for an answer. Her face was sweet and she excited me when she was impatient.

I was an idiot. I couldn't find someone like that if I traveled all over the universe. But when it came to telling her, my tongue was locked and my mind was lost. It felt like torture to me.

"Ed? I'm waiting for you."

"Ugh… Nina?"

"Yes?"

"Come on, guys!" shouted Serma. I felt like I was expecting something like this.

"We're coming!" I shouted. We both came back quietly. She hid her grieving face as if she understood me. It hurt me, too. She accelerated and walked away from me. She passed Roder and Kate. As I approached them, they both looked at me like they were going to ask me questions. But they looked ahead as if they had given up immediately.

Serma opened a big door and let us in. We climbed the silver-bright steps and arrived at a place of stunning smells. There was a moving air flow and these smells were changing at any moment.

The interior of the building was very different from the outside. The domed ceiling made you feel like you were on a beautiful island. What made this feeling clear was the trees that covered the entire circular area. Their long, oblique trunks, resembling palm trees, and large leaves accumulated on their tops gave you happiness.   

On both sides of the steps, water was flowing, giving the appearance of splitting a waterfall in half. The waters flowing over the bright and beautiful stones formed a relaxing sound and blended into the sounds of birds that complemented it.

We stood right under the dome. There was a large pool that its waters glowed in a light blue hue. Its slightly moving surface touched the edges of the pool and turned into a beautiful sound. There were various free-standing beds and stretchers on the edges of the pool. They were all soft. A cooler was left next to almost every bed. It had dresses for a swim in the pool in one drawer and drinks and food in another one.

As soon as you walked in, you'd get an air that loosened it. The sunlight was partially reflected here and seemed to be in a post-afternoon time.

Where there were trees, there were short-cut lawns and colorful flowers. It was like this place was constantly being maintained.

Jason and Miliziana moved on to a place with two beds. Jason immediately headed into the cooler, pulled out something to drink and smiled at Miliziana. She responded the same way.

Simon and Filiana looked at them and smiled.

"What do you think of J?" Simon asked Filiana.

"I don't know about that, but my sister likes him, and it's a first for her."

"What's your real job?" Marcus asked Serma. They were both so far away from me.

"Actually, I'm an undercover employee. I mean, I was. There's only one president who runs Gauga. I'd do his secret work and keep him politically clean all the time. This is a presidential building, and the president used to spend his free time here. I've talked to him here many times and run things. He'd give me orders, and I'd do it without telling him anything unless I had to."

Even though I was so far away from them, I was hearing all these pretty well. I went somewhere far away and looked at the view. I tried to listen to the voices and think and make a final decision about Nina. But I wasn't very successful. I let go of Nina's heartbeat and the flow of her breathing. And before long, I realized it gave me pain to stand without her. I walked slowly and approached her.

She took off her shoes and pulled the legs up her pants. She was moving her feet slowly through the bluish waters of the pool. Her legs were visible as she grabbed her knee a little over the top. It was white and smooth. One of the biggest influences that attracted a man to women was their legs. Nina was the biggest example.

I sat calmly next to her. She moved her beautiful feet in the water and rubbed them together and then looked at me and smiled. She was acting like nothing happened out there.

"Do you think life is simple?" She asked. Her voice was full of curiosity. I wasn't sure exactly what she meant.   

"Apart from the storms that are always breaking within us and the madness of the moment that holds together the bonds of the past and the future… Yes." I replied. I didn't feel like I had to be careful around her.

"Tell me, who's got a philosopher in?" She asked. I once said something to her like there was a philosopher in her, and she still remembered it. In fact, she remembered everything that belonged to me.

"I answer every question. It doesn't matter if it's right or wrong. And you ask questions."

"So, what do you mean?" She asked.

"Maybe what I have is a literary spirit."

"I love literature."      

"Yes, literature defines beauty."

"What do you mean by beauty?"

"There's a lot that defines it. But if you're asking for literature, I think it was born to describe love."        

"Ed?"

"Yes?"

"When was the last time you fell in love?" In fact, she already knew that.

"I don't think there's a specific time for love. That could happen at any moment."        

"So, when was the last time it happened to you?"

"It's kind of hard to answer. I think love is always within us." I said. "Well... Actually, I came here to ask you something else." So, I changed the subject. Maybe that was true. That's why I came here. I came to get rid of those disgusting moments of her absence.

"Yes, what is it?"

"How do you do that?"          

"What?"

"Healing?"

"You tell me first. So, speeding up... How do you do that?" She asked.

"Okay. That's a very strange thing to do. When you speed up, everything freezes. It's like time is out for the whole world except you, and it's just pictured. You're so fast, you can change the course of everything.

As I slow down, everything starts to move and accelerate. It's definitely pleasurable. The voices pumped from the hearts, the breaths taken, carry you back to a living world."

"What about the thinking process? How do you think when you're in that speed version?"

"This is different. I mean, it's the same way of thinking, but it's like when you're fast, everything's mathematically worthless. Sometimes things get bigger and I start to see all the details of them. Most of all, I feel like I'm time-independent. So, you can be there before the next thing happens."         

"So, what do you prioritize in this situation?"

"Like I said, it doesn't really matter. After all, everything just freezes. But the things I prioritize are more like whichever one goes through me." I breathed and looked at her face. She was still curious. "And yours? It's your turn. How do you heal?" I thought I should change the subject.

"It's not that complicated for me. I only touch the body and speed up the cells if there's a wounded place. They're starting to work at a much faster-than-normal rate. And then it heals."

"So, it's very simple to heal someone, is it?" 

"Yes," she said.          

"What about the other way around?" 

"The other way around?"       

"Yes, I mean, can you make someone sick when they're healthy?"

"Well... I hadn't thought of that."      

"Then you have to try." I reached out my hand.        

"On you?"                  

"Why not?"

"But Ed… It can be very dangerous."

"What difference does it make? After all, you can do the opposite, can't you?"

"Yes, but..."

"Then break my pinky finger."

…       

"Come on! I'm counting on you. You can do it."

"I can't do this to you."

"You should do it specifically to me. Someone else might hate you."

"Don't you?"

"No, never. Even if you kill me, I won't get even angry with you."

"Okay, then. No sound, okay?"

"Of course!" I said smiling.   

"Are you sure about this?"

“Nina!”

"Okay." She closed her eyes with my hand in her hands. My pinky finger was covered in an itch. I could feel it spinning backwards. There was no pain, but I still felt like I was in pain.

She opened her eyes and looked. My finger was upside down. It made my hand feel both disfigured and weird.

"Did it hurt?" She asked anxiously.

"No, but I heard a strange itch. Tell me, how did you do it without causing pain?"          

"I didn't want you to hurt."

"You're really amazing!"       

"I think you have a finger to heal." As she smiled, her lips thinned again and her white teeth appeared. When the pain started to ripple on my finger, my heart was also beating with excitement.

I love you.

I love you.      

I love you.      

That's what I repeat every time I see her. Because I was a coward who loved her. I was going through the hardest and most beautiful thing in the world. And yet I still couldn't tell her this out loud.

"I think you're right." I said, reaching out again. Holding my hand affectionately, her hands began to send her warmth again. I had a deep feeling that was gnawing at me. I wanted to hold her hands and kiss them and rub them on my face.

"Did I hurt you?" She asked, pulling out her hand. Her face became a moment of anxiety.

"No... It's just... You... I mean, it's weird."    

"How weird?" She asked. Her face seemed stunned this time. "Ed, there's nothing weirder than you. You're always surprising."   

"Well, is that a bad thing?"    

"No, of course not."   

"Nina?" I asked, waiting a while. She turned to me and looked at me with her pretty face. "Why are you always so good?" 

"Well... I didn't expect that."

"Well, are you going to tell me what you're expecting?"

"Probably not." She smiled again. But this time it was as if there was a deep sadness in her voice. I was sensing something she wasn't telling me. But she was already expecting for me hiding something. I was uncertain whether to tell her or not. It was a dilemma that killed me. It was too early and too late to make a decision.

"Well, may I ask why?"

"Ed.” She said with a sweet voice. “You're a very brave man. You're really not afraid of anything. I've known you this whole time. We've talked about almost everything."        

"Yes?"

"And when you hide something, I know you actually want to say it. Now can you tell me what you're hiding? Come on, confess it and relieve."

I could only look her in the eye for a second. In this time frame of time, which seemed to me to be forever, I saw the glints and anxiety in her eyes together. There was also a hidden feeling in her eyes, which carried pain and happiness together. She stopped moving her feet and just stared. If I'd looked a little deeper, my heart would stop beating. My head bowed helplessly in front of me and a silent storm broke out inside. I loved her, and I was afraid to tell her. I didn't know why it was like this, and it was also painful.

"Well... Nina?"

"Yes?"

"I'm not brave. But I do know that if anything happens to you, I'll never let it happen. Not because something bad is going to happen, I'm just not ready yet."

"What are you not ready for?"

"Can we talk about it later?" My voice was full of pleas rather than asking.

"Of course," she said. “Isn't that what we do all the time?"

"I'm really sorry. I feel like I've ditched you a lot these days."

"It's all right," she said. “You're just a little different these days. And you know I'll understand."

"I know." I said as I stood up quietly and walked away.

I lay on a bed away from everyone. I was tired. But my real fatigue was because I couldn't tell her. I just couldn’t confess my love for her. Why was that so hard?

When we really love someone, we don't want them to get hurt or unhappy for a second. We'll give them a reason for everything. That thought would have affected us at any moment. Even now, sitting here, I've been under this influence. And that effect was coming from Nina. It could come to me from her beauty, who seemed to be alone in the distance. There was something hidden in the deep feelings of that person sitting by the pool looking at the water. I knew that, I was aware of it. Even though she loved me, her deep-rooted love was perhaps something else. She loved me and I knew it. But it wasn't that romantic love. Because a woman who loves a man would show it. Maybe Nina was showing me this. Maybe that's what I was attracted to. Maybe it was something else. I couldn't be sure of that. There was only one way to find out.

I should have told her. I should have made that decision. If I didn't take that risk, that feeling would eat me up. It wasn't my own selfishness. Because every second I saw, I knew it wasn't about selfishness. It was a special thing about loving. It was more than just emotion. It was something that vibrated in the endless seas of the existing, and made it perpetual. And there was no way to get rid of it. Only by saying that could we get rid of the effect that burned us when we clarified everything. Otherwise, it wasn't something that could have been accomplished by running away from it.

Kate and Esme sat next to Nina. I didn't want to listen to them. But if there was anything that could help me, I should have done it. I cut off all the noise around me. I started listening to their whispers. Their voices grew louder and louder and I increased my hearing range until I heard exactly what they were talking. Now it was just their voice, and everything else was in an absence.

"Is there something going on between you and Ed?" asked Kate in an excited and curious voice.

"Not so direct, baby!" Esme said.

"Are you two all right?" asked Nina. Her heart was beating fast. But she sounded angry on purpose.

"You can't hide it from us. We see the way he looks at you." Kate said.

"Ladies! You're being ridiculous!"

"To tell you the truth, you'd both be a very sweet couple." Esme said in a calm voice. My heart was going to stop. It was hitting hard and pumping blood. I felt like I really had a time bomb in my head.   

"Stop it!" She raged. "What makes you think that? And even if that happens, I'm sure Ed would never do it because of your curious eyes all the time!" Nina was saying something. Maybe she knew I loved her after all.      

"But what you just did showed that." Kate objected.

"What did we just do?"          

"You held his hand and whispered the words bliss. You can't deny that."

Nina started laughing. But there was both a mocking tone and vague pain in her voice.

"It was just a try."

"Of course. What kind of try makes you hold his hand with compassion?"

"Seriously?" She said with anger. "Ed just wanted to know how I healed or sickened someone. That's all there is."

"So that's why you held his hand like that?"

"What did you think?"

"It was beautiful." Esme said. "You should tell him. A man like him will never be found again. Besides, I think he loves you."

"Don't mislead anyone. There is no such thing!"

"You have to convince me. You still haven't told me exactly why you were holding his hand. And his hand seemed just fine." Kate said shrewdly.

"Do you want me to try it on you?" asked Nina in an angry voice.

"No, I believe you." Esme said softly.

"Of course, I do, too. But I'd be relieved if you showed me that anyway." Kate said. She was up to something, and Nina was angry for that.

"All right, you asked for it." Nina said angrily. Actually, it was just to show that she was angry, and Esme and Kate, both knew it wasn’t true. "Put your arm out!" A few seconds later, Kate screamed in deep pain.

"Damn it, Nina! What the hell was that?"

I quickly opened my eyes. Everyone was looking at them. Esme said it was nothing when she realized that.

"You asked for it." Nina said calmly. Now she sounded happier. Her hair was glowing as she hung down.

She had a triumphant look on her face.

"But Ed seemed to be enjoying it. You saw the look on his face." Kate said, refusing to accept it.

"I think he's tougher than you." Nina lied for me. She defended me! It started to give me an incredible courage.

"So be it!" said Kate in anger. She got up and walked away in anger that she didn't get what she wanted once again. "What's wrong with this girl?" she began as she walked away. She moved on to a computer. She turned on the screen and started looking. I kept staring and thinking and listening to Nina again. I couldn't help myself from doing this. I was dreaming of her while she was in her inner world.

Now Nina was lying on her back on the bed next to her, staring at the ceiling. It was as if she was an innocent boy lying right next to the waves that touched the beach softly and staring at the stars adorning the sky. She thought she had her hands behind her head, through her soft, beautiful hair. Then she closed her eyes and wrapped her face in a happy expression. She was smiling at something imaginary.

"I love you." I whispered.

I started to think I was dreaming. There was music playing, and it was definitely familiar. It was Thom Yorke's Hearing Damage and it was absolutely thrilling because I knew that song.

I thought I was home for a second. I remember that rainy day years ago when I first heard this song. I put myself in the rhythm of the music and started flying in my dreams. That's what the song made me feel.

"Dude, I love that song!" Jason shouted.

"And the beats!" Simon continued. "Kate, how did you do that?" He shouted then.

"Communication is everywhere." Kate replied, pointing the computer.

"What do you mean? Have you communicated with the world we came from?" Simon's voice started to sound exciting.

"Don't be silly, Sime! I just transferred it from my memories. It seemed I can transfer even my hidden memories. How cool is that?"

"What the hell are you?" asked Jason. He got up and walked up to her. "Kate, can you transfer everything you're listening to?" he asked in a hopeful voice this time. It seemed his mood was suddenly changed.

"Yes, I can transfer anything. That's great, isn't it? Come on, admit it. I want to hear it."

"What about what the things you've forgotten?"

"I can do them, too."

"It's fascinating. I admit it. Listen, can you transfer all the music you know?"

"I said yes!"

"What about movies?"

"I'm not going to show you the movies I've seen."    

"Kate, please! Too bad we can't watch them again. What's left of us?" said Jason. "Look, there's only eight of us. There's no other person who's ever been through the same thing as us. We don't want to be people here with no history. Do you think people won't wonder what kind of world we come from?"

"J, we're leaving in a few hours anyway. Stop making me deal with this."

"You're leaving. We're not coming."

"Don't be silly. Who stays here?"

"Sime and I."  

"Oh, yes, of course! You and Sime. You're good at deceiving people."

"Seriously, Kate. We've made up our minds. We were going to say this after you rested, but I guess it didn't happen."

"What's all this nonsense about?" Kate spoke in an angry voice. We started moving quickly towards it. I thought of that contact I had. The words came to life in my brain one by one.

Ed, you're going to make a decision shortly.             

What kind of a decision?                   

I can't tell you that right now.

Why?              

Sometimes the future must not be known.

But why?

Because it can affect the decisions you make.           

So, who are you?       

We'll meet when the day comes.        

How am I supposed to figure that out? I mean, that I know both the decision and you?    

It won't be difficult. Besides, everything's going to change with your decision.

I can't even see you. How can I trust you?

You know who I am. You know us. You carry our love all the time. We're in you. You're in us.

But still, everything seems so blurry.

You just have to make the decision your heart has to make. Then it won't matter if you believe me or us.                         

Then why are you in my dream?

It's not a dream.

Well, what is it?

It's a kind of pool of consciousness where we're all connected.

Then why don't you explain everything or tell everything?

Humanity is in an emotional state. Sometimes you don't listen to your logic. Now the world you live in is in a duality. Sometimes it's hard for you to understand the nature of things.

Is that why you're here? For me to understand that.

You care about humanity. Which makes you believe them quickly. I'm not here to tell you what the future will be like. I'm here to remind you to make the right decision. Sometimes people have to wait a while to figure something out.

You make it sound like you're not human.

It doesn't matter who I am or what I am right now. What matters is that you make the right decision. You'll know when the day comes. We'll meet when the day comes. You'll understand.

But...               

I'm sorry, I can't give you a definitive conclusion. The future changes every moment. But our love for you will never change. You'll always feel it.

Why is all this happening? What happens in the end?

It's the way it's supposed to be.

But what is that?

I have to go now.

Wait!

...

Wait!

…                    

I could see it now. That decision had already been made. And what I was going to do was change the outcome. My heart started pounding nervously. There was a feeling of separation in me that I couldn't figure out. It was painful and a bad feeling. I already knew what the outcome would be.

I had this misconception in my eyes that the past and the future were separate. We had a part in a script that was written. The game was played, even though we didn't know it yet. Someone had already written even though we were playing it now. We moved the future back in time and made new additions or subtractions to reshape it. We were pruning and reshaping time. Or we've already done that.

The music was still playing. Everything came to life in my eyes and died in a brief moment. Now was the moment when what was said happened.    

"You heard it, didn't you?" asked Kate. She was surprised and didn't know what to say.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Marcus. He acted like he was already expecting something like this from them. He had a serious, cold look on his face.

"Yes," Jason said. “It's not our home anymore. We and they are separate things. But this place looks more like our home."

"That's why we made this decision." Simon backed him up. "But we will consider your approval. We have been with you all these years, and you have a right to this decision."   

"I get it." Marcus said. He waited a while and talked again. "What if we find our way home?"

"Then we'll be really happy about it. We both had our happiest years with you. You guys are a great team. We hope this doesn't make you look like we let you down. We just don't want to come back to that world. I think you should stay here too." Jason said. He had a certain sense of judgment and a sense of farewell in his voice. It was the first time I'd ever seen their love for us so vivid and sad. Everything was changing. Jason and Simon were changing. This would be another breach that time has opened up in our hearts.

They wanted to stay. And no one should have stopped it. I was going to side with them with a decision that wasn't mine. I was beginning to fear for the future with a view that wasn't mine. The dreams I had about Nina scared me. Maybe it would be wise to keep them here. Maybe they should have stayed.

"If you have made a decision, it is. But if there's going to be a vote, I don't want to leave you." Marcus said. He was like a father about to lose his sons. Then Esme and Roder asked them to come with us.

"All right, three people want you to come." Marcus said as he looked at everyone. "Is anyone undecided?" he continued.

Only Nina raised her hand. She had a look on her face that I didn't understand. It was like goodbyes were something she didn't want, but she still respected Jason and Simon's own decisions.

"Who wants them to stay?" asked Marcus.   

Me and Kate raised our hands. We both knew they didn't want to do anything without their will. We both loved them very much, but when the day of the verdict came, the wishes of our loved ones, not ourselves, would matter. That's exactly what Kate and I were going to do.

"We win three-on-four with our own votes." Jason said with a bitter joy. It was a difficult decision for both sides. But in the end, everything would come to an end. They were going to stay.

"So, you're really going to stay now?" asked Marcus in a sad voice. 

"Yes," Simon said. “This is going to be tough. We love you all very much. I wish you'd stay. Where you go is a foreign place now."

"No," Kate said in a slightly trembling voice. "I wasn't born here. I don't want to die here either. After all, it isn’t my world. It's the only place that doesn't look familiar to me with its winds, its seas, its plants."

"Thank you all for your understanding." Jason said with the same sadness. "I hope this will lead to good results for all of us. Just remember us when you get back to that world, our own time. Maybe one day we'll even find a way to leave you a message."

Marcus pulled up and put his hands on both their shoulders. He looked into his eyes with love. He'd always lived in it, and he'd always brought it out as love. He was only fifteen when he lost his parents and tried to hold on to this world with her sister, who was five years younger than him. Now his sister was almost twenty-two or twenty-three. Maybe she was worried she couldn't see Marcus. The more I thought about it, the more I knew what a powerful person Marcus really was. He cared about all of us like his family.

"We're really going to miss you." Marcus said with a fatherly affection. "If we can make the decisions of our lives willingly and without pressure, it means that we are now mature people. This life is yours, and I'm sure you know what's best for you."

"Thank you, Marcus. It's not possible not to miss you." Simon said as he gazed at him with a mixed expression of love and respect. He acted like he was doing it unintentionally. But that's what he wanted. They both liked this new world more than we did.

"Okay, then," Marcus said, sounding happy. "Why don't we live happier for the last hours we have left? We're all going to need it."

Kate played another new and familiar music. I felt like I was in a car going at full speed in an empty desert. I was running away from everything and freezing time. I made the decision that had to be made. Now the results would turn into causes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

                                                      -----------

                                                                                                                                         

I was somewhere between sleep and wakefulness. My eyes were closed. But I knew that voice, that heartbeat. She was right next to me. Her warm, soft breath, which caressed my face, gave my heart strength. She was holding one of my hands and stroking it slightly. I wanted to stay in this place forever. I wanted her to hold my hand and keep her breath with me forever. The more I felt her warmth, the crazier my heart started to beat. Just thinking about her was enough to make my hands tremble and my mind stop. She was in my each cell, touching my existence and was running in there from eternity.

When you love someone, you can even wish to die for them. Your heart is full of their loves. You can do anything for them at this level. And I know I could do and was willing to do anything for Nina. She had already exceeded all those values for me anyway. She was like a shining star at a point that was no longer available. She was unique and beautiful. Innocent and out of reach. She was a light that illuminated my darkness.

I opened my eyes and looked. I was standing in front of the most beautiful woman in the world. Her brown eyes were filled with trembling flurry. She was looking at me. She gently left her hands that had put my hands in. She stretched her beautiful lips and smiled slightly. When she did that, I felt safe. It slammed my heart with happiness.      

"Ed?" she asked in a sweet, anxious voice. Her voice was like a music that could take my existence with herself. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. Did something happen?" I asked.

"No, you were asleep, but then you called out to me. So, I decided to stay with you."

"I'm really sorry to keep you waiting. I'm doing you a lot of bad." My voice was full of regret. It was a terrible thing to have her deal with me, whether she knew it or not.

"No, don't say that. You're doing the same thing for me." She said. "Now tell me. What made you say my name?"

"I don't remember. I just woke up and found you with me. That's all there is."     

"Ed, there's something about me, isn't there?" She sounded curious.          

"You could say that." I said in an excited voice. I was going to tell her. Now there was no one there, and I should have told her.

"I'm listening!" She said excitedly. Her face seemed to be stretched with impatience. It had a direct effect on me and drove me to a thrill that would kill me.

"Everybody!" shouted Roder suddenly. He was speeding up the steps. We both came back quickly from that state. Nina looked at Roder with an angry face.

"Let's go!" Roder said in the same excited voice. "Everyone's waiting for you." He smiled like he sensed something.

"What happened?" asked Nina, hiding her angry voice. And once again, my decision evaporated. Once again, Nina didn't know what she was wondering.       

"Come on, now! There's no time left." Roder was still breathing his first excitement.

"What's so hasty, Roder?" asked Nina. This time she didn't hide her anger.