Aliena Numina Book 2

3 - The Andanus Ivektras Tree

                                                                                                  

"What they call the event of the century is about to happen." Roder replied as he quickly descended the steps.

"Let's go then." I said. I quickly started following him. Or I was running away. I once again had disappointed Nina. That was too bad for me. I was praying that I'd have the courage to tell her again when I was trying to keep my feet stepping right after Roder and move forward. I was beginning to think I'd broken her kind and understanding heart. That was not who I was. I shouldn't have done that.

This building we left behind was back to its former orphan. The waters moved in their own way and a slight wind blew through the artificial ventilation inside. The waves that made you feel like you were by the sea were now storing Nina's past memories. Loneliness was circulating inside with the reflected sun.

Everyone was waiting for us in a car they called Frai. There was no part of it that touched the ground. It was floating in the air a few centimeters up. The front of the Frai was long and elliptical, while the middle part was wide and spherical. Although the transparent was made of glass, this transparency could be changed due to the atomic properties in the glass. It was comfortable and had a nice design.

When Frai took off, Gauga's true size was beginning to show. The shield-wall was brought in like soap bubble and left here. There were frequent and very tall buildings near the center. Although they glowed mostly gray, there were also colorful ones. As it rose among the aesthetic touches of human civilization, the shadows were falling behind. After buildings with diminished heights towards the edges of the shield, all that remained was a desolate and wild world. The atmosphere, divided by sunlight, now seemed to open the doors of a world beyond logic. It had amazing beauty and charm. That reminded me of Nina.

We all try to make beauty look like our loved ones, or we accept our loved ones as a source of these beauties. This gives us a deep worldview as well as a spiritual horizon.

We rose to the top of the city, which once again deeply engrained the existence of mankind. Now there were Frais in the city with other designs. This lonely country, which could accommodate millions, was shining to bring a new understanding to its fate. It was a perfect image with the hills rising in the distance and the buildings overflowing in the lower parts. It was beautiful, evoking a unique pleasure that lied deep in man.

I took myself from deep thoughts and then joined to their conversation.

"So, there are only ninety-six trees, are there?" asked Esme.

"That's not entirely true." Serma replied.

"There are many trees of this kind. However, some of them continue to differentiate and grow during the development period. In fact, these are trees that come from the seeds of similar trees."

"So, how big is this tree we're going to see?" asked Kate, without raising her head. She was trying to transfer data from computers to the data stores next to her.

"Their pollen is as big as what you call a football ball."     

"How exactly is this tree shaped?" I asked. Serma surprised us and deleted all images of the tree in question. Kate seemed to go with his flow.

"It can be a little hard to describe," Serma said with a half-smile. "This is a different plant from other plant species. This tree, which begins to grow as a single sapling, first branches and its branches grow along the surface. Then these branches take root on the ground and begin to raise each branch upwards like a tree. The whole order comes from the root of the core.

Since the tree grows in very wetlands, it grows very quickly according to its size. Each branch grows and thickens almost a thousand times as long as a person. The bodies gradually get closer and closer together and add everything in succession to themselves. That's all the tree does for about forty-six years. For a period of twenty-three years after forty-six years, it fuses into a single tree.         

As the tree conducts this work on the surface, the roots that go underground and spread well around collect more water and nutrients. It collects so much nutrients that with this value obtained from only one tree, the whole Gauga can be fed. Anyway, after nine years in total, the tree starts to rise again. That would take exactly thirty-three years. Thus, the tree will complete its development after a hundred and thirteen years."

"But you talked about a hundred and two years at first." Nina interjected. I was more trying to imagine how big it was when Serma was telling all this. This seemed like a mountain or thing.

"That's right," Serma smiled. "Because the seed takes eleven years to develop."

"What kind of seed is this?" asked Nina, who didn't answer.

"Something that weighs almost 20 people like you."

"It's much heavier than a tone!" I said in a bewildered voice. "Well, what kind of shape does it have?"

"It's a bit like the Frai." Serma laughed. Jason and Simon looked on like they were making fun of me. "But its surface is indented and protruding."

"It's got to be like a peach seed." Jason said.

"Peaches were a nice fruit." Simon continued.

"Anyway," Serma said, waiting for both of them to shut up. "About a year and a half after the tree blooms its giant flower, it forms a single seed and throws it away. It's a natural wonder. The lower part of the capsule where the seed is kept swells with constant air, and its temperature drops. Then all air pores close and high pressure is created. Thus, the seed ripens again with increasing temperature, and during launch it is well distanced. Finally, the seed trapped in the mouth of the capsule is launched like a bullet fired from a machine gun." He looked at us and digested the expression on our faces and raised both hands to the sky. "Here is the Andanus Ivektras tree!" His joy was indescribable. He finally had found two people like him and became best friends. Now both of his friends, Jason and Simon were laughing at him and taking a place in his heart.

I looked carelessly into the air where he opened his hands. We were almost at the top of the capsule. When Serma noticed this, he drove carefully and got closer to the top of the shield, whose light color became partially greenish. Maybe that was the only thing keeping the country from showing up in the images taken from space or scans.

Serma did something new, and a shield appeared on all of us that looked like blue smoke. It was like we were starting to look like ghosts.

"Dude, what's this?" asked Simon excitedly.

"We're leaving the shield. It neutralizes us and prevents us from being affected. Thus, we ensure a safe passage. You'll get used to it when you stay in Gauga."

"It's really impressive!" said Roder. It was like I could hear him talking for the first time. He looked at me, smiled and turned his head again. He was implying something I didn't understand. So, I started looking at the side he was looking at. Jason was sitting next to Miliziana and talking happily. Simon was looking out while listening to Filiana.

Nina and I made eye contact again. She looked at me innocently and smiled. As she smiled, the innocence of her face was evident. When you looked at this face, you could open all your secrets to her without thinking. But I still didn't even say I loved her.

"We're going to speed up." Serma said suddenly. Nina took her eyes off him and looked at her side.

As we were going at full speed, I looked at the image that was flowing outside and dived. When Serma said, "We're finally here," that's when I started to see what I was looking at.

The image that rose like a mountain in the distance belonged to the Andanus Ivektras tree. It was something that caused new excitement in the soul.

"It's exactly 1,389 meters tall." Kate said in a bewildered voice.             

"It's really amazing!" said Roder, approaching and standing next to her.

It was as if after years of work, a hill had been shaped and made this way. The body, which was narrowing from the bottom up, was expanding again towards the top. This exciting sight was not made of a tree, but on a giant rock. It was huge and added a lot of admiration to the view.

Some of the light and green parts of the sun, shining under its unconventional colored lights, protruded like a lump, adding a more intriguing feel to the view. It was integrated with light and turned into a vivid image. It was beautiful. It felt like holding the setting sun of the evening in your hand. Both were indispensable to define uniqueness and impossibility.

We started to rise and head for the top. Kate put all the data stores in her bag and came to us. "I think it's time to enjoy it!" She said, holding Roder's hand.

"How much time does it have?" Roder asked her in a whisper. Kate put a kiss on his cheek and looked at him.

"Just a little." Serma said. "Thousands of people will be here soon."                                                           

                                                       -------                                                                                                                          

It was as if people had gathered for the spring festivities. Everyone was waiting for the flower of the giant tree to bloom after 100 years. Each of the Frais surrounding the tree was of a different size and color. Kate stored their information, too. She firmly believed that we would go to our own timeline. That's why she said the world would change and in just a few years it would be over. She kept saying, "In just a few years."

"It's about time!" Serma said in an excited voice. He lowered both hands respectfully and looked at the tree with the same face.

Giant bowl leaves began to slide over each other. The colorful and eye-catching powders seeped through them complemented their glowing colors. My heart was pounding with excitement and flying with the dust that the leaves released as they opened. It was something that could never have happened. Time was mixed in rainbow-like colors, and the lights were divided into colors, turning everything into a world of imagination. Most of the people who were in silence outside were respectful.   

The crackling top suddenly opened up and resembled hair being thrown around. The large and transparent petals, each starting from a few ten meters long, contained shades of orange and yellow. The roots, on the other hand, were green and looked like fresh apple colors.

There was a stunning smell coming in from Frai. In this great world, everything was being reshaped and ripped my heart out. I was excited as if Nina was going to come back to me and tell me that she loved me. Now came the big moment.

The place where all the petals were connected to each other broke off and the leaves began to open completely. It was a dazzling riot of color. We were about to face a moment of a glorious show to begin.

The leaves, which continued to open for several minutes, finally stopped and opened up a place the size of a football field. Now the slight bump was beginning to appear on a surface resembling a hill. The giant leaves that surround it like a sunflower made us feel like we were in an amphitheater. The huge pollen that glowed, flew and scattered around the surface was dizzying. A stunning smell excited us with sky-covering colors and poked us to act.

We looked until everything stabilized. The deep excitement that engulfed us all made us wonder. You’d get the feeling of jumping in this place and getting lost in the colors. It was so powerful; you could do it without thinking.

But other people had a feeling beyond what we felt and started to leave as if they didn't want to stop any longer.

"They used to stay longer," Serma sighed. "But this time, nothing is normal."

That was true. Nothing was normal. It was never going to happen again. Now the secrets of time were beginning to unfold, and it would last until there was no end.

"Are you going too?" Kate asked Serma. All of a sudden, she looked at Jason and the others.

"I've got to go. The president's unfinished business has resumed. Don't worry, we'll bring the element in no time. Until then, you're all together. We'll say good-bye when I get back, okay?" said Serma.          

"We're just getting started, J, don't overdo it." He smiled as he left.  

A few minutes later, ours was the only Frai left in the air. Kate went to the command center and led us right over the tree. It descended well and stood at a level that almost touched the surface.

"Now it's time for fun!" She said with a laugh. Marcus looked at her like he didn't understand. Roder and Esme were full of curiosity.

"Come on!" Kate said in a happy voice. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

"We don't know what you want to do?" asked Nina. Even though her voice was cold, she couldn't hide her excitement.

"We're going to have some fun. We may never have a chance like this again." Kate looked at us like we were waiting for how we were going to react.  

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Simon, taking a pair of glasses out of the box in his hand and extending them.

"What is all this?" asked Nina when she looked at what she had.

"Serma gave it to me. It protects against the dust."     

"Your new friend has thought of everything."     

"Yes, he is really nice."

"We have no doubt about that," Nina said as she wore the glasses. The glasses suited her. She looked at me behind the windows and smiled. That's when Kate took one and jumped. She sank to her knees and turned to us and laughed. Then, like cheerful children, she jumped on her back into a sea of soft pollen.

"It's like swimming in water!" She shouted. Roder jumped right after her. As the others jumped at speed, I noticed Nina jumping the furthest.

"You don't have to be last all the time!" smiled Marcus, jumping.

"Actually, I..." I let myself go without the need to finish my sentence.

As my feet sank between sponge-soft pollen, I felt like a child playing in the park.

Happiness is sometimes hidden in an unpredictable time and unpredictable place. Sometimes you unwittingly touch it and feel like you've lit up a dark room. All of a sudden, you see new and old things together. I've been diving into the past again, while people were playing with pollen right in front of me.

My little brother was learning to swim for the first time. I just took him to the middle of the water to face his fear. When he grabbed my arms and tried to swim, his first reaction was immediate. He confronted his fear and immediately began to swim. His hug to me with the confidence he began to hug was diminishing slowly.

I left him alone in his own way. Although he was scared at first, he slowly began to swim towards the beach. When he arrived at the shore, I smiled with that victory shining on his face. A sweet piece of pollen came through my open mouth. The memories quickly faded away. I had just come to my senses when a second pollen exploded in my head like a softer snowball.

"Nina!" I said with a smile. I quickly turned around and looked at her. There was a red pollen right at the bottom of my foot.

"You'll see!" I said. As the pollen moved, another one came and smashed on my face. It had a mesmerizing smell and a taste that made you feel sugary. I took another pollen from the ground and bit it. Then I looked at Nina. She was throwing me another one. "Stop!" I said. "I'm not going to throw it away. I just want you to taste it. It tastes great."

Slowly and with attractive steps, she stepped on the soft ground and began to approach. My heart seemed to stop. She took the pollen in my hand and bit it right where I bit it, and she looked at me and smiled. I wanted to grab her and kiss her madly while she was looking at the pollen melting fast in her mouth. The fact that my heart kicked my chest out like it was going to pop out and the blood rushing into my face triggered my desire even more. I breathed fast. The joy in her eyes blew me away. I was definitely going to tell her now. The flickering of my fingers meant it was close.

In the event of a century, there could be nothing more terrifying than declaring it at the top of an unimaginable tree. But this woman, who looked at me sweetly and smiled, drowned all these fears in the dark seas. Her lips painted red and her cheeks reflecting pink were beating my heart fast. If they'd stopped my life at that moment, the last thing I'd want to do was kiss her like I thought she was. This heart-gnawing request turned into a deep prayer.

This beautiful woman was now looking me in the eye and smiling. Her eyes, her eyes dimmed as she laughed, showed deep love and joy.

"What's wrong?" She asked in her sweet voice.

"When you're looking at a beautiful lady, a question like this shouldn’t be asked." I said with a smile.

"So, she's a beautiful lady?" She asked, quickly picking up a new pollen from the ground. She took it and put it together with my face. Pollen dissipated and painted my face a color close to yellow. Then she ran away fast. The game had resumed. I ran and tried to grab her by the waist. I tripped and we started falling. I could have accelerated and prevented it, but I never wanted it.

She was looking at me when she fell. As we were both down on the soft place, she was underneath me and my head touched the ground with her head. My lips came across a side with her lips and cheeks. The sweetness in her mouth and lips spread through me and extended the time. But my heart was pounding faster than anything I could think of.

Our mouths completely united, sliding on top of each other as if we were doing what we wanted. Her soft, slippery lips were now on my lips. I was experiencing that taste and excitement for the first time in my life. My heart was gone and my mind was done. Nina was answering me. Or so I thought. I kissed her one more time. If this had only gone on for another second, my heart would have stopped. I didn't want to leave that action. I wanted to kiss her and live inside of her forever. I wanted to put my hands through her hair, press her face against mine, and kiss her madly. That's all I ever wanted in life at that very moment.

She pulled her head slightly to the side and looked at me. She was confused and excited. But my heart was about to explode. Now was the moment when things really changed.

"Ed?" she said in the same voice. I had no idea what she meant. I was dizzy. It was the first time I'd kissed a woman. For the first time in my life, I felt a feeling I'd never felt. My shyness eventually had stopped preventing me at that moment.  

"I… I…" I just didn't know what to say. Suddenly, another pollen exploded in my face. Nina was having fun. Or so she was doing it to help me get over whatever I was going through. All we needed was something to separate us from this mad moment.

The woman I could die for was just throwing pollen at me and laughing. That meant everything. And all that was left was the destruction of all beings. Now was the time.

I speeded up once again. I moved on to where she could see me. Jason was like a statue as he chased Miliziana in the back row. Marcus and Esme were sitting there talking. Roder, Kate, Simon and Filiana seemed stuck in a time that stretched forever while playing a game. A pollen flew from Kate to Roder and just stayed there.

I quickly picked up a lot of colored pollens from the ground, wrote NINA with them in the air and added the part I LOVE YOU. I stood right underneath it. Time accelerated again as I slowed down. When Nina's first movements appeared, she was looking right at me. When everything became increasingly normal, the pollen began to descend slowly together.

There was a lot of confusion on her face. In her eyes, I watched her reflection and the movement of the writing as all the pollens fell down. When Nina was staring at them, not knowing what to say or do, suddenly Jason screamed.   

"Everybody, cover your mouths and noses!"

The confusion over both of us suddenly changed direction. Not a second later, all the pollens started exploding and dissipated. The smaller pollen and fragrant dust in them covered everything. The place blurred and there were color spectrums in the atmosphere. The sun illuminated and shone magically this colorful world.

I wiped the colored dust off my glasses and looked. We were trapped under a huge colored cloud covering the air. Nina was standing right in front of me, and she was colorful. I closed my eyes and thought about what happened at the last minute. Gradually, I reduced the noise around me. After the breath, I started listening away. It was the only way I could digest everything. I had just told someone I loved them. I had to think about it and believe it.

There was a noise coming from far away that was rapidly approaching and reminiscent of engine noises. The vibrations of the rapidly multiplier wings indicated that they were not machines. A cloud appeared much further ahead. I set my eyes and looked. And just a second later, my voice turned to screams.

"To Frai! Everybody, get on Frai!" "Quick!" My voice spread in waves and reached everywhere.

The confidence of the colors had already gone away. Now we're the hunt animals driven by these colors. The pollen dust that covered us all put us in a position to be destroyed anyway.

When Kate quickly closed the door, some creatures from the herd were already banging on Frai's windows. The head of their hoses, which hung from their mouths and used to pull liquids like straws, resembled needles. Basically, resembling mosquitoes, these animals resembled a terrifying creature with eight feet of feet of legs. Their legs, which carried their torsos, reminded me of robots made by the Japanese.

First, they hit the windshields, then they started hitting the back windows. Each time, Frai was horribly shaken.

"Hold on!" shouted Kate. Frai was quickly thrown forward and headed forward. Wild insects followed Frai, painted in colors, as if it were a big prey. But they were fast enough and immediately came and started hitting the windows again.

Marcus pointed his gun and waited. He would have done it right away if anyone had broken the windows and gone in.

"Wait," Kate said. "I've got an idea." She pressed a few buttons and threw all the animals that were holding on to Frai around.     

"That's not a bad idea." Jason laughed.    

"I don't think so." Nina pointed. 

They started coming at us like angry people with nowhere to go but hell. In front of them, their elongated fangs carried death. They seemed greedy enough to pull the last drop of blood through the veins. The grunt from their wings was reporting disaster.

"How fast can this thing go?" I asked.

"Fast enough!"

"What are you doing?" shouted Marcus.

As Frai drove fast, Marcus was constantly frying those who followed us behind. Every creature that was shot made a noise by squealing and started to fall. Every time they squealed, I felt like I was crushing worms with my hands, and my stomach was getting up and down. It was like a curse had come to me after the happiness I'd just had.

The creatures quickly abandoned us and began to move towards the colorful cloud that rose behind us. That's when everyone could breathe a sigh of relief. Kate looked at Jason, who looked like a clown, and started laughing. And then we all got this laugh. We were laughing so hard; we could all see it on our faces.

There is sadness hidden in every joy and sorrows we don't want to see. Sometimes, as we laughed, we also fanned the flames that burned our hearts. I saw it on Marcus' face first. The sadness in his eyes looking at Jason and Simon instantly affected me. Then Nina and Roder… We were going to miss these two guys so much.

Nina came and stood next to me without caring about anyone. There was no doubt in her eyes that looked at me fondly, but I was still afraid. I just kissed those beautiful lips madly. Her red-painted face was now the color of those slick and attractive lips. I wanted to grab her shiny smooth face and kiss her again.

We approached the city in the fear and excitement that led me to worry. It was none other than another Frai Serma coming towards us.          

I was like a marathon runner who came slowly and died at the end. We've traveled on planets and past the timelines. But that was also when one of those planets was going to separate us.           

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It was a farewell moment. Roder whispered gently in his ear as he hugged Jason.         

"I hope you have a happy life. I'm going to miss you so much."

Esme was emotional and Nina was even sadder. Me and Kate felt the same way. Sometimes it seemed to me that Kate and I had more in common than Nina and I. We were both pleased with the decisions people made. But for Marcus or Roder, it was kind of hard to say. Marcus was losing two of his most lively teammates, his brothers, and Roder was grieving for these two men, who spent most of his time with. But there was nothing else to do. A decision had been made and we would bury our sadness in our hearts for the happiness of our loved ones.

After saying goodbye to everyone, Filiana and Miliziana got on the other Frai first. Serma took the command post and greeted us with his head. Jason and Simon went on and on proudly. After a bitter and longing farewell in the sky, everything would return to normal. I wanted to believe that lie.

When the Frai's doors closed, we became the people from two different worlds. It was painful not to see them again like a stake had been lodged into my heart. As they slowly moved away, a new excitement began to tremble in my heart.

That phrase Jason whispered in my ear made me dizzy. Somehow, I trusted his feelings. I wanted to trust him. What he said was 50/50 true.

She loves you the way you love her.

So, he knew I loved Nina. He even went further, saying Nina loved me, too. Now my eyes, lingering far away, were filled with their longing. Their longings had descended from the great mountains and plunged into my heart. I could only get rid of the pain that was in me by hugging Nina. That was the only way the cravings and fires that ignited on both of our lips would have stopped. I looked at her and tried to see if the desire in her eyes was real.

We weren’t going to have Jason and Simon anymore. Fires were rising from these big holes in our lives. We were all beginning to think about whether there was a cure. Any excuse could have saved us from this. Kate was the only one who could find a solution, and I had an incredible desire for it to happen quickly.

"It's really heavy." Roder said, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"I feel like I've lost everything." I said in a similar tone to his. That was a really heavy feeling.

"I feel like I've lost my way. This is the first time." He said. I looked at his face, which identified his voice. He was sad. "I spent a lot of time with them."          

"Now I regret not doing what you did. I never thought this would happen one day." I said bowing my head.

"We all appreciate things later." He said in a thoughtful voice. "Fate sometimes creates new paths according to our choices. In fact, it all comes down to it again. Sometimes all major events revolve around people or reasons we don't understand the importance of. We didn't know this was going to happen when Jason noticed that cave, but now we're living what's going to happen or what has already happened."        

"We all need cleaning up." Kate said as she lowered Frai down towards two adjacent lakes that appeared below. "I think this is a good place."  

The lakes were staring at us like a beautiful girl's blue eyes. We had to surrender our pain to the water and its beauty to get rid of these colorful pollens that covered us. Swimming in the deep seas of grief was not a favorite situation for anyone. It would have done nothing but pain. Pain wasn't what anyone wanted.                                   

                                                    ---------

                       

After we got out of the water, we were both clean and tired. Instead, a peaceful laziness had descended upon us. It had been about two hours since we left the Andanus Ivektras tree, and the sky was covered in mad darkness. The sun was still hours away, but the almost black clouds that covered the entire atmosphere were dazzled and forced you to retreat to your corner.

Kate had just started the engines to get us out of here when a severe storm hit. It was so fast that if Frai had risen from these giant trees where it was staying, it would probably have drifted and hit something. Marcus must have thought of something like that, so he asked us to wait. It was like we all wanted to stay more. It seemed as if returning to Earth would lead to a future that would never be the same again.

He secured us by connecting the solid ropes from Kate Frai's edges to the surrounding trees. There was a deep hum coming from huge, thick, big trees, forcing you to sleep. The lights gliding out of Frai's windows made us look like we were late in the evening.

Before long, glorious lightning strikes and massive lightning strikes begin to paint the darkening air a deep blue. The sky suddenly lit up so bright that it was like sunny weather everywhere and it was dark again.

"It'll be good to be alone for a while." Kate said, gently walking her hand across Roder's chest. "I'm going to get some sleep."

"My strong arms will protect you." Roder smiled. I couldn't stop listening to them. That wasn't a good thing, but they both knew I could hear them.

Kate looked at his face with her head up from Roder's arm, then reached back again. Her hands slowly reached Roder's face and began stroking his face. Kate's soft hands must have made him feel comfortable, so Roder mumbled something like a lullaby with her hand between her blonde hair.                                                                                                    

"My beautiful Kate,

 My beautiful Kate with beautiful eyes

 Sleep in my arms

 I'll stand over you."

Kate happily hugged him and closed his eyes happily. He had a happy look on his face.

"Xwa says the element with us is strong enough to destroy the world in a matter of hours." Marcus said as he exited from the cargo hold. "It's scary to live with a load like that."

"You're right." I said looking that way.

"Fortunately, no one here uses it, and our existence is unknown to the world."

"I hope so." I said. "We as human beings are always dangerous. Such an advanced world could be destroyed by this element."

"It's true, but don't think about it. I think they'll handle it with ease."

"I can't say I agree with you. Do you remember when I wanted to go to the library?" I asked.

"Yes?" He looked at me.

"I read a book at the time. According to the author, all the major nuclear facilities have been stopped. Because the radioactive elements were mysteriously active here, causing bad results. That's why they were not allowed to use it. Did you know that?"

"No," he said.

"That's why they have big energy shortages."

"So, what's bothering you?"

"According to the author, the wrong way can put them into action and destroy the whole world. That's why he insisted on the Meherks on this planet."

"Well, did he say if the Meherks posed a danger around here?"

"That's what's troubling me, too. No one knows that."

"Why would they do that?"

"Why do you think there were those world wars in our time?"

"Should we associate them?"

"I think the world is always in a war of powers, and the big influences always attract attention."

"So, you don't think we should take the element?"

"That's not what I meant. We just have to be very careful. If this thing is used for a bad cause, it will be apocalyptic."

"I understand your concern, but the future doesn't give you experience, and I think they have the power to handle it. Why don't you go hang out with Nina instead of thinking about it?"

"Well... I..."

"Come on!" he said. “You have no right to leave her alone while she is the closest being to you. She's very good with you, and I don't think you should keep her away that much."      

"Well... Okay."

I stood up quietly and walked towards Nina. Marcus went ahead and sat next to Esme. Roder and Kate were both asleep. As Marcus and Esme both lay down and had a sweet chat as I sat next to Nina.

"Hi," I whispered like I was a guilty child. Turning her head gently and looking back, her hair slowly slid backwards. Her eyes had a deep meaning. She smiled at me as she tied her hair in a ponytail with a plastic buckle in her hand. She slid sideways and gave me a seat to sit next to her.

"Hi!" she said, as if surprised. Her white teeth appeared when she said that. Her lips stretched and thinned slightly and she became beautiful.

"You seemed to be out of the reality." I said with the same lower voice.

"I've said before that I love rain and it gives me this feeling."         

"I know." I said. There was still a warmth where she had sat before. I put my arms on my knees and looked out the window.

"What do you think?" She asked.

"Actually, I'm a fan of this kind of weather. When lightning strikes, I feel like I'm getting stronger."

She smiled again. That was more of a relief.       

"I find out long after that that you have hidden passions." It sounded like she was complaining. I didn't want to make sense of it right away. I've proven time and time again that I was not good at it.

"Sometimes I don't immediately understand how beautiful and special my passions are."

Outside, the sounds of lightning were spreading like trees being cracked. It was raining crazy. The more I tried to reduce my excitement, the more excited I got.

"Ed," she said calmly. "What did it mean that you did today?"

"I just... Well, I've been thinking... I..."

"Yes? You have been thinking?" 

"Me and you... I mean, us…"

"Ed, it may not be as difficult as you think it is." Her voice was reassuring, but I was so excited, I didn't know what to say. Time was moving away from me, and even on this low-gravity planet, I felt like a lot of weight has fallen on me.      

"I... I love you!" I said.

…

A deep silence broke. The soft breaths of four people sleeping inside put a weight on my eyes and partially comforted me. No one's ever heard of it, and I finally said it out loud.

As the rain fell, dancing with nature, it seemed to resonate with my heart, which was beating rapidly. I told that beautiful woman sitting next to me that I loved her. It was as if both our hearts were resonating when my heart beat like crazy.

She turned slowly and looked at me. It was like her eyes were sad. She was so innocent and confused that I started to regret doing it. What made my heart ache may sound like a sign of great joy deep down, but maybe it wasn't what I thought it would be. Maybe Nina was mad at me for me doing this. Maybe she was trying to imply to me that I shouldn't be doing this.

"Ed?" She said in a peaceful voice. I was stuck in my own contradictory world. My fears and worries were falling apart. I was feeling a spring freshness approaching from a distance. Rain and snow adorned the brotherhood, the arid land. The birds were flying towards heaven. The rivers were bursting and the earth was blooming.

"Yes?" I barely managed to say that after a long hiatus. Now it was another and most important moment when everything would completely change.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes!" I said.        

"So, you love me?"          

"Yes!"

"Are you in love with me?"

"Yes!"       

"Well, do you know that I love you too?"

"No!" I said. “What? You love me too?”             

"Yes, you silly! I love you. It’s been months now!"

At that moment, I was prepared to die. My heart was beating faster than ever. Someone loved me for the first time in my life in a romantic way. It was different from anything I've ever felt. It was deep and simple. It was exciting and full of courage. It was loaded with happiness and meaningfulness.

When happiness becomes visible to the eye, it is overflowing. It is out of time and out of space. It has a logic other than reason and the logic we know. It is brave enough to take people from their captive bodies to a spring freedom. Happiness sometimes winks at you when lightning strikes. Sometimes it becomes a new life in your veins as you go to your death. Not being able to see it is the same as living hell in heaven.

"I love you, Nina." I said. "I love you more than anything you know. I love you like music rising throughout that desolate journey that starts where all definitions end."

"Ed!" she said, holding my hand. I'd never tasted the peace that warmth and softness gave me anywhere. It was alive and unique. It was a feeling that could never be achieved to smell her breath in my nose. I had the deep bliss that some people felt when they died.

"Nina! How come I don't understand that?"        

"Because I tried to hide it. I didn't want to change your life. You were so happy."

"But that's not what I thought!"   

"Don't be unfair to yourself."

"But I should have known that, I should have understood it."

"Ed..."

"But..."

"Shh!" She touched my two lips with her finger. I didn't know what to do anymore. "Just listen, okay?"

"Okay." I said.

Sje looked me in the eye. I saw happiness trembling with a deep glow. In those beautiful eyes that carried the spirit of the universe, there was a power that stopped time. It accelerated my heart and all the beauty I knew and didn't know was flowing from the hands holding my hands.

"It was late August," she said with her sweet voice. "Almost a year ago. It was almost crawling with hot air. I went in to get myself out of the heat. You were there, immersed in a book, reading it. You were so immersed that it was probably impossible to get you back.

I took a long look at you. My heart was speeding up and I couldn't stop looking at you. A woman would never admit it, but I know you. Anyway, when I was looking at you, I knew you were the one who was going to fill the void in me that was in echoes.

I slowly walked past and sat at one of the opposite tables and watched you and thought of you. You were so charming and sweet that all I did was to keep watching you. Then that day passed. And the next day. Then months passed. Now I was just thinking about you and looking for one chance to be with you every time. The whole adventure was so beautiful, I couldn't bear to separate you from your beautiful world. I used to add what you and I did every day into my diaries and dream about you at night.

I admit it because we may not have a future. I wanted you to know all this. Then it would be very difficult to die."

“Nina!”

"Nothing is the same anymore, Ed.

"I won't let anything happen to you. If you go, I'll go. I can't look behind you like a wounded bird chasing his herd."

"Ed!" She said, holding my hand tightly. Suddenly something fell on Frai. Nina quickly pulled her hand and the others jumped out of nowhere.

As Kate ran to the control panel, Marcus pulled out his gun and checked the perverse. Something slipped over Frai. When Kate turned the lights there, we were confronted by a giant fried bird. It was black as if it had hit the electrical wires.

"I think we'd better go." Kate said, waking up the Frai.

"What the hell is this?" asked Esme as she looked out the window. As Frai rose, a moving mist or something was heading towards us. It was shrinking and opening in itself and glowing like lightning.