Synergy (See #3)(36)

“Where did they take us in the string? How did they teach us to get to The Realm?”

“Seeing the string was effortless. Landen had a theory that we were reborn in such a place, that on our birth, the glow of the string – the energy of the world -- was captured in our eyes. They told us that the world we were in was in its infancy, that at that time we would cause more strife than healing by staying there. They took us to another world, one that was filled with souls who often spoke to their higher self. They spent most of their time in mediation. It was in that world that we grasped who or what we were.”

I could see this place coming to life in my memory. It was a place that my wildest dreams could not create. Everything glowed. You could see the energy of the Earth lingering on everything, not just the living things. It was full of peace and understanding. The people there were not ruled by emotions, they were witnesses. They saw themselves as separate from the body...they were like angels. “They taught us to see our bodies as moving energy. They showed us how to move from place to place with a thought.”

Silas nodded. “Until that point, we had seen ourselves as living. We had focused on our bodies as a solid substance, but that was not the case ... our bodies perished ... our soul was walking the Earth, now holding the image our bodies had ... we learned that we could disappear to the human eye, that any distance for us could be traveled within an instant ... we learned how to invoke peace, to calm those we were meant to help. They showed us how powerful we really were.”

“They weren’t like that, though, those people, Landen and Willow,” I clarified, trying to make sure my imagination was not filling my memories with things that were untrue.

Silas moved his head from side to side. “They had bodies, they lived and died. What they knew of us was more of a feeling. Even though their knowledge of us seemed to be clear, we understood after a while that they were not answering our questions; we were, the answers were always inside of us. We had just been too preoccupied with thinking that we were alive.”

“We should have stayed there,” I mumbled, wishing for the peace of that place.

“We stayed for fifty years, then Willow and Landen came back there. They were old and ready to die. Before their last breath they took us to other worlds. Our perspective had changed ... we didn’t see the hungry, or the artist struggling to show their passion; we saw the auras of light. We saw the Escorts for the first time. Landen taught me how to end them. Later we discovered where Escorts were created. We discovered The Realm by following them. Landen opened the door for us. We took the first step. Understanding came, our life path was clear.”

I swallowed hard, fearing meeting Landen. I feared he would take Silas’ side, that he would want to end Draven. I told myself if Draven were the one that saved him, that maybe he would see my point of view, that the Escorts could be saved, that The Realm would perish once they were.

“What are you supposed to tell them? What do we know that they do not know? If you know they need us, that they are in danger, then why are you calmly sitting here?”

“I’ve been watching them for centuries. Waiting for the moment I must take action. The time is near. Now I have to find and protect the ones they told me to.”

Wait. What? “Who? Where are you going to find them?”

“Old souls die in old cities, and when they repeat their death, they become like me. I was told to comfort and guide them, to not let them fear what they are or drift aimlessly for hundreds of years the way we did.”

“What? What are you talking about? People are going to die, and you are going to let them? Do nothing to stop it?!”

“It’s not my place to stop it.”

“You’re not a reaper, at least I don’t think you are. Do they even want to become what you are? Is that even fair?”

“They will have the choice, and you only become what I am, what you were, if you feel your fight is not over, if you know that your work is unfinished.”

“A ghost.”

“Undead.”

“Whatever. I don’t think I agree with that. If I knew people were going to die, even if they would still be here in some way, I would prepare them for it, give them some kind of warning.”

“Everyone in your path chose to be there.”

“Fine. Look,” I said, standing, “you do what you have to do, what they told you to do. Right now, I’m getting Monroe out of here. I’m getting Draven out of here.”

“Monroe needs to be in Chara, at least for now.”

“And the rest of us?” I asked.

His stare cascaded over me. Want. I felt want emanating from him. I wasn’t his. Not anymore. “It’s not time to rest; it’s time to fight.” He finally said.

“Do you know for sure if Landen is the one with Bianca? Can you reach him?”

He didn’t answer; he just looked away from me.

“Fine then. Tell me what he said to you so I can say it to them; it may be what I need to say to save him.”

He moved his head from side to side. “I may love you, but I do not trust you. Landen told me in private for a reason. Willow had her reasons for speaking to you alone as well.”

“Yeah, but I don’t remember – you do. That means you should find them; this is all happening for a reason.”

“Maybe you should see the moment she spoke to you,” he said in a damning tone.