I come to my senses outside. In the still darkness, Kieran stands at my side, looking morose. Rylin is in front of me, standing next to the door of the House of the Shaman. She's holding the teleportation Arcanic that brought us to the earth and back again. Is she waiting to be sealed? Sola flutters by in her new form, a prismatic yellow butterfly. Silent. They all are.
"Are you really okay with this?" I blurt out, taking a step toward Rylin. "There's another way. There has to be."
Rylin looks at me disdainfully. "Are you resolved to make this as difficult for me as possible, August? Can't you just..."
"Is this why we have no Magicians on the moon, Rylin? Are all of us sent to the earth to accomplish our 'fates', and then we're sentenced to spend our whole lives away?"
Rylin smiles. "So you do understand, August. Yes. That is the role of a Magician. To live selflessly. To use our powers with purpose. My power governs the moon. All I can do is lock myself away and create a barrier for our people for as long as I live. And one day, when I die, a new Magician will be born with the power of the moon. And a new Magician, like you, will seal me away. It is how our people on the moon have always lived, August. This is the way of the Nephilim."
As she speaks, the air around us begins to shift. Tiny orbs of light, like fireflies, begin to rise up from the ground. At first dozens, then hundreds. They hum faintly, a sound like distant whispers carried on the wind. Each one feels alive, a spark of something far greater than myself.
One of the orbs floats up near my face, and it emits a resonant pulse. I can feel the light, somehow. It seems...familiar.
"August. I'm so proud of you."
My eyes widen. That voice. It's so familiar. Is it coming from the light?
"M...Mom?"
The light spins around me. "Yes, my darling boy. It's me."
Rylin looks at the light. She can hear its voice too, I presume. "All of the residents of Little Moon Town have been reduced to this form," she says quietly. "A flicker of light. This is all they can be, until the barrier is restored. And if we do not restore it quickly, all of these lights will eventually fade out. Our people will be gone forever."
Another light spins up, hovering around Kieran. "You two are our hopes and prayers. You're going to do great. I know it. But watch out, Kieran. August is and always will be a troublemaker, I fear. You're the smart one, so keep him out of trouble, okay?" Kieran's lips twitch, almost a smile, but his eyes glisten with unshed tears. He's trying to stay strong—for me, for all of us.
I recognize the voice of that speaker. Kieran does too, of course. It's his older brother.
More lights spring up.
"We're depending on you!" I hear. It's one of our childhood friends, Rosaria.
"This is not how we wanted to send you off, boy. But I'm glad we made it here." That's the voice of the shaman, who used to live in this house.
Another voice. One of my closest friends, Ariel. An older boy who's always been something of a role model for me. "I'm going to miss you, bud. Life on the moon won't be the same without you. But hey, you give 'em hell down there, yeah? And know that we're always thinking of you. You're in the hearts of every single one of us, Augs."
"If you weren't so caught up on Rylin all the time, I think you and I could've really hit it off," says another. I chuckle. Rhea's always been so shameless...
Another light floated close - Venetio, I was certain. Even without words, his presence brought back the endless summers where he tagged along, running after me. Calling me 'big bro'.
Their voices blended together, a symphony of hopes, fears, and dreams. Each one was a reminder of who I was—not just a Magician, but a son, a friend, and a boy who had left his mark on Little Moon Town. The well-wishes of my friends. The acknowledgment of my elders. The encouragement of former teachers, and mentors. The love of a community that is placing their trust in me, to build a future where they might all live in peace. They're depending on me to defeat the Flamekeeper. Well...not just me. Kieran and me. It's a task we can only do together.
"You will carry all of our strength with you, always." My mom's voice again. And in that moment, something in me changes. I hear them all - their voices, their hopes, their trust. It all feels so real, so unshakable. The shield I've carried for so long finally begins to crack. I've spent years doubting my place, but I can't anymore. Not when they're all here, depending on me.
I look up, tears streaming down my face. Sobbing. "Everyone..." is about all I can get out as my throat locks up.
A negative thought churns in my head, gnawing at me. I had friends, and I felt loved, but I never believed I made a difference in anyone's life. I used to think that if I'd never been born, everyone would have been just as happy. They'd go on, and make other friends. Maybe I thought that even now - that they'd forget me, the laughs, the smiles, the memory of me.
But I have had an impact, haven't I? In various ways. Not just because I became a Magician. But because I am me. The kind words of my teachers prove that they remember me. Maybe I was just another kid in class, but I was never forgotten. Unseen. Even before I had this great destiny thrust upon me. It was all real. As much as I cared about others, they cared about me, too. My chest tightens, shame bubbling to the surface. Could I have ever really believed they wouldn't care?
"I'm going to make you all proud. I swear it." I'm fighting through the tears. I have to say something.
"You already have." It's not just one voice that speaks, but a chorus. Their words wrap around me, unshakable and bright. They're a part of me now. I'll carry them with me, every hope, every trust, in every step I take.
"This isn't goodbye, everyone. I'll come back someday. You'll see. And I'll take anyone who wants to see the earth! It's beautiful down there," I say, laughing through the tears. "Scary. But beautiful. And from the short time I've spent there already, I can see it is full of wonderful, caring humans. Humans that helped me out, even when they didn't have to. Who stuck their neck out for me, even if it did them no good at all."
Through the lights, I meet Rylin's eyes. Her nod is steady, but her red-rimmed eyes betray her struggle. She's taking deep, measured breaths. Trying to maintain her composure. To project strength. All the while, her fingers tremble as she clutches the Arcanic.
"I'm going to leave you all with Rylin for now. There's nobody I trust more to keep you all safe. Rylin?"
She turns her head to face the ajar door of the House of the Shaman. I walk up to her, and grab her hand in mind.
"Rylin, I love you. And maybe I'm the idiot here. It wouldn't be the first time. But this doesn't feel like the end of our story." I speak quickly, before she can interrupt. "If there's a way back to you, I'll find it. Even if all I ever get to do is tell you how thankful I am for you to be a part of my life. I will carry you with me wherever I go. You're part of me, Ry."
She looks back at me, a lone tear falling down her cheek. She hasn't pulled her hand back yet. There's something she wants to say, too.
"I won't be waiting for you, August." Her words are crushing, but she continues. "You have your own destiny to fulfill. And you'll find your own life to live. But..."
I wait for her to finish. Her words are important to me. They always have been.
"But if we do ever see each other again, August, then there's something I might like to say to you."
She lets go of my hand. "Terranea Celesisancta. Speak those words when I close the door. It will seal me, and return you and Kieran to the earth. And...thank you, August. Not a day will go by when I won't think of you, and pray for your success. You'll do amazing things, August. I've always believed that. Goodbye."
She steps into the House of the Shaman before I can say anything else, and shuts the door.
I turn my head to the chorus of lights. Kieran and Sola approach me softly. "Everyone," I say one last time. "Thank you. Take care. I'll never stop moving forward, until the day I can see you all again." I feel Kieran's hand on my shoulder, and he gives me an affirming squeeze. He's with me. He always is.
And then I turn to the door. My voice trembles as I say the words that will send us away: 'Terranea Celesisancta.' The air shifts, heavy with finality, and I feel the pull of the earth already calling me back. For a brief moment, I think I hear them—their voices, soft as a sigh, carrying me forward.