Page 162 of The Doll and The Domination

“Ruth.” Skylenna’s voice resonates through my entire being like a cosmic blast. Like the voice of God. She squeezes Dessin’s hand as he looks down at me from behind her.

“I wasn’t there for you when you needed me most,” she says with both calm and serious lines hardening her expression. “Let me be here now. Let me bring you peace.”

I swallow then blink. And the floor melts from under me. I slip backward, freefalling through the air, never looking away from Skylenna’s soothing gaze. Her hair flies around her in wild, golden waves.

“Don’t be afraid,” she says with a voice that resembles all things holy and powerful. “You won’t feel any pain where we’re going.”

I’m not afraid. The wind of the fall feels like dry water. Like tearing through layers of another world. It’s guiding us to a place that robs me of all anguish. And all I can do is exhale.

Behind Skylenna’s head, the darkness blots away. Pinholes of cerulean blue and fluffy clouds chase away the eternal black. And suddenly, my head is surrounded by tall blades of grass and the most incredible scent of lavender.

Skylenna brushes my hair away from my face. “Do you see that?”

I squint, my eyes involuntarily watering at the blasting rays of sunlight.

“You’re seeing the sun again,” she says with a smile.

I don’t know how she’s done it. But my entire spirit is levitating with the gentle allure of happiness. The kind that warms your cheeks and sends euphoric shivers down your spine. I take a deep breath, absorbing the floral aroma, the fresh air, the sunlight.

“Where are we?” I ask.

Her face lights up like a blooming wildflower. “The Ambrose Oasis.”

She helps me sit up so I can take in the heavenly view. The purple wisteria dancing in the breeze. The vast meadow with oversized sunflowers, violet candytufts, and huge evergreen trees forming a protective perimeter around us. It’s the meadow where we finally reunited with Dessin and Skylenna again. A little sanctuary for a small amount of time.

“It feels like heaven,” I say quietly to myself. “Have I died?”

“No, you’re alive. But I think God gave me a small piece of heaven, and this is it. To use for moments like this.”

I look down to see my toes clenching around flower petals. My legs basking in the warm sun. With confusion wrinkling my brow, I slide my gaze to Skylenna.

“No matter what happens to us in life, I can always bring us here. Heaven is where you can see your loved ones again. And although Ambrose Oasis isn’t quite that… at least you can run again, Ruth. Let me give you that much.”

My hands press over my mouth to suppress a happy cry, although a moment flashes through me. The moment they found me kissing Kaspias. The moment I cut ties with my soul sister forever.

“I don’t deserve this,” I mutter from behind my fingers. “I broke our family.”

“No, you didn’t, Ruth.” Skylenna pulls my hands away from my mouth so she can hold them. “You were manipulated with a stronger form of Mind Phantoms. The memories you have of betraying us aren’t real. Kaspias deceived us all. But I should have known. I should have believed in your pure heart.”

I study our entwined hands, trying to understand how this could have happened.

“I’m so sorry, Ruth. I let you down. It’s my fault this happened to you.”

“I didn’t…betray you?” The memories feel real, yet I can’t connect with them at all.

“Never,” she replies sadly. “But deep down, you must have known something was off. You’re the one that got me to look into the void for the truth.”

I nod. “Everything aside from my love for my family felt detached. I remember being a spy or a traitor, but have no feelings connected to those images. Only to the ones of loving you all. I guess I was hoping you would discover I wasn’t the villain.”

“Not a villain.” Skylenna’s eyes fill with tears. “A hero. You’re a fucking hero, Ruth.”

“And…still your soul sister?” I ask.

She laughs wetly with tears forming rivers down her cheeks. “You’ll always be my soul sister. And although I can’t change what happened, I think I can help your mind suppress the false memories. May I?”

I invite Skylenna into my heart, my mind, my memories. It takes several moments of feeling her swim through each moment I’ve been given to feel ashamed over. The traitorous past of my fake relationship with Kaspias. The times I never actually shared any special information with him about my friends. It was all a lie. She detangles the thick web of fabricated moments, stores them somewhere deep in the back of my head. A place I won’t find easily.

After it’s all done, a great shadow shifts in front of us. DaiSzek steps around Skylenna to nuzzle his nose against my legs.

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