Page 52 of Aries

“The Waters reveal truth thatcannot be spoken,” the blue-robed Committee member explains. “Not memories—you’ve already shared those—but the deeper currents that run beneath.”

As we wade deeper, the water around us transforms, shifting colors with each step. Where our joined hands break the surface, golden light spreads in rippling waves. The sensation is unlike anything from our Memory Reconciliation Sessions—this isn’t about seeing past events, but feeling the emotional truth behind them.

“It’s showing us…” My voice is awed, watching ribbons of light twine around our arms.

“What we’ve become,” Aries finishes, his voice filled with wonder. “I’ve been fighting this for weeks,” he admits quietly,his eyes never leaving mine. “Telling myself it was gratitude, or circumstance, or anything but what it really is.”

“What is it really?” I ask.

“You know what it is, Callie. You feel it too.”

The waters reach our waists, and suddenly I understand what we’re seeing. Not memories replayed, but the invisible threads that have formed between us through every trial, every confession, every moment of growth. The connection we’ve built shimmers around us, made visible in this sacred space.

“I feel you,” I murmur, amazed at the depth of it. “Not just physically—it’s like I can sense the shape of your thoughts.”

“It’s what’s been growing all along,” he says, his eyes reflecting the water’s glow.“Behind all the rules and distance.”

The waters pulse, shifting to reveal not what was, but what could be. As they reach our shoulders, the light changes, showing glimpses of possible futures—clear pathways forming where once there were only walls and barriers.

“You’ve faced your shared past,” the Committee calls. “Now, face your deepest fears about your future.”

The waters shift again, showingpossible futures: Aries withdrawing once more, building new walls; myself keeping emotional distance, too afraid of being hurt again.

“That’s not what I want,” I say fiercely, turning to face him fully in the glowing pool. “I’m not afraid anymore.”

“Nor am I,” he responds, his free hand rising to hover near my cheek as though he doesn’t fully believe we’ve finally been given permission to touch. “Fiveannumswas enough wasted time.”

The waters pulse a final time, rising to form an arch over our heads before slowly receding, leaving us standing in an empty basin, our hands still clasped.

Suddenly, a figure crashes through the chamber’s entrance—one of the protesters from outside, his face twisted with desperation and hatred. In his hand gleams a weapon, aimed directly at the Committee members.

“No redemption for killers!” he screams, lunging forward.

Without thinking, Aries releases my hand and throws himself between the attacker and the crystalline beings who have guided our journey. The weapon’s energy bolt sears past his shoulder as he tackles the man to the ground.

“Aries!” My scream echoes through the chamber as I rush to help, also breaking our connection to subdue the attacker.

Shortly after the mayhem, security arrives to restrain the man. The Committee’s faceted eyes shift between us—no longer connected, our hands no longer joined, standing apart in the sacred space.

“Physical contact has been broken,” they intone solemnly. “Connection severed during the final trial.”

My heart stops. Blood roars in my ears as the world tilts sideways. After everything—all the trials, all the growth, all the love we’ve built—Aries’ protective instincts have doomed us both. I can’t breathe. Can’t think. The chamber spins around me as months of hope crumble to ash.

“That constitutes your third mark,” they continue, and I feel despair crash through me like a tidal wave. “No,” I whisper, the word torn from my soul. “Please, no. Take me instead. Execute me. He was protecting you—protecting everyone. Please—”

“Under the laws of the Redemption Rites…”

The pause stretches for an eternity. I reach for Aries, our eyes locking across the space that now feels like a chasm. His face holds no regret—only fierce protectiveness and devastating love. He would do it again, I realize. He would choose their safety over his own life every single time.

“I love you,” he mouths silently, and I feel my heartshatter completely.

Then—impossibly—the Committee’s crystalline forms begin to… glow brighter?

“However,” their voices shift, carrying something that might be warmth, “your willingness to sever your own connection to protect others—to risk the very redemption you’ve fought for in service of a higher cause—demonstrates the transformation these Rites seek to achieve more powerfully than any trial we could devise.”

“The final mark is not merely waived—it is transformed into the ultimate proof of your worthiness. You have shown that your love extends beyond yourselves, that your redemption serves not just your own healing, but the protection of others.”

“Aries Dravek Zavalon,” they intone formally, “having completed all required trials, having demonstrated genuine transformation through connection, you are hereby granted full redemption under Sanctorii law. Your sentencefrom Garrox Prime is commuted. You are free to choose your path forward.”

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