Page 98 of Fractured Souls

Let go.

He’s here. Everything’s going to be okay.

Bit by bit, her inhibitions fell away. She let her barriers drop, let Anuk take over for one last time as the light entered her body through her eyes and spread all over, becoming one with the thousands of souls circling above.

And for a split-second, she joined the Universe, and she saw everything. Billions of years of Tharian history, the spectacular rise of one of the greatest civilizations the Universe had ever known, until they were destroyed by the terrifying Zor.

Now the few remaining Tharians existed in the wind and the dust of their once verdant planet, disconnected from technology, living in perfect balance, their memories transferred from one living body to the next through the ithari.

They could have stayed like that for another billion years.

She saw how the Universe began, and she saw how it would end.

She saw her own life, so tiny, so insignificant that it wasn’t even a microscopic speck of dust against the brilliance of the Universe.

There were no words in human language to describe how insignificant she was.

Nothing mattered anymore.

I’m ready, Alexis. You can let go now.

On the verge of going completely insane, she hesitated. An ache grew in her chest. She’d been bonded with Anuk for only a short time, but it felt like forever.

I know it is hard, child, but you will survive this. In the words of your formidable mate, don’t question it. Use it. Thank you, Alexis, for saving my people. Goodbye, human. We will meet again.

Goodbye, Anuk.

And with that, Anuk flowed through her, caressing her mind in a final gesture of overwhelming warmth, and then she let go, slipping away into the dazzling light.

For a single sublime moment, she joined the shared consciousness of hundreds of thousands of Tharians.

Then the ithari surged through the open portal and disappeared into the cloudless blue sky.

Alexis felt like her mind had been cracked open. Her emotions spilled over. Sadness, euphoria, anger, excitement, arousal… all mixing together in a hot, volcanic mess that no human mind should be able to withstand.

Every single barrier she’d ever erected was down. She was as helpless and innocent as the day she’d been born.

You are nothing.

In the distance, a man was barking orders. She saw other people; blue-skinned, silver-skinned, it didn’t matter. All she knew was that the sun was shining down upon her face, and it was blissfully warm.

She started to cry. She didn’t really know why.

“Get out, now. All of you.” The man spoke again, his voice deep and commanding. There was something familiar about his voice. It had a calming effect on her, despite his imperious tone.

Now he turned his focus on her. “Alexis.”

Is that… me?

“Alexis, look at me.”

The light was blinding. She struggled to focus.

“Alexis.” He said her name again. Only he could say her name like that.

Her world solidified again. Her tears stopped flowing.

She looked up. “N-Nythian?”

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