CHAPTER THREE

WHEN THE WORLD WILL END

A vent whined above the window of Addey’s room as it spewed cold air around him. Addey pulled his arms closer to his core, attempting to stay warm as he stared up at the flat ceiling. His eyes were dry, each blink grinding against his eyelids, like sandpaper on skin.

What time was it?

A few hours past midnight at least.

Learning some of the details of the hunt clearly hadn’t helped with his sleep, though he hardly expected it to put his mind at ease. Still, the feeling of fatigue combined with the occupied state of his mind wasn’t a sensation he was happy to be getting used to.

Everything was fine.

Everything. Is always. Fine, Addey told himself, lacing his fingers across his stomach’s bare skin. They were slick with sweat, baking within the oven made from trapping his body heat under a thick blanket.

He fidgeted with his hands a moment, gently swiping the cold moisture from his skin and rubbing it between his fingertips, before eventually placing his arms at his sides.

Addey took a deep breath, almost able to hear the lungs themselves inflating with air, stretching to accommodate each intake.

The room was silent, besides the vent above him, the sounds of his body, and the steady ringing noise that played in his ear when everything went still.

Silence was a rare occasion for most. Some people never even got to hear it… or not hear it— Addey wasn’t sure. He wasn’t even certain if this was actual silence that he was experiencing. There was still noise, which made Addey incredibly curious about what the true lack of sound was like.

Addey was afraid he’d never be able to experience the sensation due to a common ear condition that forced him to listen to an annoying ring constantly, which seemed to come out louder at night.

Red storms, he was tired of that sound.

Perhaps it was the reason for his terrible sleep, though he knew better than to actually believe it was the sole motive, even if it undoubtedly was making it harder to close his eyes for an extended period of time.

Addey sighed, then sat upward, pushing on arms that felt they could barely lift themselves, let alone his entire torso. He moved, swinging his legs off the side of the bed, and then, with more effort than should have been needed, Addey stood. His back was against a large window along the length of his mattress, the shading feature on it activated.

No light was let in unless unshaded by hitting a button on either his desk to Addey’s left or at the panel by his door.

He preferred it on, to where the moons’ light wasn’t allowed in. Any light at all became distracting when the conditions to sleep were so specific.

The night sky itself was distracting as well. Addey swore at this point he had already memorized the shape and size of every crater on each of the three moons. Obviously, this had also helped him differentiate which moon was which. That alone was impossible to many, considering their appearances were so similar.

Addey walked to the entrance of his room, tapped a button beside it, and watched as the door glided into the wall, allowing him outside. The lights were still on, as they frequently were even when everyone was asleep.

Addey couldn’t help but compare his home to a hospital at midnight. Cold and vacant, though with the underlying knowledge that there were people surrounding him.

What a strange feeling to have in the place he grew up.

The hallway bled a white glow, filling his previously dark room with a dormant life that it had lost at night, revealing his bed against the window, his desk, and a few other pieces of furniture he paid no mind to.

The air at this time of night felt… different. Calm. Somehow more fresh. Like the stillness of it made the oxygen taste different.

Addey was sure there was a reason for that, even considering he was a few thousand feet above ground.

Stepping from the doorframe, Addey began down the walkway toward his living room. Each step almost seemed to echo through his entire penthouse, signaling to his family he was awake… but he knew they wouldn’t be alert to his strife.

Addey did this most nights, so he knew his noise wouldn’t be enough to wake his brother or parents. But they weren’t who he was afraid of warning.

Tonight… tonight was different. Addey would frequently leave his bed around this time, walk around his house, and then lay back down, but tonight… he would leave.

Not long, of course. Where would he go? Addey was a kid. He couldn’t just run away. But he did want a few hours to himself just to… roam, he guessed.

He wasn’t exactly sure of what he wanted from this. Time alone from his guards, whom he needed to avoid in the first place, and with that, some time to think away from others and his bedroom.

But there was another reason too. One Addey wasn’t keen on admitting.

The last time he wandered away from the protection his family’s organization offered, he had been kidnapped. And sure, the situation had been less than ideal… but that time in Addey’s life became something so important to him. He learned a lot about himself. It made him feel important. It was the reason for how he felt now. Addey now knew there was a purpose he lacked.

When kept in that cell underground, his purpose was to escape and get home… but now he was home. What did he do with his life now? What was his purpose before all of that?

The question ate at his mind. Rang through his head like that sound in his ears at night. He would do anything to find purpose again, even if it was putting himself back in dangerous situations to do so… even if that itself, was one of the hardest things for Addey to explain.

Eventually, he made it to the side of the building where the elevator ran up and down. Addey removed a sweater from a coat rack within the wall, then pulled it over his head. By the time he had finished, the lift’s door opened allowing him inside.

The ride downward was much similar to the one going up the previous day. The same thoughts came to him. Three worlds. Three moons. Three arms. Three levels. Everything was so strange now. That realization was sticking like a thumbtack in his heart. He was so small. Everything was so small. So… unimportant. How could he change that?

Addey wasn’t sure he could.

Perhaps acceptance was the only way to move forward.

Soon, the elevator stopped at the ground level and opened up to a large empty lobby. Like a field of tile floor, illuminated by warm lights hanging overhead. A small receptionist’s desk was placed against the wall Addey walked from, an equally small woman standing there. She turned to see who he was, gave him a quick good morning, then turned back to what she was doing. Addey looked around for anyone else, but they were the only two there. The building security would be outside at this time of night. Addey would need to get past them as well.

During this shift, only a single guard worked to protect Addey from harm. Apparently, his father didn’t think he would need more than that to keep Addey upstairs. That was turning out to be wrong.

Who was working tonight? Tine? Addey thought. Where was he? The guard should have been nearby. Addey’s own security was usually stationed somewhere in the building when he was home. So it was strange that Addey hadn’t come across him yet.

Thinking of that, Addey rolled his eyes. He was stupid for trying this. He got lucky. Addey probably should have put more thought into sneaking past his guard, than just taking the main elevator down and risking being spotted.

Lucky indeed. It would have been easy for Tine just to have stood at the bottom, watching the lift. That made Addey feel uneasy. Something seemed off since the guard was nowhere in sight.

Addey decided to keep that in mind. Best not to underplay anything when the small details mattered. He had to take everything into account. Addey was sneaking out after all. He had to be careful.

Walking slowly, but with a steady haste — Addey didn’t know how else to describe; he moved efficiently perhaps — Addey progressed through the large lobby area toward a side door. While doing so, he kept his eyes peeled for Tine. Either the man was good at hiding, or not very good at his job… and Addey always considered Tine the best security he had.

Soon, he made it to that exit without interruption, and without hesitating, left through it. Best not to waste time.

The night air was cold. Mixing in with the constant falling rain of Lavoden, each drop stung, like daggers plummeting from the sky.

The temperature of the entire planet around this time of year stayed at a steady degree of just above freezing. It rarely snowed, but felt like it should have without end.

Addey shivered almost immediately after stepping out, the cold quickly latching onto him, like a predator hunting new victims in its territory.

Despite the uncomfortable environment, Addey continued forward with no exact goal in sight.

Fog flowed through and past the buildings towering around Addey as he walked. Skyscrapers shot upward into the clouds, their lights disappearing into that mist. The night sky above, made visible from the tears ripped open by the buildings reaching that high, was a matte black, made almost blue by the Sun a few hours from rising.

On the street Addey walked along, headlights beamed through the low atmosphere of rain and fog. A car hummed past, its electric motor whirring as its wheels splashed water toward the sidewalk.

Addey should have been a victim of this, but vents placed along the edges of roads silently blasted warm air from beneath the city upward, creating an invisible barrier for pedestrians to walk. That luxury was lost in most parts of Deep City; destroyed by a war that waged when Addey was just a baby. The Civil War in the East nearly destroyed this metropolis, and was the reason it was split between the North and South. The two countries that resulted from this war ripped Deep City in half, each claiming their own portion that they would soon abandon.

That led to Addey’s family taking residency here, finding an opportunity in this place’s weakness. Soon after, other gangs, the Stars, the Reds, and Ayrow’s Riders formed, following the example Addey’s father set.

Even the police department, a privately funded organization that had to be re-founded after the war, discovered ways to make money from the struggles of the citizens living here.

Sure, the government still almost existed in the city, but when the mayor was held in the pocket of a crime lord, most looked to him as only an extension of the Organization.

Addey could ask anyone he saw on the sidewalk — there weren’t many at this time of night, but still a few — who the most influential group in Deep City was, and he could guarantee the answers would vary, but none would say the government.

Even the— what? four or five Daisters in Deep City had more power than the law. Thinking of that made Addey scoff. Watching Bearlan alone, which was… something terrifying, Addey was sure the man could do whatever he wanted with no fear of consequence.

That’s not even mentioning that some gang leaders had those Daisters under their control, such as the one that Addey’s father recently employed. It was a secret of course, as most tried to keep their powerful weapons away from any sort of spotlight.

Thinking of those creatures— no, those people, made Addey shiver. Individuals who came back from the dead with the unnatural ability to drain life from others and turn their own bodies to smoke.

Addey saw it first-hand. A Daister evaporating into mist, then reappearing somewhere else, just to slice another man in half with that same smoke. It left an impression.

Looking up into the sky, watching the dark clouds swirl and dance as they flung droplets of water to the ground, Addey understood why some called Daisters creatures of the storm.

Their eyes glowed like the red lightning of the stormfront. They sprayed blood, the liquid raining alongside the water from the clouds. And their movements… swift like the smoke itself.

Addey turned downward, finding a bench bolted to the sidewalk. He looked back, no longer seeing the Sartan Spire. How far had he walked? It didn’t seem that long of a time.

Taking a seat, Addey first wiped water from the bench’s metal, before cleaning his hand off on his thigh. And there… he observed.

Looking across the road, to the opposite sidewalk, Addey watched people as they passed by, focusing on each individual, creating stories for them all. Realizing the worlds— the three levels of society, it was suddenly difficult to see a difference between the people themselves when taken from the class they fit into.

If they were all so small enough to find a home in these worlds, then they were all small enough for that social standing not to matter when taken together.

Addey was at the top, but one of these people could’ve just as easily been born in the same position. When broken down into blood and bone… they were all the same. There was no difference between the rich and the poor, the Easterners or Westerners, or even the Reds and the Sartans.

Addey had learned that months ago, but just now began understanding. Some people were good. Some were bad. But the two weren’t reserved for any specific group.

But he was a Sartan. He was supposed to be loyal. Sure, the Reds might be just as bad as Addey’s organization, but Addey still had to choose a side, as did everyone, and he would always choose his family.

Soon, another person passed by. A man — elderly, which seemed to be rare in Deep City — hobbled past. He dressed in warm clothing, a thick coat over a three-piece suit that looked disheveled. He had messy grey hair and eyes that were exhausted from staring at a screen for the past day.

He was an older man who should’ve been retired by now but couldn’t save enough money to get him through the rest of his life due to the circumstances this evil city placed on him. Now, he was forced to work terrible hours for pay that would’ve been fine if he wasn’t struggling with medical bills from his past. Just to survive, he had to work day and night to afford an apartment an hour's bus ride from here.

He lived on the outskirts of the Core, in a ring known for its poverty. This man worked tirelessly, while Addey had enough time to go out and people-watch.

This man’s story came easily to Addey’s imagination. He had seen this person before… or sort of. Not this specific individual, but the idea of him. The stereotype. In the same way thousands of people have heard of who Addey was from stories of characters like himself. The son of a rich man, whose problems were nothing compared to those of people actually struggling.

Addey’s heart felt strange… being with these people; this man. Addey didn’t belong here. Their lives were hard. He had no right to claim he was lost. Nothing Addey would ever do would be as hard as that man’s normal day. He felt disappointed in himself that he couldn’t see that earlier.

He was entitled; unable to realize how well off his life truly was. Addey could watch these people, try to understand their hardships, but he never would. It just wasn’t possible. And no matter how hard he tried, Addey couldn’t rid his mind of the things he was going through.

On the outside, telling himself that his problems were nothing compared to theirs was easy, but actually listening to those words in his head and changing… well, Addey wasn’t sure how to do that.

Ten minutes or so passed of Addey sitting on that bench, trying to discredit all the problems he was facing. But by the end of it, the thoughts just made him feel worse.

Turning to the sky once again, into the freezing rain, Addey nearly gave up. Why am I like this? Addey asked himself— or maybe even Jesan… if she would ever answer. I have everything. A family, a home. So, why am I not… happy?

Addey blinked, struck by those words.

Not happy, he repeated, hardly understanding himself. What did he mean by that? Addey looked down into his hands, slick with rainwater. Unlike before, with sweat from his stomach, Addey didn’t feel for the moisture.

He couldn’t.

The world became different. He wasn’t there.

The lights of the buildings surrounding him dimmed. Color itself faded. His perception of everything became distant. The droplets of water on his skin, constantly being drained away by gravity, didn’t have feeling. Their cold sting turned numb.

In a single moment, without warning or some flash as it began, everything changed… though now, while within whatever this was, it was terribly difficult to tell the difference between this state and normal existence, like in a split second, he forgot what it was like to perceive regularly.

For an extended period, one that Addey couldn’t understand, time was almost meaningless. He stared forward, life passing and out of his control.

After being in this condition for however long, a touch on his shoulder brought him back to reality.

Addey turned, looking up at a man standing over him. Tine frowned as his eyes locked on Addey’s. Behind him, the moons’ light shone through the clouds, coming from a different position than mere moments ago.

“Tine,” Addey said, genuinely confused to see his bodyguard there. “What’re you—”

“Stop,” Tine interrupted, his voice low and soft — guiding — causing Addey to pause. Instead of more words, Tine took in a deep breath, then sat next to Addey on the wet bench.

Addey looked to the ground; a dark grey, slick and reflecting light from the skyscrapers above. The cold returned, feeling almost like hundreds of needles puncturing his skin.

“Are you okay?” Tine’s voice finally asked, distracting Addey from the freeze.

“Yeah, I—”

“Don’t lie to me, Addey.”

“I’m not— It’s not a lie.”

Tine audibly sighed, rolling his head backward. “I’m not the smartest man you’ll ever meet,” he began, “and I’m definitely not as smart as you, but I can tell when someone is struggling. I’ve been alive long enough to have that gift.”

Addey stopped for a long moment, thinking about those words and letting the silence sit in. He daydreamed about telling someone about all of the confusion in his heart, but every time he was given an opportunity, he was suddenly better. He had everything under control. There was no purpose in letting people know how he was breaking down.

Because he would fix it. By himself.

“Why do you think I’m struggling?” Addey asked, no longer wanting to listen to the ringing in his ear or the rain splash against the sidewalk.

Without hesitation or a moment of pause, Tine answered, “The way you talk. You used to not be so down. The way you look. You always look exhausted. How you have little patience for anyone anymore. You are quick to anger. And how you—”

“I get it,” Addey stopped Tine, voice harsh. “I get it. I’m different now,” he whispered.

“We’ve all been there, Addey. Men. Women. Old and young. Everybody… at some point in their life will experience what you are going through.”

Addey took in a deep breath. “I— I’m fine. I told you that. I—”

“Addey… it’s one thing telling me that, but when all the signs point to something different… it’s hard to believe in what you’re saying.” Tine closed his eyes, seeming to think back to something.

“My— my problems,” Addey started, trying to find the words to say, “they don’t matter. This will pass. I already have a plan to get rid of it. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Tine cracked his knuckles, fidgeting. “I made a mistake saying it wasn’t my responsibility before, but it is. I do need to. I know that now. That’s my job.”

“It’s your job to protect me. That’s it.”

“It’s my job to protect you from anything that wants to hurt you. And to me that includes your own head,” Tine said, pushing a finger just above Addey’s ear. “And I know that’s one of the most dangerous things for a boy your age. Especially you.”

“I’m not going to hurt myself, Tine,” Addey claimed, defensive. “I’m not that type of person.”

Suddenly, Tine spun, grabbed Addey’s shoulders, and pulled him so they faced each other. Addey was jolted, forced to make eye contact with the much larger man.

“Most don’t think so either! Not until they’ve resorted to that. I’m responsible for you. You, Addey! I won’t let anything like that happen. I can’t.”

Addey blinked, eyes still wide. “I— I promise.”

“Damn it, Addey,” Tine groaned. “You’re not understanding me. Don’t sound so sure when you don’t know.”

“I do know. I won’t ever do that. I told you! I have a plan to fix this.”

“Oh, and what’s your plan?” Tine asked. “Join the Sons? Go on a hunt and kill a man? Risk your own life for that? What is that going to solve, Addey?”

His words were heavy. Impactful.

“It will solve everything!” Addey yelled, causing a few pedestrians to give quick glances. “I don’t know— I don’t know who I’m supposed to be… Tine. This will help me find out. It will give me my purpose!”

Tine paused, his eyes showing a… pain. An understanding more likely. Addey looked into them and felt seen. This man… felt the pain Addey was experiencing. He had gone through this before. It was all shown through those eyes.

“Killing a man… joining those boys will not do what you want it to,” Tine told Addey softly. “But that’s something you need to figure out on your own.”

“And how will I do that? How do I figure out who I am if it isn’t a part of the Sons? It’s who my father wants. It’s who everyone wants me to be.”

Tine waited a moment to speak, obviously choosing his next words carefully. “You’re not supposed to know who you are yet… Addey. This is the time in your life you search for that. You’re not like them— the Sons of the Six. You’re different. You’ve always been better than them.”

Addey felt strange. Something was bubbling up within him, wanting out. But what was it? What was that feeling?

“How? How am I better than them if I’m so confused about myself?” Addey turned away, so… mixed up in his own mind. “I don’t even know if the words I’m saying make sense. Everything is so hard—”

Tine tightened his grip on Addey’s shoulders, turning him back again. “I understand you, Addey.”

“I— I don’t—” Addey didn’t know what to say. For the first time in his life… he didn’t have a response. So many words— so many thoughts. They all collided in his head, fusing together into something impossible to let out. Addey pulled away from Tine, and moved his legs up the bench, wrinkling clothes. He wrapped his hands around his knees… and cried.

The moisture on his cheeks was a sensation the rain made him used to, but now… it was different. Addey felt each individual drop, the realization of emotions he was finally letting out, sweeping through his body, like pressure being released.

“One day the world will end,” Tine began, keeping a comforting hand on Addey’s shoulder. “Our bodies will decompose and every memory and dream will be swept away with whatever dust is left. We will be gone.” Addey could feel Tine’s eyes, like lasers into his soul. “But that doesn’t mean this is all for nothing or that you need a set purpose in this life. We live for the now. We live for what we have, not for what thoughts are left of us after we are long gone. Be who you are, not what you think you need to be for someone else. I’ll tell you this, Addey, it’s not worth it.”

Addey looked over, his vision a mess of blurry light. Colors leaked in from the buildings and neon signs surrounding him. Pale hues, wandering through the fog.

The moons, somewhere overhead — great reflectors of the Sun’s glow — reached down to Addey, wrapping their cold fingers around him… but he still felt warm.

Why?

Addey wiped a hand across his eyes, and for a brief moment, before the moisture returned, he saw Tine sitting there beside him, reaching an arm around Addey’s shoulder.

The older man held him close as more tears streamed from his eyes. Addey leaned into his bodyguard… and let everything out.

All the hopelessness.

All the confusion.

Both were replaced with an even greater drive to find out who he was. Before the events of a few months ago… Addey was so sure. So sure of his personality… but afterward he had learned things about himself that somehow made him disconnect.

In this moment, letting his emotions finally show, Addey realized he had been on the path of understanding himself, but it just had been halted by who he thought he needed to be for his family.

When Addey was kidnapped, his father tried with everything in his power to get him back… and for a reason only Addey’s subconscious knew, Addey registered that as a need for Addey to be a part of the Organization. Not a desire for his father to have his son home safe.

Perhaps Addenei Sartan felt different than what Addey believed, but he couldn’t help the way he felt.

“I don’t know, Tine,” Addey said, pulling away and wiping his eyes once again.

“It’s okay not to know,” Tine consoled, letting Addey sit up straight. “At times I get confused too. Sometimes I wonder if this is really who I am as well. If… a long time ago I made a wrong decision that led me to the man I’ve become.”

Addey moved his eyes to the ground, tears slowly leaking. “It’s so hard. I don’t know if I’m making the right decisions. I don’t want to regret what I choose.”

Tine started. “Addey, I don’t regret the choices I’ve made.”

Addey looked up. “But you said you were confused?”

“Yes, I did,” Tine admitted, “but confusion and regret are two different things. You can wonder about the type of man you could’ve been without regretting the man you are.”

“But I still don’t know the man I am, Tine.”

The bodyguard gave a gentle smile. One that’s warmth could almost be felt through the cold rain. “Discovering yourself is something you do on your own… but not entirely without help. I am here for you in whichever ways will benefit you the most.”

Addey squinted, the moisture in his eyes slowing. “How? How do I do this on my own if you’re helping?”

Tine cleared his throat, letting out a deep cough. “It’s more guidance, I guess. I can advise you down a certain path, but I cannot walk you down it, if that makes sense.”

Addey nodded understandingly. “Which path should I take then? I was so uncertain… then I found ways that joining the Sons would help me. I was sure that’s what I needed to do, but I feel so… wrong about it.”

Tine coughed again, before nodding quickly. “It’s a certain type of masculinity that you and I share, Addey.” He tilted his head. “We don’t like hurting people. We are protectors.”

“Protectors?” Addey questioned, setting a hand on the bench to his side. “I haven’t protected anyone ever.”

“It’s more of a… generalization. Would you prefer to protect others, or harm them?”

Well, Addey thought, wouldn’t everyone choose to protect? Maybe not. Some protect. Some harm. Then some do nothing at all… and in a way, that can be just as bad as the second.

“Protect,” Addey said confidently, warranting a grin from Tine, “but… my initiation. I’m… harming in order to protect my family. Which one am I if I do that?”

“You have to answer that on your own,” Tine began, “I’ve shown you the path to follow.”

And which path was that? Did Addey continue with the hunt? If he did, how would he feel after it was over? What if, by the end, he learned he wasn’t who he wanted to be… a protector as Tine thought of him?

“The hunt is tomorrow,” Addey said, a frown on his lips. “I’m going to go. I don’t know who I am, but I think I know who I want to be. I need to be there.”

Tine smiled again, then gave a sharp nod. “You’ll know soon then. I think this is a very mature decision, Addey. I’m proud of you.”

Addey returned the grin, wiping his eyes one final time. His outburst of emotion was quick, but definitely needed. Tine’s words… felt real. Not words said by someone only trying to make him feel better. They were words that understood Addey’s struggle.

That meant something.

“I could’ve been taken,” Addey claimed, thinking about Tine’s slow response when it came to finding him. “You’re not a very good bodyguard. Maybe a therapist though.”

“And you’re not very good at sneaking out,” Tine smiled. “The main elevator? I thought you were smarter than that.”

Addey shrugged. “Smart enough for it to have worked on you.” Addey said the words before realizing what Tine had meant.

“You think? I watched you leave.” Tine turned, pointing to a spot toward the Spire, though the tower’s entrance wasn’t in view. “Watched you leave. Been watching you a minute. Wanted to see where you’d go.”

“You’re saying you let me leave the building?”

Tine nodded, then cleared his throat before stretching his back. The man was large— tall, each movement he took seemed powerful.

“My father won’t like that,” Addey predicted.

“You’re father’s asleep. You saying you’ll tell on me?”

Addey shook his head, slightly offended. “I’m not a snitch, but what about the receptionist?”

“Reesla?” Tine smirked, chuckling to himself. “She won’t say anything.”

Addey stared at him, waiting for Tine to say more, but the man stopped himself, clearly not wanting to share something.

“Okay,” Addey said slowly, eyes squinted. “What if anyone else saw you? I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.”

Tine rolled his eyes. “Addey, stop worrying about it,” he said sternly. “Nothing will happen.”

Addey hesitated, but nodded.

“Why are you out here anyway? Woke up early to people watch?”

“I— I didn’t plan on it,” Addey admitted, turning back to the opposite sidewalk. “I just… wanted to…”

“I get it,” Tine claimed randomly, causing Addey to blink, confused.

“You get it?”

Tine nodded, joining him in looking out to the nearly vacant street. “You ever tried meditating?”

Addey shook his head. “I haven’t. Not actually.”

“Hmm, well this is like meditating, I guess. Breathing. Feeling. Meditating is like… getting really deep within yourself. Finding who you are. This,” Tine nodded forward, then spread out his arms as if welcoming someone, “this, is like that, but you’re feeling others. Trying to understand them… and it somehow helps you understand yourself.” Tine shrugged, laughing. “Damn, I doubt that made any sense.”

“Hmm, kind of,” Addey said, “I guess it makes sense.”

“Good, I’ll take that. It’ll give you something to think about.”

Addey laughed through his nose. “I don’t need anything else keeping me up at night.”

“Fair enough, maybe don’t think about it then.” Tine placed hands on his knees, before pushing himself upward to stand. “Speaking of sleep, you should get some.”

“I should,” Addey agreed. “I don’t know how successful I’ll be.”

Tine shrugged, then offered Addey a hand. He took it, then was pulled to his feet. “Maybe after this conversation things will be different.”

“I think it will be.” Addey looked up to Tine, meeting the man’s gaze. That lasted only a moment before Addey turned away. “Thank you… Tine. It’s not easy… talking about that sort of stuff. Thank you for putting up with it.”

“You’re welcome, Addey,” Tine responded, “and I wasn’t putting up with it. I’m here for you.”

“Well, thank you… for that.”

“Any time, kid.” Tine looked up into the sky, the sun beginning to rise through the clouds. “Sleep now. You have a long day soon.”

Addey nodded, then, without any more words, Addey made his way back to the Sartan Spire and rode the elevator to the top. Light illuminated the surface of the clouds as he rose through them. They glowed a brilliant orange and yellow, only visible from above.

He felt… right.

Addey found consolation in someone he would have never expected to.

How strange.

NEXT CHAPTER