The Only

Frequencies

Confidence radiated from the depths of Max's heart as she crept towards the far end of the chamber, not knowing what she might find. An anxious energy swept through her mind but the freckled girl puffed her chest, stood tall, and was ready to face whatever obstacle she was about to meet. She recalled the lengthy trek, from one end of the cave-like corridor to the other and remembered how the darkness eventually broke because of a flickering candle. The light danced on the walls and the ceiling, helping Max find her way to the corner where The Watcher was waiting. She had previously extinguished the flame and didn't know if a light source would be available this time around.

During her protracted hike across the realm, Max thought back to when she and Des bonded over a meal just one day prior. It was a special and heartfelt experience between the women, and she was glad they got to spend that time together. She hoped her teenage daughter and her wife were able to connect and create similar special moments of their own while she was away. After sending a joyful tickle of energy back to her partner, she hoped Chloe could relax and find time to bond with the girl.

Another thought crossed the brunette's mind about that other universe. If some version of Chloe existed there, another Max couldn't be too far away. In her heart, she felt that each Max and Chloe in every reality must be connected by a deep and boundless love similar to her and her wife's. The idea of there being other versions of herself still wasn't an easy pill to swallow, but she hoped they were all as happy as she was with her little family that she loved so much.

She continued walking forward for what felt like an eternity. A hundred thoughts bounced around in her head, but none frightened her like they had on her first trip. She recalled wondering if she'd ever see her beautiful, blue-haired girlfriend again at that time. Thinking about all the crazy shit they had been through filled the girl with strength. They could do anything as long as they were together, and they were indeed never apart; that had been proven in a deeper-rooted way than she ever thought possible. It was in this chamber where she discovered they were connected at the atomic level, and they were each other's yin and yang. That discovery was fully realized later as they merged into one and conceived their amazing daughter.

Lost in joyous and loving thoughts of her family, Max didn't notice the rippling glow of dim lavender light originating from deep in the darkened distance at first. As she drew closer, the shimmer began to undulate and burn brighter as it finally caught her full attention. Still not knowing her purpose for being back in this space, Max was convinced the upcoming experience would be something meaningful and perhaps profound. The last time she was here, she learned information about her and Chloe's love, as well as her own purpose, and she imagined this journey wouldn't be much different.

The glimmering, ruffled outline of a figure could finally be seen at the end of the path where The Watcher once resided. As she approached, she noticed a radiant glow illuminating the walls and ceiling, but it was too bright to make out any specific features of what was up ahead. Standing only a few meters away, Max could tell there was a person, or at least an entity resembling a person, existing behind the glow. She shielded her eyes to block the bright sunshine-like rays that spread across the narrow landscape in bars.

"Max, you made it." The comment echoed through the lair, bouncing off the walls and emptying into the dark space behind her. She recognized the voice but couldn't quite make out why it sounded so familiar. Her mind jumped around from person to person like a game of Guess Who , trying to determine which face the voice belonged to. The palpitating sound was amplified in this place, so discerning the owner of the vocals was more difficult than it might have been anywhere else.

"Hello? I know your voice." Max assuredly spoke with an inflection of curiosity while still shielding her eyes from the radiance of the figure with her hand in a salute on her forehead.