Chapter 25- Unlock our hearts [Vikk]

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The gems are dull now. Grey, lifeless shards of crystal. I kneel down, sweep my hand across the floor and gather them into my hands. The cave is silent.

Behind me, Lachlan's body lies, hands folded over the wound on his chest.

I tried to cover it up. To give him some dignity in his death. There's a hole in my own chest where my heart used to be, and it lies between those clasped hands. I scatter the gem pieces around him, listening to the tinkling sounds they make as they land on the stone.

The sunshine moves slowly through the cave, lighting up every rock and stone. Soon the yellowish light will reach Tyler's body, and then Lachlan's.

I look at my sword, embedded deep into Tyler's neck.

I can't take it back, now.

It's not right to, when all it will remind me of is this day.

This day in the cave.

When I lost my everything.

I take a look back at Lachlan, eyes already filling with tears.

Golden hair, blue eyes, and a smile that showed his soul.

"Bye, Lachy."

I whisper.

Then I turn away, and walk towards the sunshine.



The ride home is subdued. I ride on Dog alone, at the back of our group. I stroke his mane, pat his head lightly.

I don't fully understand horses.

But I know that Dog is confused.

Lachlan and I both rode here.

And Dog doesn't know why Lachlan isn't riding back.



We leave the treeline, and the village comes into view. The other four spur on their horses, looking up into the sky, where the sun is just setting.

We dismount at the gates. Pete is there, leant against the wall. He looks up as we draw near, and steps forward.

"Hey, Rob! Where- where's Kara? And Lachlan?"

My eyes widen, and my mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water.

"Pete..."

I can't speak his name properly. I let Kara die.

He meets my eyes, and I turn away.

"Vikk, no. No, wait."

He grabs my shoulders, panic written across his face.

"She's not dead. She can't be."

I push his hands away, and he doesn't resist. He stares across the plains, into the distance, and stumbles backwards.

"I'm so sorry, Pete."

I hear Jerome try to console him, but I can't look at Pete anymore. I walk through the gates of the village, eyes stinging.

Nade is sitting at one of the market stalls, and he looks up as I walk through. He starts forward, but hesitates, doubt crossing his face, when he sees my posture, my tear stained cheeks.

I run through the village, passing every familiar face.

I run, leaving everything behind me.

When i finally stop, I'm at the base of the clock tower.

It just seems fitting, doesn't it?


I push open the wooden door, coughing slightly as a cloud of dust reaches my face. I close it behind me, and slip off my helmet and iron chestpeice. I look up, into the great brass bell that hangs high above me, spiral staircase twirling around it. I climb the steps gingerly, fingers brushing layers of dust off the banister.

The view from the balcony, across the village and the plains, and past the forest to the mountains, is lit up in glorious oranges and reds.

One mountain though, stays dark.

I don't sit down.

Instead I stand still, gazing out at the mountain.

His mountain.

It's not quiet up here. There's noise from the village, the wind whipping around.

And also another noise.

It sounds like somebody turning the pages of a book.

I turn around, and circle the balcony, coming across a single sheet of paper pinned to the wall. It flaps in the wind, barely hanging onto its pin. Hurriedly scrawled writing adorns most of it, signed at the bottom by...

Kara.

I bite my lip, and place my palm across the paper to read it.

If you're reading this, then I will have told you about the gems. Perhaps I'm on my way to destroy them now. All I know is that they have to be destroyed. You have to realise this, though. If I'm already gone, I'm not coming back. The red gem is tethered to my soul. If it is destroyed... well, I will be too.

I let out a small gasp, but keep reading.

The thing is, you're all part of something huge. And I mean, huge. Those gems are the key to the lives of hundreds of people, just like me and you.

You know that the gems were in your previous worlds, right? And that's what connected your seasons. Well, it's not just your worlds that have them. There are many, many other worlds connected to yours like a web, and those gems are right in the centre of it.

Destroying them in your world will destroy them in every other world.

So, if you have your memories back. If we've done and the gems are gone, you've set our webs free.

I put this note here, on this clock tower, because this is where it ends. This is the centre of your world, and this is the centre of every other world. This bell connects us all.

When the gems are gone, between each world, bridges will be built.

And when the bell rings, each world will connect.

Ring the bell, my dear.

Unlock our hearts.

I stand back in shock, hands tightly balled into fists.

There are other worlds? Other people?

I glance back, and look at the large brass bell.

The centre of every world.

I lift up a hand, running my calloused fingers over the worn golden metal, tracing the grooves and tiny marks.

Old dusty ropes hang to one side of it, worn by age. I reach up a hand and take one testing it with my fingers.

And then I look back, over our land bathed in sun. Over the village, the mountains. Up into the sky.

Blue with red streaks rising up.

I close my eyes, and tug on the rope.


And the bell rings.


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