Lucian rolled awake with Kahn. "Hey, you're leaving already?"
It didn't take long for my father to come out of another room. "Baby? You were going to let me sleep through your departure?"
My mom shuffled her feet awkwardly. "Well, I didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings, but you were all snoring like babies, so…"
My dad ran his hand through his unkempt hair. "So how does this work? Do you step into a little box, or is it something to do with the Tesla coils outside?"
Mom laughed and opened the door to a section I had never seen before. We walked through. "Those old things? The coils just power the lights," she said. "No, I'm afraid it's a much more humbling process."
"Does it hurt?" I asked.
"Sometimes," she said. "And it's not always worth it. It is… a necessary disturbance."
We walked through another hallway to the outside, past the butt of the deserted starship, away from anything that ran on electricity. A small path led us to a large cliff.
She stepped onto the edge. "This is the Great Divide," she said. "The real one."
The real Great Divide. It was expansive.
Lucian shook his head. "Nope. You can't make me jump."
"Live through deeds of love, and let others live by understanding their unique intentions: this is the fundamental principle of free human beings," she said, stepping another inch forward. She reached into her pocket and took out a pill. In the center was the triangular insignia of Onyx.
She was a part of it. We were a part of it. I didn't know what that it actually entailed, but I was ready for it.
Placing the pill onto the bed of her tongue, she tilted her head back and swallowed. "Bitter taste," she said. "In about one minute, my body will dissolve and separate at the atomic level."
"How does it work?" I asked.
"Each pill has been carefully crafted for the correct atomic response. Once it's been taken, you cannot go back," she said. "You will be taken through the ether of this universe, and you will end up where you need to go."
"It's really happening, isn't it?" I asked.
"It's really happening," she said. "Until we meet again."
"Wait," my dad said, running forward.
"I only have thirty-seconds," she said.
He caught his breath. "If you see yourself in the future, tell her that I love her," he said. "Tell her that I'll do anything to help her on this journey, and that everything is going to be okay.”
"She already knows," she said.
I would allow time to run its course. I would see her again. I just had to keep faith.
For once, I could see the beauty in life. Even though this was a tough goodbye, it was necessary. Life moves on when it wants to. It was time to step aside.
"I'll miss you," she said.
"I'll miss you more," I said.
"Impossible."
Her body disassembled into atoms. In a violent frenzy, the air broke into pieces. A bright light flashed, and the ripple in time closed. Just like that, she was gone.
Lucian held me. He trickled his fingers down my arms. "You okay?"
I nodded. I wasn't hurt. How could I be? I got the chance to have her back. It wasn't forever, but no situation could promise that. I made the most of the time we had.