Chapter 53: Kindred Spirits

Light years away, Leah and Kevra are still on planet Epra, unaware of Aven and Alecia's arrest. Knowing Leah,  it is best she has no knowledge of her brother's arrest.

It's evening now. The moon shines its scarlet light along the cold desert. A few silhouettes of life, move ever so slowly across the dry landscape.

Leah, Kase, and Kevra are safe within the confines of the large factory. In one of the rooms, Leah and Kase reside.

Kase sits on one of the beds, his gaze fixed ahead in deep thought before looking at Leah standing near the sink. "So, tomorrow morning, she's really coming back with us?"

Spitting out a mouth full of water, Leah looks at her reflection through the mirror. She makes her hair loose before adjusting it. "Kevra seems keen on it," she said, stepping towards him. "If I have been away from home as long as she has, I'd want to come back as well."

"It's about time we get off this rock," he said, shifting himself for her to sit.

"My son, he's waiting for me back home."

"How old is he now, he's now two isn't he?"

"Three, actually," he replied. "He just turned three."

"Wow, time flies," she chuckles.

"But don't worry, you'll see him again soon."

"Yes," Kase said, standing from the bed before turning to her.

"Say. Do you want anything?"

"Not at the moment, why?"

"I'm going to kitchen area," he answered, stepping towards the door.

"Going to get something to eat or drink."

"In that case," Leah started.

"Get me something to eat if you can." She calls out, hoping her voice reached his ears by the time he closed the door.

Now being alone in the room, Leah sighs as she shifts herself until her head leans against the wall with the pillow just under her back. Taking out her phone device, she scrolls through the contacts. It wouldn't be long to find Aven in one of them. Her phone as well as many others back home are powerful enough to reach interstellar space. Aven and herself may be worlds apart but it's still possible to send a message or two, unlike before on Earth with tbe device Aven brought.

Leah: "Hey Aven. I'm coming back in a few hours. You wouldn't believe it. I found Kevra. Remember, you told me about her. She's coming back with me. Isn't it amazing that she's been on Epra this whole time."

She sends the message. Lowering the screen to her chest, she looks up in silence for a moment before looking at the screen once more. Noticing that it is still delivering. She can send another text.

Leah: "Please don't ignore my messages this time. Please reply to me when you can. Maybe when I get back, we can go do something together. You and me. A nice little brother and sister outing. What do you say? Please give me an answer when you can. I miss you already, Aven."

Leah locks her phone device before placing it on the little table beside the bed. Now in sleepwear, she opens the blanket from under herself and lays on her side. Closing her eyes, she looks forward to morning where she'd finally be going home. She may have to carry Kase on her back if her and Kevra decides to fly back to her ship in the town she left it in. Luckily for her, they would let a foreign ship docked for seven days before taking it away. Leah has only been on Epra for two or three days. She can't really remember the exact amount.

Being lost in her thoughts, as she is known to do before she sleeps. It doesn't take long before she drifts off to sleep. A few minutes later, the door opens and Kase steps in with two sandwiches and a bottle. He said her name before lowering his voice when seeing her tucked in bed.

"I'll just leave this here for you tomorrow morning," he places the sandwich on the small table before walking to his own bed. Sitting at the base of the bed, he lets out a sigh and lowers his head.

—

Elsewhere in another room, Kevra and Okolu are heard speaking to each other.

"Are sure about this, Kevra?" Okolu said.

Kevra places a leather bag on the table before sighing. Her hand moves around the surface of it as she stares blankly at it.

"I have to," she said, looking at him, only to loosen the belts before opening the bag and starts placing her already folded clothes into it.

"I've been living here far too long. I need this break. Away from the violence and cruelty."

Closing the bag, she places it on the floor beside her feet. Kevra turns to Okolu. Because of his height over her, she is forced to always look up to see his face.

That moment, she wraps her arms around him, her head resting against his chest. At first, he steps back with his arms out in surprise.

"I'm sorry, I just..." She said before closing her eyes.

"I know you're not one for affection. It's just... It's been awhile since I've hugged anyone."

"I see..." Okolu said, looking down at her as she has her arms around his waist still.

"What do I do now?" He asked.

With that question, Kevra chuckles before tightening her arms.

"Just do what I'm doing. Wrap your arms around me but gently."

"Okay..." He said, closing his arms around her.

Kevra smiles, feeling comfort in his arms. Reminding her of the same comfort she felt when she was just a girl. It almost feels like it was yesterday to her.

"Back when I was a child, everyday I'd run to greet my father and hug him exactly like this, after he came home from work."

Raising his head, Okolu looks ahead for a moment.

"You never did speak about your father."

He's right. She never did mention him before. She helped in the creation of Okolu. She never once shared anything with him as she would with a person. She can't blame herself though, for the past few years she hasn't been in contact with anyone. After her androids were created, she didn't feel the need to get supplies. They did it for her.

"I just didn't feel the need to. It never really came up."

Moving away from him, she looks up at him.

"I'll get the cube," she said.

"First thing tomorrow, we're leaving and you're coming with us."

—

Kevra scans her hand on the plate and watches as the seal opens up, revealing the cube more. The glyphs along the six sides constantly glistens with blue energy. Wrapping her hands around the cube, she can feel the power within it, it isn't just what it is written which makes one powerful, something lies within it, a power she feels surging throughout her whole body, she can feel her heart racing as it pumps blood throughout her body, so much adrenaline and energy. An overwhelming sensation, as if her body is leaking pure energy. Her eyes ignite with a blue glow as her whole body is surrounded by an aura of blue flames.

It isn't the first time she felt the cube's power. Though she wonders why she didn't feel it much when she showed the cube to Leah. Perhaps it is because no one is around, like something she must hide, something forbidden. Just how much power could she harness from it. Kevra can be unstoppable, no one would stop her, no one could overpower her. She can be limitless.

In the dark corners of her mind she sees it all. Everywhere was fire and destruction, all the screams, all those she killed and Alecia. She was standing ahead of her, smoke and ash swirled around her and the small girl behind her. Alecia was protecting her, from herself. The anger in her eyes she saw, not only anger, but sadness.

Kevra understands now, her one and only friend. No, she was more than that. She was like a sister to me. She understands now. Alecia wanted out, she wanted to stop everything. To stop following orders of the seraphims. It was their fault for everything, all the killing and destruction. If she wants to stop all of this madness, to stop them from turning others into killing machines, she needed to destroy them, one way or another.

Like the heat of iron when hot, she drops the cube on the floor. The flames around her cease, her eyes go back to normal. Kevra stares down at the cube as if it's her friend, or the love of her life. Maybe this one is the way, if I could get more of these, to gather enough power to-

"Kevra!" A voice called out to her from the exit, Okolu's voice.

"I assume you are ready now?"

Closing her eyes, she lets out a sigh. It's irritating whenever she's interrupted.

"Give me a minute!"

Okolu says nothing before walking out, leaving Kevra and the cube alone. Looking down at the cube, she kneels down and tales out a cloth from her belt before wrapping it neatly, only for her to walk towards the exit.

The saraphims. They will all pay. Thought she.

—

Hours have passed into morning. The sun looming over the horizon. Three silhouettes are seen flying across the sky.

Kevra flying with Leah and Okolu beside her. The cube and all the stuff she needs is in her duffle bag. She wonders how Kase who is on Leah's back; she wonders why did he bother coming with Leah in the first place, he has no power, not much of a warrior, yet he managed to help take down that rogue android of hers she had locked up. It doesn't matter now, soon enough she'll be back home and see Alecia again. Oh Alecia. We have a lot of catching up to do.

—

After what seemed like forever, Leah and Kase can finally be rid of Epra. She never intended to be here for this long, and now here she is, standing in front of her ship with the others beside her. Opening the hatch, she walks in followed by Kase and the others.

Closing the hatch after Okolu walks in, Leah steps towards the cockpit.

"Kevra, you and your robot friend can take your seat there." She gestured before sitting down.

"Buckle up and just well... Buckle up." She flicks a few switches before she turns to Kase sitting next to her, both of them exchange a smile.

Kevra tightens her hand on the handles of her seat before looking at Okolu, urging her to pat him on the shoulder with a smile.

"Don't worry, they'll be fine without us, I'm sure of it."

"I won't be gone forever," Okolu said, slowly nodding his head before he side-glances her.

"I will return to them. They need a firm hand, they need a leader."

She feared this, him wanting to do his own thing. Maybe... Maybe he won't go mad like the others... Maybe.

—

Their ship flies across space, passing Epra's moon, revealing its crater covered side. Turning her gaze away from it, Leah looks at Kase. His own attention is also drawn out into the blackness of space, when he turns to look at her.

"What?"

She looks ahead of herself and shakes her head with a smile.

"No nothing," she said before taking out her phone and scrolls through her messages, hoping she'd receive a message back from Aven, but to her misfortune, it is still left unread.

"You okay?" Kase asked, urging Leah to place her phone back in her pocket before assuring him that she's fine.

A swirling vortex opens up ahead of their ship before they fly into it before disappearing into a single point.

Back on Esterd, their home planet, the large ship of Cthulhu flies into a wormhole of its own until it collapses into a small point before another wormhole opens up and Leah's ship flies through.

They've traveled through. Kevra is finally back home. She turns her gaze to the blue planet and its one large continent with the ocean surrounded every corner of it.

"Welcome back, Kevra," Leah said, looking her shoulder before Kevra steps front, with her gaze fixed ahead with a smile on her face.

It has been too long; too long since Kevra seen Alecia. Oh how I miss our little talks, our little gossips, our laughs. I have so many things to talk about, so many questions to ask you, Alecia. Soon we'll be together again.

—

It's silent, a silent afternoon, the sun's rays beaming its light through the Empress's throne room. The gold stripes on the sides of the red carpet reflects the light given off by the sun, as well as the gold strips around the pillars catch the sun's light.

Ruth is seated, cross-legged on her throne, gold feathers circled on her head as her crown and in her dark grey royal attire. Her daughter, Lumina, sits beside her and dressed in a similar attire as her mother.

Ruth stares ahead in silence, her mind going back to when they took Aven and Alecia. She never got to say goodbye to her, not even Aven. What she's feeling, she can't describe it. Is it guilt, sadness? She can never see her sister again.

"You're lucky, Ruth. We would have burned your entire city to the ground if you lied to us about the fugitives." The Cthulhu guard said, standing before her, his arms behind his back, drones hovering behind him.

"I understand that one of them are your kin. You're lucky we don't take you in as well."

"You have what you came for," Ruth said, her voice sounding heavy with grief and said slowly. "Now... get out of my sight."

The guard bows before taking his leave, and the doors close behind him, leaving a loud echo across the throne room.

"Empress!" A familiar voice said, Leah's voice which brings Ruth away from her thoughts.

Two other individuals are now with Leah and Kase, a dark skinned woman, and a large humanoid robot.

"We're back," Leah added before bowing before her, followed by Kase.

Ruth looks at the dark skinned woman again. Noting her black hair tied up in a ponytail. Her eyes, the way she looks at her, no fear, just calmness and intimidation. Kevra is it. She's still alive. She thought.

"As you can see I've brought home another ningen," Leah said, her gaze fixed at Ruth's heels.

"I see," Ruth said, her tone calm, her eyes narrows in at Kevra.

"Kevra, welcome back. I thought you were dead, or missing."

"You're right on the last part, Ruth," Kevra said, tilting her head slightly.

"I've been in hiding, on Epra. It's nice and dry there, you must visit sometime."

"I will have to think about that," Ruth replied, keeping a stern look. She and this humanoid seems to stand, they never considered bowing. She can't expect everyone to bow to her, she's not some tyrant. Leah and Kase are beginning are make things awkward for her.

"You two. You may rise."

At that, Leah and Kase rise from their knee. Leah turns her gaze to Lumina before they exchange a slight smile.

"So any news about the gin, Leah?" Ruth asked, her eyes looks heavy, a gaze that would stir fear into a person.

"No unfortunately. I thought I could find it. I'm sorry I failed, Empress," Leah said, her gaze falls to her feet.

"But I've found Kevra."

"And?" Ruth said, locking her eyes unto Kevra.

"What good is she to me?"

"Well..." Leah said slowly, she averts her eyes. "She can help us, she could help track down Silas and then maybe stop the seraphims."

Ruth scoffs.

"That's a foolish plan, Leah," she said, shaking her head slightly.

"The seraphims are quiet, and when they're quiet, they're impossible to find."

Leah downcast her eyes, she has no reply to that, Ruth has a point. "I'm sorry Empress, I just thought-"

"Alecia," Kevra interrupted her, before taking a step forward. Her eyes gazing up at Ruth, no fear, almost as if she's just another person to her.

"Is Alecia here? I want to speak to her."

Ruth's eyes flutter, she moves back into her throne.

"And Aven, Empress," Leah added, looking up at Ruth, like a child to a mother.

"I sent him a few messages but no reply. Is he still with Alecia?"

Ruth straightens herself within her throne-chair, before clearing her throat, her eyelids beginning to glisten. Both of them are looking at her, awaiting her to give answers; simple answers. Aven and Alecia are on their way, just go wait with Leah and your robot friend. If only she could tell them what was truth, not what they wanted to hear, she dreads what comes next when she answers thier questions. What words can she say to lighten the blow? There is none.

Leah's eyes turns from hope to worry, her eyes softening, mouth twitching.

"Empress... Did something happen?"

I'm so sorry, Leah. It breaks my heart for what you are about to hear. Though, at least you will share the same pain as I. The pain for losing a sibling. With that thought, a single tear streams off her cheek.