Epilogue #2
I pulled back slightly to look at him. “How do you even know what it looks like?”
“This is a memory—the memory of my planet that’s been passed down from Pisces to Pisces for generations.
A memory transfer, so that it won’t ever be lost. Every Pisces receives this vision when their designation manifests.
It’s the oldest memory we have, from a time when our world was peaceful and thriving.
Before the bane, before the First Crossing, before we became refugees on Earth.
” He reached for my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine. “Come with me.”
I let him lead me through the teal grass, noticing for the first time that we were both barefoot. The ground beneath my feet was soft and spongy, like walking on moss-covered clouds.
“It feels so alive here.”
The grass gradually gave way to a grove of strange, gnarled trees with silver bark that spiraled upward like twisted ribbons. Jamie stopped beside the largest one, its branches hanging low enough to touch the ground.
“Up here,” he said, easily pulling himself onto the lowest branch.
I followed, surprised by how effortlessly my body moved in this dream, making me wonder what percentage of the Earth’s gravity this planet had. The branches were firm yet yielding, like the ground below. We climbed higher until we reached a natural platform where several thick limbs converged.
Below us stretched a sprawling valley. The teal grass we’d walked through gave way to fields of flowers in shades I’d never seen before—vibrant magentas, deep indigos, and golds. Crystal-clear streams cut through the landscape, winding between the hills.
In the distance, rising from the horizon like gleaming sentinels, stood a city of metallic skyscrapers that looked like something from a sci-fi movie. Their surfaces reflected the purple sky and three moons.
“Those are the spires of Nerume,” Jamie said, his eyes fixed on the distant city. “The capital empire of the Pisces home world.”
“It’s so beautiful,” I whispered, unable to tear my gaze away. “Almost doesn’t feel real.” Earth had nothing like this. Sure, it was in some ways gorgeous, but this was literally otherworldly.
Jamie turned to face me. The purple light of this alien sky caught in his dark hair, making it appear violet.
“This is what we’re fighting to come home to.
This is what we could have one day. Not the Assembly’s fortress academies or the shadows we’re forced to live in on Earth. A real home. Just one of thirteen.”
I reached out, my fingers tracing the line of his jaw. “You’ve been carrying this with you all this time? This memory? That’s incredibly heartbreaking, I hope you know.”
“Every Pisces does. It’s our birthright, our heritage—and our burden.” He covered my hand with his own. “I hope one day, I can show you my world in person. Not just in a dream, but truly walking these fields with you.”
I thought about the Order’s proposal, about merging the shields, about opening a portal that could take us all home. Suddenly, it wasn’t just an abstract concept or a prophecy to fulfill—it was Jamie’s dream, his deepest hope.
“I want that too,” I said, surprising myself with how much I meant it.
Jamie smiled, a genuine, unguarded smile that transformed his whole face.
In that moment, with the alien moons hanging above us and the promise of thirteen lost worlds spread out before us, I felt something shift inside me.
The weight of the decision I had to make hadn’t lessened, but my perspective had changed.
This wasn’t just about me or the Nightfall Shield or even the Stardust Shield. It was about generations of displaced people longing for a home they’d never seen. It was about a heritage that had been stolen from them. From us. From me.
“I should take you back,” Jamie said reluctantly. “You have a lot to think about, and it was selfish of me to bring you here.”
“Just a few more minutes,” I pleaded, not ready to leave this beautiful, impossible place.
He nodded, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as we sat together on the branch, watching the three moons move slowly across the purple sky. The wind carried the scent of those strange flowers, and somewhere in the distance, I heard what sounded like singing.
“I’ve never shared this with anyone before. Not even the guys.”
I grinned at him. “So I’m like, special or something?”
He rolled his eyes but smiled and turned to look at me, his green eyes glowing in the twilight of this alien world. “Because you’re the only one who can make it real.”
As the dream began to fade around us, I made my decision. Not about the shields or the bonds or even what might happen tomorrow. Those things were still too complicated to untangle tonight. But I decided that I would at least try.
I would give Draco’s proposal a chance. I would let Nightfall come to Imperium, and I would see if we could find a way to work together.
Because if there was even a possibility that I could help Jamie and the others see this world with their own eyes—not just in dreams and memories—then I had to try.