The one chance I had to start a new life is now over.
“You are wrong. The power of Resnyx is unscalable,” he says. “So Slain keeps it here for safe keeping. He uses it to make us, the sentinels. We are given small doses every day. Transformation is highly important to him.”
I groan. “You will die.”
“Perhaps that is our sad, but glorified fate. We cannot live a normal life, so we enforce it. The law is our only path toward righteousness before death. All sentinels are promised an afterlife,” he says.
He is foolish. “Open your eyes. Can’t you see you’re being used?”
The sentinel grins, wide and terrifying. “My eyes are open because Slain gave us new eyes. My eyes see an entirely different world. A world of beauty.”
I’ve heard the stories. They see energy, the grid of life itself.
Life is in the details. It is color, expression, and depth. Whatever these creatures see is something far less extravagant.
“Why are you telling me this?” I ask.
“Your file suggests you are more rational than the others. Before Slain deals with you, I want you to know the truth. Love is the enemy of all existence. Love is sorrow, and we will not stand for it.”
“You’ve never felt love in your entire life,” I scream.
“I am better off without it,” he says. “Children grow up to mate. Breeding begets kin. The cycle continues, but suffering never ends, and everyone wonders why?”
“You’re sick,” I say.
“There is one reason why. We choose life, but love always fades. The whore that we killed? You’d find a reason to hate her.”
“I could never hate her,” I mutter.
My voice has changed. My vision has started to fog. I try to stand, but I stumble into the sentinel’s chest.
Life is pain, an endless cycle of everlasting consequences of misplaced steps. In a way, he’s right. But that doesn’t mean I want to end this.
Somehow, life began. No one knows how it came to be, but light penetrated darkness. A burst of energy shattered the foundations of an illusory realm, and the planets spun all matter together.
From the get-go, it has hurt to be alive. From our oceanic beginnings to our late jungle ancestors, we have hurt.
That’s the bond we share. Human, alien, some other godly creatures... We all strive to end our suffering with love. Maybe that continues the cycle, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to end it.
He holds my wrist, laughing. “But I guess you’d rather suffer than destroy this,” he says.
“You’re damn right,” I say.
“Slain will never stand for your philosophy,” he says.
“It’s not philosophy. It’s how I win,” I say.
“Win?” the sentinel leader asks. “Do you really think this is a game someone can win?”
I may be degrading, but my will is stronger than any sentinel in Empire City. No matter the cost, I will always choose to fight for the good of my people. And I won’t let Emma’s name die in vain.
My heart is broken into a million pieces. No, there is no real winning this, but my case of vengeance will prevail.
I’ll never let Emma go, no matter what. It doesn’t matter if they destroyed her body, engulfed her in flames. She will always be here, within me, rebuilding my broken heart and soul. And though this is most likely another losing cause, I have faith that the truth will come out.
Our race will rise up and take power. They will take the progress Slain has made for himself, and use it to kill all of the sentinels.
If they hope to have a future, they must.