Juliet's Tryst

Chapter 46: Messages, The Final Part

She needed to be alone, away from Dee. They traveled back to the castle. Juliet made a big show of tucking herself in, pretending to be exhausted and ready to sleep for a long time. Surprisingly, she felt ok. Strong, even. Luckily, there was business on Kyria.

"I need to try," Dee said. "To convince my people not to die."

"Are you sure you cannot stay here?" The protest made it look believable. All she was going to do was sleep and miss her girlfriend. "Is it safe?"

"Incredibly safe, I will be back before you wake up."

"Ok," Juliet pecked her on the cheek.

"Really, that's all you have," Dee whined playfully. They giggled then kissed deeply. Juliet grabbed onto Dee's cape, pulling her in with all her strength. She did not know what was going to happen next. This could be their last kiss.

"Wow," Dee breathed as they finally let go. She did not notice her own tears until she tasted them through the corner of her mouth.

Eros was not hard to find. The moment Juliet walked through the Archive doors, he was pushed towards her like a sacrifice. He looked only slightly better now, a little more rested and well kept.

"What do you want now," he grumbled.

"Can we go to your office?"

"Yes, follow me." They walked through the wall together. Eros kept glancing at her. She dressed in what she thought soldiers wore. She had khaki pants, a t-shirt, a jacket and combat boots. The comfort was necessary. "You look awful."

"Thank you," Juliet replied. "When is the next bomb due to come?"

"In about fifteen minutes." Eros grimaced and motioned for Juliet to sit. It was a cozy little space. It used to be their hang-out spot, away from the prying eyes of the castle.

"Have there been any previous Rulers that spoke to Kyria through light?"

"In the beginning, that was the only way. This was before a Ruler had been chosen by Kyria. She spoke through the Kulon, making it shine in different patterns. There is an algorithm to decode it."

"Perfect," Juliet said. It had to be what Kyria was trying to do with her brain. "You are going to use that algorithm for the electrical signals inside my body when the bomb hits."

"Huh?"

"Map each signal to color and see how it lights up. Then use the algorithm on it."

"Why?"

"Eros, we do not have time. Kyria is trying to communicate with me through this. I know it. Just do it."

Something in the way Juliet spoke convinced Eros. He pulled out a tablet and started commanding the castle technology to do things. Soon, there was a digital overlay on Juliet's body showing different electrical pulses. Then, he set up a translator. It was all gibberish.

"Dee will kill me for this," he said. "I am only helping you because I feel a presence about you. It is my only evidence that you are correct."

"Thank you, Eros." Juliet settled down. This seizure could kill her. Hopefully, some useful information would come out of it.

"You look scared."

"I am," she admitted. "I might die from this."

"That would make two of us. The bomb will impact within a minute."

A scream in the distance, getting louder. Juliet rolled her shoulders and willed her body to relax into the chair. The translator flashed. DEATH. JULIET. COME.

"It's actually working," the Kyrion yelped. She did not hear him.

When she came to, his face was mere inches away. The terror on his expression was comical. She swatted him away.

"Oh, great Mother Kyria, you're awake."

"Yeah," she croaked. She was even more tired than before, her muscles screamed for sleep. "What did the messages say?"

Eros handed a tablet.

MEET DEE AT ARCHIVE ENTRANCE. TRANSPORT SELF TO KYRIA. NOW. COME. I WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE THROUGH YOU. SAVE ME.

"Meet Dee at the Archive entrance? That's so specific," Eros crossed his arms. She was already walking out.

"Where is she," roared Dee at the group of terrified Archivists.

"Here, I am here," she waved an arm. Dee was holding a transporter, the same kind that Riyulkanin had used to get Juliet to the council. Great. Even more pain. There was no other choice. Her body shook with a strange energy.

"What are you doing, and you," Dee noticed Eros stepping out of the wall. Juliet used the distraction to snatch the device away from Dee. It hummed to life at her touch.

"Juliet," Dee screamed as though she was watching death itself take her away. "Human! Stop! Now!"

She pointed the device at her abdomen. The last thing she saw was Dee lunging towards her, fingers splayed out towards her stomach. What the fuck was she doing?

A huge crack sounded in the air above her. She was still standing, pushing through the pain of having her atoms rearranged. It did not hurt as much as the first time. Around her was a vast emptiness. It looked like an Earthen desert. Right behind her, a huge mass fell slammed against the ground. She was knocked off her feet.

"Shit!" She realized that there were many big rocks falling to the ground. In the distance there were figures running about. Some were fighting. Some were fleeing. This was a battlefield. Juliet scrambled up and started to run. This was almost identical to her vision, except there was no smoke. She looked up. The smoke was descending from above. Her brain tried to comprehend what she was seeing, a large and circular object. It was a Kyrion ship breaking above her. It had been sliced in two, still afloat, but not for long. It bled the darkness which descended onto the ground, making it impossible to see.

Another object fell to her left, bringing a shockwave through the ground which forced her to her knees. She had to crawl. Then, she could die and have a little rest. Her skin ripped open as she scurried across the ground. She was the stupidest human to ever fall in love with a Kyrion.

Her fingers found the edge of the ground. The smoke cleared, just like in the vision. Juliet stood up, taking in the majesty of the white ocean.

Jump, Kyria spoke through her brain. I save you. You save me. Jump.

"Fuck," Juliet screamed, terror squeezed all of her organs, all at once. She stepped back then hurtled herself as far as she could into the Kulon.

... raise your hand if you saw this coming lol