The Universe Rings (A Ringing Purpose)

Chapter Seven

After what felt like an eternity, Dior and Halo stood. A scowl fell over Dior's face; his gaze scanned Kenneth and Halo's appearance, eyebrows pulling closer together the longer he stared. "What in the universes happened to y'all?" he asked.

Halo brushed tears from her cheeks. "Di, I would like to know what happened to you," she said, voice stern. "Why, you look dreadful."

Dior's shoulders tensed. "I've been working extra hard—more universes been destroyed—pulled a few all-nighters."

Kenneth's brow furrowed. A few?

Halo's eyes narrowed on Dior till he could no longer hold eye contact, a mysterious message passing between the two. Kenneth internally questioned what Halo was thinking and why Dior looked ashamed.

Dior ran a hand through his tangled waves. "Anywho, am I gonna know what happened or not? You never came to the jungle shelter, y'all are declared dead."

Halo sighed. "The universe was destroyed as Kenneth and I were teleporting—my universe ring malfunctioned," she explained, her gaze now softened from the previous glare.

Worry fazed over Dior's face. "What the—were you hurt?"

Halo smiled faintly. "We were burned, but we've healed since."

Kenneth gave her a faint smile, recalling the way she'd so caringly bandaged his burns; grateful despite having been wary of her at the time.

Dior blinked long. "Okay, y'all look like twigs..."

Halo hugged herself, a pitiful gaze. "We're alright...Food is scarce in this jungle, and we've been living off mostly fruit and nuts for the past months." Her voice wavered. As if in an attempt to go unnoticed, she etched closer to Dior, and slowly slipped her hand in his.

Kenneth frowned, unsure why the sight of her hand in Dior's bothered him.

Shoulders relaxing, Dior sighed, "To be frank, y'all don't look great." He passed a smile to Halo, adding, "You're still pretty."

Halo hid a blushing grin behind her hair.

Annoyance rising, Kenneth glared at Dior—the guy's flirtatious mood would not stop ticking his nerves. However as he observed Halo's appearance, he saw what Dior described of them both. Her faded purple skirt hung low on her hips, noticeably oversized; dirt tainted her collared shirt, and her face had thinned. He could only imagine how he must look.

"Di, how come you've come here?" Halo asked. Kenneth turned his attention to Dior.

Dior replied, "This universe's gonna get destroyed tomorrow—me and some others' jobs is to check this planet. We knew there was life here, but we didn't know it was you."

"Thank heavens you came," Halo whispered.

Dior reached into a pocket of his leather jacket, slipping out two universe rings. "Kenneth, go to universe thirteen thousand and four and the Bishop shelter," he informed. "I only got two rings, so me and Halo are gon' share." He handed a ring to Kenneth.

Halo let go of Dior's hand, reaching her satchel out from inside the lean-to. The realization that he still held his pocket knife hit Kenneth, and he pocketed it.

Dior took Halo's hand, wearing his universe ring on his left, and he said to it, "Take us to universe thirteen thousand and four and the Bishop shelter." He and Halo disappeared into thin air, with no trace they had ever been there.

Kenneth's gaze traveled from the lean-to, to the river, and back to where Dior and Halo had disappeared from. He almost couldn't believe it; he and Halo had survived over a month in this jungle, and now they were leaving. He almost felt wary of what other universes could hold.