Among Others

Shift // 29

Hi.

O O O 

I breathe out as soon as Lance's face is gone from the big screen in front of me. Without hesitation I turn around and walk out into the halls.

"Keith", Kolivan warns and I hate that I need to stop. "I hope you are making your way out for the required mission."

I turn around and my new suit is sticking onto me as an reminder of a mistake I made. This is nothing like my paladin armor. Not even close. 

"Let them have the gem. We don't need to find it before them. They may have a bigger use of it."

"Keith", he says again, but this time his voice holds a bigger meaning to it, more harshness. "What did I tell you about not letting your feelings get involved. That's a term you agreed on when you decided to join the Blade of Marmora. We fulfill the most crucial things, and we don't care about the sacrifices that may be made." He holds his arms behind his back, and for a moment, I see Iverson in front of me, his composure before I damaged his eye. "This is not team Voltron."

I feel my chest tighten but somehow I can still breathe. It's hard, but I can still manage it. 

"I'm aware of that."

I turn around again but this time Kolivan doesn't stop me. He must know I'm listening to him, and that I'm going to find that damn gem I don't even know what it's for. Not entirely, at least. All I know is that it must be important. 

I go out to the purple lit corridor and it's dark and the walls is seemingly falling down onto me. Slowly. I have my breath stuck in my lungs somewhere; the air just doesn't want to get out.

"Nothing will ever be the same, Keith. This is reality. But I told you, you humans can't even understand it", Marcles voice says in my head. It echoes in the little space and hits the walls of my mind and pushes away any other thought I stored inside.

"We had a deal", I say in my head. "I fulfilled my part of the deal, and now it's time for you to do the same."

O O O 

"Can you keep a track of the path?" Vrek asks via our communicating system. I take a big batch before flying down into the middle of two big stones. Ahead of me, a start of a cave begins, and my eyes can rest from all the glitter as I look into the cave. 

"I'm on the right path now", I answer in a low voice; my words still reach out to in front of me and echoes through the tunnel before the only sounds is from water drops, or, whatever that grey substance dripping from above the cave is. 

"Leave no traces behind you", Vrek reminds and I can hear him grunt, and there is a thud in the distance. "Take the gem and depart immediately."

"Got it." I make a run for the cave and the gravel under me crunches under my feet. I make my way deeper and I the only light recourse this far into the cave is from my suit; the dark purple color lights up one meter of my path, but beyond that, it's pitch-black. There is an echo of risks as I walk into a blackness of no knowledge at all. I don't know where I'm heading, and I don't know where to look specifically. All I know is that I can't understand what is north, south, east and west. There is no directions left.

I hold my breath, and I don't say anything to the Blades. Something just tells me to be quiet. Hearing crunchy sounds behind me, I twirl around, only to see a blue light source, not far away from me. I struggle to see what it is - maybe I finally found the gem - but then I see the light move, and suddenly it has a face, and arms, and a full body, walking towards me. The helmet is off, and his face is all shown. This air is breathable. But I still don't breathe; I'm still holding it in.