Noah took deep breaths, his eyes scanning the darkness for what could only be a rat. Or two. An expression of abject fear came over his face a moment before he turned and hurried back halfway up the escalator.

  “Are you okay?” Zach asked, taking a step closer.

  “I’m fine,” Noah snapped.

  For all the world, he didn’t sound fine. He rolled his head around in circles, aggressively shaking his hands as if drying them. Zach was about to comment on it when he turned back stiffly and made his way down.

  This time, he barely paused before he stepped into the waiting darkness, which was really more of a washed-out cast than pure black. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, his steps hurried and frantic. Zach followed behind, the rats’ squeaking trailing after them.

  He wanted to ask about it, but Noah was so tense, Zach quickly decided against it. But it was strange. The dark? Or maybe it was the idea of rats hiding somewhere? He’d barely flinched when they’d dealt with the corpse yesterday, and this is what got him?

  You didn’t flinch either, a part of him whispered accusingly.

  He pushed that voice out of his mind and fixed his own gaze straight ahead. The walk from the escalator to where the small group stood over by the chain-link fence seemed to eat at Noah, but gradually, the darkness around them lessened.

  When they arrived, Noah sighed softly, some of the tension leaving as he slumped his shoulders.

  The entire group stood leaning against the low wall, the light through the fence behind them silhouetting their upper halves. Many of them had been engaged in conversation, a soft murmuring echo emanating from this end of the parking lot.

  They weren’t talking anymore.

  “Oliver, Noah,” John said. “This is your Function. When we’re out there, these are the faces that will most likely save your life. So. Mingle. Talk. Before we walk you through your training.”

  “Welcome, welcome,” one of them said, pushing off from the wall. “I’m Kareg, one of the faces that will most likely save your life out there.”

  He approached them, taking both their hands in his own and shaking as though they were old friends.

  “Kareg,” one of the others said. An older man with a ruddy complexion, his hair already thinned to a few wisps. “Stop treating everything like it’s a joke. This is serious.”

  The man turned to John. “You’re the Function head, John, I know that. We know that. But the other heads listened to their members. I know he’s your son and all, but this... this isn’t right.”

  Zach could see from the other faces still standing by the wall that many of them shared that sentiment.

  Kareg’s face went hard as he glared over his shoulder. “Ander,” he said, the joviality drained from his voice.

  “Kareg, it’s fine,” John said, his eyes never leaving the old man’s face. “Ander, you’re right. The other heads wouldn’t take them, either of them. The Head would’ve backed them, saying it’s their decision to make.

  “I was there, and as head of this Function, I saw they needed one. So, I gave them one.” He finished with a casual shrug of his shoulders. “What would you have done?”

  “Forced one of the others to take them in,” Ander said, as if the answer were obvious. “They weren’t chosen; they were put here. Now we have to deal with them. When we’re out there, we have to go on knowing they’re with us. It makes us uncomfortable.”

  He glanced at Zach and Noah, who stood watching silently.

  “They’re here, I know that, we know that—” he gestured at the others standing by the wall, “—but it has to be said. We’re not happy. The other heads took their members into consideration. Think on that. We don’t have training today. We met them, so can we go? We have to check on our supplies.”

  “Yes, that reminds me,” John said. “I need you to stop by the medical ward and give them our numbers. Now that we know how many engineers are coming with us, we can give out proper reports.”

  Ander stood there for a moment, a kind of resigned disbelief shaping his features. John had gone on as if they hadn’t just raised an important issue. Clearly, the old man took it as an affront. Yet another sentiment the others seemed to share.

  Ander nodded, then made for the escalator, the others all following behind him. A few of them threw both Zach and Noah guarded looks, wary appraisals that were only marginally softer than what Ander had given them.

  When Zach turned back to the chain-link fence, he noticed that Kareg had stayed behind. Other than John, he was the only one. The group walked into the darkness, the susurrations echoing once more, too muddled to make out what they were saying.

  He considered straining his ears, but the fatigue he’d suffered for the last two nights was a powerful deterrent.

  “Now that that’s over with,” Kareg said, his tone once more jovial, “let’s get to it. I assume you’re both smart enough to know how to follow directions? That’s good to know. Here’s a map. The old street names were too confusing with all our changes, so we had to hand-draw the new ones.”

  Zach took the map. He couldn’t help but glance at Noah. He’d fully expected him to take the lead, but he’d made himself appear so small, Kareg only glanced at him now and then, most of his attention fixed on Zach.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Was he still unsettled by the dark and rats?

  “That spot right there.” Kareg indicated a specific area on the map. “That’s where you’re going. We’ll be waiting for you there.”

  “You just want us to walk there?” Zach asked, looking down at the map.

  “It’s not always guaranteed that you’ll get a horse, so it’s important to know that if you have to, you can walk without dropping dead after five minutes. This is our usual distance before we break. Oh! These are for you.”

  He retrieved two light green bags from beside the wall. “One for you,” he said, handing it to Zach. “And one for you.” Noah took it silently, testing its weight before he slung it over his shoulder.

  “Right! Let’s go,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. He lightly patted both their arms as he walked past them.

  Zach slung his bag over his shoulder and followed behind, Noah matching his pace beside him.

  Instead of heading for the escalator like the others had done, they went off to the left. The parking lot’s darkness closed in around them as they left both the fence and the light it let in behind them. Noah grew tense, his entire body moving as if he were a puppet being pulled against his will.

  The darkness quickly deepened, a damp, musty smell permeating the air. Something scurried away at their approach, small feet tapping against the concrete. A low groan came from Noah’s mouth, but he buried it instantly. No one else had heard it.

  “You hear about Michel?” Kareg asked John.

  “I saw her,” he said. “I underestimated her. She must’ve been going well through the night, gathering those slips.”

  “The council will meet soon, then?”

  “She had enough slips to force us to meet somewhere next week.”

  Zach listened attentively and knew Noah was doing the same. Zach couldn’t deny that Michel’s antics were interesting, but there was really only one thing he was waiting to hear. Though he supposed if they’d caught the killer, they’d have already spoken about it.

  They led them on until a ramp appeared, light spilling up from the lower level. Noah loosened his tight grip on the bag’s straps. He took a deep breath, exhaling through his nose, slightly quickening his steps.

  The ramp went down, connecting to an old entrance cars had used to get up to the upper level. A large gate stood open, a wagon hitched to a horse standing just beyond. The driver stood beside the wagon, deeply inhaling one of the greenest leaves Zach had ever seen.

  “You’re here!” Kareg said to the driver. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. You know you’re just like Johnny here. Terminally forgetful. Though, on your part, it’s just laziness.”

  “Creation formed you with more than a few loose screws,” the driver replied, tucking the plant away. “We ready?” he asked John.

  On cue, all three of them glanced back at Zach and Noah.

  “As ready as can be,” Kareg answered as they climbed atop the wagon.

  “We planned your passage yesterday,” John said, glancing at both of them. “It was kept under wraps, so no one knows who is taking the passage. The enforcers couldn’t spare guides. The Head believes those resources will be best used elsewhere.”

  “They’ll be fine, John,” Kareg said. “Oliver’s been out of the hold, and no one’s even approached him. Am I wrong?” He looked directly at Zach, who shook his head in answer, wondering why that was.

  Maybe there are too many people around…

  “See? Let’s get going, then,” he added, nodding to the driver. “We’ll see you there.”

  The man took his seat, gently rubbing the back of the horse with his right leg. John turned away, climbing atop the wagon. With one last nod, the driver set the horse into action, and they were off.

  “We might as well go too,” Noah said, his demeanor changing immediately.

  Before Zach could comment on it, Noah started down the same track. Zach couldn’t help but study Noah as they walked.

  It had never occurred to him before now, but when he thought of the journal underneath the bed, the level of secrecy Oliver had maintained to keep it hidden, the fact that someone had already gone through his stuff—in light of all of that, why did he trust Noah and his brother so easily?

  Well, the answer is simple. There’s no one else.

  Regardless of his rapidly developing feelings for John and Eve, things might be different if they knew he wasn’t actually their son. Things would be different. The idea that there had already been a transmigrator wormed its way back into his mind.

  “How do I know I can trust you and your brother?” he asked before he could stop himself.

  Noah stopped walking, that frown working its way across his brow. He took a deep breath, softly shaking his head before he continued. He made sure to match Zach’s pace.

  “You probably don’t know this, but the tear in the sky over Erosa was mentioned by most religions, including the different denominations of Creation. A rent large enough for all manner of dark forces to come crawling through. Forces that would lead our souls astray.”

  He glanced sidelong at Zach as he said, “How do we know we can trust you? You could be one of the forces sent here to lead our souls astray.”

  Zach said nothing. After what he’d read in that journal, he didn’t have the confidence to refute that. He didn’t remember a thing about why or how he’d come here. The Emerys had had another transmigrator in their family! What if his transmigration had something to do with that? Though he doubted he was here to lead their souls astray.

  “Your silence is confusing,” Noah remarked. “I expected you to deny it, to say how ridiculous that was. I’m sure a few days ago, that’s exactly what you would’ve done. Something’s changed.”

  Zach opened his mouth, but no words came out. His mind was too focused on what Noah had just said. Their religions had warned them about external forces. And now here he came with proof that someone had transmigrated years ago and had been influential in the foundation of this country.

  And who were the others?

  “What’s changed?” Noah asked again, his tone conveying more worry.

  They’re your only way home.

  “I found something in Oliver’s room,” he began. “But before I tell you about it, I have to know I can trust you and your brother. There has to be more to this than your love of knowledge. Even if your religions warned you about forces coming to your world, even if demons are entering your world, I have a hard time believing someone can just accept...” he glanced around, “... my situation that easily.”

  Noah was quiet for a long time. Zach thought he might’ve decided he was done with the conversation. It wasn’t until they’d finally reached the northern edge of camp that Noah sighed softly, his eyes lowered to the ground.

  “There are some things I don’t have the right to tell you,” he finally said. “I don’t carry my own secrets. The most I can tell you is that I have a reason to help you.”

  Zach turned his head to the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun. The body he’d seen in the hold came to him then. Going home might’ve sounded like the simplest goal, but he’d been threatened with death three times now.

  He forced himself to say, “I’m sorry, but I’m going to need more.”

  Again, Noah was quiet for a time before he said, “What do you want to hear?”

  “Fine. I’m asking again, why are you so interested in the Emerys?”

  Noah breathed in deeply, and for the first time, Zach could see the internal struggle as he weighed his response. When he finally spoke, it was so soft Zach almost missed it.

  “The Emerys might have played a role in my father’s death.”

  follow and comment your theories or suggestions!