“Luna? Why are you still awake?” Taj asked.

  They were alone. The meeting was longer than anticipated. She was tired and sleepy, yet she couldn’t rest.

  “Why are you projected?” she asked back.

  “I am worried,” he answered, then fell silent.

  “I see. Me too. All clear, but… I wonder what they will do, Si and Lukai. That Lukai is Domini’s son—who would have thought? I mean…” Luna said and sighed. “I had praised him for being sincere and that it was only me who was at fault for hiding things.”

  “I didn’t expect it as well. It solves some issues and complicates others. Luna? How do you feel about the idea that Si shared? I was considering it, but I haven’t decided on it since we didn’t talk it over,” Taj said.

  “How do I feel…? Taj, you know I want you to be all right. I am aware it is not secure as it is. I have often thought about what to do with your Crystal before I am gone. You see, when you say you won’t project yourself, it is one. But I am aware you are conscious when being inside. So, what? You won’t project, but you will be there, trapped for how long? Ever? I am not happy when thinking about it,” Luna said slowly.

  “Gates… I do not know. Maybe? Then you would at least be free from Crystal. Do I understand correctly that you would become energy there? Taj? Could you then release yourself, like, to the universe? Taj! Could you die there?” she exclaimed the last words.

  She was no longer sleepy.

  “O? I am not certain. We will know after trying. This is why I need some time to run tests. But if I die, Luna? Could I?” Taj asked.

  He was looking at her; she could see what—hope?

  “Right… Taj, somehow, I like Si’s idea more now. I can see anything will be better than you in Crystal. How long is it?” Luna asked.

  “One hundred years, five months, and fifteen days, plus minus,” he said.

  “That’s a very specific number, Taj. Are you aware?”

  She started to speak but didn’t finish.

  Taj made a signal to be silent.

  “Write to Si now, two energies—” he whispered.

  Luna tensed.

  That was it, as they suspected.

  She sent the message. Si should be here within six to eight minutes, he estimated. If he wasn’t asleep…

  “Fuck!” Luna cursed for the first time.

  Taj changed his projection to be invisible to others.

  “Two energies. Abilitiers. They are outside, one minute to reach the doors. Should I act?” he asked, whispering.

  “No, they shouldn’t detect you. I will head to the library, as we discussed,” Luna whispered back. Then she reached under her bed; she had her training weapon hidden there, always. “If it gets serious, I will use my energies. I can defend myself.”

  She took the knife and hesitated.

  “Do they have any weapons? Do you detect something? Weapons are restricted; they shouldn’t have anything spectacular. It should be possible to run to the library and wait.”

  Taj shook his head without words, showing that there were no weapons.

  Luna felt nervous either way. She never fought with real opponents. She had acted brave before when they had discussed it. But now she was scared.

  “Go!” Taj whispered.

  … As if thunder had hit her, she jumped out of her bed and ran out of her room, down the stairs, heading toward the library. Her knife heavy in her hand, and with her hand already shaking.

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  She almost reached it.

  The door was yanked.

  Luna was at the bottom of the stairs, a few steps away from the library entrance, directly in the path from the front door.

  She thought quickly. “What should I do? Those who wanted to enter the house didn’t worry about the noise. They should be detected; there were safety detectors in

  Unio… but the noise, I live alone, they don’t care—”

  Then they forced their way in, and Luna immediately stopped.

  She froze—it was not logical; it was fear. She felt it creeping up her spine, like a trickle of cold sweat; she was terrified.

  Two silhouettes of big men. They visibly noticed her and stopped. It looked like the attackers were considering what to do.

  “They don’t want to kill me? Is it something else?” Luna had a thought.

  Then one of them spoke, his voice cold.

  “Give us the library.”

  “O?” It was Taj; only she could hear.

  “Give us Clar library, and we will spare you,” the man repeated, emphasizing the word Clar.

  Luna instantly knew what it was about. She had promised herself many times that in this kind of situation, she had to be brave—

  She decided and said it aloud. “No.”

  The one who spoke made a gesture and moved toward her calmly, like a cat toward a mouse. The other one began checking the entrance to the library.

  “They think it is hidden there and don’t know how much energy they need,” Taj said. He stopped whispering; only she could hear him. “Luna, use your shield; it doesn’t matter if they detect it. Tactic, as with Lukai, you will manage. Or I will—”

  “No,” Luna said to Taj, but the attacker also heard it.

  “No, again? Open it; we will search the library and let you live. Why so stubborn, you do not like your life?” the man asked, still trying.

  “Why?” she asked back.

  “She is trying to stall for time. Boss, let’s force her quickly. Two of us won’t be enough to break this barrier. It has to be inside; she doesn’t matter!” the other one exclaimed.

  Luna slowly changed her position.

  When they had entered the house, she was on the route to the library, which meant she was three steps away from the training floor. And this space she knew well; she knew how to move there and not slip.

  Taj said they didn’t have weapons; they weren’t afraid of her. The only security that everybody knew the Alena family had left was around the library. And recently, she stopped being the alliance’s pawn. Of course, no one feared her.

  She sighed; somehow, her fears had left her mind.

  Luna shook her body in preparation when the one who spoke at the beginning, the boss, finally attacked.

  Still without energy, but he was massive and strong. She trained with Lukai, so she was able to bypass two of the attempts, but she couldn’t avoid everything.

  The moment the man hit her in the head, she fell; only then she activated her shield. She heard that he was surprised, and the other one too.

  All as if stopped.

  They were watching her; they didn’t want to kill her. Not yet.

  The boss walked up to her.

  “What am I going to do with you? The shield, I’ll have to break through to force you to open the entrance. Why say no?” the man slowly said.

  She couldn’t see his face; it was covered, but his voice was very unpleasant.

  Taj, she noticed, was alert. She made a sign, as they had their signs for years, asking Taj not to interfere. Showing up to protect her would prove he was there. Who knew if others weren’t waiting somewhere close by?

  No.

  Still on the ground, she felt pain after the hit… and where was Si? Luna slightly hid her knife behind her—just like Taj had taught her. She was shaking; the boss thought that she was scared.

  Luna was scared—very scared.

  The boss tried to grab her, but she nimbly slid to the floor, leaned back, and stood up despite the pain. He noticed the knife she was holding only then.

  “Prepared, interesting,” the man commented. “We have time; you will finally open it for us.”

  The boss, as if he had decided—moved and attacked Luna brutally.

  Then things happened very fast.

  The other one joined his boss; he tried to pierce her shield with energy. The detectors for sure went off—loudly.

  The boss caught her hand, in which she had her knife; he thought she was immobilized. Despite her shield, he kicked, using his energy.

  Then he broke her leg, and Luna fell to her knee.

  “You open the library. Then we find what we’re looking for—and leave. Peacefully.”

  At that moment, Luna saw Taj make a sign that he was about to fight.

  She decided. Leaned back—just like Taj had taught her. Their boss tried to grab her by the neck, but it was Luna who grabbed his other hand and hit it with energy. She surprised him; his hand jumped back.

  Through the pain, Luna still gripped her knife in her right hand. She moved, but the boss squeezed her hand and tried to kick the knife free. Then—just like Taj had taught her—she used her other hand to push his hand away from her neck.

  The boss then broke her hand.

  It hurt so much; Luna was in pain.

  Still, she felt that he didn’t want to kill her; that he needed her. She put everything she had—her will, her fears, her courage—into what she needed to do now.

  She let go of the knife—and caught it with her other hand mid-fall, just like she had practiced with Taj. From below, she slashed upward, channeling energy into the cut.

  The boss’s shield deflected part of it, but blood sprayed—it wasn’t deep, but it was a hit.

  He struck her head with energy; he missed the neck, but the hit was brutal.

  They both hit the floor, sliding. Blood. All Luna could see was blood—hers. Her head was bleeding.

  He was still holding her when, suddenly, everything stopped.

  It was Taj. It was over. Luna heard him talking to her.

  She felt dizzy.

  “Taj?”

  He was next to her.

  Blurry.

  Taj said something. She couldn’t understand.

  Blurry, blurry.

  “Taj, Taj?” Luna managed to say it out loud before she fainted.