“Taj?” Lukai breathed heavily.

  “Yes?”

  “How did… security?”

  Lukai wanted to talk, omitting the real reason Taj needed to project himself here right now.

  “I found a way. Don’t say anything; you are tired. I know the feeling,” Taj said and stopped for a moment. “Lukai? I am sorry. You do understand the situation, I see. I need to take you to the place where it will be safer, but I cannot go through your Gate. How to…”

  “Safer for me… everybody?”

  Lukai knew the answer without waiting for Taj’s reply.

  “Choose… destination… push me…”

  Taj activated the Gate, helped Lukai get close, and pushed him through as he had been told—he listened, he obeyed, Lukai thought.

  Why did it matter? Another thought came to his mind. Forcing him to obey didn’t do any good; they didn’t connect like he had wanted.

  He went through the Gate; it was instantaneous. He started to fall, and a second later, he was caught before he hit the ground. Taj projected himself next to him and helped him.

  Lukai looked around.

  The old territories of the OFF. Salty Lake? Why?

  “It is safe here. Not many people. It is the place I think you will appreciate. It is where I died…” Taj was slowly talking, trying to fill in the silence.

  Lukai could barely breathe.

  It was it. He wasn’t surprised, nor was he mad.

  He also knew that Taj already knew.

  They stood by the Gate. Taj looked as if he were estimating the route, checking something. He nodded to himself.

  Lukai wanted to ask a question, but he couldn’t. Taj nodded again, then supported him and slowly led him toward the lake. At first, Lukai tried to push himself away. He somehow wanted to show that he could go alone—but he couldn’t.

  He gave up after a few tries.

  They walked in silence for a while, then Taj finally started talking, explaining.

  Lukai was then certain—there really was no chance.

  He was about to die.

  “Your energies are colliding, Lukai. Your body is weak. This embedding you ordered is a design that I even recognize. At least you resigned from more than one Crystal; otherwise, you would have morphed. It’s good you listened to me about that. However, I told you, it wouldn’t work. We never found a way to reproduce it; we couldn’t check what exactly happened to me. To tell the truth, only recently have I come back to this topic. I started researching. I also tried to use it; I never had before, Lukai. I never did. It is too powerful, only a drop, and I did on these planets that massive… yes?”

  Taj was talking but stopped when he saw Lukai wave his hand.

  “I do not believe…” he started to speak slowly, with many interruptions, but he needed to ask. “You can… everything, worlds… always… energy limitation… create only… only based on something… not out of… nothing… you have it… can do it… didn’t use it? Who are you… not to be… tempted… why you…?”

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  Lukai had many more questions, but his body was disappointing him; he felt weaker.

  Was it how dying felt?

  Pathetic.

  “A good question that I have nobody to ask.”

  Lukai heard Taj’s answer. Then he sighed but continued.

  “Correct, I have it; I can create. As I said, I only recently started to learn about what I can do with it. It is dangerous; that’s why I am not too curious. Not amazing to destroy a planet, no? Lukai, the thing is, I didn’t want it. I didn’t ask about it. It was forced on me; I didn’t consent. I was perfectly fine without it. This is the difference between us. I do not want it. I have it. I can create. And what? Nothing, Lukai, nothing. It needs to be carefully researched. It surely shouldn’t be used to scare people, win wars, or anything of the sort,” Taj said and sighed again.

  “… I assume Si will take over. Your ruling was good. What you achieved won’t be thrown away. Lukai, it is not that I am delighted to see you in this state; you need to know it,” Taj added, and then he stopped walking.

  They exchanged looks.

  What Taj said was important. Lukai was strangely grateful—with nothing more likely left to say.

  They were at the shore.

  The saltiest lake among all the planets and moons. The one that resisted terraforming. Lukai recalled what Taj had said. Had he died here? Was it then…?

  “I can see you have figured it out. Correct, I created this lake. It was not a conscious act. We died here, and it appeared at the exact moment I collided my energies. Song discharged himself beforehand. If his energy had been added, it would have been more problematic. We wanted to die here; the thing is, only Song died. I woke up… Lukai? Let’s go to the lake. I will show you how to do it. It will be peaceful for you. In the water, I will absorb the impact of your collision.”

  “… What? You…?” Lukai managed to ask only this.

  What did Taj mean?

  “O? Thank you for your concern; I interpret it as such. I am planning to take the impact so nothing more will be destroyed. To simplify, Lukai, you won’t die alone. I will die with you here for the second time. I assume I will wake up. That is not a problem, I assure you. I organized what I could for Si. And myself, I dream about dying for a long time. Let’s go…”

  Taj supported him and started to enter the water.

  Lukai let himself be led. Somehow, he was contemplating what he had heard.

  He didn’t want this.

  He didn’t want Gates not to have Taj or for Si to struggle more. No, he had to find another way. That wasn’t what he wanted at all.

  Earlier, he had thought a few times, or perhaps too many times. How to limit, how to control, and how to use Taj in Gates. But now, the thought came to him that no, it was pointless.

  “… No, alone…” Lukai mumbled.

  “Take it easy. I think it will be good. Let me help you. The risk is too great; I can’t leave you like this or let you try it alone. I am not reproaching you; just accept…”

  Lukai wanted to struggle but lacked the strength.

  So be it.

  He leaned completely on Taj.

  They submerged halfway; Taj stopped.

  Lukai watched his actions as he made a barrier of energy around them, several layers, different; not all of them Lukai knew what they could do.

  Taj, noticing Lukai’s interest, began to explain.

  “I will do something here that should stop the explosion if it is too big; Song did that then, but then it didn’t stop my split. Well, from what I know, I destroyed a lot. It is not official; now it is just a lake. I don’t know if you have something more in you because of this collision you have. This Crystal you have applied to yourself, Lukai… I don’t know. So, I want to take the explosion myself. I will use my split a little bit to kick your energies. Maybe, instead of causing destruction, it will dissolve into more water. That is why I am here, so that if I don’t succeed with these barriers, I will take it myself; I have already tested it… o, do I talk too much? Apologies. I always talk a lot. Some meditate, some run when nervous, and I talk. Song always… yes?”

  “Run… run…”

  Lukai tried to speak but was too tired.

  “I told you, I won’t leave you alone, Lukai… o?”

  Taj misunderstood; Lukai needed to concentrate to say it.

  “Yura… records… backyard…”

  Lukai tried to say—to tell—that he recalled where Yura had broken his stupid records many times, including the one he had mentioned before he was killed.

  Yura and his ‘runs in circles’ outside his house. His backyard! This was why they found nothing at his house; it was in the backyard. What Yura had hidden should be there!

  How ridiculous!

  “Lukai? Do you mean I should search Yura’s backyard? O, I even know some runners do… I will. Be calm; I will. It is all right, you told me, you recalled, Lukai, calm down, your energies, they… Lukai, concentrate on what I am showing you. It is happening; it collided. Why are you so nervous about Yura? Lukai, it will be good. Look at me, do it like this…”

  The last thought Lukai had was that Luna was laughing when she had recently visited him.