BASTIAN'S GAZE DRIFTED BACK TO THE MESMERIZING BLUE FLAMES, SWIRLING LIKE AN OCEAN STORM FROZEN IN TIME. DOUBT GNAWED AT HIM. WHY ME? HE WASN'T ANYONE SPECIAL. HE DIDN'T BELIEVE IN DESTINY OR THE IDEA OF BEING CHOSEN FOR SOME GRAND PURPOSE. YES, HE HAD THE GIFT OF CLAIRVOYANCE, BUT SO DID MANY OTHERS IN THE COALITION, MANY WHO WERE FAR MORE POWERFUL THAN HE EVER WAS.
CAN I REALLY SUCCEED IN THIS? HIS THOUGHTS RACED. HE LOOKED AT THE OWL AGAIN. DESPITE ITS STUBBORN SILENCE, BASTIAN SENSED THAT THERE WAS A PLAN, ALBEIT A DESPERATE ONE. TIME WAS RUNNING OUT, AFTER ALL. THE OWL WOULDN'T WASTE ENERGY ON A FOOL'S ERRAND IF THERE WAS NO HOPE.
"BEFORE ME," BASTIAN ASKED, HESITATING, "HOW MANY OTHERS...?"
THE OWL'S ANSWER WAS IMMEDIATE AND COLD. "NONE. YOU ARE THE FIRST."
RELIEF WASHED OVER BASTIAN FOR A FLEETING SECOND, UNTIL THE OWL TWISTED THE KNIFE.
"WELL, THE FIRST TO BE CHOSEN FOR THIS SPECIFIC TASK. THE OTHERS BEFORE YOU DIDN'T MAKE IT. THEY WERE... ASSIMILATED BY THE STYX."
BASTIAN'S STOMACH LURCHED. THE STYX. OF COURSE. "EVEN THIS TIME," THE OWL CONTINUED, "I HAD HIGH HOPES FOR TWO CLAIRVOYANTS. BOTH WERE SEASONED WARRIORS, DOZENS OF TIMES STRONGER THAN YOU. BUT NEITHER CRAWLED OUT OF THE STYX."
SO, IT WASN'T THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER CCANDIDATES, IT WAS THAT THEY HAD ALL DIED. AND FASTER THAN HE WAS LIKELY TO.
"WHY ME, THEN?" BASTIAN DEMANDED, A SHARP EDGE TO HIS VOICE.
THE OWL'S RESPONSE WAS INFURIATINGLY SIMPLE. "WHY NOT YOU?"
"I'M JUST... I'M NOBODY SPECIAL. I'M JUST AN ORDINARY MAN TRYING TO SURVIVE," BASTIAN SHOT BACK, BITTERNESS CREEPING INTO HIS TONE.
THE OWL'S EYES GLEAMED, UNWAVERING. "EVERYONE WANTS TO SURVIVE. BUT... SOME MUST BECOME THE LADDERS FOR OTHERS TO CLIMB ON."
STEPPING LADDER. THE WORDS STUNG. BASTIAN'S JAW CLENCHED. SO, BECAUSE I HAVE THE GIFT OF CLAIRVOYANCE, I'M THE ONE WHO HAS TO SACRIFICE MYSELF? HE COULD FEEL RESENTMENT BURNING INSIDE HIM. A LIFETIME OF HARDSHIP AND ABANDONMENT FLARED IN HIS CHEST. WHY SHOULD I BE THE ONE? I'VE SUFFERED ENOUGH. I'VE BEEN DISCARDED, LEFT TO FEND FOR MYSELF SINCE I WAS A CHILD. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO DIE FOR THE WORLD NOW?
A FAINT CHUCKLE INTERRUPTED HIS THOUGHTS. "DON'T LET YOUR MIND WANDER INTO SUCH DARK PLACES," THE OWL SAID, ITS TONE UNEXPECTEDLY LIGHT. "YOU'RE GOING TO TURN INTO A VENGEFUL GHOST IF YOU KEEP THINKING LIKE THAT."
BASTIAN BLINKED, REALIZING THAT HE HAD INDEED BEEN SPIRALING. HIS SOUL HAD DARKENED, AND THE SHADOWS AROUND HIM HAD THICKENED, AS IF RESPONDING TO HIS ANGER. HE EXHALED DEEPLY, TRYING TO CALM THE STORM WITHIN.
"I REFUSE," BASTIAN SAID FIRMLY, HIS VOICE STEADIER NOW. "SEND ME BACK."
THE SNOWY OWL TILTED ITS HEAD, ALMOST AMUSED. "OKAY."
BASTIAN BLINKED IN DISBELIEF. "WHAT? JUST LIKE THAT?"
THE OWL'S GAZE SOFTENED, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT SPOKE WITHOUT ITS USUAL CRYPTIC TONE. "THERE'S NO POINT IN FORCING YOU. IF THIS COULD BE DONE BY ANYONE, IT WOULDN'T BE UP TO YOU. AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT ONE LIFE HAS THE RIGHT TO FORCE ANOTHER INTO SACRIFICE."
BASTIAN SNORTED, HIS LIPS CURLING INTO A BITTER SMILE. "COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO'S ALREADY LED MANY CLAIRVOYANTS TO THEIR DEATHS, THAT'S NOT EXACTLY CONVINCING."
THE OWL'S FEATHERS RUFFLED SLIGHTLY, BUT IT SAID NOTHING IN RETURN. INSTEAD, IT SIMPLY WATCHED AS BASTIAN'S DOUBTS LINGERED, WAITING FOR THE DECISION THAT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING.
"INDEED," THE SNOWY OWL SAID, ITS TONE HEAVY, "BUT EVEN BEFORE THEY DISAPPEARED, THEY CARRIED NO REGRETS."
BASTIAN'S FRUSTRATION FLARED, BUBBLING UP FROM DEEP WITHIN HIM. HE COULDN'T HOLD IT BACK ANY LONGER. "NO REGRETS? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?" HIS VOICE TREMBLED, AND HE FELT THE WEIGHT OF YEARS OF BITTERNESS PRESSING DOWN ON HIM. SHADOWS OF NEGATIVE EMOTIONS CLUNG TO HIM LIKE A DARK CLOUD. HE LET OUT A DRY, HOLLOW LAUGH, BUT IT QUICKLY DIED IN HIS THROAT.
MEMORIES SURGED FORWARD UNBIDDEN, LIKE A DAM BURSTING.
HE REMEMBERED THE TALL FIGURE STANDING ON THE NARROW MOUNTAIN PATH, WATCHING HIM LEAVE. THE VILLAGE, THE HUNGER, THE HOLLOW-EYED CHILDREN WHO SHARED THEIR MEALS WITH HIM BECAUSE HE HAD NOTHING AT HOME. HE RECALLED THE DAYS WHEN HIS LIFE FELT LIKE A COLLECTION OF BORROWED MOMENTS, FED AND SHELTERED BY THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS.
HE REMEMBERED THE OLD SHAMAN, HIS WEATHERED FACE HARDENING AS HE FORCED HIM AWAY, TOLD HIM TO LEAVE WHEN THE VILLAGE COULD NO LONGER SUSTAIN HIM. AND THOSE CHILDREN, THOSE INNOCENT EYES FILLED WITH HOPE THAT HE WOULD RETURN SAFELY, THAT HE COULD SOMEHOW BRING BACK SOMETHING BETTER FOR THEM.
BUT WHAT HAD HE BROUGHT BACK? NOTHING. ONLY MORE PAIN AND HARDSHIP. REALLY? AFTER ALL THIS ABANDONMENT, AFTER ALL THE HURT, WAS THERE TRULY NO HOPE LEFT? WAS THERE NO KINDNESS OR LOVE LEFT IN THIS WORLD?
THE SNOWY OWL'S VOICE CUT THROUGH HIS SPIRALING THOUGHTS. "I DIDN'T LIE TO YOU. I HAD NO REASON TO. YOU WERE TOO YOUNG, TOO POWERLESS BACK THEN. FROM THE BEGINNING, YOU WERE JUST A BACKUP AMONG BACKUPS. I DIDN'T EXPLAIN THINGS TO YOU BECAUSE IT DIDN'T MATTER AT THE TIME. BUT THEY, THE ONES WHO CAME BEFORE YOU, THEY KNEW WHAT THEIR LIVES WERE. A GAMBLE ON A MERE SLIVER OF HOPE. THEY TOOK THAT GAMBLE ANYWAY."
THERE WAS NO MALICE IN THE OWL'S VOICE, ONLY A WEARY HELPLESSNESS. IF THE OWL HAD ANY OTHER CHOICE, SURELY IT WOULD NEVER HAVE ASKED THIS OF A CHILD, SOMEONE SO MUCH YOUNGER AND MORE FRAGILE THAN ITSELF. WHY WOULD IT PUSH ANYONE SO FAR UNLESS IT HAD NO OTHER OPTION?
BASTIAN PAUSED. HE WANTED TO ARGUE, TO SAY THAT NONE OF THIS WAS FAIR, THAT IT COULDN'T BE RIGHT. BUT HE HAD SEEN THE FACES OF THE WARRIORS IN THE COALITION, THOSE WHO HAD SACRIFICED EVERYTHING FOR THEIR PEOPLE, FOR THEIR FAMILIES. HE HAD SEEN WHAT IT MEANT TO GAMBLE ON AN IMPOSSIBLE HOPE. THE OWL WASN'T LYING. THERE WAS NO NEED TO.
"IF I SUCCEED," BASTIAN BEGAN SLOWLY, HIS VOICE QUIETER NOW, "WILL IT BE ENOUGH? CAN WE STOP THE SPIRITS AND BRING JUSTICE TO THOSE WHO LOST THEIR MEMORIES? WILL IT FIX EVERYTHING?"
THE OWL HESITATED. "I'M NOT SURE," IT SAID FINALLY. "I DON'T KNOW. BUT... IT'S POSSIBLE."
BASTIAN SNORTED, SHAKING HIS HEAD WITH A BITTER SMILE. "YOU'RE TERRIBLE AT THIS. YOU MAKE FOR THE WORST SALESMAN OR MAYBE THE BEST, I REALLY CAN'T TELL AT THIS POINT."
WITHOUT ANOTHER WORD, BASTIAN REACHED OUT AND GRASPED THE "FLAME OF DEATH." THE MOMENT HIS FINGERS TOUCHED THE FLICKERING BLUE LIGHT, HIS ENTIRE SOUL IGNITED.
A SCREAM CAUGHT IN HIS THROAT AS THE FIRE CONSUMED HIM. IT WASN'T JUST HEAT, IT WAS AGONY ON A LEVEL HE HADN'T THOUGHT POSSIBLE. HIS VERY BEING WAS UNRAVELING, BURNING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. IN A FLASH, HIS ENTIRE BODY VANISHED INTO A PLUME OF SMOKE. BUT WITHIN SECONDS, THE FLAME REKINDLED ITSELF, GLOWING ONCE MORE. THIS TIME, HOWEVER, THERE WAS SOMETHING NEW, A FAINT GOLDEN HUE MIXED WITH THE LIGHT BLUE FLAMES.
"OF COURSE," THE SNOWY OWL MUTTERED TO ITSELF, WATCHING THE SCENE WITH A MIXTURE OF AWE AND SORROW. "THE BLOOD OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST FLAME CREATURE, THE FIRE DRAGON... IT GIVES HIM RESISTANCE TO FIRE. PERHAPS... PERHAPS THERE IS HOPE AFTER ALL."
BUT BASTIAN COULDN'T HEAR THE OWL ANYMORE. HE WAS CONSUMED BY PAIN BEYOND MEASURE. HIS SOUL WAS BREAKING APART, SHATTERING AND BURNING ALL AT ONCE. HE NO LONGER CARED FOR HOPE. HE NO LONGER CARED FOR THE WORLD. ALL HE WANTED WAS FOR IT TO END, TO BE FREE FROM THE TORMENT. HE PRAYED FOR DEATH.
HE COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND, ROLLING IN AGONY AS THE FLAMES FLARED AND FLICKERED. IT WAS UNBEARABLE. HE COULDN'T HOLD ON ANY LONGER. HE COULD FEEL HIMSELF SLIPPING AWAY, FADING INTO THE NOTHINGNESS.
THE SNOWY OWL WATCHED, ITS EXPRESSION UNREADABLE, BUT THE SADNESS IN ITS EYES WAS UNMISTAKABLE. IT HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE. TOO MANY TIMES. THERE WAS NOTHING IT COULD DO.
"SLEEP NOW, CHILD," A SOFT VOICE ECHOED FROM THE SHADOWS. "WHEN YOU WAKE, EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE."
THE SOUND WASHED OVER BASTIAN LIKE A COOL BREEZE, SOOTHING HIS FRAYED NERVES. THE FLAMES DIMMED, THE PAIN EBBED, AND EVERYTHING AROUND HIM RETURNED TO CALM. HIS VISION BLURRED, DARKNESS OVERTAKING HIM AS HE SANK INTO UNCONSCIOUSNESS.
BEHIND THE BAR, A FIGURE STOOD, ITS SILHOUETTE UNMISTAKABLE, THE GRIM REAPER. THE SNOWY OWL'S EYES WIDENED IN SHOCK. THIS... THIS WASN'T POSSIBLE. THE ANCIENT GODS OF CREATION, THEY NEVER INTERFERED, NEVER CARED ABOUT THE AFFAIRS OF MORTALS. AND YET...
THE REAPER MOVED SILENTLY, ITS PRESENCE BRINGING WITH IT AN AIR OF FINALITY. THE SNOWY OWL COULD ONLY WATCH, STUNNED, AS BASTIAN'S FATE HUNG IN THE BALANCE.
I HAD FINALLY MADE IT TO THIS FORSAKEN PLACE, BUT EVEN AFTER FINDING HIM, HE REFUSED TO HELP. ASKING FOR A SIMPLE FAVOR, LIKE BORROWING A LIGHT, REQUIRED A STEEP PRICE, AN "EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE," AS HE CALLED IT, AND NOT A SMALL ONE EITHER.
"IF HE VANISHED ON THIS ISLAND, HE'D BE TRAPPED IN THE CRACKS OF TIME FOREVER. JUST IMAGINE; A LOST SOUL STUCK IN MY HUMBLE LITTLE BAR, WAILING EVERY NOW AND THEN. THAT'D MAKE LISTENING TO STORIES A LOT LESS FUN."
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT, KEEPING VENGEFUL SPIRITS AWAY FROM YOUR TERRITORY? SNOWY OWL NODDED, STILL UNSURE WHETHER THIS WAS A JEST OR A GENUINE CONCERN.
BUT SNOWY OWL KNEW BETTER THAN TO PRESS FURTHER, NOT WHEN DEALING WITH SOMEONE AS UNPREDICTABLE AS HIM.
MEANWHILE, BASTIAN LAY THERE PEACEFULLY, UNAWARE THAT HE HAD JUST ESCAPED A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH. HIS BODY WAS CALM, BUT HIS SOUL WAS ENCASED IN THOSE PALE BLUE FLAMES, QUIETLY BURNING AWAY, ONE FLICKER AT A TIME.
THE LARGER FIGURE GLANCED AT BASTIAN, HIS VOICE LOW BUT AMUSED. "BESIDES, I'D LOVE TO HEAR HIS STORY. I IMAGINE IT'LL BE QUITE AN INTERESTING ONE."
SNOWY OWL RAISED A BROW, UNCERTAIN HOW TO RESPOND. THERE WAS SO MUCH PACKED INTO THAT SIMPLE STATEMENT THAT IT LEFT THE OWL SLIGHTLY OFF-BALANCE. "HE... PROBABLY WOULDN'T FIND IT ALL THAT FUNNY HIMSELF."
BASTIAN, STILL UNCONSCIOUS, SLEPT AS IF IN A TRANCE, HIS SOUL GENTLY SMOLDERING. SNOWY OWL STUDIED THE "CHILD" IN FRONT OF HIM, FILLED WITH DOUBT. COULD BASTIAN REALLY HANDLE THE WEIGHT OF THE RESPONSIBILITY NOW RESTING ON HIS SHOULDERS?
BUT AS THE SNOWY OWL RECALLED THE FURIOUS FIGURE FROM THAT SNOWY NIGHT AND THE TEARS OF BITTER REGRET, A SMALL EMBER OF HOPE BEGAN TO GLOW WITHIN HIM.
"SIR, PERHAPS HIS STORY WILL BE MORE EXTRAORDINARY THAN ANYONE CAN IMAGINE."
THE LARGER FIGURE SMILED. "I'M COUNTING ON IT."