“This city will fall,” said Edge as he looked over the rooftops into the desert.

Paet was obviously troubled.

“So there is nothing we can do?”

“No. The battle will not be decided within this city; the city is already lost. This battle will be fought in our hearts, as it always has, for years to come.”

“What are we fighting for, Edge?”

Edge looked at him, his eyes patient and wise.

“That’s for every man to decide for himself.”

“And you? You, who were never meant to lead the dragon. You, who were never meant to lead humanity. What are you fighting for?”

Edge was silent as he gazed down on the people, living out their lives, oblivious to the coming bloodshed.

“Not too long ago I thought I didn’t know. But now I do. Now I know what must be accomplished, and I will play my part in it, though I will not live to see its fruition.”

He continued.

“Sestren can take away my life, and Sestren can take away this city. But even where the darkness lies, there is still hope. There, Paet, is one thing we possess that Sestren cannot extinguish. There lies his folly, and his ultimate demise.”

“Then you are saying there is still hope?” Paet asked quietly.

“Yes. We must hope, even now, on the eve of our greatest fall.”

He turned to Paet, and clasped his friend’s hands within his own.

“You have been more than a friend to me, Paet, and have been with me every step in this journey.”

“Then shall we walk it to the end, Edge?”

“To the bitter end, and to each his own.” Edge answered, smiling fondly at his friend.

Then he turned and left, and neither of them saw each other again.

---

“Azel…”

She was standing in the middle of the room, arms laden with weapons and gear. As she turned to continue gathering her belongings, Edge caught her by the shoulder.

“Not this time, Azel. You can’t go with me.”

“Nobody said I was going with you, Edge,” she replied fiercely.

Edge caught her gaze and held it firmly. Suddenly, Azel seemed to soften, the intensity in her eyes melted away, and as she fell into Edge’s arms she whispered,

“But I want to, so badly…”

“I know how you feel, Azel. I am just as helpless as you are.”

“But how will you get into the astral plane?”

“I can access all of Sestren’s processes now. It will be simple for me to create a gateway for myself in the tower.”

She looked into his eyes imploringly.

“Why, Edge? Why are you doing this?” she asked.

“Because I am not the future.”

“And who is?”

Edge was silent. But even so, as Azel searched his eyes, she knew what he meant, and she nodded her understanding.

“Will you ever come back, Edge? To see New Zoah? It’s quite a beautiful city, Edge.”

Edge sighed.

“I won’t be able to see it… if no one defends it now.”

“I will, Edge…” she said, trying to sound resolute in spite of the tears in her eyes.

Then he drew her into his arms, and pressed her body tightly against his own. He kissed the tears away from her eyes, and then softly on her lips. And in that singular moment, they were detached from the world, floating away and away into the dark of nothingness. They were lost, bound in time and space, nowhere and everywhere at once. They were eternal stars, shining brightly, piercing the darkness around them. This was Edge’s universe, and it was Azel’s, and all they had that existed was each other.

Finally they broke away, and it came as a sudden coldness in their hearts, as if something important had been torn away. Edge picked up only his gun, for it was all that he would need when he reached the destination of his voyage. And as he started for the door, he looked back at Azel and said,

“Tell her I loved her.”

They stared into each other’s eyes for some time more. And then, Edge smiled, and nodded a farewell. Azel, too, smiled. They were happy at last, and then Edge was gone.

---

“Leaving again?”

The words startled Edge as he whirled around to see Gash leaning against the bricks.

“Yes,” Edge said simply, his voice still choked with tears that he had been trying to restrain.

“Edge…Tell me something. Will all this be finally over, soon?”

Edge was apprehensive for a moment, but then replied, “Yes, Gash, it will.”

“And…when this is over…” Gash started, his voice wavering.

“Should we meet, Gash? In that valley, where we first met?”

Gash was silent, his blank gaze drifted slowly over the wall-tops.

“No, Edge… We can’t go back there. It will be gone, Edge… All that is good, and true, and bright will be gone. But we can still hope.”

Edge nodded quietly.

“When this is over, Edge… Meet me in the valley. The valley where the flowers blossom, and where the lights shine. The valley where the Dawn never fails and hopes never perish. Meet me there, Edge.”

Without another word, Edge turned and walked to his dragon, climbed onto its back, and left the city of New Zoah. This time, truly, he would not be late.