“The Port has been preprogrammed,” he says, pointing to the awaiting Ports.
I call Marcus’s attention to the Ports. Marcus instructs the team to go ahead while he takes care of the Tics. The team makes their way to the Ports.
Marcus uses a street lamp from the ground and turns it into a makeshift bat. He is able to keep the mob away but not for long. Soon they invade again, this time willing to die just to get to him.
“Hurry!” I scream.
Marcus is already on the run. The Tics take off after him. Rio holds out his hand and pulls Marcus up just in time. The last thing we see is the mob turning on each other.
The once strong and powerful Angels, who used to battle evil, now battle for two stray feathers on the ground.
*********************
Traveling in the Port is as quick as blinking. One moment you’re in one place, then you open your eyes, and you are somewhere completely different. I’m not sure what I expected to see after seeing the mob of zombie Angels, but I certainly didn’t expect to see what stands before us.
The team and I are transported to the center of a glorious Japanese garden. It’s the kind of place you see in travel shows and it makes you ache to be there. Every single thing in this garden is perfect.
There are bonsai trees throughout the garden with shades of green so vivid, it’s impossible not to stare. But you are forced to look away because there is yet another fanatic sight your eyes long to behold: The flowers. The impossible beauty emanating for them makes the garden feel like what I feel when I’m around Marcus: Calm. Peaceful. Loved.
The wind blows gently causing the leaves to swan dive gracefully off the trees and into the pond below. On the surface of the pond are leaves and flower petals that have met a similar joyous fate, thanks to the cool breeze. The only sound comes from the steady flow of water streaming from the top of the waterfall as it merges into the pound.
The focal point of the garden is a bright red bridge that goes over the water; a few yards past the bridge is a pathway that leads to a Japanese-style temple. On the front of the temple there is a red carving just like the one the Phin. It’s the number 3 and alongside of it is the letter C, linked to make the shape of a spade.
Honestly, I don’t care what is in the temple. I just want to stay here in this garden of unimaginable beauty. This would be the perfect place to spend my last few weeks. I wonder if I can get Marcus to agree to it.
Yeah, right. I could just see how that conversation would go:
Me: Hey, why don’t we stay in this amazing, peaceful place until its time for me to die?
Marcus: No.
Me: But—
Marcus: No.
Me: Nothing is going to stop me from having to die so let’s stay here and have fun until it’s time.
Marcus: No.
“Emmy? Hello?” Rio says.
“Oh, sorry; spaced out,” I reply, shaking my head.
“You spaced out? Shocking,” Ameana says, mildly irritated.
“I was just thinking how beautiful this place is.”
“It’s lovely,” Miku agrees.
I look over at Marcus and take a shot.
“Maybe you and I could stay here for awhile,” I suggest.
“No.”
Do I know my boyfriend or what?
Lakom tells us to follow him. It’s strange but when he speaks it feels wrong to do anything but follow his instructions. It’s like being in grade school and having the teacher tell me what to do. It never occurs to me to disobey.
Still, I would love to just sit in this garden with Marcus. We would finally get a chance to talk. I would get to ask the thing I’ve never really had time to ask him. I have always wanted to know more about his family on earth. I would love to know more about his mom and what his life was like before he died.
“We are now in The House of Three?” Jay asks.
“Yes,” Lakom replies, as we make our way up the stone front steps of the temple.
We enter what looks to be the center of the temple. There is a slightly elevated platform that has three enormous throne-like chairs, made of some kind of black rock. The room is almost empty. There is nothing in here aside from the three thrones and a wall of water cascading behind it.
“Am I the only one thrown by this?” Rio asks.
“No, it doesn’t make sense. Are we still in Terra?” Ameana wonders.
“No. You are in The House of Three in the City of Adam.”
We follow the voice and find a beautiful girl about our age sitting on the throne in the center. She has rosy cheeks, plum-red, heart-shaped lips, and piercing blue eyes. Her hair is silver and shimmers like the sun reflecting on the pound in the garden.
She pulled her luminous hair into a bun high on top of her head. There isn’t one strand out of place. She wears a simple, nude-color dress, made of silk. It complements her complexion but clashes with the hardness of the throne.