- Riku -
"Going somewhere?"
My eyes darted over to where the voice had come from. A tall, pale figure, slightly glowing stood in my doorway. Her blonde hair fell just below her shoulders, and her eyes shimmered a bright piercing blue. A familiar blue. The same blue as Sora's.
"Oh, Namine, it's you." I said, sighing in relief, turning back to the rucksack I was packing. But before I could continue, I remembered how impossible that was. My head snapped back in disbelief, and my eyes widened "Namine?" I said incredulously. "What are you doing here?"
She shrugged her thin shoulders, her somewhat transparent form wavering slightly.
"How are you here?" My hand involuntarily loosened around the bag I was carrying, and it dropped to the floor beside me. I hardly noticed. I crossed the room in a few slow steps and gazed into her eyes, seeing my own disbelief reflected in them. She seemed to pulse with light, her glow illuminating the dark room. She stepped past me easily, going further into the room.
She looks beautiful. I thought to myself before I could stop. I turned and followed her, speechless.
"I needed to be." She said quietly, nonchalantly, staring out the enormous windows out to the island. "A storms coming." She remarked, gazing up at the rippling clouds that were darkening the horizon. I peered out too. She was right. Even between the few minutes that I had begun to pack my bag the wind had picked up sharply, bending the trees and churning the water. I turned to her.
"Why are you here?"
She gazed at me for a few moments, her face betraying nothing. "I told you before. I was needed."
"No offense or anything," I said hesitantly, "but, I think you're wrong. It's not that I don't want you here –" I added hastily, "it's wonderful to see you again… but I don't need…" I trailed off, unsure of how to finish. Namine simply stared at me, her face disbelieving. I turned from the window and knelt to pick up my fallen bag, trying to avoid her stare, and began replacing the stuff that had tumbled out. I could still feel her gaze on me, and my stomach twisted unpleasantly. I stood up again and dropped the pack gingerly on my bed, the old mattress squeaking in quiet protest. I turned and began to go about my room, continuing packing as if Namine wasn't there.
"You're leaving." There was no question in her cool tone, and I sighed in defeat.
"Yes. I am." I strode out of my room and onto the balcony, and leaned against the railing, the wind ripping at my silver hair. I had no choice but to leave. I had always known that, even after Sora and I managed to return. Maybe this world wasn't meant for me. Or maybe I wasn't meant for this world.
But this was my home. If I wasn't meant for here, then where could I possibly belong to?
Darkness, of course, an icy voice in the back of my mind crackled. I immediately gripped the banister tighter, until my fingers were screaming in protest, and goose bumps flew up my arms.
So silently I didn't hear her coming, Namine was at my side, the corners of her mouth pulled down in a slight frown. I followed her gaze and realized she was staring at my clenched fingers, and I immediately dropped them off the rail, ignoring the wonderful release that followed. I folded my arms across my chest and turned so I was facing my room again, and leaned against the railing. Namine stepped in front of me, refusing to be ignored, and reached out and grabbed one of my hands. For someone who was hardly there, she had a strong grip. She took my hand in both of hers, and ran her fingers lightly up and down my arm, checking the goose bumps, sending tingles shooting through my body. I did my best to ignore them and focused instead on keeping my face blank.
She turned my palm over and over, and I leaned closer to her unconsciously, trying to see what she was doing. When she drew her head up again, her face was only inches from mine. She didn't flinch, or back away as I had expected, but stared at me instead, her cerulean eyes drawing my in until I was lost in the endless blue pools. She raised my hand deliberately, and titled my palm until it was vertical and parallel with the rest of my body. She took her free hand and thrust it against mine.
It was as if someone had shocked me, and as the electric current ran through my veins, darkness surrounded us, until it was nearly pitch black. All I could see was Namine and myself.
I tensed automatically, and looked around, my eyes trying to find purchase in the darkness. Namine remained completely calm, and stood as if she were waiting for something. Suddenly, light flashed across the space, and a million images were flowing by the two of us. Sora, Kairi, the King, Maleficent, Ansem, Kingdom Hearts, everything that had ever taken place in my life flew by inches from my face, and I stared in disbelief and wonder. The memories were like bits of light, which once they were close enough, expanded until you could see everything inside them. Chains began to form around them, winding this way and that, and the entire scene began to form something in the dark. The bits of light began to change color, as did the metallic chains surrounding them, until the all wound together to create a picture. When they finished, a simple portrait of a beach remained. But it was oddly familiar. The water was darkened to pitch, and the sky lay naked and starless, stretching out forever. I heard voices behind me, and Namine and I turned simultaneously, never letting our hands disconnect.
My mouth dropped as I saw who it was. Sora and I were sitting on the beach twenty paces from me and Namine, completely oblivious of our presence. As I started to make out bits of the conversation, my mouth turned up in a half smile. It was right after we had killed Xemnas, and in a moment, the door to light would open to lead us home. I could swear I could almost see Kairi, a million miles away, standing on the beach in Destiny Islands, waiting for us. My heart warmed with the memory, and I smiled.
Suddenly, dark blotches began to appear on the edges of my peripheral vision. I blinked furiously, trying to clear them away. But they only grew bigger. Great swirling purple masses floated within them, and before I knew it they were taking over the scene. I could no longer hear Sora and I's conversation, and an empty silence echoed across the abyss. A deathly cold wind blew, making my hair stand on end, sending a shiver up my spine. I knew what would happen next. I had had this nightmare so many times already. It still didn't make me any less fearful of what I would see behind me.
I turned slowly around, panic pumping through my veins. A tall dark figure with long silver hair and searing gold eyes stood in the black, and I felt my knees begin to quiver. My stomach turned upside down and I stifled the urge to vomit.
Ansem, just as transparent as Namine, was standing a few feet from me.
I tried to step back, but I couldn't.
"No." I said quietly. My heart froze in my chest, and my head became light. Fear and adrenaline pulsed through my veins, and I broke into a cold sweat.
His golden eyes blazed with a fierce malice, and behind them I could see a wretched, mocking certainty.
"So, you have returned." He chuckled quietly.
"No!" I growled fiercely, reaching back for the Way to Dawn, and finding only darkness. "No!" I said again, weaker this time.
Ansem only laughed at me, and began to saunter forward. My heart was beating so fast I was hyperventilating, and my head spun. And then he was inches from my face, his hot breath swirling in my head.
"Did you honestly think you could escape?" He breathed.
"No!" I roared in fierce defiance, my hands flying up to cover my face. But the minute my hand was no long touching Namine's the connection severed, and with a rough jolt we were dropped back onto my porch.
My knees collapsed before my feet were on the ground, and they slammed into the hard wood. Catching myself with my hands before I could fall further, I crouched on my hands and knees, sweat pouring off my face, gasping for breathe.
Namine just stood there. Her eyes were dulled with sadness, and I swore I saw a tear burn down her face.
"I thought so." She breathed, and even though I could hardly hear her I could feel the sadness in her voice. I stood unsteadily and turned away from her, disgusted with myself.
The wind tore at us silently for a few minutes, neither of us speaking, when Namine finally said.
"So, you're leaving?" She said, an accusing edge in her tone. My fists and teeth clenched. She had no right to judge me for this. There was nothing more I could do.
"I don't have any other choice." I said through my teeth, spitting out the words.
She didn't respond to that, but I knew what she was thinking. Her silence said it louder than words. Yes, you do.
"Sora?" She said, catching me off guard. I turned before I could stop myself to look at her, to see what she meant. Her eyes were quizzical, doubtful, and her eyebrows were so high they were lost in her hair. I understood immediately. I was going to leave Sora. Again.
My heart wrenched in my chest at the thought of what that would do to him. And Kairi. We had only been back for two months, and I was going to leave them again. Just like I always did.
But this time was different, I told myself. Before I was leaving to give in to darkness, I was selfish, and didn't care what happened to the islands, or Sora. Now I was leaving to… escape the darkness? No. That was a lie. But I was leaving to protect this time, not to gain. To save the islands from myself. My stomach twisted horribly at the thought of me harming this place, or any of my friends, again. I didn't want to believe it could happen, but it had before, and I wasn't about to overestimate my strength again. Instead I would live with my weakness in hiding, where it couldn't hurt anyone. A vision flashed briefly through my mind of me, my hands glowing with black fire, a twisted dark guardian behind me, and my eyes glowing golden embers. Fear spiked through me unexpectedly. And at that point I knew nothing Namine could say could possibly make me stay.
"Sora can take care of himself." I said, pretending not to care.
Namine stepped over to me in one of her liquid movements, and was in front of me faster than I could blink. She stared directly into my eyes until I couldn't look away
"Do you really think this is right?" she said softly, incredulously. "Do you really think leaving is the only way? You'll break Sora's heart if you go, and Kairi's. They don't want you to go, they don't care. Maybe they can help you." She was pleading now, begging me to stay. My face betrayed nothing, and my electric blue eyes shimmered with ice.
"How do you know?" I threw at her quietly, my scowl deepening. She broke our gaze abruptly, and I watched her eyes flit around my face, apparently looking for something. Before I could stop her, or step back, her hands were at the side of my face, pulling it down gently until she could look into it completely. She sighed, seemingly a thousand miles away.
"Your eyes. I haven't seen them like this for a while. And they haven't been until just recently. You're doing this to yourself." She breathed.
My eyes hardened, and I broke away from her immediately, turning my back to her. I didn't want her to see the hurt on my face, or fear. Looks like it was back to the blindfold. I didn't bother to try and look in a mirror. I knew what I would see.
Something touched my cheek, and I flinched away until I realized what it was. It was the back of Namine's hand, and she began to stroke my face. I felt my resolve waver briefly, and tears threatened at the corners of my eyes, but I held them back. So gently I hardly noticed what she was doing, Namine tilted my head until back until I faced her again, her eyes brimming with sorrow and fierce defiance. Her hand lingered on my cheek, soft and warm, and without ordering it to do anything, my arm reached up and held it there.
A small sad smile crossed her lips.
"Must you always run away?" she whispered.
We stared at each other for a few minutes in silence – even the wind seemed to have quieted, before a distant rumble of thunder shocked us out of our reverie. Then the first drops began to fall.
"I'm leaving." I said firmly.
"I know." She replied. "I'm coming."
- Kairi -
My feet pounded against the dirt road as I ran, my breath coming in short gasps. The orange twilight sun set the sky on fire and shed everything in a yellow glow. The sea glimmered behind me, and I followed the all-to-familiar dirt path past the small white island houses. A bike passed by me, but I didn't look to see who was on it. I didn't have time. And other than me and the biker, the roads were deserted. It was 7:00 on the island, and nearly every one was at home eating dinner, doing homework, or just relaxing. I laughed to myself as I ran. What a small world. In by seven on weekdays to spend time with family. And no one had any idea what was out past the horizon; really no one even thought to wonder what was beyond the horizon. The islands were possibly the most peaceful world out there. And I loved it. Riku and Sora may get restless, but, I don't know, being here was just… right. I liked adventure, but I loved my home more.
I turned the final corner onto Backbay road, which was only one over from the beach, and sprinted the last fifty feet down to Sora's house. It was a two story simple white one, with a small balcony on the top floor. I raced up the walk and knocked on the maroon wooden door, ringing the door bell as well. I heard some steps from within the white stucco, and Sora's mom answered the door a minute later.
She was very pretty, with brown hair and blue eyes the exact same color as Sora's. She broke into an easy smile, the one I had always known growing up, her face creasing into the lines that had formed from her constant happiness. She looked as if she hadn't a care in the world, and really, she hadn't. Island life was easy, was paradise. Sure there were the usual worries of living, but she had never quite had it hard. She held the door open for me and I smelled something amazing coming from the kitchen.
"Kairi! How wonderful to see you." She said in her warm voice. "Come in, please."
I stepped into the familiar foyer a little awkwardly, not really sure what to say, my hands laced together behind my back. The walls were covered with pictures of Sora as a little kid, usually with me and Riku by his side. I smiled as I looked at them. It seemed so simple back then. To my right was the family room, and Sora's father sat reading the paper with the TV on.
"Hello Kairi." He said without looking up
"Hello." I said quietly.
"Would you like to stay for dinner Kairi?" She asked as she walked back to the kitchen.
"Um, no thanks." I replied, "Is Sora here?"
"Oh yes, he's up in his room. I think he's doing his homework." She called from the kitchen. The room shook as she said this, and I heard a thud coming from Sora's room. His parents remained completely oblivious. I laughed quietly to myself.
"Ok, I'll go check on him." I said as I climbed the stairs.
Sora's room was dark when I walked in, the fading twilight barely providing any light. The computer in the corner helped, but not much. Sora stood in the middle of his cluttered room, holding his keyblade. Practicing. As usual.
When he heard me come in the keyblade vanished out of his hands and he turned, a look of panic on his face.
"Hey mom I was just –"
I laughed and waved my fingers at him.
"Kairi!" He said, his face lighting up immediately. He sprang across the room and took me into his arms, bending me low before kissing me briefly. My heart went wild even at his touch, and I laughed as he brought me back and spun me around until we stood with my arms around his neck and his around my waist.
"So what are you doing here?"
"You know, if you're going to insist on practicing, you might want to at least shut the door."
"Working on it." He leaned behind me and pushed the door closed, and kissed me again.
"So, what's up?"
My smile vanished the minute he said this as I remembered. I sat down on his unmade bed, my chest suddenly hollow.
"What? What is it?" He asked, his smile slowly fading
He knelt down and placed his hand on my knee.
"Sora, can you ever feel Roxas?"
"What?" He sat down next to me on the bed, twisting his fingers through mine.
"Roxas? He's never left before, has he?"
"Um, I don't think so." Sora said, furrowing is brow. Sora never had really caught on to the whole nobody thing. It still was very weird to him that there was a completely different person inside of his heart. Then again, I guess it should be weird to everyone. But I knew Namine before she bonded with me, and when I met her I just knew she was me. Or at least a part of me. It seemed obvious that she should be in my heart. It felt wrong when she wasn't there.
"Kairi what's wrong?" He asked, the smile gone from his voice, his eyes brimming with concern. I looked up, meeting his gaze, a tear streaking down my cheek.
"It's Namine." I said quietly. My hand went over my heart involuntarily. "I think she's gone."
- Namine-
We had been walking through the dense jungle of the Destiny Islands for around three hours. I really had no idea where he was going, and why he didn't just open a portal to get there. I knew he was definitely leaving this world; there was no way he'd just climb the mountain and live in a cave for the rest of his life. But why did we have to hike. It was around eighty-five degrees and humid. The terrain wasn't too rough, but it was tiresome. And although I didn't dare say anything, my feet were killing me; I wasn't exactly wearing the best hiking outfit. But I couldn't complain. It had taken enough time to actually convince him to let me come; there was no way I was going to make him regret the decision anymore then he already did. I refused to be a burden, or at least, any more of one than I already was.
I tried to draw my attention away from my blistering feet by guessing where he was going to take us. What world would he chose? Probably a familiar one – he wouldn't want to be in an area he didn't know well. But still, somewhere secluded, away from a general population. There was no way he'd leave the islands just to put another town in danger.
Or so he thought. I, on the other hand, severely disagreed. He wasn't dangerous. He was just lost.
I think that's the reason I came after him. I had been watching him for a long time, ever since a few weeks after he and Sora came back. It didn't take long for him to get restless. Sora and Kairi never noticed though, and I guess the only reason I did was because I was watching him so thoroughly. I noticed his fingers twitch when the three of them talked about different worlds. I saw his eyes dart from side to side in boredom more and more frequently as the weeks passed. I saw him when he thought no one was looking, how his mouth pulled down and his eyes grew sad.
But why was I even watching him in the first place? I shouldn't have. Really, I shouldn't have even come. But it was too late to turn back now. I was pretty sure I couldn't even if I wanted to. Being in his presence again, as a real person…
Well, kind of a real person.
Anyway, I came because I knew he was going to leave, and I knew I couldn't let him go on his own. I couldn't stand the thought of him… alone, in the middle of nowhere, hating himself. The thought made my stomach curl. I had wanted to convince him to stay, but I knew that wasn't going to work. So I decided to go with him, whether he wanted me to or not. And now that I was with here, I had to try and convince him to come back.
We hadn't spoken since he had given in, and I didn't dare to break the silence. I was scared of what he would say, or how mad he was that I had forced him to bring me.
He must have been shocked to see me there, now that I thought about it. We hadn't spoken since… well, Organization XIII's castle in the World that Never Was. And that wasn't exactly a great conversation…
I didn't want to remember, so I shook my head slightly and tried to think of something else.
Before I could stop myself, I glanced over at him shyly through my hair. He was reaching into his pants pocket, his eyes distant and preoccupied.
I drank in his beautiful face while he couldn't see me. His eyes were a delicate shade of gold at the very center, but the aquamarine held on throughout the rest of his pupils. They weren't anything like when he was Ansem. I shivered slightly, unable to stop myself from remembering… but no. I refuse to think about that. I forced myself to look down at the ground and count my steps.
I caught sight of my hand as I concentrated, and I held it up to see it better. It wasn't nearly as transparent as before; by now it was practically solid. I really had no idea how I had actually detached myself from Kairi. It was earlier this morning, when she was still sleeping. I knew that Riku was going to leave, and I knew I had to get to him before he did, or I knew I'd never find him. And suddenly, I was sitting on the bed beside Kairi, rather than inside her. She was still asleep, and I was awake, outside of her. I couldn't even really see myself at first, it was like I was a shadow. I could walk through stuff too; it was incredibly bizarre. It took everything I had to keep from slipping into the floor.
But eventually, as the day wore on, I became more solid. And it was such a relief. I don't mind being with Kairi, but really, nothing is better than having your own body that you can command at will. The sense of freedom was invigorating. The only problem was I wasn't sure how to get back inside Kairi – and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to anyways. And I didn't know how it would affect Kairi when I left. Really, it was an incredibly selfish thing for me to do… but I had to help Riku. And it was only for a little bit. Once this was over, I would go back to her… And I felt my nonexistent heart drop at the thought. I didn't want to go back.
No. It didn't matter what I wanted. I was a nobody. That was my destiny.
But honestly, I really didn't feel a difference when I was in Kairi or out of her. I still felt like me… I still felt… whole. I dared myself to think the word. Whole. It was ridiculous. Nobodies weren't whole by definition. But I felt whole.
But what if I had taken something from Kairi, and that was the reason I felt like this. What if I had taken her heart?
My hands flew to my throat in horror as I thought this, checking for a heartbeat. I felt all around, on my neck, my wrists, my chest, everywhere a pulse was supposed to be.
I couldn't find one.
I sighed in relief.
Then I noticed that Riku was looking at me, eyebrows raised, eyes quizzical.
I blushed and laughed quickly, offering no explanation for my strange behavior. He could think what he wanted. I looked back down at my feet, avoiding his gaze.
Then I heard him suck in a breath quietly. I looked over at him, and saw he was looking at my feet too.
I didn't blame him for being surprised. They were rather gruesome.
Next thing I knew he had me by the hand and was dragging me over to a massive tree root, and forcing me to sit down without a word.
"No, Riku, really, I'm fine. It's ok, it doesn't hurt." He silenced me with a look, and I allowed myself grudgingly to be sat down, trying to ignore how absolutely wonderful it felt to take the weight off my feet.
He
had his backpack off, and was rummaging inside of it after quickly
stuffing whatever he had taken out of his pocket back into it's
place.
He pulled out a long strip of gauze and some tape,
before turning back to me to pull off my shoes. As I realized what he
was doing, I stopped him.
"Here, I can do that." I mumbled. He didn't object, and leaned back away from me, taking advantage of the moments rest.
"Nice shoes." He murmured. I glared at him.
"Sorry, I didn't know I would be playing nature girl today. If I did, I would have worn the other white dress."
He actually laughed, but stifled it immediately, looking at my feet again.
"Well then why the hell didn't you say anything?"
"I didn't want to be a burden." I said incoherently. Riku laughed again, but the humor was gone from it.
"Then you should have stayed with Kairi." He didn't say it unkindly, but I still felt the sting of the words. The smile dropped from his face as he realized what he had said.
"No, I'm sorry, I didn't – I didn't mean…" he sighed, shaking his head, "I didn't mean it like that. You're not a burden. It's the fact that it's me you're with that's… difficult."
"So basically, if we were travelling together and you weren't actually you, I wouldn't be any trouble?" I said, letting sarcasm mar my tone slightly.
Riku laughed. "Yeah, that's pretty much it." I laughed too, trying to ignore the fact that he honestly thought he was putting me in danger.
My shoes were off by then, and I reached for the bandages, suddenly remembering why we had stopped.
But Riku got there before me. He scooched over to me, sitting on his knees, holding the bandages.
"You didn't honestly think I was going to leave your feet like that, did you?" He asked, putting the bandages behind him.
"Well, I…"
"Cure." He said, cutting me off.
The burning increased for a second, then vanished. I looked at my feet. As the green light faded, I saw that they were back to normal. There wasn't even a mark.
"Thank you!" I said breathlessly, then I paused. "But wait, what are the bandages for then?"
"So that it won't happen again." He chuckled, already winding the soft cushioned gauze around my left foot. His fingers brushed from my ankle to me toes, sending sparks up my legs.
"Oh. Thank you." I mumbled, touched by his concern. Really, I shouldn't be though. He probably only did it so he wouldn't have to keep stopping to heal me every hour.
"Seriously, though, why didn't you say anything? I could have just opened a portal and gotten us out of here." He said when he had finished.
"I told you. I don't want to be any trouble. And, I don't know, I thought you had somewhere specific you wanted to go." I looked around. "Where are we going anyway?"
Riku looked up at me guiltily. "Actually, no where really. I was trying to decide which world to go to, and I figured if we just sat still to decide you would just try to convince me not to go. So I started moving."
I sighed and slouched over, hanging my head. "So you mean I've been walking for three hours through the woods to the point where it's a miracle I don't have gangrene because you couldn't decide where you wanted to go?" I said incredulously.
Riku shrugged apologetically. "Well, that and also cause I love these woods. I wanted to say goodbye."
I snapped my mouth shut, instantly regretting my words. I changed the subject.
"So, do you have any idea which world you want to go to?"
"I think so. I was thinking of Port Royal. You know it?" He looked over at me, and I nodded. "Well, I've always loved that century, and I'm pretty sure I could find a secluded island somewhere. All we have to do is stow away or commandeer a ship." He said, lost in thought. Then he shook his head, remembering himself. "Is that ok with you?"
I shrugged. "Don't ask me." He looked over at me. "It really doesn't matter.," I smiled, "I go where you go."
He rolled his eyes. "I was afraid you'd say that." I laughed. God, being with him again was amazing. Laughing, talking, just like we used to. It was wonderful. I sighed contentedly and let my mind wander, not minding the few minutes of rest.
I thought about the world we were going to. It was nice enough, and I did love the clothing and food. But then there was the hygiene problem. I wrinkled my nose. Riku noticed.
"What?"
"You do know that they don't have bathrooms, right?" He laughed.
"I thought you said that you go where I go."
"Well, I do," I said quickly, "I was just making sure you… thought about the little stuff." He laughed again.
"Well, quite honestly, no matter what world we go to, whether they have plumbing or not, we probably wouldn't be using them anyway." He looked at me pointedly, raising his eyebrows. "Secluded, remember?"
"Right. Secluded."
We were silent for a few more minutes, then Riku got up.
"You ready?" he said.
I looked around me. It was so beautiful here. The golden light that shifted through the gently swaying trees, the wildflowers that popped out of every corner. The smell of the trees and the ocean, the blue of the sky. I wasn't ready.
"Yeah." I said, slipping on my sandals and rising to my feet.
Riku grabbed his rucksack from the ground and reached into his pocket simultaneously, pulling out a thin strip of black fabric. The blindfold.
Before I could stop myself, I gasped. I opened my mouth, his name on my lips. He pretended not to see me. I closed my mouth and bit my lip, the flood of painful memories making my chest ache.
I looked in his eyes, memorizing the blue, not sure when I would see them again. I couldn't help the crushing sadness that was thrusting itself down on me. He really thought he was that bad, that close to giving in. That close to becoming Ansem.
I wrapped my arms around my torso, trying to hold myself together. I looked away from him, giving him is privacy as he secured the strip around his eyes.
"Okay, all set" He said nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.
He opened a dark portal and motioned that I should go in first.
I took a deep breath, a last look around me, and began to walk through the portal.
I sensed it before I saw it. Riku wasn't following me. I turned around, halfway through to the other side. Riku was still at the entrance, looking around for what he thought would be the last time at his beloved world. A tear dripped from his eyes, and I felt my stomach twist horribly. But I made myself stay put, barring myselves from comforting him. Now wasn't the time. And this would not be the last time he saw his world; I would make sure of that. But for now, we had to go.
"Riku?" I said gently, urging him into the portal.
"Yeah." He said, wiping his eyes quickly, hoping I wouldn't notice. I turned my head away.
We turned and walked through the portal hesitantly. As we went in, I felt it close with a silent, untraceable whoosh, leaving everything that mattered behind us.
