Epilogue: Legacies
Whenever she could manage it, she went to go sit on the beach.
It felt selfish, when there was so much to do- defenses to build, wounded to tend to, supplies to organize. But she needed the time to herself, to think about all the things she'd lock away whenever she was at work.
The breeze ruffled her hair slightly, the rough edges brushing against her neck as she took a seat on a rock. The placement of the town situated her within eyesight of the wall they were building out of, well, whatever they could get their hands on. There was supposed to be something strategic about it- if the Lambent attacked, they could escape to sea, blah blah blah. There was no saying that the stalks couldn't pop up out of the water, though, and she was grimly aware that anything was damn well possible.
She sighed and rested her elbows on her knees, watching the water lap at her boots. Her back still ached sometimes, even though it had healed completely; it was throbbing dully now, a reminder of everything she'd gone through. She let her mind wander to escape the pain, closing her eyes as the breeze carressed her cheek.
She very rarely let herself think about her old life, but she allowed herself the indulgence when she was alone on the beach. She could still remember the names and faces of her friends, and each one was like a knife to the heart, painful and sad. She didn't even know if they were alive, or where they might be. And although it didn't matter, she wondered if they remembered her. There was one face in particular that stuck out to her, and it was the hardest for her to look back on. There was a whole story that she'd left behind, a thousand possibilities that she'd had to fling to the wind. And although the decision had, in the end, been her own, she still wished that she hadn't had to let everything go.
She reached into her shirt and pulled out the chain there, watching as the thin plates of metal turned slowly in the breeze. The tags were still readable, but she didn't bother; it was like they belonged to a completely different person, a woman she wasn't willing to be anymore. What had Greyson said to them? Something about letting go of the past to move onto her future. She deftly pulled the chain loose, something else sliding down her shirt as the tags came free. She frowned and reached down, proccuring a small golden locket. She tsked slightly as she examined the chain; it had been tangled with the other, and had snapped. She sighed as she looked over the two items; silver tags, golden locket, both shimmering in her hand despite all that they'd been through.
"Lena!"
She looked over her shoulder, spotting a little girl up the beach waving her hand at her. "Lena, it's almost time for dinner," the little girl was calling, the wind tousling her blonde hair. She smiled and nodded, raising her empty hand in acknowledgement.
"I'll be there in a moment."
She got to her feet, looking at the items in her hand. Testaments to a life lost to her, symbols of things she had to let go. She let them drop to the sand, watching as the cool sea water lapped at them before she turned and headed back up the beach. It was the hardest thing she'd ever done, but it was time to let go. She could comfort herself with the thought that maybe, one day, they'd meet again.