Chapter 3 - Balvak
"Lili!" A voice called, penetrating the dense blank protecting her consciousness. She opened her eyes, and at first she wasn't sure where she was, but it didn't take long for her memories of the previous night to resurface. She glanced around, trying to make out who the voice belonged to. A face was gazing down at her, and relief washed over her at the realisation of who it was.
"Balvak!" She exclaimed. He ran to her side and placed an arm around her as he knelt down beside her.
"I was so worried about you. If Vorjak has done anything to hurt you…" He said defensively, seeming to read her thoughts.
"No, it's nothing like that. It's silly, but I was… scared." She told him in a small voice. "And so angry. Everything has been taken away from me. I've lost my freedom, and any power I had to fight. And what for? After everything that I've willingly sacrificed, I'm being treated as nothing more than an object. An accessory. I did this because I thought that this way there would be a chance to achieve redemption for the future, but there never was any hope, was there. And now the one Taelon that would have helped you, that would have joined the fight, is gone. The only chance we had is gone." She admitted, in a fit of anger. Balvak went silent, studying her face thoughtfully.
"Is this the Taelon you told me about? The one you were going to contact when you arrived on Earth?" He asked her, calmly. She nodded, forlornly, words failing her for the first time she could remember.
"He's dead, then?" He asked, stating the obvious. All she could do was look up at him, allowing him to read the revealing despair in her eyes. For a few moments, he did, but suddenly, he looked away.
"That can't be right." He commented, more to himself than to her.
"What do you mean?" Lili asked, finally finding her voice, though with great effort. Balvak turned to look at her once more, and spoke with careful deliberation.
"There may be more to this situation than what appears to be." He told her.
"I don't understand." Lili replied, the perplexity speaking for itself.
"I can show you better than I can explain it." He told her, taking care with every word he spoke. With that, he stood up and held out his hand to her. Lili's confusion was paramount, but she trusted him. Slowly, she reached out and accepted his hand.