The Plan

Note: this book is tied to my other story, “The Death”. I would recommend reading “The Death” before this one. It is your choice, though. 

   I placed my hands on my brother’s, which was cold and close to lifeless. I could feel his life fading. I could stop that.  My magic coursing through my fingertips, ready to be released. I could do this. I have to do this. I whispered in my brother’s ear, 

   “I will heal you. You will survive the bullet. Whatever you do, tell Lightia the truth. She can’t know about our world. It’ll destroy her. Just do this one thing for me, your payment for me doing this.”

   I harnessed all of the white energy. All of the white life magic. Time slowed down. It didn’t just seem like it, time actually slowed down. I knew what that meant. But I continued anyway. I harnessed all of my magic and released it on my brother. A glow spread from my fingertips, and into his body. It wasn’t doing enough. It wasn’t doing anything. My brother Enzonic was getting weaker. That wasn’t supposed to happen. He had to live.

   I pushed harder. I put all of my life into a single bolt of pure life energy. Pain ripped through me, shredding my body. I still pushed against it, releasing the white energy Enzonic needed into his body. Was it enough? I had already been trying for three seconds. What more could I do? 

   Just five more seconds, I thought. I’ll die in five seconds. Please, heal my brother by then.

   Before I could continue, all went black. I collapsed. 

   I woke up, but something felt different. The air currents have changed. I could feel new senses and feelings, while others were muted. I was dreaming. I was in a garden, with a gazebo and a fountain. It was on top of a tower, with the landscape of a kingdom stretching below. 

   But everything was white. It would’ve hurt any other trainees, but I was a white trainee. But I was exiled. I shouldn’t be here. 

   I couldn’t resist. This felt normal, tranquil, and comforting, like I was in my true home. The planet Vita. I haven’t been here in years. 

  But this garden. This tower. It could only mean one thing. Every sense of logic screamed at me, Your eyes are playing tricks on you! It is not possible! My own two eyes said something else.       

   Before me, there was a woman. In flowing white robes and a white silk dress. Her skin pale, and Her blond hair as light as it can go. Her white eyes were filled with the wisdom I knew mine lacked. Every inch of Her radiated power. The White Woman. Femina Alba.

  I widened my eyes in shock. No way was this real. This was the force of life Herself. One of the most powerful beings in the world. What was She doing here? 

   I knelt before her. As one of her trainees, I wasn’t getting on the White Woman’s bad side.

   I could almost hear the White Woman smiling. 

   “Rise, Emoni Chase. Face me.” She said, Her melodic voice soothing my veins. 

   I rose. After gazing into Her eyes for a moment, I lowered my eyes, as a show of respect. 

   “Why are you here, my lady?” I asked. “You only bring one of your trainees here personally and slow down time when one of your trainees is dying.”

   The White Woman touched my forehead, forcing me to look up to Her.

   “Can’t you see it? You are dying, Emoni. Exiled or not, you are my trainee. You released and used more white energy more than possible to save your brother. You expanded your limits. You knew you were dying. Time slowed down for you. I made sure of it. It is slow even right now. A second seems like a minute. 

   “My point is, you should’ve stopped, before it was too late. But you continued anyway, for your brother. I can admire that.

   “But he is long gone. He has been touched by death, much like you. There isn’t anything you could do. I can’t even stop it. White energy cannot stop black energy, only delay. You know this. You always have.”

   I lowered my eyes in shame. I did know that. Why did I keep going? I had thought I could change the rules of the universe. How had I been so foolish? 

   “How can I undo this, my lady?” I asked. “How can I undo the thing I have done? I need to warn Lightia. I can’t do that if I’m dead. I’m sure the five seconds have passed. Lightia is an inactivated trainee of death. It won’t be long until she discovers her powers. She needs me to help. And me and my brother, we are the only ones that can.”

   The White Woman frowned. 

   “Why is warning a future trainee of death so important? Why does it have to be you and your brother?”

   “She’s from a prophecy, my lady. She’s part of the prophecy. I'm absolutely sure of it.  

  The White Woman opened her mouth in shock.

“In that case, this has to be done. Lightia must be warned. But it is impossible to do such a thing, child. To warn her. Not even the force of time, the Lavender Lady, can undo death.”

   I was struck with a thought. 

   “Can death undo death, my lady? Life for life? Perhaps the force of death himself. The Black Barbarian. Nigrum Barbara.”

   At that name, a few flowers wilted. The garden flashed black. 

   I could feel the White Woman’s hard gaze.

   “That was incredibly foolish, saying his name here. Even in Vita, we are still at risk.” 

   “I’m sorry, my lady. But death isn’t evil. We can make peace with the forces of death. The first step of making peace can be to summon Ni— to summon the Black Barbarian and negotiate with him to undo the two deaths I have caused. He’ll want something in return. I’m sure we can provide it.”

   The White Woman’s face was hard to read. After a moment, like She was digesting everything I had said, She nodded. I wasn’t sure if it was from pride, respect, or disappointment. 

   “You take after the Sapphire Singer. Lapis Sapphyrus Quasi Cantor. The force of peace.”

   I was momentarily stunned by the compliment. The Sapphire Singer was one of the only non-binary forces. They were one of the only deities I haven’t met. People say that they were one of the most powerful deities. I could never be a trainee of the Sapphire Singer, unfortunately. But it didn’t hurt to dream of such power. 

   Peace with the forces of death was the best plan. I was sure of it. 

   The White Woman smiled, apparently in complete agreement and understanding my plan.

   “I have just one question.”

   Ah, maybe not.

   I motioned for Her to continue. 

   “How exactly will you negotiate with the Black Barbarian? You are dead now. Your time is up. If you face the Black Barbarian when you are dead, He will have control over you. That will not be good, even if He might be on our side. You would need to be alive, and I cannot undo death when you have been touched by His hand.” 

   “Can you make me a spirit, my lady?”

   The White Woman widened her eyes in shock.

   “That is too dangerous. If I do the spell incorrectly, you will cease to exist. And I can’t have that.”

   “But will I be out of the Black Barbarian’s control if i am a spirit, my lady?”

   “I— yes.”

   “Then do it. It is worth the risk.” 

   The White Woman’s eyes shined with pride.

   “You are brave. I can tell you aren’t going to back down. So that will be the plan. For you to become a spirit my spell, despite the risk, and negotiate with the Black Barbarian to bring Lightia back, so you can help Lightia in her part of the prophecy. This is extremely dangerous. But I trust you will succeed. The fate of the world will depend on it.”

   “Yes.”

   I couldn’t believe only ten seconds ago, I hadn’t been dying. 

   The White Woman smiled at me. Then she began the spell. The first step to the plan.