“Does this life suit you well, Broderick?” Jay sat on the battered sofa with a towel draped over her shoulders as she idly swirled her mug of warm tea.
After Jay’s unexpected arrival, the two had settled down and Broderick pulled up a chair to face his guest as they engaged in awkward small talk. He pondered her question only momentarily before bluntly stating, “I’m a mechanic.”
Jay, unsure of how to respond to a statement that could be either negative or positive, remained silent.
“Cut the formalities, Jay. You act as if you don’t know me.” He mentally reprimanded himself for snapping at her. It was the worst time to let his frustrations take over, but it was too late to take it back.
“Sometimes I wish I never did.” She murmured painfully.
Broderick felt the words stab through his chest, but he knew Jay’s words were never as straightforward as they seemed. He clung onto that simple fact as his the remainder of his hope dwindled to nothing. Nevertheless, his temper was still in control of his voice and his words were just as sharp as hers. “We can’t change the past, Jay. We can’t go back.”
“You don’t think I know that? We don’t have to go back. We have new lives now.”
“Not for long.”
“No! It’ll last. It has to last.”
Broderick stood abruptly, knocking over his chair. “Are you blind? Open your eyes; the Illusion is near its end. We’re being given a second chance. Why can’t you accept that?”
“A second chance?” Jay also rose, her intense grey eyes burning with rage. On the inside, Broderick shrunk under her gaze. Jay was the only one who could look up into his eyes and, despite his size, stare him down. However, he kept his stance firm as she continued. “What good would a second chance do us? All we’ll do is make the same mistakes again. We can only have so many chances, Broderick.”
“It’s happening whether you accept it or not, but the opportunity will only show itself to those whose eyes are willing to see it. We’ll never win if we don’t try.”
Her voice suddenly saddened and her eyes became distant. “But is it worth it?”
The mechanic raised his pierced brow. “What?”
“Even if we won, would it be worth it? All the risks and sacrifices that would be made - is it worth all of that?”
“Any peace is worth fighting for. You once said so and you know that they would say the same.”
Her eyes darkened. “I hope they never have to make such a declaration. Those girls are proof that this Illusion was the right choice. To bring them back into a world of chaos would be as murderous as hand delivering them to Gwydion as they are now.”
“Have you lost faith in them so easily? You believed in them once.”
For a second, her eyes changed and she barked an unearthly laugh. For that one second, Broderick could see the beast within her. “Faith?” it said. “There’s no such thing. I lose faith the day I lose them. No amount of forgiveness could ever wash that blood from my hands.”
Broderick’s eyes widened. He was no longer sure if those words came from the Warrior or the Human side of Jay. Nevertheless, he knew that her protective nature would be present no matter what part of her was in control.
However, her next statement sent a chill through the air. “The seeds of insanity were sown long ago, Broderick. Maybe it is time for me to follow the path laid out for me.”
“If that be the case then I have no choice but to oppose you. I will do what I must.”
A crushing silence fell on the room as soon as Broderick uttered those words. Not even the sound of the pouring rain could pierce this silence. Memories of the past raced through the minds of the two ancient souls as they saw it repeat itself right before their eyes.
“Fate,” Jay finally muttered, “cannot be changed. Already we see the past repeating itself.” It was apparent that she could no longer deny the Illusion’s demise, but her acceptance of the situation was a different matter entirely.
“True, our words are reminiscent of the past, but Fate does not give second chances for us to make the same mistakes twice.” Despite the resolve in his voice, Jay’s statement had frightened him to his very core; there was only one person who could so directly challenge Fate.
But Broderick was never one to take the easy way out.
Jay turned to leave. As she opened the door, she paused in surprise. Strange things were beginning to happen, signaling the final hours of this false world, and the once stormy night became a gorgeous sunrise.
“Wait,” Broderick pleaded softly.
She hesitated for only a moment. Her words were heavy, as if it took all her energy to speak them. “Not anymore, Broderick. I can’t wait for you to take the long way around. There’s only one surefire way to win this, and it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. I can’t wait on you anymore. I’m sorry, Broderick, but things aren’t the same as they were before. We can never go back.”
The door closed with a sense of finality. Broderick looked at the notebook in his hands and threw it across the room.
