terrified and alone, Caer had been there. She comforted him. Best of all, she forgave him.
In the cave, Balor hadn't seen a disheveled, scrawny Dark Person. There, with his mind clear again, he had seen a young lady of more beauty than he had ever imagined. Her eyes looked so black and full of compassion. Her body was a kind of white that almost sparkled, with soft hair covering every inch.
He'd woken up to an angel.
Now he needed to repay her for forgiving him. He needed to repay Eref and the old man for bringing him back to himself.
It was time to set things right.
Earlier, Balor had seen the Shade, where Caer told him her friend Vul awaited the Eighteener Entrance. He knew how to get back there. All he needed was to find his way inside.
But how? At least a hundred soldiers guarded the entrance, and even more Dark People filed in throughout the day. He'd have to find an alternate way.
Most likely, the best entry would be through one of the many enormous roots that spread miles from the trunk of the tree itself. Perhaps he could climb on them to get closer. The roots created the pavilion beneath them, but Balor assumed the Eighteener Entrance would take place in a more private area, likely as high up as possible.
He thought back to his hazy memory of the Shade. With the implant in his head, it had seemed disorganized and ugly. Now he wondered if it might actually be an attractive structure.
A massive tree, it rose so high Balor couldn't guess how many feet in the air it stood. The branches hung low, dangling vines and leaves all around them like elaborate clothing. Nothing could penetrate that veil.
Somewhere in there, Balor felt certain, the Eighteener Entrance ceremony was performed.
It was the perfect place. Dark People wouldn't see it from underneath the pavilion of the roots. Just like in Light World, where -
But Balor couldn't remember his Eighteener ceremony. He'd been led upward into the Center - that was all he knew. High, high up into the Center. From there, he remembered nothing else until Eref's stoning.
Balor cringed.
He had to keep going. The pain in his wounds had come back, the dull numbness wearing off. A little bit of blood trickled down his leg. He didn't have much time left.
Not only had the old man said it would happen, but Balor could feel his life slipping away. He felt himself trying to hang onto a kite that was blowing too hard in the wind. At any second, the string would break. He'd be gone.
After everything he'd done, Balor needed to make himself useful. His heart ached with something more than physical pain. It was the deepest sense of regret and loneliness he'd ever experienced.
He kept running through the jungle. "If I'm going to die," he said under his breath, "I'm going to make it up to you, Eref. For every stone I threw. For hurting Caer. For hurting you."
Vul was his last chance. She was important to Eref's friend. If Caer wanted her back, Balor would bring her back.
Without an implant.
After a few hours of running downhill, Balor finally came upon a root of the Shade. He saw no one near it. The Shade itself was only a small speck in the distance.
Something seemed strange about this root. It looked too perfect somehow, almost artificial.
He crawled on his knees, exploring the side of the root. A few feet along, he found a small opening. It was hollow! Bugs and dirt caked the hole, but it was large enough for him to squeeze in.
Balor looked around. No one else was there. This could be his chance.
He poked his head in to determine if it was safe, but at that moment, a horribly familiar sound came toward him from behind. He whipped his head out again just in time to see a huge, red Bog Beetle scurrying his way. Its pinchers clicked dangerously, and its tiny eyes fixed on his throat.
Balor made a quick decision. He pulled himself into the root as fast as he could. His injured leg didn't move as well as the rest of his body, and he caught his knee on a hard piece of bark.
The beetle clicked closer, and Balor grabbed his leg to pull it in.
Just in time. The pinchers snapped in after him, but the beetle was too wide to fit through the hole. It lingered there at the opening, clicking angrily and pushing