[The Garden] Praeceptor of the Reliquiae

[Jay Carpenter]

It was morbid and the kind of laugh Jay usually appreciated. But it was hollow too. It definitely didn’t bridge the gap between his head and his willpower. He felt like a man standing on the edge of an abyss, watching the world move on the far side of the chasm. People went about their daily lives unaware of the nearby bottomlessness waiting to swallow them whole. He was screaming on the other side, but no one heard. No one looked up.

So what do you do when you’re alone on the wrong side of the canyon? Do you walk away? Or do you jump?

The logic held fine enough. There were people who depended on Nox. The man was gravity for a house full of random kids. Even a baby for fuck’s sake. It was a duty worth envying. Jay caught the eye of a security armsman and the weight of the Garden settled back onto his shoulders. Whatever duty tethered Jay to the CCD, it was a pale reflection of what Nox had.

At least he could respect Nox’s word for what it was. “Sounds like it was a good promise to make,” Jay said, eyes fixed on the distance.

“I’ll be seeing ya.”

It was a hollow parting. The car was idling. Waiting. Now two soldiers were waiting to close the gates, hands ready to seal the world out. Jay pivoted. Ready to not look back.