[Somewhere around South Dakota]

A woman was tending to her farm gently as she poured some hay into the feeder of her cattles. The place was quite big, a small field so the cattles could graze, a simple house beside it, and some horse pens tos store some, well, horses.

She was whistling some kind of tune, enjoying the calm life she has right now, away from all the chaos of the world and her duties as an Eternal.

That woman is, of course, Ajak.

Suddenly, a loud boom could be heard in the sky, making her turn around sharply, and the next thing she knew, she saw a man, standing just in front of her house, wearing thick clothing that was usually worn by the Brits. The man was standing calmly in front of the house, staring at Ajak with a sad smile on his face. It was Ikaris, his face looked tired and Ajak could tell his emotions are a bit shaken.

Ajak sighed at the sight, and dropped the things she wanted to do that day.

—

Ajak was now sitting with Ikaris on her terrace, sipping some milk calmly.

“Sorry, I only had these.” she said to the man.

“It’s fine Ajak.” Ikaris said. “It’s my fault for dropping in so suddenly..”

Ajak hummed as she drank her milk. “So, what’s going on?”

Ikaris stared at the vast field in front of him, and sighed. “I.. ran away..”

“Ran away? Doesn’t sound like you.. away from who?”

“Away from Sersi.” he said calmly, but he was clenching his fist so hard that his fists were white.

Ajak was surprised to hear the news. “What happened?”

Ikaris chuckled desperately as he shook his head. “I couldn’t take it Ajak.. the guilt..”

Ajak put her milk on the table and sighed. “Ikaris..”

“I mean what was I supposed to do?” continued Ikaris, his face really sour. “Every day.. she got closer and closer with humanity.. she started to help orphanages, she even befriended a human named Charles Darwin with Phastos.. why can’t you just tell the rest, Ajak? It’s just spiralling out of control at this point..”

“We’re at the point of no return, Ikaris..” said Ajak guiltily. “I did what I did because I was scared.. they loved them, in their different ways, but still loved them.. if I told them the truth then.. they’re probably not as happy as they are now.”

“Well I am not happy, Ajak.” he continued. “Do you know how I feel? Hiding this secret from her every single day.. Every time I see her talking to humans and smiling, I feel like my existence is slowly consumed by grief and guilt.. I cannot stand it, Ajak..”

“Then tell her, I will allow it..”

“Is that you speaking? Or Arishem?” Ikaris questioned calmly.

Ajak didn’t say anything, and sipped her milk softly. “You know.. these years, you’re not the only one who travelled the world, I do too.”

She put her mug to the table, and held Ikaris’s hand. “This guilt that you have.. it’s not healthy Ikaris.. you hurt her feelings by running away like this.. if you want to tell her, then tell her.”

Ikaris was holding back a sob as he covered his mouth. “I can’t.”

“Why?” Ajak said calmly. “I’m allowing you to tell her now, why don’t you want to tell her?”

“It’s too late, Ajak.” Ikaris held her hand tightly, a little bit of tears started to come out of his eyes. “It’s too late.. if I told her now.. It’ll crush her.. It’ll haunt her.. it’s best– it’s best if we told her right before it happened. I don’t want to see it.. I don’t want to see her cry..”

“You’re making her cry, right now Ikaris.” stated Ajak. “You left her so abruptly, she’ll think that she made a mistake, and it’s her fault that you left.. come back to her Ikaris.. tell her the truth if you can’t bear the guilt anymore..”

“I can’t.” he shook his head as tears flowed out of his eyes. “I don’t—”

“Listen, Ikaris.” said Ajak sternly. “If you had a choice, would you choose a peaceful life with Sersi, or eternally serving Arishem? what would you choose?”

“What? I- I don’t understand..” Ikaris questioned. “Ajak.. do you.. want to rebel?”

“I’m asking you, Ikaris.” Ajak repeated. “What is more important to you? Arishem’s grand design for this world, or a peaceful life with Sersi? If Pluto discovered a way for us to reproduce, you could build a family Ikaris.”

Ikaris started tapping his feet nervously as he heard the question. “I- I don’t know.. Arishem.. we exist for Arishem Ajak..”

Ajak sighed. “So you chose Arishem over your life with Sersi.”

“I–”

“You have doubts now?” Ajak raised her eyebrow.

“Ajak.. I love her..” Ikaris stated sternly. “But—”

“There’s no buts Ikaris. You have to choose, yes, or no.”

Ikaris clenched his fist. He stood up from the chair, and stared at Ajak. “Are you saying that we should rebel, Ajak? To go against a celestial?”

“We have no chance of defeating them Ikaris.” Ajak softly said. “I’m only asking you, I am not telling you to rebel, I am merely asking.”

“Well, I can’t choose then.”

“Why?”

“I exist for Arishem, Ajak. we all are.” Ikaris stated. “But I love her, and I would do anything to live peacefully with her.”

“You can’t have both.” Ajak shook her head as she stood up. “Think about it Ikaris, I don’t want you to regret the choice you had made.”

Ajak hugged him tightly, caressing his back softly, as if a mother was hugging her child.

Ikaris only hugged softly, and separated from her. He walked to the grass in front, not looking at Ajak anymore. He looked at the sky above, and clenched his fist.

“I’ll think about it.”

Then, he flew to the sky, disappearing from Ajak’s sight. Ajak then sat down again, and sighed tiredly as she nervously played with her fingers.

“Pluto.. I’m trusting you now.. find a way to break the shackle..”