Глава 8

It's okay. It's okay, Alina. It doesn't matter.

The children... Eno in particular... You need to...

I'm listening! Go on, Alina... I'm listening!!

You need to... do more... than just talk to him...

It's getting hot... Talulah...

...I don't want to die... I still haven't... your sister...

You must... live on...

This will do it.

Talulah will not remember what happens next.

She has no memories of anything after that.

She melted away each and every last thing she should have remembered, along with the snow.

She leaves behind only a trail of flames, and, with the exception of Alina, everything behind her is burned away in the inferno of her wake.

And Talulah treks on in the snow toward her parting with her dear friend.

Talulah! You're finally back! You didn't answer our calls, what—

...What... Who's that on your back...?

She's not breathing! Medic! Get over here, now! Talulah, just hang on...

...Talulah?

(What? She's walking right by... Where is she going?!)

Talulah, you may be the leader here, but that doesn't make it any less serious to leave—

Wait.

Yelena...?

Let her go.

(Do you know the poor little girl...?)

(Not really. I think... she's a teacher at the settlement.)

(Oh, she's a teacher. Poor kids. That's another person they could look up to, gone.)

(But why is Talulah...)

(Everyone has secrets they want to keep to themselves..)

(Whatever happened, it's hers alone to remember.)

With the Elafia still on her back, the Draco walks past the encampment. Their contours slowly begin to blur until they both disappear into the edge of the forest.

No one knows what happened after that.

They could only watch as the Draco walked into the darkness of the night.