Seeker's Climb (Sim-Verse Book 4) by Allen Kuzara

Author:Allen Kuzara [Kuzara, Allen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-01-17T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 18

AS SOON AS Taven came through, he beat Isham to the punch, switching to his Gatekeeper vision first and scanning the simulation for Eleazar’s code.

“I don’t see him,” Taven said after a moment.

“Nor do I,” Isham confirmed.

Taven didn’t know whether to be disappointed or relieved. If they were going to set off the nuke, it would be nice to take out Eleazar. But if Eleazar was here, there’d be a fight, one that Taven might not win.

“Hey, this is where you took me before,” Taven said, noticing the quaint courtyard with the thatch-roofed buildings. In the middle of the town square was the stone well where he’d heard the bell ring like a call to prayer during the Darkening. Nearby were two jumpers, their scissor-hinged doors ajar.

“Where is everyone?” Taven asked.

“It must be the Darkening.”

“Ah, siesta time,” Taven kidded.

“Yes, that’s part of it,” Isham said, either not amused or not realizing Taven was teasing. “Since we have the opportunity, let me show you something.” Isham walked to the well and peered over the edge. Taven joined him, looking over.

“Can you see the bottom?” Isham asked.

Taven tried but couldn’t. “How far down does it go?”

“Keep looking,” Isham instructed.

Taven did. While searching, he noticed that there was no rope, no bucket at the top. If this was a well, how did people get out any water?

Then it happened. Taven let out a yell, backing away from the well.

“You saw one, didn’t you?” Isham asked.

“What was that?”

“Look again. Don’t be afraid. They can’t hurt you.”

Taven slowly stepped back to the well and looked down. He braced himself for a repeat of what he’d seen the first time. Sure enough, a ghostly face rose from the darkness. Like a vapor, the specter ascended briefly, faded away, and was replaced by another and another, an endless carousel of ghostly visages.

“Who are they?” Taven finally breathed.

“The fallen. The children of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Taven was confused. “They don’t look like children. All the Seeker soldiers I’ve seen look like they’re twenty years old or so.”

“They’re not soldiers,” Isham said. “And they don’t look like children anymore. What you see here are the remnants of those children—most were mere babies—who were lost, sacrificed by Seekers at Eleazar’s behest.”

“They killed their own kids? Why?!”

Isham stepped back and took a deep breath. “It’s complicated,” he said, and Taven noticed Isham avoided eye contact for a moment. A quick glance up. “I’ll explain on our way.”

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