(Apocalypse) A matter of minutes.

[akonken.livejournal.com]

There was a thud, and then tension.

Nobody knew what was happening, that much was clear. The movements of the others wasn't the least organised I've seen. It was too slow, but it's always too slow.

I watched.

The Rat was something this caern needed. He pushed us to be better. A Rat did that. We needed to do it for ourselves. But until that happened, I wanted him around. I'd make sure he would be.

Eventually it was my turn.

I went down into the labyrinth.

I watched as the people I went with shimmered and went through the Veil.

I waited.

I could feel my pulse - not to fast, nice and steady. I focused on it as I counted seconds.

I listened as each whisper of breath came into my body and out again. I tasted the sweetness of the pure air as it ebbed and flowed through me.

I saw the torches flicker and found the flicker familiar. I smelled their smoke.

For someone like me, these were the moments that mattered. The moments of purity before getting myself filthy. The calm before the storm. The light before darkness.

We are not what matters. The three that went through may be dead now. I may be dead in my next breath. Everyone here may die. We probably will; we're not as strong as we need to be.

What matters is what we fight for. The fight goes on, even if we do not.