A sense of peace flowed through Adalard. He felt as if he were floating. The mist of the dark symbiot had been replaced with the hues of the universe. Nebulas glimmered among the billions of celestial bodies floating in a sea of black, lit by the brilliant light of newborn stars and reflecting the colorful gases that had formed them.
He looked down when Samara moved. He gently caressed her cheek only to pause when his hand passed through her translucent flesh. Her lips parted with wonder and dismay.
“Is this what it’s like to die?” she whispered, gazing up at him with wide, wonder-filled eyes.
“I… don’t know,” he admitted.
“Adalard…,” Samara breathed, her eyes focused over his shoulder.
He turned, his arms still protectively wrapped around her waist, and stared in awe as a golden figu
