Ruth was giddy as she sat by the shore. Her feet were in the water, the tide ebbing and flowing around her soles with gentle touches that tickled. She had long passed the idea of sleep and was content to watch the sunrise, a vast yellow light slowly creeping over the horizon, as if rising from the waves. The salty cool air hit her in a burst of saline. It was faint, but Ruth felt a constant sensation on the sides of her head. An unending drone of . . . sound? Was this sound? Perhaps she was hearing the waves, ever so slightly?

  Hearing was an odd feeling to Ruth. So often she was held in the embrace of silence and it brought a clarity few knew, even before she became a Godshard. Sound was distracting, sound was noisy. It disturbed her tranquility. But not this time. For the first time ever, sound felt calming. Ruth wondered why. Maybe it was because it was soft and unending, lulling people into relaxation.

  Ruth was so grateful that Mother said yes! That she’s not only letting Ruth stay here, but would be here with her! This was perfect! She could see the concerns that Mother and Aunt Kathy had with her Soulsight and their body langauge, but it’s nothing that Ruth couldn’t work with!

  A gentle prod on Ruth’s shoulder startled her. Another Godshard had taken a seat by her. She looked the same age, with very dark skin. She was wearing grey clad robes and a hood. The girl’s Soulsight was as bright as her grin, and a curiosity burned like her own. Never had Ruth seen such friendliness in someone’s face. Even the micro-expressions were chipper and bright! Ruth returned the smile.

  The girl waved and her mouth started to move, before she cut herself off. The girl scanned the beach, before finding a stick. She gestured to Ruth to watch. She traced letters in the sand before stopping. Ruth squinted to read it, “Sheba”. Ruth looked up to see Sheba pointing at the name and then herself.

  Ruth nodded. The two sat down together for a long while, content to watch the slow rising sun. It felt good to have some company, someone who was just like her! Ruth turned to Sheba, she knew they were going to become the best of friends. No, it was going to be more than that, she felt drawn to her, like they had a connection! One look at Sheba showed Ruth that she thought the same thing. Ruth picked up the stick. She drew a word in the sand and gestured to Sheba.

  “Friends.” Ruth made the sign for friends repeatedly. Sheba’s glowing eyes flickered before she gasped and nodded, repeating the sign back. The two giggled in their excitement. Sheba gently led Ruth to a small group of children. Their eyes were glowing and curious like theirs. With the stick in her hand, she wrote their names in the sand. Ember, Jolene, Shawn, Kai, Jana. They all smiled and waved as Sheba named them off. Ruth was moved to tears when they gestured to her to join them. This is what she was missing from her class. This must have been what the body language of friendliness looked like. Yet it wasn’t fake either, the micro-expressions proved it. Yes, Ruth was going to like it here. This was where she needed to be.

  They played on the beach happily until the sun came up. Other Godshards awoke or returned from their charges. Mikel left with a couple other Godshards, and some newcomers Ruth hadn’t met yet arrived. Megan ushered Ruth and the other children to a large leather cloth that had been laid out. Ruth took a seat in the front row, Sheba at her side. Mother and Aunt Kathy stood at the back of the group, ever watchful of her.

  Megan raised her hands, signing at the same time as speaking. “Today, we shall be going over the history of Adam. The first Godshard!” Ruth perked up, at last some answers! Would they have tablets for her? She frowned, Mother forgot to tell them! Ruth stood up but Megan gestured to her to sit. “Don’t worry,” she signed. “You will be able to follow along.” Megan grinned. “We do things differently here.”

  Elias joined them, a staff in his hand. His glowing eyes brightened and he began to chant. Ruth couldn’t hear what he was saying but she felt the raw power coming from his body all the same. With a final gesture, Elias thrust his staff into the ground, and a great cloud of black mist enveloped them.

  Ruth panicked, she didn’t like the dark and her Soulsight was cloudy from the spell. This was bad, she didn’t like this! She looked around frantically and she paled upon realizing that she was alone! Her heart was racing in her chest. What devilry was this?

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  Relax my child. Ruth stilled. Elias shuffled through the mist, his eyes were glowing brighter than normal. Apologies for the darkness.

  Ruth’s head tilted and her hands were up. “What is this? What are you doing?” she signed.

  This is called telepathy, it’s an ability certain beings with Soulsight can use. You’re hearing my voice in your head. That is what a voice is. It is a power that is a benefit from being a Godshard. I will teach you how to do it one day.

  Ruth struggled to follow. A voice? It was strange and uncanny and she didn’t like it. She stomped her foot in confusion and frustration. “I want the tablets. I don’t like voices.” she signed

  Elias grew sad, You don’t have to use it if you don’t want to. But it would be wise to learn it, humans don’t have sign language. This will give you a way to speak to people who don’t know it.

  Ruth’s brow furrowed and she shook her head, “I can read lips and body language.”

  What if they speak too fast, what if their body is closed in or huddled? There’s nothing wrong with more options.

  Ruth paused, he had a point. The Animites in her class hid themselves and they knew Benelim Sign Language. “Fine. Can I at least have the tablets?”

  This is better than any tablet. Elias disappeared into the mist once more. Before Ruth could say anything else, the darkness gave way to sparkling light. Her eyes widened in awe. She was wading in a sea of stars. Distant flecks of golden and silver light littered the unknowable sky. In the distance, Ruth saw a wall of golden light, rippling and undulating against a wall of blackness,

  Ruth gasped when she realized those weren’t walls, but angyls fighting daemons. Fear not child, what you see is a vision. None of what you’re seeing is real. The vision blurred wherever the daemons were and wherever the battle was fiercest. Yet the sight filled Ruth with a perplexing mix of wonder and terror. Does this look familiar to you?

  Ruth nodded, it was the Second War in the Heavens. She recognized the scene from the tablets in class. It was a war where God battled God. Omnitus on one side, and his brother, Tenebrous, on the other. Angyls, Gods and daemons all fought each other. "We hadn’t gotten to the end yet."

  Well, Omnitus lost his Only Son in the climax of that war. Thus the greatest duel of all time took place. A battle between the two Brother-Gods, a fight so fierce…

  Elias let the vision speak for him, the battle faded, giving way to a twin pair of lights illuminating the sky above her. The vision brought the lights closer, as it did, their true nature revealing themselves as two glowing beings locked in battle, grappling and tumbling as they fell from the heavens.

  The two Gods collided with the earth, exploding in a tremendous display of energy and fire. Countless specks of blue light shot high up into the heavens. Ruth gasped in awe, so that’s why Omnitus was called the Shattered One.

  It all made sense now, these were His Shards.

  Godfall. The gargantuan cataclysm of which we define our records, human and Benelim alike. All years after we call AGF, After God Fall. The Shards of Omnitus floated in the heavens for eight hundred years. We believe a Shard looked down on humanity and wanted to help us. So it came back to earth, and entered a baby three days after he was born.

  The images shifted to a bearded man in grey clad robes, similar to Sheba and many other of the Godshards. He stood tall and proud, a large city in ruins behind him and a black monstrous mass stood in front of him. Ruth didn’t need Elias to tell her this was Adam. Nor did she need to know what it was that stood in front of him Its true form was distorted but the distinct wrongness of it made Ruth shudder. It was another daemon, a big one!

  Yet Adam stood his ground, defiant and heroic. The daemon rushed Adam, devouring him in one bite, only to be incinerated from the inside out by Adam’s pure light. Ruth knew right there that she wanted to be just like him when she grew up! A hero! Someone who fought for others, using her newfound power to do good!

  There was one thing that gave Ruth pause, however. Where were the Benelim? Mother always told her that they were supposed to protect humanity. Like an older sibling protecting their younger. Ruth could see how devastated the city behind Adam was, surely the Benelim wouldn’t abandon them?

  Adam traveled the world for a century before the daemons came back to his home. He met High King Ioannis and even Terra Herself! He told me that he wanted to mend the bonds between us and the Benelim, but he never had the chance. Perhaps you could finish what he started one day.

  Ruth tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

  You’ll understand when you’re older. You’re special, Ruth, I can see it. You’re going to be a woman of both worlds. Don’t fight it. Embrace it!