Until the World Falls Down

Chapter 9

9

U nable to stop it, I let out a startled scream, scrambling backward on the cobblestone to put distance between me and the man with the wolfish grin and sinister fangs. Reddish-brown hair curled around his ears and the nape of his neck, and his white skin was pallid under the moonlight. He said something else—something I didn’t understand and couldn’t quite place the language of. When he raised an eyebrow, my gaze caught on the crimson of his irises. I gasped, falling back another step.

“My. I think I should be the one surprised here,” he said, a slight accent to his voice as he spoke in English this time. “You’re the one who appeared in the street from the midst of a void of shadows, after all.”

I took a second to get my bearings. Lanterns lit up a narrow street lined with one-story buildings, some made of wood, some of brick, and all with varying historic architecture that reminded me of quaint European towns. The night was silent and still, with dark clouds shifting to cover the moon completely .

“I can hear your pulse racing,” the stranger said. “It’s very tempting.”

My attention shot back to him, and I froze at his proximity. I hadn’t heard or noticed him move closer to me. He’s a vampire , my mind warned me. I couldn’t even fight the thought. If someone like Enver existed, how could I be shocked vampires did?

“You’re doing the labyrinth, right?” I blurted.

The stranger tilted his head to the side, an eyebrow lifting. “And how do you know about that?”

“I’m doing it, too,” I said quickly, hoping it would keep me safe from ever finding out what those fangs were made for. “We’re on the same side.”

“Oh, are we now?”

“Yes. I can… help you,” I hedged, although I didn’t know how true it was. I didn’t even know what I was supposed to be doing in the labyrinth yet.

His gaze dropped to my neck. “I’m absolutely sure you could.”

I slapped my hand over my throat. “Not like that!”

“Not like what?” he asked, a smirk gracing his features, revealing his fangs again. “I’m simply admiring.”

Admiring what? I didn’t want to know. “I’m trying to escape the labyrinth, too. I?—”

His hand suddenly shot out, fisting the front of my jacket, and throwing me to the side, nearly knocking me off my feet. I cried out, startled, and heard the whooshing noise of something slicing through the air near my ear. It hit the house beside us, implanting in the wood with a resounding thunk , and my eyes followed the noise, seeing an arrow embedded in the siding.

“Follow me,” the stranger barked, his fingers encircling my wrist.

Another arrow whizzed by my head, and I didn’t question him, letting him guide me as we ran through the dimly lit streets. We ducked into tight alleyways, keeping low and quiet until we came to a worn-down shack on the outskirts of the town, hidden in a cluster of overgrown shrubs. The stranger surveyed the area before pulling me inside and barring the door behind us with a wooden plank.

My breaths came out unevenly as he finally released me, and I doubled over, winded. “What the hell was that?” I panted.

“Vampire hunters,” the stranger muttered, perfectly composed, not even a bead of sweat on his skin.

I straightened out, alarmed. “Is that allowed?”

“They’re not after me because of the labyrinth. They’re after me because I’m a monster.”

His tone had lost all the teasing playfulness it held earlier, replaced by a raw loathing. I didn’t know what to say for a moment as he moved to light the room with oil lamps. My heart continued to hammer in my chest, even as I caught my breath. It hadn’t occurred to me that I could be in danger in the labyrinth. What would have happened if one of those arrows had struck me? Could I die here? Had others died during their challenges?

“It might not be wise for you to stay here,” the stranger said, leaning against a worn wooden desk. “The hunters are relentless. They haven’t found this place yet, though.”

I didn’t know what would be worse—having to deal with vampire hunters or traversing an unknown world alone. Staying near Neima had worked out last time for me, though. “I’d like to stay with you.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Brave, aren’t you?”

“I don’t really have a choice,” I said. “And at least our goals are the same.”

“I don’t think they are,” he responded evenly but held his hand out to me. “I’m Dio. ”

I shook it, noticing how cool to the touch his fingers were. “Nell.”

“A pleasure,” he said with a smile, and I once again found myself distracted by his fangs. “Don’t worry. I won’t bite. Unless you’d let me?”

I immediately shook my head. “No! I’m, uh, good.”

He chuckled. “Figured I’d ask.”

As the tension in the room eased, I looked around the dingy shack. Cracked cement made up the floor, caked with loose dirt. Two rotten chairs and a dirty bed were the only furniture, and there were no other rooms, making me wonder where the bathroom was. “You live here?” I asked.

“No. Like I said, the hunters just haven’t discovered this place yet.”

“How long have you been hunted for?”

Dio’s brows furrowed. “Seventy-five years, give or take? They’re persistent. I’ll give them that.”

“You’re seventy?” I’d thought he was my age.

“I’m ninety-six, I believe.”

I gaped at him, though I really shouldn’t have been shocked. Enver was even older than Dio. “What?”

“Vampire,” he reminded me, tapping his fangs. “I’m frozen at the age I was killed and haven’t changed since.”

A shiver went down my spine. “Killed?”

“As I grew up, there were always rumors that vampires existed. That they’d been behind some murders that happened in my town. I never believed it, though,” Dio said, lowering his head, and scuffing his foot against the dirt on the floor. “Not until one broke into my house and killed my parents in front of me.”

Horror washed through me. “What?”

“He moved alone, but my parents still didn’t stand a chance. He was too strong. He went after my sister next.” His posture grew rigid as he recounted his past. “She was ten at the time. I grabbed whatever I could to defend us and managed to distract him long enough to let her escape. He wasn’t happy about that. He snapped my neck, and the next thing I knew, I was lying in blood-soaked snow, a burning in my throat. A sickening craving taking over me.”

“That’s awful,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

I couldn’t consider myself close to my family nowadays, but at one point, Veronica and I had been inseparable. We were twins. How could we not be? She’d been my best friend. She stood up for me whenever anyone would bully me in elementary school. If I was in trouble with my parents, she’d take on the blame, too. She’d tell the waitress I’d said no peppers when they served me a meal with them in it. She’d been the best sister I could ask for, until things fell apart between us when our dad left and she blamed me for it. I couldn’t imagine seeing her killed in front of me, though. Even after what she’d done to me.

He shrugged. “It was a long time ago. And my hands aren’t clean now, either.”

“What happened to your sister after everything?”

“From what I know, she was taken in by our neighbors. Grew up with them.”

“You never went to see her after everything?”

“How could I?” he said harshly. “I’m a monster . I became what killed our parents. I’ve been doomed to live in darkness, to have an insatiable hunger that puts everyone around me in constant danger if I let my control slip. She would not see her brother if she looked at me. She’d see a disgusting fiend. And she’d be right. I left enough blood for the town to believe I died alongside our parents. I only hope she found peace in that.”

His self-loathing was almost palpable, a heaviness hanging in the air. I didn’t know what to say, so I stayed silent, watching as he glared off into the distance.

“It’s better than her seeing what I’ve become. Cold. Unfeeling. A true monster,” he said. “Not like the fictional ones in the stories I used to tell her before bed.”

I wrapped my arms around myself, his words reminding me too much of what I’d said to Enver before. “Unfeeling?” I asked.

He nodded, his lips curving into a wry smile. “I suppose it goes hand in hand with the loss of humanity. I can’t remember what it’s like to feel anything. No matter how hard I try. No matter how much I want to. Everything always remains out of reach. I try to remember what it’s like to feel joy, sadness. Anything . But I can’t. All I know is this disgust for myself and a void where I know something else should be. I just can’t tell you what. I feel empty. Yearning for something I can’t remember.”

“I can’t imagine,” I said, not liking how I thought of Enver, about the longing I’d seen in his eyes, about the way he spoke of desperation as if he knew it intimately. Did he feel empty like this, too?

Dio sighed, straightening out again. “Who would be able to? It’s a hell I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Not even my worst enemies.”

I frowned, clasping my hands in front of me. If Dio couldn’t feel anything, what awaited him when he finished the labyrinth? Did he yearn for a specific emotion or something else?

“Either way, it’ll all end soon enough,” Dio said.

“How?”

“I know where the vampire who killed my parents is now. The labyrinth showed me. I’m going to kill him and get my revenge. And then I’ll get what I so desperately desire.”

His voice filled with determination and a resignation I didn’t understand.

Yet…

“Let me help you,” I offered .

My words stunned us both. I tensed as Dio’s brows furrowed. “No. It’s too dangerous.”

He was right. I’d nearly been shot by an arrow already. What would happen if I died here? Even so, something inside me urged me to help him. “I’m not letting you go alone. We’re both trapped in this labyrinth. We should help each other out.”

“What do you get in exchange for helping me?” he responded.

“We can figure that out later.”

Dio pressed his lips together but then finally nodded. “Okay. Let’s go together. He’s close by. I need to finish him before the sun comes up. We’re running out of moonlight.”

He went to the door, and I followed along, my pulse quickening. I didn’t know what danger awaited, but as we stepped back into the night and made our way across the quiet town again, the feeling that this was the right thing to do grew stronger. The sky, although cloudy, was beginning to turn lighter with the impending dawn.

Dio moved with lithe grace, and the wind whipped my hair into my face as I struggled to keep up with him. Rain started to fall from the sky, making the worn cobblestone street slippery and breaking the silence of the night with the pitter-patter of droplets hitting the ground. We cut through a narrow alley, and at the end, Dio came to a sudden stop, staring at a dingy cottage.

“He’s there?” I asked in a whisper.

Dio didn’t respond but continued forward, approaching a half-boarded-up window. I followed him, standing on my tiptoes to peek inside as he wiped away a layer of dust on the pane.

In the low light of a lamp, I could make out the form of an old woman asleep in a bed, her chest rising and falling slowly. Her hand was outstretched, resting on top of a side table. Her fingers curled around a tarnished photo frame, the photo inside yellow and decayed.

Dio placed his palm on the window, his forehead nearly pressed against the glass. “Luliana.”

I knew from the adoration in his voice that this woman was his sister.

But before I could say anything, there was a shift in the air behind me. I barely managed to shove Dio out of the way before a silver stake sank into the wooden windowsill we’d been in front of. Dio recovered quickly, tackling his would-be assailant to the ground. I reached for the embedded stake and pulled it free, holding it up in front of me defensively.

Dio and his attacker thrashed wildly on the rain-soaked grass, grunts mixing with the sound of skin hitting skin. I studied his attacker for a moment—long black hair, tangled and wet, pale white skin, fierce fangs protruding from snarling lips. Dio’s muscles strained as he fought to overpower the other vampire, hands going around his throat, keeping him pinned.

“It’s you,” Dio hissed.

“Thank you for leading me back to your sister. I’ve been so curious about how she tastes even after all these years,” the other vampire responded, smirking at Dio.

“You’re going to hell!” Dio shouted as he brought his fist down into the other vampire’s face.

I grasped the stake tighter, unsure of how to help or what to do. I’d never used a weapon before. The brutality of the two fighting had my heart in my throat. “Dio!” I called as the other vampire suddenly knocked Dio off him, overtaking Dio.

Dio didn’t have time to react before the vampire tore his fangs into Dio’s neck, ripping into the soft flesh. Blood spurted out, and Dio faltered for a moment, his body becoming motionless, eyes glazing over with a terror that made my breath catch.

“Get off him!” I cried, bringing the stake down into the other vampire’s back .

It barely sunk into him. But it did its job. The vampire looked up from Dio, his eyes narrowing into slits as he glared at me. I tried to pull the stake back, but the vampire was faster. He ripped it out of my grasp, twisting my wrist. I winced, looking around desperately for another means of defense, but my world turned upside down as the vampire lunged at me, taking me to the ground. I cried out as my back hit the dirt hard enough for me to lose my breath.

The vampire’s hand went around my throat, squeezing so tight I thought my neck would snap. I brought my hands up, trying to claw at him, but he didn’t react, his grip cutting off my air supply. I fought to breathe as my senses dulled around me, gazing up at the fangs descending toward my neck. Panic rose in me. “No—” I choked out.

His sharp fangs raked across my throat, but before they could plunge in, he was knocked off of me, crashing into the side of the house from the force of the blow. Dio went after him again, growling as his fangs ripped into the other vampire’s neck. The metallic scent of blood filled the air, and I struggled to push myself back to my feet, my entire body shaking. My eyes caught on the stake, still in the other vampire’s hand.

“Dio, careful!” I warned, my voice scratchy, my throat sore.

Dio glanced at me as I spoke, and the other vampire used that moment of distraction to plunge the stake up into Dio’s chest. Dio didn’t make a sound, but his body seized, his gaze going down to where the stake impaled him. Shock swept through me, and I watched helplessly as the other vampire tore the stake out of Dio before thrusting it back in again. Dio groaned, his body lurching with the force of it.

My eyes darted around wildly until they landed on a broken, rusted garden hoe. I threw myself toward it, yanking it out of the dirt, and swung it toward the vampire with all the strength I could muster up. Its jagged edges caught the side of the other vampire’s face, digging in and leaving bleeding streaks against his cheek. I brought it back and swung it again, adrenaline fueling me, this time impaling the broken metal into his injured throat.

That got his attention. He ripped the stake out of Dio again, his burning gaze fixing on me. Blood poured out of Dio, and he fell to the ground in a crumpled heap as the other vampire shoved Dio off him.

I needed to get him away from Dio.

I twisted on my heel, ready to run, and shrieked as the black-haired vampire grabbed the end of the hoe and pulled it toward him, taking me along with it. I finally let go of it, but stumbled, dropping to the ground to avoid the claws that reached for me. The vampire swung his hand out for me again, claws tearing through my dress as he swiped my side, pain searing through me as he cut into my skin.

I didn’t know how to win against him. I didn’t know if I could. But I couldn’t let Dio die here. Not with his sister only a few feet away.

“Come get me, fucker,” I taunted and tore off down the alley we’d come through.

To my relief and trepidation, the vampire followed me. My steps echoed around me as I sprinted down the alley, knowing it would only be a matter of seconds before he caught up with me.

But as I saw the light cresting at the mouth of the alley on the other side, I realized that maybe seconds were all I needed.

I pushed myself forward, my heart pounding as I raced toward the light. I threw myself to the side as his claws grazed my shoulder again, leaving behind a scorching trail of pain. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to ignore the pain, focusing on the mouth of the alley. Only a few more steps and then?—

A hand entangled in my hair, yanking me to a stop. I cried out, falling back. My fingers dug into the bricks of the alley, trying to anchor myself, but it felt like my hair would be ripped from my scalp. A rough shove had my back against the brick, and the vampire pulled my hair up and to the side, making me rise onto my toes, trying to ease the tension on my scalp. My chin turned, making me bare my neck to him.

“The way your blood rushes through your veins is delicious,” he said, pressing a clawed finger into the base of my neck, causing it to bleed.

My gaze fell to the ground, where the shadows were receding.

“Do it,” I said, meeting his hungry gaze.

His lips curled into a smirk. “My pleasure.”

He descended toward my neck, and I tensed, closing my eyes. Sharp pressure against my throat had my hands fisting.

And then suddenly, the vampire froze.

My eyes snapped open. Sunlight filtered into the alleyway, falling on his face. His expression morphed into one of agony as he shuddered, his hands releasing me, trying to retreat into the shadow again. Before he could, though, Dio appeared in front of me, crashing into the vampire’s side, knocking them both down into the sunlight. They fell to the ground together, Dio landing under the other vampire. The other vampire screamed, writhing over Dio as Dio held him tight, refusing to let him go.

Within seconds, his struggles weakened, and his skin started to wither away. He tried to crawl back toward the alley, but his fingers disintegrated as they met the cobblestone. I watched in horror as his skin melted away, revealing bone. The remnants of the vampire crumbled to the ground, exposing Dio to the sun.

I hurried over to him. “Dio, go back, hurry!”

Dio didn’t move. He only gave me a weak smile before rolling onto his back and embracing the sun. “No. This is what I want.”

“To die?” I cried shrilly .

“As all monsters should.”

“No,” I said immediately. “No, I won’t let you do this.”

“Nell—”

Ignoring his protests, I hooked my hands under his armpits, using all my strength to drag him back to the alley. Blood covered my hands, and I nearly lost my grip on him, but I got him back into the shade, setting him up against the brick wall. I knelt in front of him, taking his hand in mine and pushing up his sleeve to inspect his skin. Still intact but burnt.

“You should have left me there,” he said, narrowing his eyes at me. “That was my path. The labyrinth guided me to get my revenge and then die.”

“No,” I protested. “You don’t deserve to die. You didn’t ask for this, Dio. You’re not a monster.”

“I’m dead anyway,” Dio muttered, eyelids fluttering closed. “These wounds are deep.”

I peeled away his bloodied shirt, seeing the gaping wounds where the stake had struck. “No…”

His head fell back, and he let out a low groan. “This would have been easier if I hadn’t seen Luliana. Why did my feet guide me home once last time?”

“Tell me how to help you,” I demanded. “There has to be some way to heal you.”

“Blood,” he said dryly.

I inhaled sharply. “And it would heal you?”

“Yes, but?—”

I moved my hair, offering him my neck. “Then here. Take it.”

“Nell—”

“I don’t think the labyrinth was leading you to get revenge. It was leading you toward your sister,” I said. “Go to her. Let her know you’re alive. No matter what happened in the past, I’m sure she still loves you. Don’t give up like this, Dio. It’s not too late. Please. Take my blood. Heal yourself and go to her. ”

Dio stared at me for a moment, unnaturally still. Then he lifted a hand to my cheek, his touch gentle against my skin. “Thank you.”

He leaned forward, his hand now moving to my hair, holding me in place as his fangs pierced my neck. I flinched, biting my lip to hold in my cry of pain. It hurt. More than I thought it would, the ache deep and throbbing. His tongue swept against my neck, lapping up the blood that spilled from me. I reached out to steady myself, my hands on his shoulders, eyes wrenching shut. I wanted to pull away but forced myself to remain still.

Seconds passed, and I began to feel light-headed. I swayed on my knees, my grip on his shoulders loosening.

Noticing my dizziness, Dio drew back. I looked up at him, at his lips covered with my blood, at his skin that was now smooth once again. I returned my gaze to his arm, which was no longer burnt. “That’s amazing.”

A laugh burst out from Dio. “Most people say it hurts.”

“I meant the way you can regenerate like that,” I clarified, flushing, my hand going to the wound in my neck, prodding at the tender skin. “Ow.”

“Thank you, Nell,” Dio said, serious again.

“Let’s go to your sister now,” I said, attempting to push myself to my feet but nearly falling again, my body feeling weak.

Dio caught me, then helped me to my feet, keeping his arm around my waist to take on my weight. “Careful.” He hesitated, glancing down the alleyway. “Nell, I don’t know if I should go see her. What if she hates me for what I’ve become?”

“I won’t pretend like that isn’t possible,” I said, a memory of my mom popping into my mind. Her hatred and anger toward me before she ended up kicking me out, even after I strived to be the best daughter I could be. “Sometimes things change and aren’t the same anymore. Sometimes, family turns against us for reasons that aren’t our fault. And sometimes, it’s for no reason at all. But your sister wasn’t the one who walked away from you. She could be missing you, Dio. You just have to be brave and find out.”

Brave. Something I had never been. I always just accepted what happened to me—including when my mom turned her back on me and when Veronica betrayed me. I never fought back. Never sought closure. Never had the courage to do anything but let myself get hurt and run.

“And if I’m not brave?” Dio asked.

“I can be your bravery for you,” I said, meeting his gaze. It was easier to be brave for someone else. I could do this for Dio. “We’re going. Otherwise, I’ll find a way to take my blood back from you.”

“Fine,” he relented, a small smile playing on his lips.

We returned to the cottage where his sister lived, and as we walked up to the front door, a younger woman came out, stopping dead at the sight of us.

It was then I remembered we were both absolutely covered in blood.

Her mouth fell open. “By the gods…”

“Um,” I began, trying to think of a believable excuse for our appearance.

“Uncle Dio?” she asked, disbelief coloring her tone. “You’re Dio, right?”

Dio froze beside me. “Uncle?”

“I don’t understand. You look exactly like the photos. How…?” She shook herself. “No, it doesn’t matter how. Come inside. You have to see my mom.”

Dio didn’t move.

The girl glared at him. “Get inside the house now, Unchi . She’s dying. Her entire life, she’s never stopped looking for you, and you only show up now?”

“She’s dying?” Dio repeated, his voice tight .

The girl’s features softened, her gaze lowering to the ground. “Yes. I don’t know how much longer she has, so please come inside.”

His grip on my waist tightened, and then he nodded. I glanced at him, seeing the blood on his face, and tore a piece of my dress off, using it to clean him up to the best of my ability. He offered me a small smile in thanks before guiding us into the house. The girl led us to the room we’d seen through the window, where Luliana still lay on the bed. Now, though, she cradled the framed photo to her chest.

A photo of Dio, smiling, alive, his arm draped around a much younger Luliana.

“Mom,” the girl said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Uncle Dio is here. Can you hear me?”

Weary blue eyes cracked open. “Dio?” Luliana asked, her voice frail and barely audible.

Dio released me and slowly approached the bed. “Luliana. It’s me.”

“I knew it. I knew you were alive,” she whispered, reaching a shaking, withered hand toward him. “My darling frate . You haven’t changed one bit.”

Dio didn’t move to take it. I gave him a nudge in the back, and he stumbled forward, lifting his hand to hold hers. “Luliana, I’m sorry that you have to see me like this?—”

“I never gave up hope. I searched for you my entire life.” Her eyes clouded with tears as she gazed up at Dio. “Thank you for coming home.”

Dio knelt beside the bed, now clutching her hand in both of his. “I’m sorry. I came too late.”

“Not too late.” She lifted her other hand to touch his cheek, but it fell away quickly, her strength giving out. “Never too late. I was afraid to die, knowing you were out there somewhere alone, but now I can rest peacefully knowing you’re alive and well. ”

“I left you alone,” Dio whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I was scared you’d hate me for what I turned into.”

“I would never hate you. You are my family,” she responded, her eyes falling shut, breathing deeply. “You are my precious brother. I have missed you terribly. And I am so happy I got to see you again in this lifetime.”

Dio’s shoulders shook, and when a soft sob left his lips, my chest clenched. “We’ll meet again, Luli.”

“Live well until then,” she said, her voice scarcely more than a breath. “I want you to be happy, Dio. That’s all I ever wanted. And for you to know that I lived happily as well. As happily as I could without you.”

Dio leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her carefully and with a tenderness that had me choked up. His body shook with silent sobs, his forehead resting against hers. I had to look away, tears welling in my eyes, and the pendant on my chest suddenly grew hot. I reached for it, pulling it off my skin, looking down to see a new piece of ruby materializing. I stared at it in disbelief as it attached to the original piece, creating a slightly bigger shard.

What the…

The newly formed ruby still didn’t fill up even a quarter of the pendant’s setting, but it was definitely bigger than before. I blinked, confused. What caused it? Something with the labyrinth? But that hadn’t happened before, with Neima.

It pulsed, and I turned my head, seeing a door made of shadows form, signaling my return to the castle. I’d have to figure out the pendant later.

“Dio,” I said, keeping my voice soft. “It’s time for me to go.”

He pulled back from his sister, tears coating his cheeks. “I didn’t get to repay you for what you’ve done for me, Nell.”

“I didn’t do anything,” I denied.

“You gave me courage. You helped me find a reason to live again. How could I ever repay you? ”

“Repay me by doing as your sister said. Live happily. Find yourself again,” I said, glancing over at Luliana, watching her chest rise and fall. Slow. Ragged.

“Someone needs to take over the bakery, too,” Luliana’s daughter said quietly, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Mam? always said if you showed up, you’d have to teach me to make her favorite cozonac.”

Dio let out a watery chuckle. “She begged me to make it every day when we were young.” He stood up, keeping a tight hold on Luliana’s hand. “Thank you, Nell.”

I smiled at him. “Enjoy your time together.”

“I will. I just wish we had more,” he whispered, his voice catching in his throat.

The pendant pulsed again, and I brought my hand up to my chest, hovering over it. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re a monster, Dio. And I know Luliana doesn’t either. Live your life knowing you deserve to. That you deserve it.”

“I will. I promise,” he responded, glancing back at Luliana. “I’ll become someone I can be proud of. That Luliana can be proud of.”

I paused. “Dio, what did you long for? What did Enver promise you?”

Dio gave me a half-smile. “I was desperate to feel anything again. But perhaps I should have been more specific. I forgot how staggering grief is. But… this isn’t all bad. I’m sad, but I feel happy too. It’s bittersweet. I forgot just how confusing emotions can be after so long without feeling anything. I’ll figure it out, though. Go on. Before you get stuck here forever.”

I blinked. That could happen? “Then I should go. See you, Dio.”

“Bye, Nell. Noroc .”

I turned away then, heading to the door, and giving him one last wave before stepping into the darkness.