Second Chances

XXI.

The Glare looked out over the crowd, as they stared entranced by the beam of Light, searching for familiar or promising faces. As he scanned the crowd, a young woman in a green cloak with red flowing hair caught his attention. He did a double take to make sure that it was indeed Roxanne. “Roxanne, you came. Now you just need to make your way to the Lighthouse or perhaps, I’ll make my way to you. There’s always a second chance.”

The Glare lowered his staff, the Light disappearing. He bowed and retreated into the tower. The crowd cheered endlessly, chanting ‘age of light’. The end of The Glare’s speech had inspired hope in the people, giving them something to look toward, something to try and reach. There was an energy and greater cooperation after The Glare spoke, those with and those without the Light had greater interaction, sharing the crystals; the most generous of the Light holders giving their crystals to some of the people that had none. The Glare’s words were beginning to come true. The Light was spreading to reach all people, becoming equal amongst them.

Roxanne thought about the words, internalizing them. As she thought, she tried to think of the best way that she could get in touch with Patrick. Could she simply waltz into the Lighthouse? It seemed unlikely given the great lengths that they had gone to to destroy it. She thought that there would have to be guards, but perhaps they would let her pass. However she didn’t want to chance the capture that would surely await her as a former Keeper. Where were all the Keepers that had been in the Lighthouse? Where was Bartholomew? Where was Thaddeus? Had they been killed? Were they hiding in exile? Being held prisoner? So many questions. Perhaps Patrick would have the answers. If they were gone, then The Glare was truly the only way to influence the future of Tiesa, unless she started her own campaign. Perhaps she could be successful, but somehow she doubted that The Glare’s acceptance of ‘all opinions’ would extend to those opinions that advocated for their destruction, given the anger and violence they had previously shown to the Lighthouse and any that supported them. She hoped that Patrick would listen. They had been like brother and sister before his ‘death’, if only they could return to those days and work together from within the Lighthouse, agitating for change. Alas, those days were gone and the Lighthouse lay in ruins around her. What was there to do, but try to persuade him now? There had been no sign of remorse or possibilities of change before, but Roxanne hoped that with a little time she could soften him. If he only knew how much she wanted what was best for him and all of Tiesa, then he would listen. As Roxanne debated with herself and thought through the different scenarios that came to mind, someone delivered a bottle, emblazoned with the mark of The Glare and a signature message sticking out.

*

Thaddeus sat in his cell, bound and crammed with other Keepers. He had strained his ears to hear the speech that Patrick gave to the gathered crowd of Tiesa’s people. Much of the message struck a chord within him, almost enough to make him want to join ranks with The Glare. Almost. The cruelty that he’d witness drove him away. The utter lack of light in Patrick’s eye, the careless, complete disregard for human life and the vanity to assume that he knew what was best for all of Tiesa. Although, as he thought that, he questioned whether the Lighthouse had had the right to determine how the Light was to be used. How did they know what was in the best interest of everyone? What separated them from The Glare? Why should he not swear allegiance to The Glare? The Lighthouse was wasted, lying in ruin below them, only a tower or two remaining of what had once been his home. Thaddeus knew that in recent years, the Lighthouse had come to resemble more and more what The Glare now embodied. They had paved the way for this very revolution by their zeal in punishing those that expressed different opinions than they held, for repressing the freedom to believe differently and to work for the good of Tiesa, to be loyal to the Light above the Lighthouse. They had confused the two, killing innocents that had only wanted what was best for all, but butted heads with the Lighthouse. Like Fairfax. “Oh, Fairfax. If only you could be here, perhaps things would never have progressed this far, if I can use the word progress without undermining my meaning, as what has occurred is much closer to regression than progression. If this is progress, than I want nothing of it.”

“Did ya hear that Fairfax’s daughter was killed too?”

“What? Roxanne, gone? There is no hope. The Light has been scattered and likely hoarded by now, isolated in the hands of the few, who will only use the Light as a means to elevate themselves and abuse those that were unfortunate enough to not gather any of the crystals.”

In the corner a blind, bearded man cried, silent tears. Weeping for the fate of Tiesa.

Thaddeus sat, musing in sorrow on what options lay before him. If Roxanne was dead, then there was truly no alternative to The Glare retaining and expanding control of Tiesa. Perhaps the best he could do would be to assist them, providing some counsel that they may heed, leading to a kinder, gentler rule. Even a rule that embraced diversity and understood that disagreement was necessary to advance society. The Lighthouse had embodied that, the Keepers and the League operating together, working to reach a compromise of their conflicting views. Ultimately, the conflict was so intense that it ripped the Lighthouse apart. The Schism. The days leading up to it were so great. There was harmony and goodwill, and intense loyalty and devotion to the Light, and the Lighthouse, since the Lighthouse followed the Light. It wasn’t long before that began to shift and the Lighthouse inflated bit by bit with self-importance, finding loyalty to it equal to and eventually more important than to the Light. It started with a few simple steps, then led to disaster and the overthrowing of the Lighthouse that just happened. As less was told the people and more was demanded of them blindly, they began to lose devotion and loyalty. Tragic the path that the Lighthouse had followed, thinking that with the Light they could never falter, that they were invincible.

As Thaddeus sat musing, The Glare approached the cell and called out to him, “Thaddeus! One of your star pupils has joined with me.”

Thaddeus looked confused as he tried to puzzle out who it could be, since very few of the apprentice Keepers were taught by him in any sense, and most were either missing or locked up with him or in the surrounding cells.

“Come now. Who is your star student?”

“Well, Roxanne, but she’s…”

“Dead? Hardly. Should be. Would be if old Bartholomew had had his way. The beautiful Roxanne has ‘fallen’, if you will. Come to my level, seen the Light. Care to join her?”

The offer was tempting. With Roxanne, perhaps they could balance out the violent tendencies of The Glare and help Tiesa reach the balance that had been missing for so long. Address the issues that led to the Schism and heal it once and for all. He was about to agree, but then remembered Patrick’s actions in the cave and the destruction that surrounded the Lighthouse, even what remained of the Lighthouse. The ruined state of Tiesa was a testament to the cruelty and thoughtlessness that plagued The Glare and rotted their chances of success. They were built on a faulty foundation that surely would crumble in time. There was nothing he could do about that.

“No, Patrick. I cannot. The Glare is built on fear and intimidation. Ultimately, you will cause your own downfall, there is no other alternative. You cannot survive on those. That is what led to the rise of The Glare and it will lead to the rise of someone else like you- young, fiery, passionate, misguided and blinded. Until you build on the Light and Love, there is no hope for a sustaining organization.”

“Thaddeus, you old fool. The Glare has given the Light to the people, back where it belongs. We will rebuild Tiesa, everyone building from the Light that they hold. The Light is the foundation for the new Tiesa. There are no secrets. Anyone can delve into the Shadows, we have nothing to hide.”

Thaddeus simply shook his head, “You will fail, and it will likely cost you your life.”

“Well, Thaddeus. You had your chance. It will not be my life that is lost, but you may have just lost yours. Welcome to the Age of Light, Thaddeus.”

With those parting words, The Glare departed, briskly walking away, his coat blowing behind him dramatically, adding emotion to his exit.

The blind man had perked up during the conversation, the mention of Roxanne had particularly got his attention, causing sobs to come, unrestrained.

*

Roxanne walked up to the Lighthouse, ascending the steps of the tower. An eerie feeling overcoming her as the Lighthouse was familiar yet different. The walls that had provided comfort and direction were gone, rubble. The Radiant Tower that had stood in the center, shooting Light over all of Tiesa was gone, broken and in the middle of Tiesa. Crushing houses and bringing darkness and an increase in Shadow. The tower was fairly well lit, using the crystals that had belonged to the Keepers as lamps, placing them in fixtures held on the walls. Roxanne was still unsure how her reception would be. She had previously refused to join with him, but his questions and statements had troubled her enough that she went to the League to learn more, which had brought her here.

She thought, puzzling over what to say and how she could explain where she was and what she wanted to do with The Glare, when she reached the office she had been directed to. As she stepped toward the door to enter, a figure came up behind her, reaching from behind her back and opening the door, causing her to startle and turn around.

It was The Glare, standing with a smug grin on his face, not mirthful, but a grin.

“Welcome back. Please, go in,” The Glare said, gesturing toward the office.

Roxanne entered and The Glare followed, closing the door behind him.

“Had a change of heart, did you? Finally saw the Light and the corruption within the Lighthouse?”

“Yeah, I saw the Light. I was with the League and read some of my father’s work and some histories of the Lighthouse that changed my perspective a bit. I just want to do what’s best for Tiesa and right now, this seems to be the place where I can have the most influence.”

“Ha. True, we are in a position of power, aren’t we? How do I know that you’ll work to achieve our goals and aren’t here to sneak out your Lighthouse friends?”

“Patrick-“

“Patrick’s dead. I am The Glare,” an edge was in The Glare’s tone as he cut off Roxanne.

“Trust me. You know that I would never break my word.”

“But you’ve betrayed someone once. You left the Lighthouse and broke poor, Erin’s heart.”

“Take this,” Roxanne said as she offered him a medallion.