Epilogue: “Let us forgive each other — only then will we live in peace”- – Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy

Two Aidans stand hand-in-hand on the bank of a dark river. One is pale as hope, eyes an inhuman indigo. He is so light his feet do not even cast a shadow on the rocks. The other is human as desire, irises an earthy brown. Cold, round stones roll beneath his feet. He hears the grating of pebbles draw back and fling against the shore. He hears the roar of endless night. Then, out in the darkness, a small light grows, bobbing like a firefly. A lantern floats above the river. A boatman, eyes like hollow fires, sculls toward him, skillfully guiding his craft with a long pole.