Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School (44/?) (Patreon)

I woke up with a sudden gasp and a reflexive jerk. My whole body reeled back from another one of those microsleep-induced dreams, the ones where you slip and fall into the abyss, only to end up being propelled back to the world of the waking.

I was too groggy to make heads or tails about where I was, but I didn’t need to. Even though everything was weirdly hazy, the dread of a deadline, and the fear of sleeping on another assignment was more than enough of a reminder to my current situation.

It was another late night at the IAS’ staff-only rec room, and I needed to get this assignment done stat.

So with a tired breath, and a quick rub of my eyes, I went straight back into it. Reading what little I wrote in hopes of getting inspired to keep on writing. “Human tenacity knows no boundaries, but-”

“-but this hasn’t been without its price. Such as staying up all night in the rec-room for no good reason at 3am on a weekday.” Another voice suddenly interrupted. A cocksure, playfully dismissive voice, belonging to one of the many instructors at the IAS on loan from the military. Except instead of the usual rank and file army officers, the man was LREF.

That much was obvious though by the way he talked, walked, and carried himself. As everything about him screamed space explorer ‘bad boy’; this decade’s stereotype for a branch of the military steeped in as much historical prestige as it was marred in gross overspending.

The gold-trimmed blue cloaks they wore didn’t really do much to deter from that latter stereotype. Though to be fair, gold hasn’t had the same appeal ever since the mega-foundaries started roaring to life en masse.

“Captain Li, sir!” I stood at attention, but was just as quickly dismissed with a single hand barely a second after I’d lifted my mine’s up for a salute.

“At ease, at ease. Save the salutes and what-have-yous for Field Captain McCay. It’s late anyways, Now, what exactly were you mumbling about, hmm? Prepping for a speech or somethin’?”

“I’m just working on my SDS CCIDE, sir.”

The man stared back at me as if I’d just spoken some long-dead pre-22nd century Earth dialect.

“Erm, it’s an assignment. Homework, sir. For SIOP.”

“Oh! Right. Thought I was having a bit of a stroke for a moment there, Cadet. Jeez, don’t scare me with bureau-speak without warning me first!” The jabbed cheekily, before promptly taking a seat across from me, his eyes darting back and forth across the few hundred tabs I had opened across ten different holo and physical screens alike.

“I’ll keep that in mind, sir.” I shot back with a respectful smile.

“So, SDS… self-directed studies I’m imagining?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Aaand CCIDE? Never heard of that one.”

“Cross-Cultural Information Dissemination Exercises sir.”

This elicited a sharp, whistling sigh from the man. “Smooth. Memorized, rehearsed, and spoken like a true civil-servant. You know, if all of this doesn’t work out, you have a bright future ahead of you in the Security Advisory; stars know we need more intermediaries between the civ-servs and the desk-bound brass. That being said, I bet you weren’t expecting homework of all things when you signed up for this job didn’t you?”

“Not necessarily sir, but it makes sense. Stepping into the unknown necessitates the mastery of both martial, and diplomatic aptitude.” I paused, placing a hand over my mouth, before letting it slip further upwards to hide my face, scrunching a good bit of my messy hair in the process. “I went full bureau-speak there, didn’t I?”

“Gee, what makes you think that?” The man once more shot back with a sly chuckle. “Just make sure you get enough sleep, Cadet. We’ll be going over VI-Assisted Field Repairs tomorrow, and after we do… we’ll probably be going over why you shouldn’t over rely on VIAFRs, courtesy of Field Captain McCay via teleconference.”

I took a deep breath, nodding, before steadying myself by shutting my eyes and reaching for the energy drink sat atop another stack of e-ink documents with a hundred variations of the word [CLASSIFIED] plastered all over them. However, instead of being met by the cold, comforting embrace of a 10-alloyed can of caffeine infused beverage, I was instead met with nothing.

In fact, I suddenly felt constricted. My loose fitting nightwear was suddenly replaced by the skintight undersuit of my gear, and then enclosed within a thick, solid layer of unyielding composalite.

I was back inside the power armor.

Opening my eyes, I wasn’t met by the mid-millenium chic of the IAS’ recroom.

I was instead floating in darkness.

An oddly familiar darkness.

Confusion consumed me. Followed closely by panic.

But those two gut-twisting emotions had nothing on what came immediately after, as I began hearing it again.

And it was just as otherworldly as when I last heard it.

It started out exactly the same way. A constant stream of distant chimes, pulsating in intensity from a barely audible pin-drop, to a soft whisper at its peak.

I instinctively reached for my ears, but found my hands unceremoniously slamming against the helmet again, unable to reach them as the incessant vibrations started tickling them, sending wave after wave of shivers down my spine.

“EVI!” I shouted.

But there was no response.

There was only the thrumming darkness growing ever and ever louder.

“EVI!!”

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!

“EVI!” I jolted up with a raspy shout, panting heavily as my eyes began darting around, my hand instinctively reaching yet again for my sidearm but finding it firmly trapped within a soft cocoon of canvas.

I looked down in confusion, just to be reminded of the sleepsack I found myself snugly tucked into. A sleepsack that I just about managed to squeeze inside the tent right before the rays of the early morning started to bleed through the dorm’s windows.

My bright idea of shoving the sleepsack into the cargo-airlock at the beginning of the whole repair process couldn’t have worked out better. This was because I’d just about managed to squeeze in repairs just as the mana desaturation process had completed, leaving me with the prize of actually sleeping on something that wasn’t just hard plastic.

MEDICAL ALERT: Detecting elevated Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, Respiratory Rate, and stress hormones; EEG patterns outside baseline standard. Patterns indicate [1] episode of variable-rate night terror. NOTE: This marks the second night terror logged.

“Noted, EVI, thank you.” I managed out with a sullen sigh, plonking myself back against the plasticky floor of the tent with a dull thud, cushioned by the padded canvas-like material of my sleeping bag.

“First the Null, and now our mysterious noisy Cthulian-wannabe inhabiting the space between spaces…” I paused, before slowly unzipping out of the cocoon of canvas, reaching lazily for my tablet. “EVI.”

“Yes, Cadet Booker?”

“Set a reminder for me to bring up the mystery of this noisy entity between portals to either Thacea or the Library when we have the chance. You know? The one that we encountered after jumping after Mal’tory through his portal? Set it for… I don’t know, a few days from now or something.”

“Affirmative, Cadet Booker. Reminder set.”

“Right…” I let out another sharp sigh, before getting up properly this time, rubbing the drool from the corners of my mouth with the backside of my forearm. “Diagnostics?” I spoke lazily through a yawn, bracing myself against one one of the four work benches that had been set up so far, my eyes firmly fixating on the support frame that now held the armor aloft by its shoulders and hips.

“QSR: All suit systems nominal, Cadet Booker.”

“Are my repairs holding?”

“Affirmative, Cadet Booker. I’ve run passive mechanical stress-tests whilst you were asleep. Repairs were completed within a 1.73% margin of error.”

“Good. Captain Li would be proud.” I let out a grin, realizing now just why my dream had started out with a direct callback to the IAS and the LREF Captain. “The night terror episode barely lasted for half of the dream, so I’m going to call this one a win. Plus, at this rate, I’ll be rid of them sooner rather than later.” I tried my best to reassure myself as I moved to stand in front of the armor, noting a few scratches on the paintjob. Superficial damage aside however, this avatar of technological exceptionalism was ready for round two. “Alright then.” I continued, as I began climbing into its vacant back, entering legs-first. “It’s library time.”

=====

Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Emma and Thacea’s Bedroom. Local Time: 1040 Hours.

Emma Booker

A sharp hiss marked my return back into the world of magic and sorcery. This was followed by those first few tentative steps out of the tent as I paid extra close attention to the mechanical sensor readings currently superimposed into the upper right hand corner of my HUD. I began pushing the systems slowly, taking short, measured steps, followed by larger, and more awkward ones. All with the intent of completing the appropriate calibrations that weren’t strictly necessary, but were part of the post-repair recalibration (PRR) protocols that were strongly recommended.

Thacea, noticing this, cocked her head toward my general direction, having completely stopped any and all pretenses on finishing the spoonful of nuts and berries currently in her hand.

“Emma, are you certain you’re quite alright?” She managed out quizzically, standing up with a degree of obvious concern as she regarded me with an obvious look of confusion. “You seem… encumbered.”

Part of me couldn’t help but to feel just a bit embarrassed at having just graced the princess with her first taste of the world of interpretive dance. Another part of me however couldn’t decide whether or not to just ignore the feeling entirely, given that the armor itself ruined any chance at really being socially ‘acceptable’ here.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I finally managed out, once more finding myself attempting to rub the back of my head reflexively, only to find my hand bonking against the cold hard metal of the helmet. “It’s part of the procedure in making sure that my repairs are working, is all.” I explained away simply, which was followed up by a tentative nod from the princess.

“A ritual of sorts.” She concluded with a tentative nod. “Right then, I’ve sent for breakfast so that we may-” The princess stopped herself in her tracks, before placing a hand over her beak. “Apologies, Emma. Your… dietary restrictions seemed to have slipped my mind. I was, admittedly, a bit overeager to prepare for the day ahead by preemptively having a meal ready for the both of us. I-”

“It’s fine, Thacea.” I quickly interrupted the apologetic avian with a single tap on her shoulder, shooting her a smile despite knowing full well the obvious fact that a barrier of composalite and glass stood in the way between us. “I appreciate the gesture all the same.”

Thacea’s eyes seemed transfixed on the hand, before shifting to meet my gaze once again as she nodded once in affirmation. “I value your compassionate nature, Emma.” I slowly removed my hand at that, prompting Thacea to shift a bit in place, before craning her head towards the door. “With that being said, I must apologize for being the lesser of compassionate spirits in this instance, by insisting that we cut straight through the clouds.” She pulled out that same pocket watch-like device from a few days earlier, its round golden surface glowing a dull green and yellow hue, displaying a series of alien symbols that the EVI could not translate. “We have approximately an hour before noon, and from then, we have half a day left to complete the procurement of school supplies from the town in accordance with the window of grace the Academy has afforded us.”

I nodded once. “Then let’s hit the library first. It should be a quick in and out.”

“Very well then.” Thacea nodded, pocketing her watch as the both of us left to regroup with Thalmin.

=====

Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Living Room. Local Time: 1045 Hours.

Emma Booker

The lupinor prince was waiting for us right outside our door. Despite being of a completely different species, the frustrated features of a canine were definitely not lost on me, as those bared fangs and scrunched up nose did little to hide his current state of mind. Though, from the looks of things, I could tell this frustration certainly wasn’t instigated by us as his features lightened up just a bit as we finally exchanged words.

“‘Morning Thalmin.” I chirped out.

“A bright morning to you, Emma.” Thalmin managed out with a forced smile, before shifting gears to a tentative sigh. “Though I wish I could say that with wholeheartedness.”

“What’s wrong?”

“This.” Thalmin moved towards his dorm’s entrance, gripping the handle tight, before pushing it inwards with a forceful thud-

ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 140% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS

-only to have it slam in his face just seconds after.

This was accompanied by a slight but noticeable series of hisses from what I could only assume was the only other blue inhabitant of the room.

“This is what’s wrong.” Thalmin continued with a resonant growl. “The blue thing refuses to leave his room. And what’s more, he refuses to even acknowledge the simple question of why.”

Thacea’s eyes narrowed, zeroing in on Thalmin’s. “Has he shown any signs of other peculiar behaviors?”

“Not necessarily, just the usual, with the addition of this unexpected development.”

“I see. This may become more of an issue in tomorrow’s house choosing ceremony.” Thacea spoke with a high-pitched series of chirps. Each one more exasperated than the next. “Regardless, that is a matter for the following day. If Lord Rularia insists on being unruly, then we must move forward without-” Thacea paused mid-sentence, or rather, her voice had completely trailed off as both her, and Thalmin’s eyes were now completely trained on me.

Walking past the pair, I positioned myself right in front of the door, before forcing it open with yet another loud SLAM.

ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 140% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS

This was, expectedly, followed up by the door being forcibly closed by the Vunerian’s magic, to which I had a simple counter…

A simple foot in the door.

Warning: Minimum pain threshold on [RIGHT FOOT] has been exceeded, auto-disconnect of haptic feedback engaged.

This forced the millenia-old wood to buckle and creak concerningly as the rest of the door above my foot began to bow and bend, yet was unable to overcome the space-age composalites comprising my boot.

A series of sharp, threatening hisses soon followed, flooding the living room as the both Thacea and Thalmin began peering awkwardly in from behind me, their heads popping up on one of my rear-view live-feeds.

“Ilunor.” I managed out through a frustrated sigh. “Come on out, buddy. Do you need to talk, or-”

“THIS IS MY PRIVATE DOMICILE AND I WILL NOT BE HARASSED!”

“Come on, you can tell us if there’s something wrong. Thalmin here is worried-”

“I WILL SAY NOTHING MORE! IN THIS ROOM I SHALL RESIDE, AND IN THIS ROOM I SHALL REMAIN!”

“Right…” I responded with a half-hearted sigh. “Okay buddy, we’ll be back sometime later today okay? Just call room service if you need snacks or something. I’m going to pull my foot away from the door now, alright?”

With little acknowledgement aside from a sudden reduction in mana, I slowly pulled my foot away from the wedged door.

ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 140% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS

Before being met by a resounding SLAM that I couldn’t help but to feel incredible guilt for on behalf of my neighbors.

“Right then.” I spoke with yet again another sigh, turning towards Thacea and Thalmin who had since regained their respective composures. “It’s library time.”

=====

The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts, En Route to The Library. Local Time: 11:20 Hours.

Emma Booker

There was something to be said about the EVI as it managed to once more hold its own despite everything it’s been through. The routes to previously visited locales were now coming in handy as we’d managed to shave down our transit time by a good ten minutes this time around.

Once again, the trip to the library saw us exiting the main structure of the castle, through two unassuming double doors, and towards a large open promenade with little to nothing in the way of exterior decor compared to the many open-air outcroppings along the Academy proper.

The howling winds hit all three of us first, followed by the loud roaring of the waterfall behind us logging in at the same deafening 91 decibels.

The stark white tower soaring hundreds of stories overhead lay in front of us.

The spindly single-lane bridge connecting it to the Academy stood in the same place as it always had.

But unlike before, the bridge wasn’t empty.

In fact, it was packed.

At least forty or so gargoyles occupied the single-lane bridge, remaining so still that anyone seeing the structure for the first time could’ve easily mistaken them for part of some centuries-old blockade. Strangely though, the blockade seemed to occupy just the first half of the bridge, with the latter half being completely empty and devoid of any obstructions.

What I could only describe as a guard post had been assembled at the entrance to the bridge, assembled out of cobblestone and timber, with an imposing roof that was… as expected, host to four perching gargoyles.

Yet the whole place wasn’t entirely unmanned, as a small gaggle of 4 students were gathered around the guard post, and I knew they were students from their uniforms. Uniforms that were just that bit more decorated than the relatively plain one Thacea was currently wearing.

“You lot, halt!” A voice echoed from the guard post, as a taller, older elf emerged, quickly fastening a cloak to his uniform.

The man was an apprentice.

Once again, evidenced by the uniform that resembled Larial’s.

ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 340% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS

A brief mana radiation warning was all that was needed for him to bridge the gap between the guard house and the door we’d just entered through, as the taller elf squared off against the three of us with a purposeful whoosh of his cape. “What are you miscreants doing about here then?”

“I mean…” I managed out slowly, much to Thacea’s dismay as it was clear she had wanted to take charge of the talks. “I think that much is obvious.” I gestured to the library in the far distance. “We’re headed to the library, sir. And honestly, I haven’t heard of a learning institution of all places preemptively calling a bunch of library-goers and knowledge-seekers miscreants.” I shot back with a series of polite, yet snappy responses.

“Oh, ohoho. Is that how it is then?” The man responded with a cocky smirk. “Just a jolly old perusal of this here compendium of all the knowledge of the realms that ever has been and that will be?”

“I mean… yes?” I turned around purposefully, meeting both Thalmin and Thacea’s expectant gazes. “What else are we going to do at the library?”

“Hmmph, what else are we going to do at the library, they say.” The man scoffed back, before making a point to unfurl a ridiculously long scroll, and clearing his throat. “By the order of His Academic Excellency, the Dean, and the powers bestowed upon him by the authority of the Nexus’-”

ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 340% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS

The elf was interpreted by the arrival of a similarly dressed apprentice, who arrived simply to whisper into his ear, before disappearing almost just a quickly.

ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 340% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS

“Ah, very well then. Consider yourselves fortunate, you miscreants. For it shall not be I, but the Dean himself that shall be addressing this matter, and the matter which has become the talk of the town.”

“And what do you mean-”

“Shush, shush shush shush.” The man interrupted, reaching his index finger forward towards my vocoder which I immediately pulled away from. “An emergency assembly has been called, miscreants. Attendance is compulsory. Proceed to the Grand Assembly Hall, and be out of my hair. I have more important matters to attend to.” He shooed us off, before promptly disappearing back into the guard house.

ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 340% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS

Whilst that interaction was… questionable at best, I couldn’t help but to feel just a bit nervous about the sudden and unexpected turn of events, as the three of us quickly headed back inside, followed by the deployment of a privacy screen courtesy of Thacea.

ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 275% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS

“Well, Emma. It would seem as if there might be some merit to your theory of a potential shift in Academy scheduling after all.” Thalmin began with a nervous smile.

“So what now?” I asked, turning to face the pair.

“We comply.” Thacea replied bluntly. “We attend the assembly. There is no other choice in the matter, Emma.”

=====

The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts, En Route to The Grand Assembly Hall. Local Time: 11:45 Hours.

Emma Booker

There was no question about it. There would’ve been no way we could’ve made it to the Grand Assembly Hall in time if it wasn’t for the horde of students that had inadvertently led the way there like a herd of sheep making their way to the slaughter.

Okay maybe that’s not the best metaphor to use here but I digress…

It was very much clear the announcement had reached the eyes and ears of everyone around the same time we were informed. Which means the library itself was blockaded before this whole announcement was made.

Which made things even more confusing, but at the same time, made me all the more curious as to what could be going on. Or more accurately, what the faculty could be cooking up.

Upon arriving at the Grand Assembly Hall however, we were once again met with a whole row of apprentices, each of them seemingly writing down names and checking faces prior to entry.

We were shuffled into a queue like the rest of the students, quite a few of them giving me questioning glances, but most of them simply going about their way; clearly more focused on the assembly itself rather than my armored form.

As we finally got to the front of the queue, we were once again met face to face with a familiar face.

Or, more accurately, with a familiar lack of a face. As the hooded and cloaked shadow-faced apprentice from the Medical Wing that Thacea was now more than acquainted with stood guard. His two glowing orbs shifted to a more polite, amiable, and honestly friendly half-lidded semi-circle ones that more resembled emojis than an actual face. “Greetings Princess Thacea Dilani!” The man spoke with a courteous, polite bow. Actually taking the time to hold up the queue as he went all in on the Expectant Decorum game. “I see fate has once more granted us the privilege of meeting. Now, what can I do for you today?”

Thacea responded with a bow of her own, taking a good ten seconds to complete before meeting the man’s ‘gaze’ as best she could; the polite, ‘customer service’ smile taking over her visage like a well rehearsed role she was born for. “And a greetings to you as well Senior Apprentice, Appointed-Deputy Magistrate, Sir Ostoy. We are here for the compulsory assembly, at the behest of the Dean.”

“Oh please, Senior Apprentice Sir Arlan Ostoy will be sufficient.” The man shot back with a polite chuckle. “And ah, yes, of course! What else could you be here for.”

The vapid, directionless conversations threatened to reer back its ugly head if not for a tap on the shoulder from one of the other apprentices lining the doors to the Grand Assembly Hall.

“Ah, yes, well, it seems like everything is in order here-...” The man trailed off, his eyes darting between Thacea, Thalmin, and myself, before pointing at an empty space right next to us. “I must apologize for the inconvenience here, Princess Dilani. However my roster informs me that your peer group consists of a total of 4 persons. Is that correct?”

“That is correct, Senior Apprentice Sir Arlan Ostoy.”

“With that being the case… where is your fourth peer?”

“He is currently in our residence, Senior Apprentice Sir Arlan Ostoy.”

This back and forth ended with a shift in the apprentice’s ‘face’, as his two glowing eyes narrowed to an impossibly thin line, before shifting to one of wary concern. “His presence will be required, Princess Dilani. Without it, you may find there will be consequences for the entirety of your peer group.” He spoke in an uncharacteristically straightforward manner, cutting right to the chase as all three of us looked at each other with a renewed sense of concern. “However, considering I have previously had the distinct pleasure of being acquainted with your peer group’s star student-” He gave Thacea a polite, respectful nod. “-I will allow two of you to enter. The third must take full responsibility in the retrieval of your fourth peer. Now…” The man paused, grabbing what seemed to be a time piece of his own, before pocketing it. “You have just under an hour to accomplish this. Considering it takes fifteen minutes to return to your dorms and back again, I suggest you take flight immediately.” He nodded once, giving Thacea a brief ‘wink’ at that pitiful attempt at a pun.

“Alright, I’ll-”

“No, I volunteer.” Thalmin interjected with a resounding bark.

“Thalmin, it’s fine, I can run pretty quickly-”

“After everything? No. I will not allow myself to fall into further dishonor by having all of the burdens of this peer group falling upon your shoulders, Emma.” Thalmin spoke earnestly, and with a resounding sense of finality.

“Alright.” I sighed. “Alright then. I wish you the best of luck, Thalmin.” I concluded, before giving the wolf one more appreciative nod before he sped off, disappearing into the crowd of students.

With Thalmin gone, the hooded apprentice quickly ushered us inside, as Thacea promptly led me up higher and higher into the plush, opera theater-like seats that each felt like VIP seating fit for a King.

It certainly wasn’t just your rank and file bleachers or your crammed-together stadium seats, that’s for certain.

“Here, this is our peer group’s assigned seating, Emma.” Thacea pointed out at a small enclosed row of seats, with no clearly defined signage or anything to indicate it was ours at all.

“Wait, this? How can you tell?”

“Ah, it’s… it’s this, Emma.” Thacea quickly waved over the side of the enclosed canopy, revealing the letters corresponding to our dorm room.

“It’s a mana thing isn’t it? I can’t see it because I can’t sense the mana-streams or whatever?”

“Correct, Emma.” Thacea nodded once in reply.

“Right.” I spoke with a mix of frustration but also nervousness as my eyes kept track of the time, and the countdown timer the EVI had once again conveniently placed at the top right hand corner of my HUD.

=====

Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Living Room. Local Time: 12:10 Hours.

Thalmin

I arrived back at the dorms with a huff and a puff, though it wasn’t so much the sprint that drained me, it was moreso the frustration at navigating through this labyrinth of a castle even with the manastreams attempting to guide the way forward.

Slamming the door open without a moment’s hesitation, I marched my way over to my room, and the source of all of my current grievances.

I let out a breath, steadying myself, before bracing my right shoulder as I rammed my way in through the door; making sure not to give the Vunerian a single chance to properly fortify himself within.

I let out a grunt of effort as I felt the wind being knocked out from me at that stunt, but strangely, I felt no resistance as the door simply flung open.

In fact, I almost tumbled my way in given the fact I’d preemptively readied myself for some actual resistance.

“Ilunor!” I shouted, only to find that the room was… empty. I looked around, glancing at every possible corner before slamming the door behind me shut, making sure the little thing didn’t skitter from behind me.

But as quickly as I did so, and upon trying my best to sense any other presence from within the mana-streams…

I was met with a resounding nothing.

The lizard was gone, and my heart skipped an entire beat as that realization and its ramifications dawned on me.