Four hundred and twenty-five years after Luna's birth, Horizon reached her twenty-fifth birthday and the moment she'd been preparing for her entire life. The choice to become a cosmic bridge, to leave her reality permanently, to exist between cosmos rather than within one.
Meridian, now one hundred and thirty-three and feeling every year of her age, organized a gathering to mark the occasion. Bridge children from across the continent came to witness Horizon's departure, to celebrate her achievement and mourn her leaving simultaneously.
"I'm not dying," Horizon reminded everyone gently. "I'm just existing differently. I'll visit when I can. The paths between cosmos go both directions."
"But visiting isn't the same as living here," her mother said, tears streaming. "You're our daughter. H
