"There's a chit here—probably by Avi. He knew we'd check the telescope once," Sam said.
"Yes, I know he wouldn't leave everything like that. He definitely left a message behind. But why didn't he tell you about this?"
"That's because he trusted us. And maybe the message he left wasn't supposed to be read back then."
"You're right, Sam. Let's open it."
Sam took out the chit from the telescope and read what was written:
> *"Sam, Abba, I apologize for leaving like that. It was hard for me to go in front of you all—I really couldn't do it. I had to choose between my dream and my family. It was a tough decision, but I chose my dream. That doesn't mean I will forget you, or that you will forget me. Even if we are far apart, we will always stay connected. Our bond is that strong.
Every human being has their destiny written somewhere. My destiny is this. I feel proud that I was born into a good family, with good friends and teachers who helped me reach this point. If everything goes well, I will be the first person to visit Jery. I know it sounds impossible, considering Jery's environment and the resources available to me—but you never know until you try.
I know Amma will feel sad that I didn't meet her before leaving. I am sorry for that. She would never have allowed me to go—it would have been too hard for her, and for me. She should be happy that she taught me bravery and good values, which are helping me keep going. Sam and Abba will always be with her. And me too, even if I am far.
Amma wanted to see my marriage. Maybe it wasn't written for me, but Sam, at least you can do that. Maybe it will distract her mind from me. I believe you both will help her understand my feelings.
I will keep sending letters whenever I get the chance. Take care—I am always with you."*
There was silence for a while.
Sam finally said, "If it makes Mother happy… I will do it."
"I think this will be the best decision for now, Sam," his father replied.
They explained Avi's feelings to his mother. Then they began searching for a life partner for Sam.
Several months later, he was married. His parents felt relief and happiness—they were able to witness it, and they gave blessings to him and his wife. Time began to heal their wounds. Slowly, the family started to live with a new perspective.
---
June 26, 1907.
Avi had completed his spaceship after five years. He saved all his money for this project, and gathered some of the brightest minds in the world. One of his team members introduced him to technology that was unknown to anyone else. Avi kept the project secret from the outside world. At that time, people weren't even aware such things could exist. Just four years earlier, humanity had only discovered that they could fly high in the sky. That discovery gave Avi the motivation to fly beyond the skies.
The spaceship was steampunk in design—small, cube-shaped, strange and beautiful. Oddly, Avi hadn't searched for his team members; they had found him. He struck a deal with them: if they helped him build the spaceship, he would pay them in Zureryo's currency.
Avi faced failure many times. Developing and using the resources was difficult. But he kept trying—days and nights spent researching. Thanks to his previous knowledge, and the futuristic knowledge he gained from his team members, Avi completed the project. It was beyond anyone's imagination, almost unbelievable. Even his team members were shocked, because his understanding went further than what they had taught him. Avi had done it—efficiently and effectively.
On the night of June 26, they decided to take off. With their combined efforts, the spacecraft was ready. Within seconds of ignition, it left Zureryo's atmosphere. Avi felt the cold environment, excitement mixed with anxiety. He could feel the pressure, the air resistance. The spacecraft passed the ozone layer. The sky turned dark blue, the air grew thin, then it reached the mesosphere. The freezing cold made the ship shudder. Avi recalled his training.
The next layer had no air, but the temperature spiked to two thousand degrees Celsius. The atmosphere was fading.
Suddenly, Avi realized—he had reached space.