[Verse 1] Castor landed and started counting
People: four Known location: unknown SOLARA: not here The rest: not here
He looked at the level marker He looked at the ground He looked at Hero and Hunter Who were arguing about something That had nothing to do with where they were
The Swan was dancing
[Pre-Chorus] He started piecing it together The temperature of the air The color of the dark The residue on the ground Not hollow residue Something older Something that had burned here A very long time ago And left the kind of heat That never fully leaves
[Chorus] Level thirty-four Where the sky fell down Level thirty-four Where the chariot hit the ground Phaethon came through here And this place remembered Level thirty-four The weight of thirty-four Don’t let it pull you under
[Verse 2] Hero said: I think we’re above Level 30 Hunter said: we are clearly below Level 40 Hero said: my instincts say 36 Hunter said: your instincts said that thing about the wall
Castor said: thirty-four
Both of them stopped Both of them looked at him Castor said: we are at Level thirty-four Neither of them spoke
And then the Swan Stopped dancing
[Pre-Chorus 2] He did not stumble He did not trip He simply stopped
Mid-step Mid-turn Both feet on the ground Completely still
Castor said: what do you hear The Swan said nothing His head was slightly tilted The way someone listens When something is coming from very far away Or from a very long time ago
[Bridge] There is a song at Level thirty-four
Not a song anyone composed Not a song anyone performs The kind of song a place holds When something tremendous happened there And the air never forgot
The Swan heard it
The story of a boy who wanted to hold the reins Who burned too bright Who fell too far Who left a shape in the sky That the Swan had carried ever since
He stood there In the level where Phaethon fell And listened to a song That had been waiting For the right ears to arrive
[Verse 3] Castor felt the pressure first Hunter said: something feels wrong Hero said: something has felt wrong since approximately Level twenty-nine Hunter said: I mean specifically wrong Hero said: yes I also mean specifically
Castor said: we need to move He said: Swan
The Swan turned He said: I know where we are He said: I have always known what this level was He said: I did not think I would ever stand in it
He took one step And the dancing did not come back Not yet
[Final Chorus] Level thirty-four Where the sky fell down Level thirty-four Where the chariot hit the ground We feel it pulling, we feel it pressing Something remembers what burned here Level thirty-four We are not supposed to be here But we are here And we are moving Together
[Outro] Hero said: so this is why you’re not dancing The Swan said: yes Hero said: should I be more worried than I am The Swan said: probably Hunter said: on a scale of Scorpius to Draco The Swan said: this is different He said: this is older He said: let’s go
He did not dance But he walked at the front
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