Page 213 of Cerulean Truth
His gaze, assessing and unwavering, locked onto mine. The widening of his eyes and the tightening of his lips betrayed the realization, slowly etching on his face.
"No," he whispered, his shock and pain laid bare, but it was a futile protest and remorse for his sorrow imbued my senses.
"I love you," I mouthed back slowly and deliberately, holding our gaze in an unbroken connection. Every syllable carried the weight of a lifetime's worth of emotions and regret. It wasn't solely an expression of love; it was a hopeful endeavor to ardently explain my choice. Through those words, I tried to convey the testimony of my feelings for him—feelings that defiantly transcended the boundaries of mortality.
Like the detonation of a cosmic force, a scream erupted from within me, its reverberations shaking the very foundations of my being. A dark red haze forcefully exited my body, accompanied by the thunderous collapse of walls, the splintering of floors, and the violent expulsion of people.
And then, with a final act of acceptance, I closed my eyes.
SIXTY
EPILOGUE: JAMES
I fought with everything I had to keep them away from Emma, but their overwhelming numbers were closing in. My gaze flicked toward her, ensuring she remained unharmed, only to notice the dark red haze enveloping her once again.
The room pulsed with hostility, and the pungent scent of translation filled the air. My heart pounded in my chest as the realization hit me. They had turned on the Amplifier.
"No," I whispered in anguish. She couldn't fend off this many magi with translation without harming herself. She wasn't prepared to channel that much energy, let alone with the Amplifier in motion.
"No!" I shouted, hoping to break through to her, but it seemed futile.
The red haze darkened even more, and before I could reach her to intervene, it erupted. The haze, the room, the Radicals—everything exploded.
The ceiling collapsed, dropping people from all floors above, the walls reverberated with a deafening crash, floors splintered into fragments, and people were violently hurled in every direction. Ducking down briefly to evade projectile rocks, I stoodback up, agitatedly scanning my surroundings, desperate to locate Emma.
But she was nowhere in sight.
In that instant, understanding what she had done, I knew there was no way she could have projected that amount of energy without succumbing to it herself. There was no way she could’ve survived...
"NO!" I roared, complete desperation clawing at my throat as I struggled to breathe. The air was thick with the stench of burning debris and blood, making each breath sear my lungs and stick to the back of my throat like ash. Around me, total chaos erupted—screams and cries for help filling the acrid atmosphere.
I yanked the lodged knife from my tibia in one swift motion, a sharp metallic tang flooding my mouth as the pain shot up my leg. Ignoring the nausea twisting in my gut, I started to run, pushing my battered legs to their limits.
Surrounded by shards of glass and collapsed walls, the sight unfolding before me bore a gut-wrenching resemblance to the gruesome aftermath of a brutal explosion. The smell of smoke and charred wood assaulted my senses while I took in the devastation. The Spring Palace was in ruins, its former glory obliterated, reduced to a smoldering mound of destruction.
Standing in the midst of all that wreckage, like a spectator to my own personal hell, I saw everyone I knew and cared for in distress. Everyone that is, excepther. I couldn’t see shit through the choking cloud, much less a small, possibly unconscious woman. But I had to fucking find her.
As I made my way through the casualties, I ignored their pleas, and pressed on through the chaos. There was but one thought, tirelessly circling in my mind like a relentless drum.Her. I had to findher.On some level, I knew it was wrong; so many needed my help, but nothing else mattered. Myfocus remained solely on her. On reachingher. On savingher. Everything would be fine if I could just get to her. But where the hell was she?
A wave of terror crept into the corners of my mind, its icy grip twisting my gut. What if I was too late? What if she was beyond saving? The very thought of her being...
You’re fine. You have to be fine. I swear to the gods, if you don’t show up right now, I’m gonna?—
The foggy cloud still surrounding us wasn’t letting up one bit. It clung to my skin and clothes, a suffocating blanket of ash and fear. Feeling like I was wading through a blizzard without the wind or cold, I tried to see what I could. The biting mist burned my eyes, but I kept them open, fighting through the pain, fearing the excruciating loss of her more…
I started shouting her name, but every time I opened my mouth the fog prevented me from breathing. Or was it the thought of her being hurt that was sucking all the oxygen out of my lungs… Why wasn’t she answering me? Why didn’t she call out for me?
After what seemed an eternity, the air began to clear. I could still barely see in front of me, but at least I could breathe again. Suddenly, something caught my eye and I turned my head. There! In the corner!
Ignoring the weakness in my legs, I sprinted toward it at impossible speed. But as I reached what I’d seen, I froze, my mind struggling to process the sight before me. Ice-cold shivers ran down my spine, paralyzing me. My legs went numb, a creeping sensation that crawled upward inch by inch. When I finally grasped what lay in front of me—her cold, unmoving body on the floor—a primal fear gripped me, raw and overwhelming, unlike anything I'd ever felt before.
She wasn’t moving. I was barely breathing. My already weakened legs gave out, and I fell to my knees in agony, hoveringover her, pleading in whispering sounds for her to be alive. Her eyes were closed, and she didn’t make a sound. With trembling hands, I reached for her pale face, drawing in a shuttering breath when she still felt warm. Leaning in against her chest, I could discern the faint drumming of her heart and an immense feeling of relief surged through me.
But the relief was short-lived, as I realized she was still unconscious. I had to get her out of here—now.
Gathering all the strength I had left, I scooped her into my arms, carried her away from the horrifying scene, and looked down at her as she dangled lifelessly in my arms.
THE END
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