For the remainder of the week, Elara continually went to work. Every morning, she'd take her daily stroll basking in the morning daylight, bundled in layers as the colder weather seeped into the atmosphere. Matthew would soar in the breeze overhead, his ebony feathers shimmering in the sun's rays and offering another layer of active security.
Morpheus explained that he began the hunt for Jason the moment he returned Elara to the Waking World – which acted as both a nervous and arousing thought. Jason was obviously a threat, but of the two, Morpheus was clearly the more sinister force.
And, she did love the idea of Morpheus on the prowl – it was lethally attractive and knowingly addictive.
Elara had to consistently remind herself that while the Dream Lord's protectiveness was oh-so-sexy, he was potentially putting himself in harm's way to find him. Dream insisted to Elara that whatever or whoever Jason was, he would handle it and refocus on her job (again, normalcy was Morpheus' new favorite theme).
So, Elara suppressed her fear and leaned into trust.
Upon arrival at Breckett on Tuesday, Elara tugged Lucy to the side and explained that Jason Lancaster was not an actual person. Lucy's response was purely about if she should arm herself with weapons, just in case she ran into him. Elara then asked her which weapons, where she got said weapons, and if those weapons were, in fact, on her physical body. Lucy only smirked darkly, and Elara didn't prod anymore. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer but was confident that the tiny woman was absolutely armed and dangerous.
Nonetheless, Jason was no longer in the office, and Elara felt at ease in her routine.
At Jason's hasty exit, her company was stupefied, and several people oddly mourned his departure(mainly the women). They claimed they'd never work with such a diverse, eclectic person again, to which Elara grumpily rolled her eyes and glowered.
Her standard workload didn't cease for an instant, and the entire office was buzzing for their Thursday meeting before their Friday Bank Holiday – one where they'd discuss all the books they were pushing on the Sleeping Sickness, distribution goals, and printing requirements needed in their warehouse. It was stressful, but nothing out of the ordinary, and Elara had to drive her team complete tasks for their portion of the review.
The best part of her day was when her work hours came to a close.
Elara's entire being fluttered when she saw Morpheus waiting outside her building – escorting her home became a recurring event. The King of Dreams wore his characteristic raven-toned wool coat, his inky hair spiked. For a beat, she would stop and stare at him from a few feet away, memorizing him like a photograph.
Each time, his eyes would intensely scan her – a quick pulse check to ensure she was physically unharmed in any way. She waited for that easy smile to pull at his marble face when his assessment was finished, and Elara thought he always looked like a shining star in the night sky.
If Morpheus was stretched thin, he didn't show it. Elara understood that outside of their walk home together, he worked tirelessly without rest(not that he needed to sleep, but relaxing the mind was always necessary). Even with his never-ending to-do list, he still always showed up to walk her home from work.
He never missed a single day.
"Hi," Elara greeted, heat instantly pooling in her belly.
The corner of Morpehus' mouth twisted, towing his cheek upwards and eyes narrowing in vivid pleasure. Elara imprinted the shifting image in her mind, branding it into her and willing herself never to forget the simple moments.
She cherished every heartbeat, and every breath, all the way down to the tiny expressions Morpheus let slip.
He held out his elbow. She took it.
Their arms were intertwined as they initiated their path home.
Elara appreciated these little winks of life with him as if they were two ordinary people strolling under the evening sky. Black gas lamps were illuminated with a flickering flame, adding a golden glow to the scenery, as darkness encroached earlier as the season shifted colder.
On this day, Morpheus diverged from their regular pattern.
"Would you like to visit Sam?" Morpheus curiously asked, to which Elara eagerly nodded her head.
After the two got twin strawberry custard ice creams on the house, Elara laughed openly. "Do you always get free things?"
She took a bite of her ice cream, treasuring the sweet flavor melting against her tongue and sweeping across her taste buds. Morpheus glanced at her with a subtle quirk of his brow, amusement dancing in his eyes. "It is not like I am compelling them to do so."
"You're just so well-liked," Elara taunted. "The Friendly Neighborhood Endless."
Morpheus had a challenging time holding back his grin. "You forget your place, Elara."
"Next thing you know, you'll be given keys to Buckingham Palace."
When Morpheus' lips twitched – the tiniest, most minuscule movement that spoke volumes – Elara's mouth dropped wide. "You have keys to Buckingham Palace?"
The King of Dreams ate a spoonful of ice cream, simply refusing to respond to Elara's bafflement.
"But you don't even need a key! You barely even know how to use a door," the brunette effortlessly laughed, shaking her wild brown curls. "You're incorrigible sometimes."
"I do try my best." Morpheus conceitedly answered, enjoying another bite.
These moments were valued beyond comprehension with the impending conflict with the Below. Elara wished she could stop time to relish in their uncomplicated instants of beauty. She focused on the man she loved, snuggling to his side under the transitioning sky.
As the days passed, their serenity was slowly infringed upon by itching apprehension.
Elara would be lying if she said she wasn't worried. Morpheus kept her decently informed with his discussions with Lucienne, and, despite his overwhelming confidence around the confrontation's outcome, it wasn't entirely foolproof. Morpheus was incredible at concealing the truth of how he felt behind a hardened face, but she knew he felt the same tickling fear.
It twisted into how they made love – the desperation always surfaced.
Per their little routine of transient normalcy, Morpheus would walk Elara up to her apartment and into her private space. Within a few breaths, he'd slam her back against the closest wall, pressing his body entirely into hers as if the distance between them was poisonous. His mouth ravished her lips, biting, tugging, melting into her as if the incessant need was wildly uncontrollable.
They'd kiss bruisingly anywhere they could and fervently run their hands through each other's hair. Clothing was tossed, bodies were hastily joined, and they devoured each other as if starving.
With the impending battle looming over the two, it seemed time was escaping them.
They couldn't hold on tight enough.
Every time they joined, their passion became more frantic and needier. It was as if nothing would satisfy them as they gasped against each other's mouths, intertwining their bodies in endless exploding pleasure, understanding that each time together like this was sacred.
Their heartbeats would align with their overflowing, anguished passion.
A fear that lingered.
Time that was never theirs.
Moments they'd never get back.
When their breathing gradually relaxed and their bodies tangled in her bed, they would whisper their devotion to one another in the dark.
You are mine, forever.
I love you.
I will never let you go.
I love you.
It will always end with you.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
It was as if they couldn't say the words enough. Other times, they couldn't utter a single thing to each other.
Sometimes, Elara would tear up without control in the darkness of her apartment, and Morpheus would squeeze her tighter to his naked chest, hoping to soothe her with strokes of his fingers twisting through her chocolate hair.
With their hearts fused together, it was impossible not to drown in the darkness.
What if he is too strong?
What if this is the end?
What if this is our last?
What if we don't make it?
Morpheus would kiss the wetness away that slipped from her eyes. Even when she cried silent rivers, he would rock her in his embrace and guide her to sleep with gentle kisses of glittering sand.
Elara arrived at the front door of Vinya Wine Bar on Thursday night, bundling her coat closer to her body now that the sun had set and its everlasting warmth had departed from the sky. Her gaze fell upon the building's entry sign, and trepidation rocked her body from side to side.
She couldn't go in just yet, despite being told over and over that her abilities should not restrict her from living her life if done safely. Morpheus deemed Diana a very calming, reliable friend. Lucy was… not marked the same, but he said he'd trust her in battle, which was enough approval from the Endless.
"Things will be fine, Elara," Matthew cooed from the sidewalk, fluttering his wings.
Her brown eyes slid down to the floor, focusing on the tiny black bird cocking its head at her.
She sighed. "I know."
"You know you can enjoy yourself - Master said so. One glass of wine, friends, and maybe a pizza will only be good for you. Oh, I could get a pizza. Last pizza I had was from the garbage, and let me tell you–"
Elara huffed a smile, interrupting, "I'll steal some of those table nuts for you if you don't describe your experience eating pizza from the trash."
Matthew excitedly expanded his wings. "I knew I liked you."
"Food is the way to anyone's heart," Elara chimed, flickering her gaze to the front door.
"My heart specifically. You can really get to my heart with chips. See if you can steal some of that too. If they have truffle, that's preferred."
Elara's teeth flashed with a shake of her head. "I would've brought a cooler instead of a handbag if I knew how many meal demands you'd have."
"I just get a little hungry with all this inter-realm flying!"
The breeze whistled through the street, rustling her brown locks and forcing her to bundle inwards to conserve her heat.
Matthew popped on his tiny legs closer, his large coal eyes were wide and hopeful. His voice was hushed, "You know, we'd do anything for you, right?"
Her body stalled at the sudden declaration, and she returned her gaze back down to the blackbird. Her knees bent as she knelt on the ground, her coat concealing her legs entirely. She outstretched a hand to run it along the top of Matthew's feathered head, feeling the softness. Matthew's neck extended, nuzzling back into the pads of her fingertips.
"And I, you. You are a good friend."
Matthew perked upwards, and Elara's chest warmed. She wanted him to know that he meant something to her, and Elara's lips split wide in a genuine smile. "I'll leave with a flight of chips. You'll be so full that I'll carry you back to The Dreaming when the night is done."
"You truly make dreams come true, Elara."
Slowly, she picked herself up from the ground and stepped towards the front door. She glanced behind herself, saying, "I won't be too long," and moved inside.
Vinya Winebar was a gorgeous, sexy restaurant in the heart of London. The floors were light hardwood that stretched throughout the restaurant. The walls were composed of glass cases full of every wine imaginable, and along the ceiling were leafy branches that fell down from the sky. Intertwined were fairy lights, adding mysticism and beauty to the space. It was like a wine bar popped up in the landscape of a fairytale and then thrown into the center of London.
Elara heard a screech stem from her righthand side as she navigated through the rows of tables and chairs. A pile of trademark blonde hair bounded into her for a tight hug, nearly knocking Elara to the floor.
"Hi, Lucy," Elara laughed, clasping her short friend back to steady herself.
"She isn't a tackle target, Lucy!" Diana's voice scolded from behind as Lucy released her hold. Elara brought Diana into their own hug as Lucy commented, "Elara dodged every bullet today in our meeting, so I wanted to test her invulnerability myself."
"Raming into someone and running an impossible meeting are wildly different tasks," Diana remarked, shaking her head of silky brown hair. She pulled away from Elara and smiled. "How are you doing? Lucy was beginning to tell me that it was a bloodbath at Breckett today."
"You have no idea," Elara dully replied as she worked at the sash that secured her coat. Once undone, she hung her coat on the wall hook by their table that already held Diana and Lucy's jackets.
The restaurant's background music set a light mood as the woman slid into their booth, scooting around until they all fit. Before them was a spread of chips, cheese, hummus, and fruit that was clearly ordered before Elara arrived. A bottle of red wine was also sitting in the center of the table, and 3 glasses were pre-poured.
Elara grabbed her glass of wine by the stem, sliding it closer to her on the table. "Honestly, after our ridiculous meeting, I need to inhale copious amounts of cheese. And anything more than a glass of wine, and I'll probably set Breckett on fire."
Diana leaned into the table. "Lucy was beginning to tell me, but all she got to was calling everyone assholes."
Lucy ripped off a piece of pita and dipped it into the hummus, shaking her head. "They were relentless."
Elara sighed in frustration, looking at Diana. "We had collaborated on everything prior to this meeting, but the sales team threw in these insane goals for distribution that were not approved. Edwards really loved what he saw, but the guy only sees the money."
Lucy added, "There is no way we will meet those goals based on product timelines– we confirmed it with the printing centers. It was just downright stupid of them to do this because their quarters haven't been consistent."
Lucy and Elara exchanged a glance of distaste, and Elara reached forward to grab a chip and munched.
"I can't believe they just hijacked the meeting," Diana spoke calmly.
"All the more reason to enjoy tonight," Lucy commented with a sly smirk. "We have a lot of stress to forget."
"I need to forget the idiots that we work with," Elara groaned, running her fingers through her hair. Her vision dropped to the ruby-red liquid before her before she took a tiny sip. The taste was that of a dryer red wine, but still had a smooth sweetness that coated her mouth before trailing down her throat.
"So, is Lucy right?"
Elara raised a curious eyebrow as she set down the glass, regarding Diana. "Can you please clarify what exactly Lucy is right about?"
Diana laughed. "She said you were absolutely, positively in love with Dream."
Elara couldn't help the rosiness that escaped into her cheeks. She swallowed, her eyebrows raising, as she admitted, "It's the wildest and most incredible thing."
The nurse crossed her arms, resting back in her seat. "You do know what this means."
"What?"
"It doesn't seem like Dream is the kind of person to let you go."
Elara pitched forward slightly, resting her elbows on the table before her and her hands set on the bottom rim of her glass. "I know."
Diana's hand reached forward to clasp Elara's forearm. Her hazel eyes were intense, focused. "Are you ready for this? You're practically committing your life to a God."
Elara pursed her lips, her reply coming easy, "It's a life where I know my worth. He values my thoughts, and I feel heard. I know it won't be conventional, but I've come to terms with that."
"Do you plan on living with him?" Diana prodded, her lids narrowing with curiosity.
The brunette ran her hand along her cheek, sweeping back a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She sighed deeply. "That I don't know. We haven't discussed that far ahead."
Lucy inclined her head towards Diana, "Dream boy is legit obsessed with her. I'd be shocked if didn't whisk her away to some mystical place. You should see how he looks at her when he picks her up from work."
"Would you?" Diana asked, concentrating on Elara and taking a sip of her wine. "If he asked you to stay with him."
Elara studied her rippling glass of wine, mulling over the ever-rapid changes to her future.
She couldn't really focus too far ahead into tomorrow. All she thought of was this impending battle, and the bubbling fear played in her belly. The fight, as well as her newfound status of The Great Power, were things that Elara did not want to share with her friends. Firstly, she didn't need them to worry about warfare that would not concern them(Lucy would likely disagree and take arms), and secondly, she didn't know if the dynamic of their friendship would change if they knew what she was.
But, removing the complexities to Diana's question, Elara knew the answer as easily as she could count her fingers. A bright smile rippled across Elara's face as she acknowledged, "I would absolutely go with him."
Diana instantly beamed as well, but something else flickered through her composure. "I know this is just me being careful, but… are you prepared for forever? You can't go to a courthouse and call it quits. He's inescapable."
"An ex you could never run away from," Lucy added, fleshing out Diana's point. "Unless he dies… if he can even do that."
Elara's lip quirked. She knew what commitment she was making from the moment she stepped afoot on the Moon. Discovering who she was with Morpheus while he held her hand and kissed away her tears of a life-long past was an irrevocable vow. Morpheus had promised her eons and eons and eons together.
While Elara likely didn't have an average lifespan – she was confident they'd be with each other for eternity… assuming the next few days panned out well.
Eventually, Elara said, "I know he really loves me, and I love him. I don't see a future where he isn't by my side. I don't even want to consider it."
Diana's mouth widened even more extensively as she took a sip, finally exclaiming, "BINGO - all the right answers. Girl, you are IN LOVE." Diana was clearly testing her with her sharp-shooting questions, and Elara exhaled a giggle.
Lucy joined in the laughter, pointedly staring at Diana. "Told you, our girl is HITCHED. You owe me £10."
"Never thought I'd see the day," Diana mused happily, slapping a bill across the table for Lucy to snatch. "As long as you don't forget about us, I fully support this."
Elara rustled her fully curled hair, the blush melting onto her cheek. The brunette had a heartfelt smile spread across her face. "How could I ever? I wouldn't be here without you two. You two have been my sanity, my village. I cannot thank either of you enough."
"We know."
Suddenly, a female server appeared before them with a too-wide grin. In her hands was a black tray carrying three shot glasses filled with a misty white liquid.
She sat them on the table and said, "These are on the house. It's a sweet plum wine that we are sampling tonight. Enjoy."
Elara's gaze locked with the server, and for just a blink, her heart palpitated painfully. The woman's gaze had an explicit lifelessness, despite her lips being broad like the Cheshire cat. As if her smile was wholly detached from her eyes in a way that wasn't genuine.
"Elara!" Diana snapped Elara's attention back to the table and noticed that Diana and Lucy's complimentary drink was raised in their hands.
Lucy told Elara, "You can thank us and our undying support of you and Brooding Dream Man with a toast."
The brunette lifted her small glass into the air. Her gaze flickered between her two friends as she spoke, "A night to remember."
"A night to remember," Lucy and Diana repeated in unison, bringing their glasses together. The glasses clicked on gentle impact before each woman took a complete swoop of their drink. The sweet wine lanced down her throat, prickling along her taste buds before descending into her stomach.
It tasted good, and she hummed in response.
But.
Something was off.
Instantly.
Her heart thumped heavily, uncharacteristically.
She blinked.
And blinked again.
And suddenly, a wave of nausea overtook her as she inhaled her next breath.
She shook her head to snap out of it, her forehead drooping into her palm.
It felt like she stood up too quickly, and the world was spinning out from beneath her.
Her brows furrowed at the drowsing sensation that immediately took over her senses like a weight was abruptly attached to her eyelids. Like sandbags were affixed to her shoulders. Like… she was being dragged downwards.
Darkness crept into the edges of her vision, the empty shot glass swimming before her.
With all her might, she strained to lift her chin to look at Diana and Lucy. But, before her eyes could find them, she saw the server standing at the foot of the table with that too-wide smile and eyes that gleamed with newfound hate.
When her eyes drooped shut again, everything went black.
When Elara's vision swam back into focus, she was utterly disoriented.
It felt like she was crawling out of a fog, her muscles straining against the weight that bore down on her from above. The shadows were tight, binding, and when Elara breathed back into her body, she thought she was in a nightmare.
The first thing she realized was that she was on unsteady ground. The floor was vibrating, pulsating with a termor that ricocheted up her legs. It was as if the foundation of where she stood was rocking, and Elara's knees wobbled to keep her upright.
The second thing she noticed was that her voice was gone. Well, not gone, but drowned out by absurdly loud, blaring music that suffocated everything. The noise was so loud that her palms came up to close over her ears in hopes of silencing the sounds.
Thirdly, and probably the most horrifying, was that there were people everywhere.
Elara was practically swimming in a sea of bodies, shoved left and right by elbows and shoulders of all sizes. Lights flashed above, arrays of red, blue, and green lights flickering continuously over the crowd in sweeping motions and patterns. The people around her paid no mind to her, only letting the movement pulse through their veins as they rocked back and forth.
After a few moments, she realized she was in… a nightclub?
How in the hell did she get here? One moment she was having a toast with Diana and Lucy at a small wine bar, and now she was… wholly displaced.
Were they drugged?
Elara steadied her footing on the ground, collecting her bearings before she realized that Diana and Lucy weren't by her side.
Her heart leaped in her chest, her pulse began to race at the immediate alarm. She needed to find them, but more so, she needed to get to Matthew. She needed help, but the wave of people around her stood immovable.
She pushed between bodies to break into the crowd, starting towards the bar. Perhaps she could find a better vantage point to locate Lucy and Diana there. As she moved through the mass, becoming as small as she could be to slip by the dancing bodies, the lighting above began to strobe.
White.
Black.
White.
Black.
The lights pulsated, and everyone around her moved in a detached way. It was like their motions were skipping a beat as the lights flashed, distorting everything.
White.
Black.
White.
Black.
It was beyond dizzying, and Elara found herself shaking her head to snap out of the haze it was inducing. The music seemed to boom louder than before, making Elara's heart sprint. Where were Lucy and Diana?
White.
Black.
White.
Black.
Elara pushed her way through the crowd, the music now deafening. She couldn't even hear her own thoughts.
White.
Black.
White.
Black.
And that is when Elara detected vomit curling in her throat.
White.
Black.
White.
Black.
Standing directly ahead of her in her line of sight was the waitress from the restaurant. A sickly, vicious smile was plastered to her lips, her eyes black as night. Elara's heart plummeted.
White.
Black.
White.
Black.
And she saw that sinister, wicked smile smacked on the waitress's face from ear to ear.
White.
Black.
White.
Black.
As the light strobed, the woman began to… transform. No one noticed how the server's skin tugged and pulled, as if something was crawling under the woman's skin and bubbling to break free. Elara's panic rose.
White.
Black.
White.
Black.
And then, without even a blink later, the waitress was gone.
White.
Black.
White.
Black.
In her place stood none other than Jason Lancaster.
White.
Black.
White.
Black.
He shifted closer by just a hair. He had his hands in his pocket, glaring directly at her. Her heart plunged faster.
Jason was complete with darkness. Menacing. Not purely because of how his face reformed from another person… but because there was blood. Blood stained the lower half of his face, the crimson color bleeding from his chin onto his shirt. It looked wet. Fresh.
White.
Black.
White.
Black.
Elara gasped in horror, her eyes widening as he glowered with a crust twist of his lips. Her entire body became paralyzed, and her mouth went dry. The music was too loud. Where were Diana and Lucy?
White.
Black.
White.
Black.
In the next flash of light, he was gone. Jason Lancaster disappeared before her, vanishing as the lights flickered into darkness for a split moment. Elara's entire body sprinted towards the bar, shoving people away as she thrashed.
White.
Black.
White.
Black.
Anxiety swirled like a tornado within her when she got to the counter, but her friends were nowhere to be found. The strobing ended, returning to its regular cadence of lights.
"This can't be real," Elara exhaled, dread marring her face.
Her vision frantically searched the crowd, darting from face to face as she inspected for anything that would show her where her friends were. She looked towards the edge of the massive room and noticed that the exit door was shutting – someone had just left.
Elara ran for it. She propelled her way through the crowd, but as she moved, she felt like she was getting pushed back by the wave of people. She charged on, shoving and clawing her way through the unmoving sea of bodies. Elara practically cried out as she finally broke through the crowd and plowed through the venue's back door.
It was raining profusely. The sky was openly gushing down as she dashed onto the club's back alley pavement.
She didn't have to look far to find Jason; he was waiting for her only a few paces away.
He was standing with a sick little smirk on his lips, blood dribbling down his chin and splattering all over his shirt. He seemed so casual as he monitored her with mismatched eyes.
"What the fuck, Jason?" Elara gasped, the rain pouring down and incrementally drenching her.
"Enjoying ladies' night?" He taunted, cocking his head in an alien-like way.
Elara's blood boiled as if her body was a pressure cooker. In her fingers, she sensed sparks prickling her. She concentrated on Jason as he let out an enormous, vicious bellow. "You really can't have ladies' night without your ladies. Sorry to ruin the fun."
"Where are they?" Elara seethed, her fists instantly clenching. Faint white streaks started to run through her hues. The wind whipped the rain faster around them, encircling them.
Jason licked his lips. "With my Master. He has some fun games he'd like to play with them. I was simply their escort."
Elara's breath rapidly rushed through her lungs as fear tumbled through her. She had a sickening feeling that she knew who his master was. Jason ran a finger along his bloody chin before he sucked on the appendage. "Diana tastes delicious, though."
"You piece of shit," Elara spat, taking a step closer. "Bring them back."
"No can do."
The only sounds were the rain's impact smacking the ground. Her hair was soaked, running in ringlets down her back. Her body was immensely shivering at the coldness dancing on her skin. Her anger surged through her, swirling with anxiety and fear.
This man had Lucy and Diana.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Merely a loyal servant to the Great King of the Below," Jason easily answered, giving his finger another long lick before his mismatched eyes flashed to Elara. "He is excited to meet you. I've only told him great things, Princess."
Elara's body shook as she vehemently swore, "I will get them back and I will end this."
Jason took a languid step closer, his visage threatening. "Words words words. Choose them wisely, and don't make promises you cannot keep. I can make one – you'll never see them again."
She demanded again, "Bring them back."
Jason waved her off like her threats had no worth. His voice danced through the rain as he mused aloud, "You know, Elara, I really loved working with you. You were by far my favorite human. I took a lot of my social cues from you." Jason's head tilted from side to side, examining her. "I just can't escape what I am. And I am thirsty."
It was then that Elara saw the most horrific sight she could ever witness.
Jason's pristine face started to liquefy off his very skull.
His sockets drooped, sliding lower and lower, revealing swells of muscle under his detaching eyeballs. His lips melted down, revealing his full gums and then the muscle of his chin. Every inch of skin dripped down his form until she saw was raw, red flesh mixed with strings of chorded muscle. His eyeballs dislodged from the skull, popping out and rolling onto the wet sidewalk.
Behind the hallowed blackness of his sockets, yellow and red orbs came through the darkness and flashed without any distinction. His face continually dissolved, the skin on his neck slopping down like a slow avalanche of putrid tissue, as he casually voiced, "I'll be seeing you soon. I'll give Lucy and Diana your regards if they are still alive."
Then, Jason's complete body dissolved into the ground, pooling in a pile of nothing as if he were smoke. His clothes dropped to the floor an instant after, now without a form to hold onto.
Elara jerked her head in disbelief. "No, no."
Jason just vanished.
Her vision became blurry, her heart thumping ferociously, and blood rushed into her ears. Pressure expanded from behind her sockets her legs trembled, her clothing soaked, and her air was sapped out of her lungs.
She couldn't breathe.
She couldn't breathe.
She couldn't breathe.
Elara forced herself to take a shaky inhale as the sinister actualization slammed into her with the force of a bullet train.
The Night King had Lucy and Diana.
Her knees gave out. She collapsed onto the ground, her hands barely steadying her fall. Her brows were raised, her jaw hanging, as agony remade her face. Her lips parted wide as an aphonic scream ripped through her throat, noiseless in the air but just as excruciating. Her hands came up to hug her, bright starlight streaking beneath her skin.
Heat pulsed through her veins, lashing like cerulean flames despite the chilled ran beading on her skin.
Elara's voice broke through in a raw cry, strangled and rasped. Her best friends were gone. Taken. It was her fault. She was the target, and that was Diana's blood on Jason's artificial face.
Why would they take her friends?
Why didn't he just take her?
Elara hollered out, doubling over as the water encased her with its droplets, streaming over her wet body. As she wailed, she didn't realize that the ground around her was trembling in proximity. Car alarms sounded, adding to the symphony of the storm. Thunder cracked above, and the faint echo of people screaming was in the distance, but Elara couldn't hear them.
She was burning up.
All she heard was her own voice in her head.
I lost them.
Lucy and Diana are gone.
The ones I love most were gone because of me.
Elara's forehead met the ground as she curled into herself on the floor. She let out one final, weakening yell before her cries became mute. She balled into herself, her body bowing onto the alleyway ground, thoroughly drenched, her limbs endlessly quaking and completely alone.
Despite how cold she knew she was, she was swallowed by a blazing fire.
I lost them.
I lost them.
He took them.
The Night King took them.
The fight had begun.
Next chapter will be live in 2-3 weeks. The final battle is here.