Beyond the Rift ✔ (Completed)

Chapter 41: Despair

I clutch the red crystal in my hands and focus my essences on it. At first, nothing happens. Then all of a sudden, the nerves in my body charge up. I grunt in pain when the hot sparks travel up my wrist like lightning forks. Each jolt robust than the earlier one.

My insides are on fire. It feels like hot lava dripping on my bones. The lightning forks continue travelling up my arms, onto my shoulders and crawl up to my eyes. It feels like my skull is being sliced with a red-hot knife. I howl in agony as the force is too much to withstand. So, just like a fire ball, I direct the energy at the forest before me.

Six feet before us, a red current suspends in the air, it hovers above the ground. I feel the power flowing through my body and into the red rip. Its dimensions enlarging accordingly.

One final cry and I slop on the ground. My body; weak and tender. I make an effort to rise. The cage must have opened but I didn't care. I walk feebly in the direction of Marty. Duma still has him by his shirt. His expressions are a mixture of regret and disappointment.

He smiles when he sees me approaching him. I reply the gesture. But, my smile dies away before I realize the next thing. Duma gouges her sharp prong into his back. 

I must have screamed, regardless, I never hear it. All I catch, is a weak yelp leaving Marty's lips. As Duma leaves his shirt, he sinks to the floor.

...

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, Stay with me. Okay?" I tell Marty as I look around.

The tridents and Nick are too invested in the red rift before them, I quickly grasp the chance and sling Marty's one arm on my shoulder and hopelessly drag him away from the scene. In the commotion, I fail to notice the sky which has turned a deep shade of navy. It is supposed to be day, but after I opened the rift it looks like someone pulled the plug. I strain under Marty's weight. His eyes are starting to droop, the surface of his skin turns icy.

"Marty, stay with me please." I plead in a whisper. My vision becomes blurry due to the tears again.

"Alex!" The voice alone fills warmth in me. I look up to find Ethan rushing towards the two of us. His eyes jam with horror at our sight. But, he doesn't slow down. Quickly, he gets by our side and throws Marty's other arm around his shoulder. He doesn't question us, regardless, we began moving faster.

"Are you alright?" Ethan asks me, all the while his eyes on the path ahead of us.

"Yeah." I try to hold back my tears.

"This won't work..." This time, Marty speaks, and when I say he speaks, the words fall like silent leaves onto a paved path.

"What?" "I can't walk .. anymore."

Ethan and I both pause at the same time.

"Then, let's carry him." I redirect Ethan; however, Marty shoves me away and descends to his knees. What the hell is he doing?

"Marty!" I cry in frustration. 

"You won't make it with me like this. I'm slowing y'all down." He breathes. "It's over for me. Y'all should run, they will come looking for you."

"Shut up!" I interject. My mind is blazing at his words. How is he even saying things like that? "You are coming with us. And, that's it."

"Peaches.."

"I don't want to hear another thing! Just keep quiet and let's get moving."

"Peaches, Listen to me..." 

Again, I talk over him. "Everything will be fine. We will all be back to our regular lives in no time. But, first, we will find a safe place, we will get some rest and come up with a plan to stop these idiots, it shouldn't be har...."

"Alexis!" Marty's harsh voice echoes through the dark forest. My already pale face has become grey after I hear Marty say my name. He never calls me by my actual name. I'm either Peaches or honey or some other adorable adjective, but never Alexis.

He bites his swollen lip as he fights back his tears. "I won't survive. The wound is too deep for me to heal. Not my shapeshifting abilities or the Verdant Elixir can heal the cut. This is the end for me."

I sob as I nod my head in disagreement.

"Marty.."

"I was a nobody before I met you, I wanted to prove that the Aldersky blood is not my pathetic father, But I now realize that family don't end in Blood. Family is where the heart resides, it is where you get true happiness. Family is caring about other people and putting your needs before them. You are an amazing girl; you will stop Asmodeus. I have faith in you. I will never forget you. And, you will always be my brother." He looks at Ethan. Ethan's face glistens with tears, he looks as painful as yesterday. He bents down on his knees.

When he speaks his voice is heavy with emotion.

"I misjudged you. I was so hard on you for being a traitor's son. You always tried to help me but I just couldn't see it, I was blinded by intolerance. I can't never bring myself to forgive me.."

"You realized. That's all that matters." Marty stops him, "Dude, I never thought you to be the mushy one." He jokes, creating a small eruption of laughter.

"We still have time." Ethan tells.

"No." Marty replies abruptly. "Take her and run." He speaks silently.

"Marty, please don't do this." I approach him, but Ethan holds me back by my forearms. "He can still come with us." I plead, nevertheless, he presses his lips in a straight line and begins to drag me away from Marty's body. "Ethan, we need to try..."

"He is gone, Alex." Ethan looks into my eyes, his watery gaze solemn.

"What?" Shock fills my body as I snap my head at Marty. His skin is paler than ever, his eyes shut as if he is in deep sleep. His lips curled into a sweet smile. There is no movement. The sight looks lifeless.

Ethan makes me face the other way. He takes my hand and leads me forward.