The Zodiac Cycle

YES 3.21 Broken

TW: Blood and Death

The strangled scream that shot across the bloody battle belonged to Olive, as Stormy fell to the ground.

Mark shouted as well, trying to run to the Phoenix whose fiery hair had gone out, turning into a normal, dark red shade.

Carson struck another soldier down on my left, huffing and out of breath.

"We cant do this for much longer!" He looked at me desperately, searching for guidance.

"We just have to last until the evacuation is done." I said it more for myself. I didnt have many more shots left before I passed out and Narashima hissed in my ear apprehensively.

Carson nodded, not wasting any more breath on speaking, and turned back to a small group of approaching soldiers, gripping his sword with vigor.

I drew back my bow and hit a soldier that had been sneaking up on Clementine. She turned to me to nod, but before she could, her eyes grew wide and her lips parted.

Before she could say anything, a sharp pain struck my right shoulder from behind. I fell forward to my knees, crying out, and reaching my left hand to grip the wound. I turned my head as well as I could to see a soldier with a bow herself, drawing a second shot. When she released it, I rolled to the side, hearing it zip past my ear.

"Amber!" Carson attempted to run back to my side, but was blocked by a new attacker.

"Carson, sword!" I yelled back.

He slashed at his opponent, making them jump back, then took the moment to form another sword and throw it to me. I caught it with my uninjured hand and stood up, facing the woman who had shot me. She took a step back and knocked another arrow, aiming at me.

Coward! Narashima screeched at her.

She released the third arrow and I shifted to the side, running at her before she could draw again. I could see the panic in her eyes before my sword met her flesh, cutting through with ease.

When she fell to the ground, I sent a silent prayer to the heavens for her soul.

I looked around the space for a head count, but I knew that some of us had probably already fallen. That thought was confirmed when I only counted six Zodiacs other than me. I saw Ash, Nolan, Carson, Clementine, Elizabeth, and Alex still fighting, and I saw some of the others already-

I shook my head. I needed to focus. The tears in my eyes threatened to fall, but I couldn't afford long sentiments.

I sent another prayer for the three that I could no longer reach. I ran into the fight, swinging the purple sword with all my might. I knew I struck several people, and I knew I was far enough away from the others that they wouldn't come across my blade.

The amount of enemies only seemed to be growing. Every one we killed had two to take its place. As the fight continued, more of us fell.

Ash.

Then Nolan.

The other four regrouped around me so that we were pressed against the walls, surrounded by a living mass of maroon and black.

Amber! Something is hap-

The weapons in our hands disintegrated at the same time that Narashima's voice stopped.

"What-" Carson gasped.

The mass of soldiers were overcome with sinister smiles as we took a moment to notice the most startling thing.

The signs somewhere on each of our bodies were gone.

The cycle had broken.

And we were left defenseless.

I didnt see the others, but I heard them, and I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me. We were moving, seemingly forcing through the crowd, their swords flashing in front of us, and blood from new wounds trailing behind.

Carson pressed my back against a corner, having pulled us out of the crowd and through one of the halls. He was panting and had several cuts along his arms. I knew just as well as he did that we didnt have much time. The soldiers would follow the trail of blood and find us eventually.

Carson cupped my cheek, forcing my eyes to his. "Hey, are you okay?"

I swallowed and nodded. Everything felt fuzzy, unreal, like some kind of nightmare that I was about to wake up from. "The- the others?"

He pressed his lips together, his eyes drifting from mine for a second before returning. Then he shook his head.

I leaned my head back against the corner and looked up at the ceiling, trying my hardest not to cry, but failing.

He ran his thumb over my cheek, wiping it, then pulled me into an embrace. I felt his tail wrap around my waist and down my legs as I buried my face in his neck, at the empty spot where his sign used to be.

He pulled back and rested his forehead against mine, closing his eyes, "we'll be fine."

I shook my head slightly "no, we won't."

It was his turn to swallow, then he opened his eyes again, and gingerly held my face in both hands. "I love you, Amber Sallow."

I couldnt manage a smile, and the lump growing in my throat prevented me from saying anything. My lips parted, but nothing came out.

I heard shouting down the hall, then saw the soldiers turn the corner and spot us. They pointed and shouted some more, heading toward us faster than I could think of anything to do.

I looked back at Carson, who had a look on his face that I couldn't read, still looking at me, "Carson?"

He smiled, a comforting and warm smile that revealed everything.

Then he pulled me in again, this time pressing one hand to the back of my head, so my face was against his chest, the other wrapped around my forearms, trapping my arms between out torsos.

I tried to pull back  "Carson, don't-" but his grip was firm.

He whispered above my ear, words that were only audible to me, as he pushed further into the corner, his whole body sealing me back there. "I'm sorry."

I began to cry more. I knew because of him, the guards couldnt reach me, but there were other options! We could have tried to run again, we could have stolen weapons from the guards and fought, we could have done something, anything else.

His grip remained firm, but gentle, and as we fell to our knees in the corner, his occasional whispers faltered and the soldiers stopped shouting.

Only one of them remained, I could feel them on the other side of Carson.

The sharp pain that shot through my torso was nearly unbearable, and made me dizzy.

Then the one soldiers footsteps receded, and silence followed.

Carson's grip was still firm, but I was able to push him back, off of me.

I held his face in my hands as he slept, his body weight shifting away from me. The wound in my chest, dangerously close to my heart, matched the one through his.

The dizziness made way for a tiredness that I hadn't ever felt before, as if sleep was the only option left. I didnt let go of Carson, kissing him on the forehead, saying "I love you too."

Then I closed my eyes, and allowed sleep to take over.