Ashes Of The Throne | Part I

Chapter 138 | November 25th | Garden Of Bones

Timeline - November 25th | ( 6 Days later)

The storm raged with a malevolent fury, winds howling like a beast unleashed, tearing at the very fabric of the world. But it was Madison's voice—sharp, venomous, and unrelenting—that sliced through the chaos like a serrated blade. "You have to choose!" Madison's face twisted with rage and despair, her eyes blazing with an unnatural fury that made Eko's blood freeze in her veins. "It's him or me, Sera!" Her words struck like daggers, relentless, unforgiving. "Him or me!"

Eko's breath hitched painfully, her chest heaving as the weight of the moment crushed her, her body trembling violently. "Please," she whispered, her voice barely audible, choked with fear. "Don't make me do this... don't ask me to choose."

Madison's eyes flared wide, deranged and vicious, her once-familiar face now distorted into something monstrous. Her nails dug deep into Eko's arm, drawing blood, sharp and merciless like talons. "It's not an impossible decision," she snarled, her lips curling in disgust. "It's simple, and you know it!" The venom in her words burned like acid, eroding the last fragments of Eko's resolve.

Eko's tears fell freely, sobs breaking from her chest in jagged, breathless cries. "I can't lose you, Maddy... but I can't lose him either." Her heart felt like it was being ripped in two, torn apart by the impossible choice between the two people she loved most.

Madison's face twisted further, her eyes now black, hollow voids filled with hatred. "Why are you hesitating?!" she screamed, her grip tightening, nails sinking deeper into Eko's flesh, the pain searing. "He's not family! He's not even worth it!"

Eko tried to speak, but her words stuck in her throat, strangled by the overwhelming fear. "Yes, he is, Maddy," she cried, shaking her head frantically. "He is! I fell in love with him! He's the only thing keeping me from losing my mind in all this chaos." Her desperate plea hung in the air, but Madison's cold silence cut through it like a blade.

Suddenly, the sky exploded with a deafening roar of thunder, and Eko's gaze was wrenched toward the battlefield. Matthew and Xero clashed with savage ferocity, their powers tearing through the atmosphere with such intensity that the ground beneath them shook violently. The sky was now a dark, swirling mass of ash and smoke, the air thick with the scent of blood, death, and raw destruction. Each strike from Xero hit Matthew with devastating force, and with each blow, it felt like a piece of Eko's soul was being ripped from her.

Her legs buckled, giving way beneath her, as the earth beneath her cracked open. She gasped for air, her lungs constricting as her heart thundered in her chest. And then, amidst the maelstrom of chaos, she saw it—Matthew stumbling, his body crashing into the ground with a sickening thud. The force was so brutal, so catastrophic, it felt as though her own bones had shattered on impact. Her heart screamed, her mouth opening in a silent cry, but no sound came.

Eko couldn't move, even if she wanted to. Madison's claws dug deep into her arm, anchoring her in place, the sharp pain echoing the helplessness that coursed through her veins. But how could she move anyway? She was paralyzed—paralyzed by the terror that had taken root in her body, freezing her in place as her mind screamed in horror.

She watched as Xero loomed over Matthew's broken form, his eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure, like a predator savoring his kill. Each breath Matthew took was shallow, ragged, his body heaving with the effort of simply staying alive.

Xero lowered himself to one knee, his presence looming larger as he trapped Matthew's body between his legs. His hands, monstrous and powerful, wrapped around Matthew's throat, squeezing with such brutal force that it sent shockwaves of dread through Eko's very soul. She could do nothing but watch—helpless—as Matthew tried to fight back, his hands clawing at Xero's, desperately trying to pry them off. His feet kicked frantically, scrambling for purchase in the dirt, but it was all futile. Every attempt was met with more resistance, Xero's grip tightening mercilessly with each passing second.