Lost Soul Down

TWENTY-EIGHT

Ice cold water slaps my face.

I gasp and jolt to my feet.

I must've almost passed out. That's not good. The cold stings the cut in my arm, but that's the least of my problems.

The water is at my waist, getting higher.

There's even ice chunks floating around in the water because of how cold it is. The suit isn't doing anything to help— at least that's what it feels like.

The water must be turning to ice. I could freeze in here.

The thought strikes through me.

What if Kylan and the others come back to find me frozen solid in a block of ice? No way. No way I can let that happen.

I move my arms. I move my legs. I clench and unclench my fingers. I move as much as the little energy left in my body will allow.

Maybe the others won't come back.

Maybe Kylan won't.

What if he's in the same situation as I am? It's possible. What if all of the others have gotten themselves killed in one of the maze traps? It's possible.

Maybe we're all dead. The second challenge defeated us all. Just the second one. Embarrassing.

I spoke too soon when I said this was going to be easy. I jinxed us. This is my fault.

I picture Lombardi coming through with his agents and having to clean up our frozen, dead bodies.

I almost laugh.

My muscles ache from shaking so much, and even breathing is starting to hurt. I'm actually shocked I'm still alive.

Even if the others are alive, it could take hours before they get here. By then I'd certainly be dead.

I don't want to picture Kylan's face when he sees me. He won't recover. I certainly wouldn't if I saw him dead, frozen in ice.

I shake away the image.

My head hurts. My body hurts. I'm so weak. I'm dying I'm dying I'm dying. A slow, painful death.

Of course I have to go out like this. Because of Lombardi. He ripped me away from my parents, and forced me to go on this dangerous mission to die.

I mean he knew this could happen. He likely didn't care.

The water reaches my chest and my eyes struggle to stay open.

Leila comes into view.

Hope opens my eyes up and I make my way to the edge of the cage. I pound against the glass, but the effort is weak, does nothing.

The others come into view.

Kylan comes into view. His face goes pale when he sees me— I probably look like a corpse. I sure feel like one.

The water has risen up to my chest.

They're running closer. I can finally see how injured they look, how defeated they look.

Leila's hands are pure red with blood, no doubt from taking down the walls with them.

There's a gash in her side, exposed through her suit. She must've barely missed a trap. Summer can heal her.

Summer.

She's leaning heavily against Chase, a limp to her walk. Chase has a rip in his suit across his chest, but the flesh underneath is unharmed. Maybe Summer healed him. Maybe that's why she's so weak.