Unraveling Him | A mafia Story

Chapter 61 - A Broken King

"Innocence died screaming that day; honey, ask me I should know."

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Nathan's POV

I felt like I was jolted back awake.

My head throbbed relentlessly. Every part of my body ached with a pain too foreign to me. My vision was blurry and I kept blinking away at the multiplying pain, pressing my eyes tighter, and attempting to regain my composure.

Heaving a strained breath out of my aching lungs, I pressed my palms on the unforgiving floor beneath me and attempted to pull my upper body up. Groaning in pain, I blinked through the blurriness as I sought some stability.

My eyes widened when the memories flooded back. The loud explosion; the deafening roar still echoing in my ears. The feeling of being pushed away, a force so strong proppled us into oblivion as the ground beneath our feet shook. I remember....the sounds, the choking smell of smoke, and the screams before my head collided with something and my consciousness slipped away.

I brought my hand to my face, to my temple, wincing as I touched my wound. I lowered my hand and looked at the blood, red and fresh, tainting my shaky fingers. Gulping down, I allowed my gaze to flicker all around me, to the darkness consuming the once bright white rooms. The only flicker of light was the flames of fire at a close distance, casting an eerie glow over the scene of destruction as they ate up at the wood and the walls.

I gathered my strength and tried to get up, steadying myself on two shaky feet. Terror consumed me, it pressed harder over my chest, and my fingers on the side trembled, I curled them into a fist as I looked around, searching for something, for anything, for anyone...

The low whimpers of pain echoed from somewhere to my right and my eyes grew wide, turning and trying to detect the source. Limping on my injured leg, I kept moving, heading to my right till my blurry gaze took notice of the scene presented ahead. A pile of debris lay nearby, pinning a kid's arm beneath its weight, trapping him in a helpless situation.

My eyes grew wider and I rushed closer. With a surge of urgency, I knelt beside him, panic coursing through my veins. "Hey, hey," I called out for him, desperation seeping into my words. His youthful eyes met mine, reflecting fear and pain amidst the wreckage surrounding us, heavily breathing and I nodded my head, "I'll help you, okay, I will help you," I assured him, trying to formulate a plan in my mind.

I looked around and sucked into a stuttering breath, "I'll try to lift this, but you'll need to pull away as quickly as you can," I instructed, "Okay?"

He nodded weakly, "Okay," he murmured, his voice trembling with uncertainty.

"I will count to three, and at three, you move, deal?"

He gave me another nod, "Deal."

I edged closer, fighting through the dizziness as I bent down, my fingers curling over the heavy wood's edge, "One," I said, preparing him, "Two," I added, preparing myself, "Three," I said as I used whichever power I had in me, grunting loudly in apparent pain as I pulled the wood up, using all of my strength, for mere seconds, helping him pull away and I let go, the debris crashing back to the floor.

The force I exerted, my trembling body, my labored breaths, and the blood trickling from my wound, all conspired against me, pushing me back until I crashed onto the unforgiving floor.

Gasping for air, I fought to maintain my consciousness afloat, to resist the overwhelming pain ready to consume me into an abyss.

I pressed my eyes shut, trying to focus and pave my way out of this. I can do it. I can do this. I can. Even if I can't, I should. I have no other choice.