A Hero in the Dark: 2nd Edition

Chapter 76: End of An Era

You really think this'll work? I ask her in my head, though I'm hoping it will. This means too much to him, Six. He won't risk Mogadorian Progress because of me. You can't do this.

Just shut up and let me handle it, she reprimands me. Don't you dare move until this is over.

She sounds threatening, but I know she's just scared. She's trembling, if not outside, then in. She won't kill me. I could fight back right now. Even with our brawl earlier, it wouldn't be hard, not with my ergokinesis. I could push out of her arms and bring her to her knees. It would be so easy. But I don't. I don't do anything of the sort only because I don't want any of us to die.

As much as I hate the Loric for letting any of this happen and as humbled as I am that Setrákus Ra believes in me to be his right hand, I don't want him to kill. What he did to Nine, fine, maybe he deserved it for trying to stab him, but to die? I don't think so.

I don't know why I feel this way. I promised Setrákus I wouldn't let my feelings for the Loric—for John especially—get in the way of what we had to do. I don't know if it's my moral code or my humanity or just... an intuition of good over evil that's telling me to let this play out—but something does. Something doesn't want me to move; to remain idle, for now.

"Don't be foolish," Setrákus spits, clearly agitated. "Put the blade down."

"You first," Six spits back, pulling the edge of her weapon ever so closer to my neck. "Do it now or I swear to god, I'll slit her throat deep enough so you can't heal her. Is that what you want? You want your precious human experiment to die?" Experiment? That's not what I am!

"Think about this," he warns. Is he seriously considering this?!

"I'm through with thinking!" Six yells. "Last chance. Drop your weapon, or I'll drop her instead."

She brings the blade closer. I don't need to feign a frown, a grimace, a quiver. My knees wobble on their own. I hold my breath. "B—Beloved Leader..." I quake.

"Fine," he muses, throwing his combat blade along with John's head to the ground. "Stupid girl. Don't be rash. Take your blade away now!"

Six doesn't move. Frankly, neither do I. It's silent in the cavern for quite some time. It isn't until John reaches for the dagger, clutches it firmly in one hand, that I warn Setrákus too late. "John! Don't—!" It's already through his neck, and a young girl's cry sounds somewhere up above us, from the heavens, it seems like. It's obvious the cry came from Ella, and I hate to imagine the look of horror on her face as she realizes what's happened, or hell, on Marina's face either.

Then it's dead silence. No one makes a move until Setrákus laughs a heartfelt laugh. "Now listen to what you've done."

In one quick, shock-filled motion, with anger rising in his chest, John hauls himself forward again. Not even I know what he's going to do until he does it. But the dagger—it's pointed at Beloved Leader, his throat. It's in and out in a millisecond. He gurgles, in surprise, I think, and falls.

I shove away from Six then and run. I fall right to my knees to catch his big body before it thuds against the stone. My vision blurs when I meet alien boy's eyes. "What... What did you do?" I stammer, forcing back sobs. He only stares at me, as if that's the best he can do. "You didn't need to do that!" I scream. "No one had to die! I had it under control!"

"Emily..." he says, but I'm not listening to him now.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"I don't... I did it for your own good."

"No! Your own good, not mine!" I can't stop myself from shaking, can't stop my body from rocking, rocking back and forth, back, and forth... with his beat, bloody body in my arms. My voice lowers as tears push their way forward, and soon, I can only mutter to myself. "He protected, guided, cared for me... he cared... cared... cared..."

Like a broken, golden record, nothing makes any sense anymore. I can't decide whether I liked him or hated him. I can't let go of his gruesome body while the black sludge seeps out around me, on me, in my hair, everywhere...

Everywhere.

He believed in me... and I failed him... "He had faith in me... faith..." I murmur, almost the same exact way as I heard him say it. "Faith."

"He didn't have faith in you, Emily," John declares, beside me now. He's kneeling right beside me! Touching me even! He grips me hard by the shoulder, but it only reminds me of him. "He used you. You hear me? He used you to get what he wanted—"

"No," I say, shaking my head. "No, you're lying! Don't touch me!"

"I only want to help you. You don't know how long I wanted to hold you again..."

"I SAID DON'T TOUCH ME!" I scream. "Don't you get it? I don't want your help! I hate you! I hate you, and I always will! JUST GO AWAY!!!" But he doesn't. He doesn't even move and seeing that much—feeling that much: his aura... here—I can't. I cry out and unleash a dramatic boom. Everything goes navy and purple, and the ground starts to shake, and soon, the walls with it. I wish he'd get away from me, and every second of knowing he won't angers me even further.

"John," Six chimes. "We should get out of here." Yes. Go. Get out of here!

"I'm not leaving her," he says, and that alone sends pinpricks tightening my every molecule.

"SHE SAID GET OUT OF HERE!" I roar, and just as I do, a stalactite drops above him. He's forced to roll out of the way. "GET OUT NOW!"

"Emily, I'm not leaving without you," he cries, reaching out for me again.

And still on the floor clutching Beloved Leader's hand, holding him close, I look up to see the weariness in his eyes. I take a breath, the energy festering, rising, but my eyes tiring. I wonder then: What happens when a human that's Garde holds the most powerful and rarest Legacy known in the universe? What happens when they expend every possible strength they have? Is that it? Will this be the end? Will I be able to see him again?

I look down at Beloved Leader, then shut my eyes and hold him closer, and this time there's nothing stopping my rage from lighting a fire in my belly; it's stronger now, stronger than it's ever been. I let it in, and it takes over... and the last I hear before there's darkness is Six: "C'mon!"