Loveless/ a POWERLESS fanfiction story

Chapter 16: Brian

The blast throws me against the wall, my head striking with a dull thud. For a moment, it feels like I'm trapped in one of those nightmarish dreams where escape is nearly impossible—sounds grow muffled, voices blend into an unintelligible hum, and everything before my eyes blurs into a haze of color. But then, in the next instant, I realize this isn't a dream. This hell is real.

I press my hands to my ears, desperately trying to drown out the deafening ringing in my head, and force myself to stand. Chaos reigns around me. Guests in bright green dresses and dark suits scatter in every direction, frantic to save themselves. Amid the panic, something catches my eye that makes me tense—black-clad figures weaving through the crowd. These aren't servants. No, definitely not.

The Resistance? That seems more likely.

It takes a moment for it to sink in—they didn't warn me they'd attack the palace during the first ball. I had no idea. They don't trust me at all, which means I need to focus all my energy on my original plan: serving the crown. To be honest, that's always been the first and most realistic plan anyway.

So I start looking for Blair. I scan the chaos around me, barely registering the second explosion that shakes the hall once more. The head trauma makes it hard to concentrate, but I force myself to shout, to call out for her, because everything depends on it.

"Blair!" My voice cracks, lost in the overwhelming noise.

I spot a Enforcer carrying the Silver Savior on his shoulder, moving her to safety. Fury surges within me: he didn't even try to save the one he was escorting tonight, which means the girl I'm responsible for is somewhere in the middle of this chaos.

"Blair!" I shout again, pushing through the crowd, dodging flashes and explosions, screams, and pain. I'm thinking only of myself and her, no one else. If she dies, so do I.

Around me is nothing but suffering and death. Flashes of light illuminate bloodied bodies, explosions shake the air, turning it into a choking mix of smoke and dust. Rage and despair grip my chest, but I can't afford to stop. All I want is to get her out of here, to safety. I don't want to fight the Imerials or the Resistance. In truth, I couldn't care less about either side. I'm not a hero; I just want to climb as high as possible and stay there as long as I can. And Blair is my magic ladder to power.

As I run past the balcony, I catch a glimpse of a purple flash. The next moment, shards of glass fly past my temple, like a deadly swarm of bees. My cheeks sting with pain, and I stumble, falling to the floor, unable to suppress a groan.

"You bastards!" Blair's scream pierces through the hall as she bursts in from the balcony, but I barely hear her words—I read them on her lips. Her figure, surrounded by Sadie's clones, storms into the fray with the ferocity of a wild beast. I lie on the floor, feeling blood trickle from the cuts on my face, leaving crimson marks on the marble. The Guard mask saves my eyes from blindness, but pain sears through every fiber of my being.

"Blair!" I call out to her as she slams one of the Resistance members into the wall.

Plague, she's dangerous. She's powerful.

She stands in the center of the hall, like a war goddess, her eyes blazing with fury, her fists clenched. Around her, a dozen identical dark-skinned girls with red hair—Sadie's clones—close in, and I'm sure the real Sadie is the one watching her back. Blair doesn't look scared; if anything, she's resolute. She's not going to run. She's going to fight.

"Brian?!" The surprise in her voice makes me smirk through my split lips.

Pain pulses through my skull, but I stifle the groan, forcing myself to stand. Shards continue to rain down from the ceiling, the deafening roar mingling with the guests' screams.