IN WHICH - The last thing that Hope Mikaelson expected when she came out of Malivore was to still be alive, the second last thing she expected was to be disowned by most of her living family, and the final last thing she expected was some ancient be...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
THIRD PERSON POV
CHAPTER 27
Hope's eyes flew open with a gasp, her body jerking upright off the bed as if yanked by an unseen force. The scream that tore from her throat echoed through the small room, reverberating off the walls, a sound laced with pure panic and confusion. Her fingers curled into the bed sheets as her whole body arched, a chaotic surge of energy rushing through her, making the room spin and the air thick with magic.
Purple tendrils of power began to unfurl from her body like vines, weaving through the air with a mind of their own. They coiled around the furniture, wrapping around the legs of chairs, curling over windowsills, and even caressing the walls in delicate patterns, pulsing with the same intense, vibrant energy that radiated from her. They moved as if alive, with purpose—like an extension of herself, reaching out to each person in the house.
Rick, Daryl, and the others rushed to her side immediately, panic written on their faces as they tried to steady her, hands on her shoulders, her arms, trying to anchor her in the chaos. But it was like trying to catch a storm. Her skin was glowing faintly, her eyes wide and frantic, her breaths shallow and ragged.
"Hope!" Rick's voice cracked with urgency, as he bent over her, hands firm but gentle on her shoulders. "Hope, can you hear me? What's happening? You're okay, we're here!"
But Hope couldn't respond, her body trembling, her whole being locked in the grip of the magic that surged through her. The tendrils twisted around the others in the room—around Rick, Daryl, Carl, and even Maggie—caressing them with a soft, almost intimate touch, yet there was something terrifying about it, like the very air was alive with power, threatening to overwhelm them all.
T-Dog's voice broke through the rising tension from the doorway, his shout thick with disbelief and shock. "Guys, the zombies—outside, they're... they're dissolving!"
Everyone froze at the sound of his words, eyes wide with confusion. They rushed to the windows, looking out at the yard. The walkers, who had been clawing at the perimeter just moments before, were now disintegrating into ash, their decaying bodies dissolving into nothingness as though some unseen force had reached out and unraveled them.
"Shit," Glenn muttered, looking from the window to Hope, his face pale. "What the hell is going on?"
Daryl, still kneeling beside Hope, frowned as he glanced back at Rick, then down at the girl who was clearly not in control of whatever was happening to her. "This magic... It's like nothing I've ever seen before."
Rick's eyes flickered back to Hope, concern etched on his features as he reached out to hold her hand. "Hope, listen to me. You're safe. We're here. We need you to calm down, okay? Can you hear me? You're not alone."
Hope's breath hitched as the purple tendrils slowly retreated from her, curling back toward her body as she took in deep, shaky breaths, trying to regain control. Her eyes were wide and unseeing, her chest rising and falling in erratic motions, as though she was caught between two worlds.
