Fate of Pandora - Book II

After The Hurricane

Ayame was kneeling beside Coalt, holding him close while he lay dead on the stone floor. Her hand above his chest was glowing with a light so dense, it looked like a mist was seeping into him. She stayed like that, her expression distant, like she was seeing things far beyond their world, until the glow in her eyes and hand faded. When the air cleared, the wounds on his chest had disappeared.

When she felt his heart begin to beat again, she smiled weakly, but then hesitated. Ayame couldn't feel relieved yet, because Coalt's body was still cold and his heartbeat was weak. She had used the power Demeter had confided to her, but she wasn't confident that Coalt would survive. What if her power was not strong enough?

The girl scrambled for her cellphone to call an ambulance. She began pressing the buttons when her hand began to shake. It was the counter-effect of using so much energy, and it was hitting her hard. What had she really done? She wasn't sure herself; she couldn't remember Demeter's words right now as she began to break out in a cold sweat.

"We need...help." Ayame was afraid that they would both die if someone did not find them soon. All she had to do was press the button...

But before she could press call, despite the whole force of her will, she passed out cold. Just as she hit the ground, a portal opened behind them.

From the portal, four children fell back to their original world, landing in a heap on the hard floor after a disorientating trip. Even though their backs were hurting, their attention kept on the vortex above them, watching the spiraling tunnel grow smaller until it finally closed.

"Jasmet!" Lukas raised his hand towards the portal – an unconscious attempt, as if he could grab hold of Jasmet's hand and pull her out at the last second. There wasn't anyone watching them from the other side of the portal, but Lukas insisted that she was still there, that she wasn't gone. He didn't want to admit it. But no one else appeared before the rip in space and time closed forever.

Luna stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. She wanted to support him, but their attention was soon diverted when Risa cried out, and they discovered there was one more thing for them to do.

"Ah! Look!" They all turned to see Coalt and Ayame lying on the ground. The group stepped over to them with fear, their hearts almost escaping through their throats as they wondered if they were both dead.

Arika placed her hand on each of their necks in turn and checked their pulses, then sighed in relief. "They are alive," she said. Then she saw Ayame had her cellphone in her hand; the number to call emergency services still showed on the screen. "And they need help." Arika took the phone from the girl's hand and pressed call. She wanted to say that Jasmet had been right when she sent them back for Ayame and Coalt, but she bit her tongue to avoid hurting Lukas.

"Where are we?" she asked instead as she looked around, not recognizing the place.

"I'm pretty sure this is Tokyo Tower," Luna said. "Do you know what that means?"

Risa looked up at blue sky, a welcome sight after the blinding whiteness of the other realm, and said what they were all thinking:

"We're really home."

The ring bearers had so many questions in mind that time seemed to pass faster around them. The group had been lost for so long that they had no clue what had happened during their absence. They didn't know what day it was, how long they had been fighting, nor how things were going to be now that they were back. They weren't sure 'normal' was the best way to describe it, since it could never return to 'normal' after all they had been through – especially now that Jasmet wasn't with them anymore.