Tainted

Chapter Thirty-Six

Third Person's POV

The portal opens for the group of supernatural beings, and they eagerly join hands and pass through. Naoma was nearly shaking with anger after Rain slipped through the portal alone.

How could Rain do that? Naoma wonders. She knows I need to find him. She knows.

When they drop into the abyss of darkness, instead of being thrown off, the group moves along. The majestic ones that glow use their ability to light up the small area around them. Naoma recognizes her surroundings, as she's been to that land before. She leads the others who seem to be just as aware of their surroundings as Naoma, but they'd rather lallygag instead of search.

"This place is a wasteland, but I must admit that I'm most powerful here than anywhere else," River gushes.

"Aren't we all?" Nick comments, walking beside Naoma. He glances at her and sees the worry written all over her face.

"Don't worry," he says to her. "We'll find him."

"I just hope he's alive." She responds quietly, shivering at the thought that he could be gone.

The thought gets to Nick, and he stares blindly ahead without blinking for a while. Then he speaks without looking at Naoma.

"My brother's still alive. I'd feel it if he wasn't." He says.

Naoma nods in understanding and says, "Me too."

Novena and Novae won't look at each other. Novae is overwhelmed with guilt, but she can't help but think she made the right choice. Either way, they wouldn't have left the realm until the additional 24 hours were up. Rain made sure of that. She just didn't think that Xavier would betray them or that Daniel would have to pay the price.

"I am sorry." Novae says again.

The rest of the group is tense also. Naoma and Nick are trying to encourage each other to keep from arguing. The only common ground they have is finding Julius.

"Novena-"

"Keep your apologies." Novena finally speaks to her sister with tears in her eyes. "They mean nothing to me."

Novena speeds up and walks alone. Novae stops for a moment as the group goes on. Her heart is crushed for her sister, for her friend, and for the love of her life.

But what if Xavier never made it out either? What if he stayed to take care of whoever got left behind?

Novae knew that these were all possibilities, but she couldn't have hope. She knew that she didn't deserve it.

"He did it because he loves you." Novae says to Novena when she gains the courage to catch up.

The group is passing through a village, yet no one spares most of them a second glance. A few weird stares are aimed at Naoma, though.

"Xavier could've done the same and been okay. If only he stayed-"

"It wouldn't have made a difference, Nov! Rain took the portal! We would've been in the same position." Novae tries desperately to convince her sister.

"We could have gone through the portal with her." She says plainly.

"That's unlikely-"

"Unlikely would have been worth it." Novena snaps at her sister, her eyes both broken and filled with so much rage.

From the look on her sister's face, Novae knew to let it go and leave her alone. There was nothing she could do. She never meant for Daniel to get left behind. She didn't know that it would come to him having to sacrifice himself in order to make sure the others made it.