Chapter 39//: Promise me you'll come back this time

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♕✿~♕✿~Chapter 39//: Promise me you'll come back this time♕✿~♕✿~

Madison's POV

My mind goes back to the night of the ball. Once the first shot had rung, everyone had panicked and started screaming. They had ran blindly from the ballroom, desperate to get away from the bloody scene.

What happens now resembles that night. Chairs are toppled over, the guests already reacting quickly. I see mothers grab their children, holding them tightly to their body; the men shield their wives, calling on their abilities as they usher their families out of the throne room.

People push against me from all sides, and I'm almost pushed out of the room by the sea of people. I hold my ground, however, determined to get into the throne room. I can't see Ahren anymore. My eyes roam the sides of the room and I catch the movement of someone joining the rush of people to make his escape: Nathan.

I'm tempted to confront him, but I have to make sure that Ahren is alright. The shock is still present. It was naive of me to have actually thought that I had arrived to the coronation before Nathan. He had been here, lurking, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

I push against everyone, cutting a way through, but more people seem to replace the ones I move past. Desperation claws at me as I put one final spurt of strength into pushing myself against the influx of people to get to Ahren.

I stumble as I make it into the nearly empty room. It looks like a tornado has just passed; the chairs are no longer set in an orderly fashion, and there are forgotten items dropped on the ground. However, I forget about all of this as my eyes land on Ahren laying by the throne and a fretting Gregory and Silver by him.

I rush over to them, carelessly pushing Gregory out of the way to kneel by Ahren. My hands are on his cheeks in an instant, moving his face so that he looks at me and I can look at him. My eyes roam over his body, taking in the gun shot wound to his shoulder that's being looked at by the healer.

"Madi," Ahren gasps out, placing his hands over my own. I look back at him, meeting his gaze.

"It's going to be alright, Ahren," I tell him even though there is so much blood around us. He had to be alright.

"I thought you died," Ahren says in a strangled voice, wincing a bit. I purse my lips to keep the sudden tears invading my eyes away.

I shake my head from side to side, smiling, as I look at him. "No, I'm alive. I'm here." I clasp his hand tightly to convince him of it.

He lets out a shaky sigh, squeezing my hands gently. "You don't know how glad I am that you're still here. I thought -" his voice cuts off suddenly, and he swallows before continuing. "I thought I lost you," he whispers.

I don't know when the tears started falling, but they're creating tracks down my face. I sloppily wipe them away with the back of my hand.

"We need a magnetron to get this bullet out of his shoulder!" the Silver yells frantically to Gregory. The white-haired man wastes no time to call over a magnetron guard, who pushes me out of the way to tend to the wound on Ahren's should that is still bleeding.

I look around the room once more. The screams and cries are distant, the room void of any people except for us. Nathan is nowhere to be seen.

I look back to Ahren and then hesitantly look back to the hall outside of the throne room. Ahren is injured and I want to stay with him, but Nathan is out there. The thought sends a burst of anger through me; he had hurt me and he had hurt the ones I love and innocent people. And the worst part is he was still alive, still capable of hurting others.

I look back to Ahren, who looks back at me worriedly like he knows the thoughts going through my head.

In this moment, all I want is for him to hold me and protect me from all of the bad things in this world. I want to hold him tightly and never let go. I want it so badly that I almost give in. But how can I peacefully rest in his arms when I know that a monster is out there causing destruction with every step he takes?

Guilt momentarily keeps me from bolting out of the room. I had caused Ahren so much pain and stress; it would be unfair of me to worry him again. But the righteous side of me is anxious to stop Nathan once and for all. To stop him from spreading terror throughout the nation.

Looking into the hazy grey eyes of Ahren, I easily come to a decision.

Nathan needed to be stopped. And I couldn't let him leave this palace alive. Not after all of the horrible things he's done.

I lean as close as I can to Ahren so that he can hear my words. "I have to go, Ahren." At the panicked look on his face, I rush on with my words. "I'm sorry. I have to stop the person who hurt me and did this to you."

Ahren is silent and for a moment, I'm scared that he's gone with the way his eyes seem to look through me. But then he blinks, and then nods, albeit hesitantly.

"Wait." Ahren grasps my hand before I can turn away and leave. I look back at him. He looks scared as he takes a few seconds to study my face.

"Promise me you'll come back this time," he tells me firmly. It is not a question; it is an order. He's commanding me, willing me, to survive this.

I give him a weak smile, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I promise," I say gently to him.

Even after I say those words, he doesn't let go of my hands. I have to pull away for him to do so. His hand slowly lowers to rest on the ground when my hand leaves his, and I turn away and walk out of the throne room with determined steps before I give in and stay with him.

I can't bear to look back at him as I leave the throne room. For some reason, the two words I had uttered to him had felt like a lie. I had survived countless encounters with Nathan, but I don't know how much luck I have left.

Because that's what it would take for me to end Nathan: luck.

♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~

Any predictions as to how this confrontation will go down?

Ahren and Madi have finally reunited (ish)! Took 39 chapters, but they've finally had the chance to talk again!

Have a great week!

Glass_Sword

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