Soul Chains

Chapter 33: Every Right

"What do we do now?" I ask quietly as I stare at Ayette's figure, still in disbelief of what just happened.

"We...we'll just have to meet up with the others back at the palace and decide from there," Reine clears her throat and nods.

"Is she going to be okay?" Ciana asks quietly and Mikasa nods.

"Yeah," Mikasa breathes out, "yeah, I think so."

"Come on," I sigh and bend down, picking Ayette up bridal style in my arms, "let's go."

Mikasa places a bubble around Ayette's broken relic and walks out ahead of us with Ciana while Reine walks behind me.

"What happened in there?!" I hear Dimitri shouting from outside as Mikasa and Ciana walk out from the dome, "is that...is that Ayette's relic?"

"It is..." Mikasa trails off wearily.

"Where's Ayette?" Dimitri asks firmly as I step outside.

"She's right here," I say and Dimitri's eyes flicker over to me.

Dimitri's expression falters for a few seconds as he stares at her before his eyes flicker up to my face.

"Is she..." Dimitri starts.

"No," I press my lips together firmly, "she's alive."

"What about Khalida?" Renji asks anxiously as his eyes flicker between all of us.

"Khalida is...gone," Mikasa says with closed eyes and a pained expression.

"What?" Renji's eyebrows furrow in confusion, "what do you mean she's gone?"

"I mean, Khalida is dead," Mikasa grits out.

"What?" Renji's eyes widen, "then who's the new leader?"

"Under normal circumstances, I would say that would be you, Renji," Reine says as she walks passed me, "but in this circumstance...it's not."

"I don't understand," Renji frowns and exchanges a glance with Dimitri, "then who is?"

Renji's eyes trail over to Ayette when he doesn't receive a response before they flicker over to Reine's face.

"You don't mean..." Renji trails off.

"Ayette?" Dimitri's voice comes out hoarse and Reine nods wordlessly.

"Come on," Mikasa says grimly and walks passed the rest of us, "we should get back..."

***

"Wait, slow down," Aidan's eyebrows furrow together as we cram into the medical room in his mansion after arriving and signaling for help, "what happened?"

The medical room consists of two white beds with curtains, a wooden cabinet full of medical supplies with glass making up the door so you can see what's inside, multiple potted plants, a silver cart full of medical supplies, and a first aid kit that's hanging on the wall. I place Ayette down on one of the beds as Aidan stands there looking over her, him having been the one to lead us here. Soon, Eden comes running inside with Nathan, Renee, and Aislinn, followed by Shitau, Kaltrina, and Tsukumi.

"Khalida refused to help us and Ciana confronted her and Ayette defended Ciana," Reine explains as Eden joins Aidan's side and examines Ayette, her eyebrows furrowed in concern, "Khalida then held up Ayette and we tried stopping her and reasoning with her, and Khalida said that this would be her way of helping if we truly wanted it. She sacrificed herself and gave her gifts to Ayette, which shattered her relic in the process."