Masked

XIV.

I know, I know. Unfortunately, the next few chapters are only going to follow the original storyline, but even then, I'd like to add that you still should read them, since I've thrown in a few new scenes regarding Lara and Isa. Happy reading! And thanks for the incredible number of one hundred votes!

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After an endless time of trying to survive in the water, Lara finally was able to break through its surface and got to higher ground. What she had seen would haunt her for the rest of her life. Countless bodies were drifting through the water, she saw people drowning because she couldn't reach them quick enough – a little boy fell into the deadly waves and got swallowed by them immediately before Lara even had the chance to help him. Desperately, she tried to prevent the tears in her eyes from spilling over her cheeks.

What she had done was unforgivable.

It was all her fault.

Before the brunette could sink further into self-pity, she heard a voice she thought would never hear again. The burning tears in her eyes were still blurring her vision when she looked up, and with her very last strength, she cried out, her voice was at its breaking point.

"Jonah! ... Jonah!"

The man, who was busy with helping those who survived looked up, his expression changing from distressed to relieved immediately. His voice seemed to break as well when he shouted her name.

Shaking, Lara got up, stumbled, when she tried approaching her friend and reached out to him. Instantly, Jonah wrapped his arms around her, held her close. It seemed like the brunette had lost all control over her muscles. New tears were forming in her brown eyes, but Lara couldn't tell if it was because of the disaster she had caused or because Jonah got out of the fiasco alive. Her head was spinning when she heard her friend raising his voice.

"I was so worried!"

He let her go. Lara inhaled sharply, trying to keep her emotional outbreak at bay. She needed to be strong, but all the feelings that now came rushing down on her overwhelmed the brunette even more.

"I failed. Worse..."

"What do you mean?"

"Dominguez. He has the dagger. I lost it!"

Lara's voice sounded hoarse.

"After everything that my father went through, I gave Trinity exactly what they wanted!"

Her voice got louder.

"He'll use the Box and the knife to remake the world!"

Jonah interrupted her, concern resonating from his voice.

"To remake it into what?"

He could see his friend was getting more hysterical with every word she forced herself to press out, which then even led to her starting to stutter.

"I don't know, he – he thinks that he can rid it of- of sin and... and weakness... A man like that... We- we need to stop him! It's all my fault..."

Lara looked more than defeated when she turned around and took a few steps into the opposite direction. Jonah on the other hand felt swamped by the whole situation.

"Uh- We'll figure it out, okay? I... I promise."

The brunette turned around in a hurry, her voice was mere octaves from shrieking high.

"No, no, no, no! We have to get to the hidden city before Trinity! We have to find the Silver Box!"

"Okay! But first we're gonna help these people get to safety, and then we'll go after the box!"