The End of the World (Bellamy Blake x Reader)

VI - We Will Rise

I feel like I can't breathe. I barely even notice the rain sprinkling on my face, can't register it enough to fear that it might be black rain. All I can do is stare at our ship, engulfed in flames. I knew I might not have been on it, but now no one would be. There wasn't another clear solution. With time running out, I wasn't sure we would be able to to save the human race.

"When it comes, it'll be colorless," Jaha murmurs beside me. I startle a little. I hadn't heard him approach me.

I barely managed my response. "How will we know?"

"Pain. Chaos. Death."

My stomach twisted around, but I tried to put on a smile. I tried to keep an optimistic demeanor. If I didn't, no one would. Except Jasper, but he was more fatalistic than optimistic. "Same old, huh? Once we find a new solution, there'll be nothing to worry about."

Jaha fingered the token from the cultist. I didn't know why he still kept that. Maybe it was his version of hope. "We will find a way."

He sounded much more convinced than I did. I took a step forwards, not caring to even glance at Jaha. I'd barely respected him in the past, I hardly did so now. But if he kept that up, that hope, maybe I could find it in me to be friendly instead of just civil.

For now, I wanted nothing more than to take a walk, far away from all of this.

A few hours later, after I'd got some fresh air and cleared my head, I headed to the information session in what was left of Arkadia. I was the last to arrive, and immediately took my spot beside Bellamy. He seemed to sense my fatigue and distress, and put an arm around my shoulders. I smiled.

"Okay, so," Monty said. "Sectors three, four, and five sustained the worst damage. We lost the server room, all of our processors and life support systems, and half of our living quarters. Now, backup power will keep the lights on at night in the rooms that survived, but we'll have no heat or running water, and no way to restore it or reseal the ship before the radiation gets here."

"Got any good news, Monty?" I asked.

Dad sighed. "Well, no one died."

"Forget the Ark," Clarke said, entering the room. I guess I wasn't the last to come after all. "It was never gonna save us all anyway. We need to focus our resources on the nightblood solution. Is the fuel loaded?"

Bellamy nodded. "It's in the process, but, Clarke, it isn't gonna be an easy ride."

She raised an eyebrow and looked between all of us. "What don't I know?"

"With the secret of Praimfaya out," Roan explained, "I sent Echo and my army back to Polis to keep the peace."

"That's good," Clarke said. "We need peace to distribute the cure."

Roan sighed. "More than half of them deserted along the way. With the end coming, they want to be home. I don't blame them."

Understandable. I looked up at Bellamy. Not that I wanted either of us to die, but if it was inevitable, there's no one else I'd rather die beside.

"Do you blame them for burning Trikru villages as they go?" Bellamy challenged.

Roan snorted. "That's funny coming from you."

I shot him a glare. "Watch it. You may be a king but that doesn't mean you're untouchable."

Dad interjected, "Enough! We know the woods are a war zone. After what happened with Ilian, I can't spare many of the guard to protect you."

"My security detail can protect us," Roan offered.

Dad gave him a genuine nod. "Thank you. That's very generous."