The Fallen Goddess

Her Brother

I wake up with a deep seeded feeling of regret in the pit of my stomach; sadness threatens to take over every bit of my being.

I realized yesterday how tired I am of running around and going places and figuring things out. This whole adventure seems like it will never end.

I hated my life with Crissy. 

I loved parts of it, but even in that fake dream world, part of me knew that things could have been so much better. But now, as I sit up groggily next to Koreena in a country I barely know, I can't help feeling like I want to go back.

I want the stress to be over. I want to go back to my normal life and live like a normal person does. I don't want to e mixed up in these god wars.

But I would never let go of Koreena.

Despite everything, despite my desperate wanting of a break, I would redo it all just to be able to meet Koreena again.

I sigh quietly and then get out of bed. Koreena is still asleep, so I try to be quiet as I take a shower and get dressed.

By the time I get out of the bathroom, Koreena is up as well, and she isn't smiling. Neither am I.

I walk back over to the bed to sit next to her and ask, "Any ideas on how to find Jordeal?"

She nods.

"But it's risky," she adds after a moment.

"Risky how?" I question, standing up. I'm having a hard time sitting still.

"Risky like I'm sure that I can do it without my full strength."

"Then don't do it," I respond quickly and firmly after she elaborates.

"Oh, like you can stop me?" She throws back, raising her eyebrows.

We form a seriously dysfunctional relationship.

I sigh, not wanting to fight again, but knowing that anything I say will just contribute to the argument.

"I can't control you. But you can't be killed. We'll find another way to get to the River."

"Our other plan didn't work! What makes you think that another one will?" She yells in response.

"What makes you think that Jordeal can help?" I shoot back.

"Because he said that he could!" she screams at me. "He said that he might be able to help us, and I know he wasn't talking about finding the River, but he said he could help. And honestly, that's the best we have right now."

I pause after she yells this. She's breathing hard now, and I can see that all of this is hurting just as much as it's hurting me.

"Okay," I agree reluctantly, knowing that she's going to try it with or without me. "We can try your idea."

She nods, trying hard not to cry.

"When can we do it? What do we need?" I ask after a minute of strained silence.

"We, or I, can do it right now," she responds, taking a deep breath of air.

"Really?" I ask, a little anxious about this whole thing.

She nods, looking down at the ground. But after just a second, she snaps her head back up and looks me firmly in the eyes.

"Blake, you have to promise me that, no matter what happens, you will not interfere with the process, okay?"

I start to protest, because if she's gonna get hurt, then I have to be able to help her, but she doesn't let me finish.

"Some of it is normal... and some of it might not be, okay? But you cannot interfere. Promise me, Blake."

"I can promise like that Koreena," I say walking toward her.

"Then I'm sorry, I guess," she responds, not looking at me anymore.

She waves her hand and suddenly I'm knocked against the wall; some invisible force is keeping me locked tight, and I can no longer move.

"Dammit, Koreena!" I yell.

She doesn't say anything to me, but starts to say words that I can't understand. She raises her left hand able her head, and then brings it back down to be level with her chest.

She closes her eyes and begins to chant more forcefully. I struggle against the wall because this does not look like it's going to end well, but I am completely stuck.

Suddenly, she stops muttering. She opens her eyes and the whole room illuminates with the crackling lightning shining within them.

Things around the room begin to shake, but she stays standing firmly in place. Her hand starts to glide from her chest, forming a long, sparkling line from where her hand was originally to where it is now.

Her hand continues to branch off, creating what appears to be a tree, as the shaking gets worse. The light gets brighter when she says two more words, "Effundo cruor".

Suddenly, the glowing tree disappears, and in the places where the line was drawn, blood spills from Koreena's body. She screams.

Nothing else seems to be happening; Koreena is only bleeding, only killing herself to try and find her brother, and I can't stop any of it.

I shout her name, over and over again, but nothing happens.

I don't know what to do, but really, there is nothing I can do.

I just watch as she bleeds out onto the beautiful floor of the beautiful hotel room, and I can do nothing.

Everything starts to quiet down as the life slowly fades from Koreena's eyes. I struggle with everything I have because I need to save her, I need to help her, but still I am trapped and nothing I do will let me break free.

And soon... it's too late.

She lies limply on the ground, her eyes staring across the room, but she sees nothing.

I can't hold anything back as a sob escapes my throat.

I yell her name, but I don't struggle against the wall anymore because I know that I can do nothing.

I just have to stay here, looking at her dead body for God knows how long, stuck to this wall.

I know it's messed up, but even in death she's beautiful.

Tears blur my eyes, and for a second, I think I've imagined it, but no.

Out of the corner of my eye, a figure appears out of no where.

I should probably panic, but I can't. All energy has left me and now I feel like I want to be right next to Koreena, just like her.

But the figure keeps moving. It moves closer to Koreena.

I should say something, anything. I don't want it to touch her; she doesn't deserve anything worse than whats she's already had to go through. But I don't say a word.

I watch helplessly as the figure touches her forehead, mouth, and chest.

And I watch as Koreena breathes in.