FEARLESS | xii. "So, we're just going to abandon them?"
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The morning sun broke through the cracks in the canopy of trees above, lighting up the dirt path ahead of Reyna, decorated with outgrown roots, wildflowers and fallen leaves that crunched beneath her feet.
Outside the wall the world was still, a stark contrast to the flurry of activity on the other side. No sign of a grounder attack presented in the stillness of the forest, the peace only deterred by an occasional waft of wind.
The bomb had delayed their plans, and from Jasper's only a few grounders had been affected. And it was because of that fact that fear clutched at Reyna's heart. It had since the moment she'd heard they would detonate a bomb.
All night she'd spent tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Thoughts of Darius kept her up, left her mind in a whirlwind of worry and dread. Her head raced with conflicting emotions, torn between her loyalty to her people and her love for Darius, the man fighting on the other side.
The deafening silence weighed heavily on her, suffocating her with its uncertainty. Her hands trembled, her breath caught in her throat, as she whispered his name into the emptiness.
And then, amidst the bleakness of the surroundings, a glimmer of color caught Reyna's attention. Woven in one of the trees was a delicate purple flower. Her heart skipped a beat as she picked it up, cradling it gently in her palm.
Tears welled up in Reyna's eyes, a mixture of relief and anguish flooding her. The presence of the flower meant that Darius had survived, that he was still out there, fighting. In that moment, the weight of their opposing sides faded away, overshadowed by the comfort this little plant had brought her.
With newfound determination, Reyna clutched the flower close to her heart, a symbol of hope and a reminder of their unwavering connection. She knew that she had to find him, to assure herself that he was safe. Her allegiance might lie with her people, but her heart was entwined with Darius, and she couldn't bear the thought of losing him.
Another glimpse of purple caught her eye and as she neared it she saw more of them, all entangled on the tree trunks. The flowers guided her toward to a lake they'd trained before, toward him.
He stood with his back turned to her, still clad in the clothes he'd worn the night before. His sword by his feet, his bag discarded on the grass.
The weight disappeared from Reyna's chest, lifted by the sight of him standing there.
He turned around and Reyna's steps faltered for a moment before she rushed towards him. Tears streamed down her face as she reached out, her trembling hands finding his, as if to reassure herself that he was truly there, alive and breathing.
