Chapter 393: I Didn’t Know Any Better
Elian;
The entity begins walking toward her again.
Slowly this time. Like it already knows it’s winning.
Panic floods me violently. Not for myself, but for the fact that Asa looks like she’s dying. I need to help her.
I... I should get her out of here. She needs help.
I slam my fists against the barrier.
"LET ME OUT!" I scream as I try to break through the purple orb around me, but it repels my efforts. Asa jerks her head toward me immediately.
"DON’T YOU DARE!" Her voice cracks through the garden furiously.
For a second, I freeze. Breathing hard and trembling, and tears burn down my face.
"I can’t just stand here!" I shout brokenly.
"You can and you will!" She growls, and the entity appears in front of her.
Its claws drive straight through her shoulder, and everything inside me stops.
My heart, my breathing... the world.
Asa gasps sharply as blood splatters across the grass.
And yet—Even with claws still buried inside her— She grabs the entity by the wrist.
Then smiles.
"You ugly little shit," she wheezes, and I watch, frozen as purple light explodes.
The blast launches the creature backwards across the garden again.
But Asa drops to her knees this time. Her body shakes violently now.
Blood pours from her wounds fast enough that my stomach twists in worry.
She’s losing too much. Way too much.
My baby kicks painfully inside me as panic crushes my chest.
I can’t lose her.
Not Asa... Not after tonight... Not after that smile. Not after she’s just started tasting happiness.
I can’t lose her. I need her. She... she’s my friend. I can’t lose another person I care about. I can’t watch her die. She can’t... she can’t leave me when we’ve finally become such good friends!!!
The entity rises again. Still relentless. Still unstoppable.
It starts moving toward Asa, and I lose it.
Gathering every bit of will and strength in me, I ignore Asa’s warning and start banging against the barrier to break through.
Asa forces herself back to her feet, and my eyes sting harder as I watch.
She can barely stand, and she still steps in front of me.
Holding the line.
The entity lunges, and Asa attacks too.
Magic and darkness collide violently enough to split the earth beneath them. The explosion blinds me for half a second.
And then— A roar tears through the night.
I freeze when I recognise it, and I gasp as I look past the chaos in hope.
The entire garden shakes. The entity pauses, and just then, all of a sudden, a blur of gold darts through the air, slamming into the creature.
The impact is horrifying. It sends the creature flying through multiple trees.
Relief like I’ve never known floods me when I see a massive blonde bear standing beside Asa.
Our eyes meet, and fresh tears fall from my eyes.
"Koda..." I breathe as I weakly place my hand against the barrier.
A massive blue python slithers beside him, and I swallow as I recognise Zephan.
His beast form takes one look at me, and I see the glink in his eyes vanish as something dark takes over.
He slithers off to where the creature flew through, and Koda follows.
Asa tries to follow after them, but I watch with a heavy heart as she sways.
A massive, silver serpent with golden eyes appears, and I realise instantly who it is. Queen Selthia.
She takes one look at Asa, and I watch as she slowly moves towards Asa.
Asa looses her balance but before she can hit the floor, Queen Selthia quickly slithers around her. Catching her and wrapping her tail completely around Asa’s bleeding body.
The creature flies into my line of vision again, and behind it, Koda and Zephan are in hot pursuit.
It makes eye contact with me, and everything inside me freezes.
It shrieks, and a burst of smoke engulfs it.
Koda and Zephan pause, but when the smoke finally clears... the creature is gone.
Just... gone.
Silence crashes over the destroyed garden, and a cough from Asa sends my eyes back to her.
I find her staring weakly at me, and she smiles as she blinks.
My heart skips, and the barrier flickers... like its source is fading.
"Asa..." I whisper weakly as Koda and Zephan rush over to me.
"I told you I had it covered." She says with a weak smile, and fresh, hot fears flow down my face.
The barrier vanishes, and she groans. She forces another smile even though I can tell she’s in a lot of pain.
I push past Koda and Zephan as I dart to her and sit at her side.
"Y-you’re badly hurt." I croak, and she scoffs weakly.
"It’s... just a scratch." She whispers, and I look up at Queen Selthia.
She slowly uncurls from Asa. Allowing her to flop into my arms, and I hold her. I just hold her because I can not think of what to do.
I... I don’t know how to help her.
"We have to help her!" I scream as I look up at Queen Selthia, but she looks away.
Why is she looking away!?/
"Elian..." Asa calls weakly, and I look back down at her.
She holds up something to me, and my brows crease. When she opens her palm, my heart stops.
It’s the other one of her father’s earrings.
Why is she giving it to me!??
"This is dark magic." She whispers, and my brows crease.
"No... medicine... or Nagarian magic can cure it." She adds, and my breath hitches.
"What... what are you saying!??" I whisper in dread, and she leans further into me.
"My father would have loved you if he had met you. He’d be–honoured that you’re... wearin them." She groans, and my heart freezes over.
"Asa..." I call weakly.
She reaches up with her blood-stained fingers and gently caresses my cheek.
"I’m sorry I lied to you. I’m sorry I never told you who I really am... I didn’t want to scare you away. I’m sorry for the things I did at Gravemaw. My... heart was bitter. I didn’t know any better. But now I do because of you. And I’m glad I got to know you before my death. It’s the last mercy life gave me before allowing me to meet my family again." She says, and I just listen. Unable to process all I’m hearing.
"If there’s something I can ask of you, my dear friend... Please tell your little blue flame about me. And... forgive me... for the truth you’re about to learn." She struggles to say, and I swallow.
Her brown eyes slowly melt into an enchanting violet shade, and my heart stops.
She smiles weakly at me as I watch light slowly leave her eyes.
She goes limp in my arms, and a gentle glow of violet mana consumes her.
I watch in horror as her hair, skin, clothes and features change.
From Asa... To that woman. The woman from the night Gravemaw was attacked.
Her words replay in my mind, and the world... stops...
I’m sorry for the things I did at Gravemaw. I didn’t know any better.
