Chapter 200: My Magic
>>Aelin
Their faces were grave.
Then, the marks on their foreheads began to glow. One by one, they flared with brilliant golden light, until their eyes themselves burned like molten sunlight.
My own eyes darted from face to face, my breathing uneven, searching for some explanation, when Tala’s hand twisted inside me.
!!!
The pain hit so hard I thought my body might tear apart.
It wasn’t the sharp kind, it was deeper. Like my very essence was being ripped open. My knees buckled as I gasped, the world blurring at the edges, every nerve screaming under the crushing weight of whatever he was doing.
It felt like I might dissolve into pieces right there.
A searing heat burst outward from the point where his hand had entered, rushing through me in blinding waves. My ribs felt like they were prying themselves apart, each bone straining to break free. My lungs clenched so tight I couldn’t breathe, but even that was nothing compared to the deeper tearing, like invisible hands were wrenching open every seam of my body, from the crown of my head to the tips of my fingers.
I screamed, but the sound was ragged, choked. My legs gave out and I sagged against the force holding me upright, trembling violently.
It was as though something buried deep within me, something I hadn’t even known existed, was being pried open and dragged into the light. My vision swam with flecks of gold and black, and my heartbeat thundered so loud I could feel it in my teeth.
And still it didn’t stop.
Every second stretched into an eternity, my senses flooded with fire, my chest burning as though it might split wide and spill every secret I’d ever carried. The pressure built and built until I was certain I’d come apart completely, a thousand shards scattered into the air.
I could feel it, my whole body opening, unraveling... like there would be nothing left of me when he was done.
And just like that it ended
All the pain disappeared
???
I opened my eyes and saw I was still standing there.
Tala’s hand was no longer inside my chest, his fingers now resting loosely at his side, his expression calm, as though nothing had just happened.
My eyes darted around. All the Solwyn people who had been linked together still stood there, their glowing eyes slowly dimming, their marks fading back to stillness but still visible. One by one, their hands dropped from each other’s shoulders.
Then my gaze found Asha.
She was staring up at me, those purple eyes wide but not with fear, more like worry. Her small hands were wrapped tightly around my legs, as if afraid I’d vanish if she let go. "Mama... are you alright?" she asked softly.
I blinked down at her, my heart twisting, and dropped a hand to my chest. My fingers pressed against where Tala’s hand had been, half expecting to find a wound. But there was nothing, only the steady thrum of my heartbeat.
"I’m fine," I said, though my voice was still a little unsteady. I forced a small smile for her sake.
But then... I felt it.
A deep, pulsing strength, like a river rushing through every vein, every breath. My magic... no, not just my magic, all of it, unbound, unchained. It was alive inside me, filling me until my skin hummed with it.
I shot my head toward Tala, my voice catching. "What... did you do?"
He smiled, slow and proud, the golden light still lingering faintly in his eyes. "I opened your magic core," he said simply. "Now, you can use every drop of your magic... without any restrictions."
The shift was sudden.
One heartbeat, I was standing there, surrounded by Tala and the Solwyn people... and the next, the air trembled. The ground beneath my feet cracked like porcelain. A jagged sound, like the tearing of cloth, echoed all around me.
I spun in place, panic flaring in my chest as I watched the edges of the world peel away like paper burning from the corners. The great platform, the shining spires, the golden arches, they all crumbled into drifting fragments of light. Even the people began to fade, their forms dissolving into mist with serene, knowing smiles.
"No, what’s happening?!" My voice shook, my hands gripping Asha instinctively.
She still had her little arms wrapped around my legs, and when she looked up at me, her smile was calm, almost... radiant. "Don’t panic, Mama," she said gently. "You chose to go back... so you’re just going back."
Her voice was steady, but it made my throat tighten. "But, Asha, I-"
She let go of my legs only so she could wrap both arms tightly around my waist as she tiptoed the highest she could, pressing her cheek against me. "It’s okay," she whispered. "You have to help Daddy. And the people. I’ll be here... and I’ll be okay. I promise."
My vision blurred as I bent down and pulled her into my arms, holding her so tightly I could feel her heartbeat. "I love you," I breathed into her hair, the scent of her so warm and real it hurt. "More than anything, Asha. Always."
"I love you too, Mama," she said, her small voice trembling just a little now. "We’ll meet each other again... one day."
Her words weren’t just hope, they were conviction. The kind that sank deep into my bones.
I pulled back just enough to look at her face one last time, memorizing every detail, those purple eyes, that smile that looked so much like mine and Draegon’s combined. "You’re my brave girl," I told her, and the world around us continued to unravel like a dream being torn away by dawn.
She lifted her little hand and waved, even as her body began to fade into light. "Go, Mama. Be strong. Defeat the bad guys!"
"I will!" I said and looked at Tala, "I will, right?"
Tala smiled, "You will," He nodded as his form faded, "All you need to do is seal the abyss for good."
The abyss!
"Wait," His form was almost gone, "How do I do that?"
"You’ll know," He said, "I’ve given you the information. You just need to look again."
"Huh?"
"It’s something only you can read." He looked at Asha and I looked down too, at her fading form as she ran to Tala and then looked at me.
Her smile was the last thing I saw before she was gone, before everything was gone.
