I scream again, ignoring the tears streaming down my face. As everything stops, Zephron stares at me like I am visible. He hasn’t seen Eliane yet, since the man stays utterly quiet, hidden away in the dark dungeon, still holding onto Eliane her moveless body.
“Help me, Zephron, help me, help her.”
He stares at me. I never thought I would be begging on my brother’s feet, but the words do leave my mouth as I fall to the ground, bowing on my knees.
“Please, Zef.”
Just like the wall isn’t there, Zephron marches towards me and pats his hand on my shoulders. I look up at him and the smiles we give to each other assure me of the fact that we are getting through this. He helps me up, embraces me and holds me for a few seconds. After all these years hugging feels kind of strange, but I am glad we did. I step forward, to the now non-existent wall. I am not sure how he did that. He nods his head to the wall, where the same quote he told me before the start of this trial appears on the wall. The answer to get out of this nightmare, he tilts his head to one side before speaking to me again.
“Go save your girl.”
I repeat the words he says.
Your girl.
Mygirl.
They wake something inside me. Now someone else has said those words, I explode.He gives me a nod and walks away. It hits me because he is only a perception of reality. Does this change things in the real world? One thing I know for sure. This did nothappen in my nightmare. There was no possible good ending. I hurry towards the door of Eliane’s cell. The iron bar door of the dungeon is locked. The man looks at me with disgust in his eyes, but he has the courage to smirk. He pushes Eliane’s pants down a bit, revealing the line of her underwear, holding her hair with one fist, untying his own zipper. I look around, scanning for something to use. My eyes land on a heavy metal chair on the corner of the hallway. My body tingles harder, and I lift the chair. I throw it against the door using my signet. Everything moves slow, but I am still not fast enough. The chair doesn’t do a lot of damage. I throw it again and again, but the door doesn’t budge.
I knew it wouldn’t.
I bolt forward, drawing my shoulder, followed by my body against the door.
Again.
Come on. I swing again, ignoring the stinging pain it causes in my shoulder. A scream lifts out of my throat. I pound again. Something moves in the door. I throw my whole weight against it.
Something in my shoulders cracks. I bite my lip to ignore the sound. Adrenaline pulses through me.
Again.
Blood drips over my arms.
But then the door swings open and I stumble inside.
Before the man has his pants over his hips, he catches me. My sword flies in my hand and I swing forwards, slicing in his shoulder. I know he is a healer, so I will have to kill him if I want to do some damage. A growl rolls over his lips and he spins around, swinging Eliane her body with him. He still has her by her hair as he faces me. He throws out a punch, but I dunk. I slice my sword forwards, cutting his other arm. I won’t win thisgame by hurting him. I do the one and only thing I can think of. Something he won’t expect.
My sword slices down towards Eliane.
Her hair crackles as my sword slices through it.
I kneel down fast to catch her as she falls in my arms. The man stands there holding her hair, his mouth wide open. I swing my sword on my back and lift her in my arms. My hands brush her damaged skin, and I hurry as fast as I can out of the dungeons.
A soft breeze brushes my skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps. I still am holding her in my arms. My shoulders start to thunder louder and harder with every flying step I make. I am in the garden and the man doesn’t seem to follow me. My eyes scan the wound on her temple. Blood has stopped flowing and it is drying up bit by bit.
But she doesn’t wake up.
“Help!” I howl. “I need a healer!”
I shout around, but nobody reacts. Curses leave my mouth, trying to get somebody to notice us. In the real world, the garden and palace buzzes with people, but nobody is in my sight. Fuck. I repeat the words Zephron has quoted to me before in a whisper. Thesame quote that was chalked on the wall.
“Find the one thing you love with everything you have and let that feeling in.”
Is that why the wall fell? Because of Zephron? I knew I had a soft spot inside somewhere. I missed my brother. But that isn’t my main concern right now. Who loves Eliane the most?
Maybe Hazel?
Her real parents not, that’s for sure.
