My eyes follow the long line of Spark Maidens, all holding hands to form a chain. And at the end of the chain, when I look past this realm, this place—I see through the worlds and find… theSource.
The crystals we found in that cave.
I blink. Look down at myself. Fightin’ like crazy—but still losin’. I can already see how it ends.
“There’s something really wrong with me now,” I tell the woman who’s reaching for me.
She smiles, and for the first time, she speaks. “Clara…”
I want to stop this now. I want to stop the ride and get off. Because this name comin’ from this Spark Spirit’s mouth,kills me.
“I need her,” I say. “Or we’re both gonna die.”
The woman just shakes her head, then she lifts up a finger, spark flashin’ out of it like glowin’ blue static, and touches me on the arm.
Burning pain sears my skin. I want to scream, but I have no breath to do it. When she withdraws her finger, the pain lingers, but slowly, as this pain dissipates, a mark appears.
A symbol.
One that looks very familiar because I’ve seen it, burned into the body of my love when she lights up for me at night.
I look up at the women. “What is?—"
But that’s as far as I get, because they’re all around me now. Millions of them. Billions of them. All tryin’ to touch me.
All tryin’ to leave their marks burned into my skin
The pain is so intense, I just blink out.
Floatin’, floatin’, floatin’.
But… also… pretty fuckin’ full too.
My eyes snap open and I’m me again. There’s one small moment between mutant attacks, and I use this moment to look up, trying to find the mist. Trying to validate the spark.
I’m stronger, I can keep going now, I know it was real.
I also know something else—something they didn’t explain, but implied.
This is not mine.
This spark belongs tothem.
It’s a debt I accept. I can deal with paybacks later.
Right now, I just need to live.
After that, I need to win.
And I do not have enough.
It’s just not enough.
“Clara,” I beg, lookin’ down at my right hand—trying, trying,tryingto make it work. “Please, please, please…”
And then the next attack hits, stealing my happy ending.
41 - JASINA
