AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She cradled my face, her fingers tracing the line of my jaw. “Stay with me, Talan,” she whispered, her voice trembling with raw emotion.
I tried to offer her a reassuring smile, but my lips barely twitched. “I’m not going anywhere,” I rasped.
Though, to be honest, I wasn’t entirely certain of that myself.
Riley leaned closer, her forehead pressing gently against mine.
Her tears dripped onto my face, mixing with the sweat that had formed there. “We’ll get through this,” she murmured. “Wehaveto.”
I wished I could share her optimism.
But with every passing second, the poison’s grip on me tightened.
The pain was unbearable, an unyielding darkness threatening to drown me.
But Riley’s presence, her touch, her voice, they were my anchors, keeping me from succumbing to the void.
“We’ve been through worse,” she continued, trying to rally my spirits.
Her voice was steady, but I could hear the undertone of desperation. “We faced Zylvari and the others. We set those traps. We’ve always found a way. We will this time too.”
Her words were like a balm on my troubled soul.
Even in my weakened state, I marveled at her strength and resilience.
Here I was, wallowing in my misery, and she was still fighting, still believing.
But even as I drew strength from her words, reality loomed large.
Krexar’s steps grew louder, more determined. He was getting ready.
And so were we, in whatever limited capacity we could.
I squeezed Riley’s hand, trying to convey all the love and gratitude I felt.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, regret weighing me down.
She shook her head, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. “No apologies. We’re in this together. To the end.”
There was a weight to those words, a promise, a commitment that transcended the dire circumstances.
Despite the overwhelming odds, despite the agony tearing through me, I felt a glimmer of hope.
However, even that tiny shard of positivity was quickly overshadowed by the reality of our situation.
We were running out of time, out of options, and out of strength.
As I gazed into Riley’s determined eyes, I knew one thing for certain:
We wouldn’t give up without a fight.
As the final seconds ticked down and the pod prepared to launch, a singular thought filled my mind.
There was nothing she could do.
Riley
The pod crashed with its customary thud, the shock of impact reverberating through my bones.
