Chapter 58
CLEON
CLEON:
For quite a number of days and nights, I lay out in the cold, my life was meaningless without August. I could still see her blood fresh and stuck at the back of my eyelids. I still held the horror of her innards splattered all over the bed. Pieces of her flesh plastered on the walls, and more of the blood. How was I ever to recover from this? How was I forgive myself for the part I had unknowingly played in August’s destruction? We could have just lived without children, anything but losing her was very much okay now that I had really lost her. I did not mind my lineage dying with me as long as I had her by my side. Our memories would be recorded by moonlight, and we would have a farm of vegetables we did not need to eat, just so we could feel the contentedness of creating a thriving thing. Anything at all, I just wanted her back. I babbled to the moonlight until my sanity threatened to slip away. I kept silent for a longer time, hoping that if I stayed silent for too long, I would become one with the nothingness and be transformed from this miserable condition of living.
My pack was searching for me, but I knew it would take days before they found me where I was. The full moon came, and I still lay wasted on the cold earth, tears trickling down my eyes involuntarily. The world felt like a plate of saltless food, and a thousand shards of glass up your nostrils, down to your heart, and finally your tongue. After some losses, you never function the same way again.
JASON:
Days had passed, and we still had no trace of Cleon. Ted and I led the search party, but it seemed like we were wandering aimlessly in the cold wilderness. We refused to give up, knowing that Cleon’s life hung in the balance. Each step we took was heavy with worry and anticipation. It was my duty to keep Cleon safe for harm for the sake of his beautiful wife, it was also my job to train the Orhert to make sure that her sacrifice was not a waste.
“Ted, we can’t stop looking,” I said, my breath visible in the freezing air. “Cleon is out here somewhere, and he needs us.”
Ted nodded, his face etched with determination. “I know, Jason. We’ll find him. We have to.”
As we trudged through the snow, our senses heightened, searching for any sign of Cleon’s presence. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we stumbled upon a weak whimper coming from a small clearing. There, lying on the ground, was Cleon, his body frail and as lifeless as a Snowflake, we carried him on our backs in turns and headed for the pack clinic as fast as we could. Cleon was teetering on the edges of non-existence, the slightest negative stimuli would kill him.
CLEON:
I could barely register their presence as Jason and Ted appeared before me. Their words were distant echoes in the cold, harsh reality that surrounded me. I pleaded with them, my voice a mere whisper. “Let me die. Please… let me join her.”
Jason knelt down beside me, his eyes filled with compassion. “Cleon, we can’t let you go. You’re still here, and we need you.”
Ted added, his voice filled with urgency, “We’ll take you back to the pack, Cleon. Amber can help you. Please, hold on.”
I tried to resist, but my strength had abandoned me. They lifted me gently, cradling my fragile form as they carried me back to the pack.
AMBER
As Jason and Ted returned with Cleon in their arms, my heart sank at the sight of his lifeless body. I knew the pain he must be enduring, the darkness that threatened to consume him. It was my duty to use my abilities to help him find peace once again.
I approached Cleon with caution, feeling the weight of his despair radiating from him. Sitting beside him, I placed my hands on his trembling shoulders, channeling my energy into him. Softly, I spoke, my voice filled with a soothing tone. “Cleon, listen to my voice. Let the pain subside. Find solace in the memories of August.”
Cleon’s body trembled as a mixture of emotions surged through him. Slowly, his breathing steadied, and his eyes met mine, filled with a new kind of calm. .
CLEON
Amber’s touch and words brought a faint flicker of warmth to my frozen soul. It was as if her presence had breathed life back into me. I closed my eyes, allowing her calming energy to wash over me, pushing away the darkness that threatened to consume me.
I was back with my pack, surrounded by the love and support of those who cared for me. The days that followed were filled with mourning for August. We held a funeral, even though her body was never found. Instead, we placed a pendant with her picture on a pedestal, a symbol of her presence among us.
The pack mourned for weeks, grief weighing heavy on our hearts. Yet, in the midst of our sorrow, life went on. We found strength in each other, sharing stories and memories of August, keeping her spirit alive within us.
I was never going to be okay, never going to feel full again, but I would strive till we could meet again in the goddess’s fair blossom.
TED:
As the weeks passed, our pack began to heal, albeit slowly. Cleon’s recovery was a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Though scars remained, he found solace in the support and love of our pack.
But time had come for a bittersweet farewell. Amber, who had been our guiding light through the darkest of times, needed to return to the city where her original pack resided. We gathered to bid her farewell, grateful for the light she had brought into our lives.
“Cleon,” Amber said, her voice filled with kindness, “You’ve come a long way. Stay strong, and remember that you’re never alone. Lean on your pack, and they will always be there for you.”
I nodded, my voice choked with emotion. “Thank you, Amber. You’ve given us hope when we needed it most. We’ll never forget you.”
With a final embrace, Amber left, returning to the city that was once her home. Our pack stood together, facing an uncertain future, but united by the strength of our bond and the memories we held dear.