Chapter One Hundred And Sixty Six
Chapter One Hundred And Sixty Six
Naomi’s Pov
"Wake me up, someone, please wake me up!"
My voice echoed through the pain, like I was calling out to a bad dream. I blinked at the bright light, tasting blood and sweat in my mouth. Everything around me was a blur of red and shadow. I could barely remember the morning, only broken memories of the night before the screams, the clash of steel, and the grief still twisting in my chest.
"Travis...?" I whispered, my voice breaking. My mind spun with disbelief. Travis Scott, my dearest friend, the one who had always been there to watch my back, to make me laugh even in our darkest moments, was gone. Gone, as if snatched away by some cruel fate. And all because of this cursed war and the betrayal that has splintered our lives.
I pressed trembling fingers to my lips, tasting the bitter tang of my own tears. "How… how can this be?" My heart pounded painfully against my rib cage, each beat a reminder of the promise he had made earlier that day. I remembered the way his eyes had sparkled with hope as he had joked, "We’ll be back victorious, Naomi." We had laughed together then, sharing a moment of levity amid chaos. Now, that laughter was silenced forever.
Stumbling through the carnage of our temporary camp, I searched desperately for any sign of him. My legs felt like lead, each step weighted with guilt and sorrow. I found one of our army men crouched near a shattered column. His face was grim, his eyes downcast as if he were mourning a loss too great to speak of.
"Ma'am..." he began softly, bowing his head in deference, "I’m sorry for our loss, ma’am… I’m sorry for Travis." His voice was low and quivering, thick with unshed tears.
"Loss?" I repeated bitterly, forcing a laugh that rang hollow in the still air. "What do you mean? I haven’t lost Travis. He’s just… he’s just asleep, right?" I tried to sound lighthearted, desperate to cling to any illusion that might save me from this unbearable truth.
The soldier’s eyes didn’t meet mine; he only lowered his gaze. "No, ma’am. He’s… he’s gone." His words, quiet and final, shattered the fragile hope I’d been clinging to.
My mind reeled. I remembered the morning’s events in fragments: the brief smile on Travis’s face as he wiped away my tears, his promise to protect me, and then, a moment of horror. I had seen him earlier today; we’d spoken, we’d laughed, and he had assured me that he would return, that nothing would break the bond between us. Now, those memories blurred with the present pain, and I reached out instinctively toward his still form.
"Travis, come on…" I urged, gently shaking him as though he were merely in a deep sleep. My fingers trembled over the wound in his side, his blade wound, the one Lucian had warned me never to disturb. I recalled Lucian’s urgent, hushed words: "Leave it, Naomi. That wound is not meant to be reopened." But now, as I knelt beside him, I could only cry out in anguish.
"Is there no potion, no remedy…?" I pleaded, my voice raw with desperation. I looked around, hoping for someone to offer an answer, but all I received was heavy silence. My heart pounded in time with the distant, mournful drumming of rain against the stone walls. It was as if nature itself was weeping with me.
In the depths of my despair, a single thought broke through, Deluna. The name burned on my tongue like a curse. "Where is that witch?" I shouted suddenly, rising unsteadily to my feet. Grief and fury twisted my insides as I grabbed the hilt of a sword lying nearby. Every step I took toward the direction I believed she might be hiding was fueled by the desperate need for answers and revenge.
I marched through the carnage, my eyes stinging from salt and sorrow, my ears ringing with the distant echoes of battle. "Lucian!" I called out as I searched for him among our scattered allies. The memories of our shared struggles, our whispered promises in the dark corridors of Lucian’s mansion, the countless nights when our love had been our only shield against despair, brought tears to my eyes. How could everything be so cruelly twisted now?
I finally caught sight of Lucian leaning against a bloodstained wall, his face ashen yet fierce, his eyes burning with an intensity that belied the pain he carried. "Naomi," he said, voice low and heavy with grief. "I’m here." The simple words stirred something deep within me, a small flame of comfort amidst the overwhelming darkness.
I approached him, the sword heavy in my hand. "Lucian, I.... I can’t believe this," I stammered, my voice breaking. "Travis… my dear friend… gone. I can’t lose you too." My heart ached with every word. "How could I bear another loss? I can’t… I can’t" I choked out as tears streamed down my cheeks.
Lucian’s jaw tightened, and he clapped a strong hand on my shoulder. "I know, Naomi. I know it hurts, but we must keep fighting," he said softly. His eyes flickered with sorrow and determination. Deluna has taken everything from us, and now she dares to toy with our lives. But she forgets who she is dealing with, a rabid vampire fighter who has lost too much already. His words, though laced with bitterness, gave me a glimmer of resolve.
I wiped my eyes and forced a nod. "I’m so sorry, Lucian… I wish I could go back and stop it," I whispered, my voice trembling as memories of Travis’s laughter and gentle reassurance haunted me. I recalled the last words he’d murmured before collapsing, "He loves you…" and the pain of his final smile, which seemed to promise that our love would never be in vain. I clutched that memory as tightly as I could, determined to honor his sacrifice.
Just then, a fellow soldier rushed past, his armor clanging, and said in a hushed tone, "Ma’am, the medics say there’s nothing we can do for Travis now." His words struck me like a physical blow, and I trembled with disbelief. "No," I cried out, voice rising in anguished protest. "There must be a way, please, someone help him!"