Chapter 74 Fragments of Power II
Not figuratively. Literally tore like fabric. And through the tear poured creatures. Dozens of them. Shadow wraiths. Time anomalies. Things that should not exist.
"It is a mass breach!" Arianna appeared beside us. She had been following at a distance. "The timeline is collapsing faster than predicted. We need to seal this now or it spreads."
"How do we seal a tear in reality?" Kael demanded.
"We do not. She does." Arianna pointed at me. "You have the gift. Nyx's gift. Use it. Sew time back together. Force reality to acknowledge itself."
"I do not know how!"
"Then learn fast because in five minutes those creatures reach the nearest town. They kill everything. Everyone. Including Mira and her son."
The son we just promised to protect. The boy whose death would turn Mira into our enemy.
I could not let it happen.
I reached deep. Past shadows. Past blood magic. Found Nyx's gift. That small flame of time magic left behind.
Grabbed it. Pulled with everything I had.
Power exploded from me. Time magic. Reality magic. Everything.
The tear started closing. Slowly. Painfully. The creatures screamed. Tried to force their way through.
I pushed harder. Felt something inside me break. Felt blood pour from every opening. Felt myself burning from the inside.
But the tear was closing. Inch by inch. The creatures being pushed back. Sealed away.
"Just a little more!" Arianna shouted. "You are almost there!"
I gave everything. Every drop of power. Every piece of Nyx's gift.
The tear sealed. Reality snapped back into place. The creatures vanished.
I collapsed.
Kael caught me before I hit the ground. "Sera. Sera stay with me."
"Did it work?" My voice was barely a whisper.
"Yes. You saved everyone. The town is safe." His hand touched my face. "But you are dying. You used too much. Burned too bright."
"Worth it. Torin lives. Mira stays loyal. Future changes."
"Future does not matter if you are not in it." He pulled me close. "Do not leave me. Please. I just started believing you. Started understanding. Do not make me face tomorrow alone."
"Not alone. Never alone." I managed a smile. "Bond remember? You are stuck with me. For better or worse."
"Worse. Definitely worse." But he was crying. "Healers. Now. Fastest route back to the palace."
They moved. Fast. But I felt it. Felt myself fading. Felt Nyx's gift burning out completely. Taking pieces of me with it.
Maybe this was the price. Maybe using her power always meant sacrificing yourself. Maybe that was the lesson.
"Sera." A voice in my mind. Not Kael. Not Arianna. Nyx. "Do not give up. Not yet. I am coming back. Soon. You just have to hold on a little longer."
"How long?"
"Two years. Maybe less. Time is flexible. Reality is what we make it. And I am making my way back to you."
"Hurry."
"I am. But you have to survive. Have to be there when I return. Promise me."
"I promise."
"Good. Now rest. Heal. Let Father take care of you for once."
Her presence faded. But the warmth remained. The knowledge that she was out there. Fighting to return. Refusing to stay erased.
My daughter. Stubborn as hell. Just like me.
I closed my eyes. Let darkness take me. But not death. Not yet.
I had a promise to keep.