The Awakening

The Awakening
Gatrina's POV…

I woke up with a sharp gasp. For a few seconds, I had no idea where I was. The air smelled of smoke. My body felt heavy. Everything around me was blurry. Then I heard the crackling. I slowly turned my head. The wreck was still burning. Not with the same intensity as before, but flames continued to eat away at the remains of the laboratory while thick smoke climbed into the night sky.

I tried to move. Pain immediately traveled through my body.

"Easy."

I turned. Amara was sitting beside me. She was awake, but barely. Her hands were trembling, and every few seconds, she shook her head as though trying to clear it.

"You okay?" I whispered.

She nodded. "Still feeling the sedatives."

I looked to my other side. Trix was there. She looked exhausted. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

I didn't answer. I looked past her. Something was lying on the ground. About three yards away. A body. Covered with a tarp. My heart stopped. I remembered. The attack. Feran. Morgan.

I tried to stand. My legs gave out immediately. Trix reached for me. "Gatrina—"

"Don't." I pushed her hand away.

She stopped. I crawled forward. Then I forced myself onto my feet and stumbled toward the body. Every step felt impossible. But I kept moving. I reached the tarp. My hands trembled as I grabbed the edge. I pulled it away. Morgan.

Her face was pale. Lifeless.

"No." I dropped beside her. "No, no, no..."

I touched her cheek. She was already cold. "Wake up. Morgan, please."

I shook her shoulder. "Wake up."

My vision blurred. Tears streamed down my face. "You can't leave me." My voice cracked. "Not now."

I looked down at the pendant around my neck. The Legacy Bond. The power that had saved us. The power that had given us strength. I tore it from my neck.

"Please." I placed it around Morgan's neck. "Please work."

I waited. Nothing happened. The pendant remained dark. I touched it. "Come on."

Nothing happened. I pressed my forehead against Morgan's. "Please, Yahweh… Please bring her back."

I began crying harder. All the strength I'd been holding inside finally disappeared. I clung to my sister and sobbed. I had lost so much already. Our home. Our freedom. Our family. And now Morgan. The woman who had stood beside me through everything. The woman who had shared the womb with me. The woman who had prayed with me. Gone.

I couldn't accept it. I couldn't. Behind me, I heard Amara breathing shakily. Trix remained silent. Eventually, I felt her step closer. She knelt beside me. "Gatrina..."

I didn't look at her.

"I'm sorry."

I wiped my face. Trix took a breath. "I know this isn't the time. This isn’t over yet, so I have to go back."

I stared at Morgan. "Why?"

"Because Feran has Abigail."

My fingers tightened around Morgan's hand.

"And if he has her, it won't be long before the Keepers get what they need."

Amara finally looked up. "What are you going to do?"

Trix hesitated. Then she said it. "Stop them."

"How?"

She looked at us. "There is only one way."

I already knew I wouldn't like the answer.

"Abigail has to be destroyed."

I remained silent. Amara stared at her. "What? You’re gonna kill the kid?"

"I have to. I created a pathogen. It will shut down Abigail's cells completely. If I can administer it before the Keepers extract what they need, they won't be able to use her DNA."

Amara looked horrified. "You made something to kill her?"

"Something to stop her."

"That's the same thing."

Trix didn't argue. She simply looked at me. I couldn't look back. My sister was dead in my arms. Abigail was gone. Feran was coming for all of us. I didn't have the strength to argue about anything anymore. Trix stood. "You two need to find somewhere safe."

I said nothing.

"I'll come back if I can."

Then she disappeared. Invisible. Gone. I stayed beside Morgan. Holding her hand. Crying.

.

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Gary's POV…

Pain. That was the first thing I felt. Not sharp pain. Not the kind that came from a wound. Something deeper. Something everywhere. And nowhere. I opened my eyes. Everything was dark.

I tried moving my arms. The chains tightened. Electricity crawled through my body. I looked down. I was suspended horizontally. Shirtless. Only black pants covering me.

Electrically charged chains held my wrists and ankles, keeping me several feet above the ground. I had been in the palace cells before. But never this. I took a slow breath. I couldn’t slip into a panic. Panic was useless. My training kicked in. Observe. Understand. Find the weakness. Escape.

The door opened. I looked toward it. Feran walked inside. The Emperor approached until he was standing directly in front of me. I was horizontal. He was standing vertically. For several seconds, neither of us spoke. Then he smiled. "You've become quite the legend, Gary."

I said nothing.

"My soldiers talk about you. They say the Killer is real and many of them fear you, and rightly so."

He walked slowly around me. "They say you killed three generals during the battle at Ibasa."

I kept my eyes away from him.

"Their reports also say that you were the one who killed my queen. Veyra. My wife. Not to mention that one time you snuck into the palace, and then you poisoned me."

I remembered it. The fight. The venom. How close Feran had come to dying. He continued. "You nearly killed me. And somehow, after all of that, you managed to turn my children against me."

He laughed softly. "You stole the final ingredient from the Keepers. You escaped my palace. You infiltrated my mountain. And now you're here."

I stared at the wall.

"Look at me."

I didn't. Feran waited. Then he raised one hand. The chains suddenly lit up. Electricity exploded through my body. My muscles seized. For about five seconds, the pain became unbearable. I clenched my teeth. I refused to scream. Then it stopped. My body continued trembling. Feran lowered his hand. "I said..."

He leaned closer. "...look at me when I speak."

I slowly raised my eyes. Feran smiled. There was satisfaction in his expression.

He stepped closer until his face was only inches from mine. "That’s better! You and I have unfinished business."

I stared back at him. He smiled wider. "Welcome to the party once more, Killer."