Chapter 102 Chapter 101: Aaron

Chapter 102 Chapter 101: Aaron
We slammed down hard, pain shooting through my body, but it barely registered; all I could sense was the frantic energy coming off Declan. With bear-like strength, he fought back, channeling his uncontained fury into each blow he aimed at me. 
"Declan!" I grunted, dodging and weaving, doing everything I could not to hurt him. "This isn't who you are!"
With each clash of our bodies, the aftermath of loss spread like poison, filling the air thick with despair. I could almost feel it building—a storm of emotions. I wanted to believe I could reach him and pull him out of this endless cycle of self-hate and sorrow.
"I didn't even want power! I just wanted love!" he howled, and as the desperation escaped his lips, the rage faltered, leaving only heartbreak—a beating heart beneath anguish and betrayal.
"I know," I murmured, locking eyes with him amid the chaos, embracing my turmoil as I tried to hold onto that flicker of humanity still within him. "But hurting yourself won't bring her back. You have to fight—fight for yourself!" 
This fight, this wild wrangling jagged with pain and loss, felt surreal. Pain danced on the edges of my consciousness as the sea wailed in furious rejection of our presence. The thought of my group, lost and alone, hung like an anchor in the back of my mind.
But behind the rawness of Declan's rage, I could sense that spark fading, struggling to breathe under the weight of grief. As I caught a moment of respite, I pushed forward, wrapping my arms around him, grounding him with my presence, letting him know he wasn't alone.
"Let's get through this together," I whispered fiercely, feeling the tension ripple between us. "Let's fight whatever this is. For Mara, for Winter, for each other." 
My words seemed to trigger him again, and that frenzied rage surged back into wild chaos. "Don't you dare speak her name, along with that filthy witch!" he roared, and his hold turned into an iron grip, trapping me.
The fear and fury surged through me as I faced Declan. The way he roared, the sheer rage twisting into an animalistic growl—this was my brother, not some wild beast. But with every bone-crushing strike, I knew I was fighting against a tide of darkness, an abyss that threatened to swallow him whole. 
"Declan!" I shouted again, my voice filled with desperation. "You have to listen to me! This isn't you!"
"Shut up!" he roared, his nails transforming into sharp claws that gleamed in the fading light. They sliced through my clothing, a knife's edge threatening to tear me apart. Each slash came too close for comfort, and I had to pull away, ducking and weaving like a boxer in the ring—even though we weren't fighting for a title; we were fighting for his very soul. 
My heart pounded in my chest like a war drum, urging me to fight back, but I couldn't bring myself to hurt him. He might be consumed by rage, but beneath it all, I felt the brother I loved was trapped, screaming to be let out. If there was still a chance for him to break free, I had to keep going.
His movement was vicious and primal. I saw the raw power flowing through him, with huge muscles coiling like springs, ready to pounce like a predator. When he charged, I barely managed to dodge, my feet slipping on the wet, rocky ground. We collided hard, the impacts vibrating through my bones, reminding me that I was only human and he seemed like a nightmare creature.
But I wouldn't let him bring me down. I deflected his blows, aiming to subdue rather than harm. Still, it felt more like playing tag with a tornado; he wasn't just angry, he was lost. Darkness wrapped around him, like a cloak choking the light from his eyes. 
"You think you can save me?" he spat, his breath hot with anger. "You're as much a part of this mess as I am!"
His next strike knocked me back, and I stumbled against the jagged rocks. Pain shot through me, but I pushed it aside; I couldn't show weakness. I had to convince him that fighting didn't have to be the answer. 
"Declan, stop! This anger won't bring her back!" I managed to say between gasps, trying to find any shred of common ground. But words seemed to fall like pebbles in a canyon—echoing but never reaching him.
In a heartbeat, he surged forward again, claws aimed directly at my throat. I managed to block him, but in the struggle, I suddenly found myself caught in his grip—his hands tightening around my neck. The world began to spin around me hazily, the edges of my vision narrowing as the darkness threatened to pull me under. I fought against it, trying to draw in any breath I could manage. 
"Declan!" I gasped, struggling to call out through my panic and pain. "You're stronger than this!"
His grip remained steady, while I felt the world slipping away, shadows creeping in and taking over my mind slowly. In the distance, I could hear a faint noise—a muffled sound, like someone screaming, but it was too far off to be clear. 
Then, suddenly, Winter burst out of a tunnel, her clothes torn and soaked. She looked at us, eyes wide with panic. When she saw the scene, her face twisted in horror, and before I could call out to her, she raised her hands, unleashing her powers.
"Declan! Get off him!" she shouted.
At that moment, the very air seemed to shift. The wave that had been heading for the rocks was redirected by her force, rushing toward us with a power that made my heart pound. The tide collided with Declan, smashing him against the rocky wall with bone-jarring impact. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
I gasped for air as Winter hurried to me, pulling me into her arms. I could barely see her through the haze of tears and fear. "Aaron! Are you okay?" 
"I... I'm fine," I stammered, gasping for breath, but my gaze was fixed on Declan, who lay sprawled on the ground. A thin line of blood trickled from beneath him, pooling on the rocks like a silent scream.
"No! Declan!" I yelled, rushing toward him with Winter by my side. Panic gripped my stomach as I knelt beside my brother. 
He looked so still, so broken. I shook him gently, desperately trying to make him wake. "Declan! Stay with me!" 
But before I could understand what was happening, Winter was crying, her fingers trembling as she applied pressure to a wound I hadn't noticed before. "It's my fault," she sobbed, tears mixing with the seawater that soaked her. "I didn't protect him; I didn't save him!"
"Don't say that!" I urged, struggling to hold back the rising tide of despair. "Declan, please! Just open your eyes!" 
He groaned softly, his eyelids fluttering open briefly. His gaze met mine, filled with pain and something deeply meaningful. "I'm sorry for everything, Aaron," he whispered, his voice barely audible against the distant rumble of the ocean.