My mind couldn't comprehend any of it, and yet, my heart knew. My soul knew my failure had killed those I loved.
I need to get help.
There had to be someone coming - anyone who could have overheard the commotion and sought to provide aid on our behalf. I wanted to believe that there was some sort of hope in this heartbreaking tragedy, but the longer I fought to move, the fuller the bucket of anguish became.
That's when the manic chuckling began. The creepy, chill-inducing sound of mockery reached my ears and forced me to acknowledge the presence of the last enemy.
I fell to my knees a second time, my legs quaking in weakness at the mere idea of me trying to get up a third time. I had no choice but to acknowledge the man that approached, and my sorrowful eyes landed on Elijah as he landed on the single spot on the platform that wasn’t blown to shambles.
He was only steps away from me, and yet he stood there with a taunting grin of pride. The sinister hate that boiled within this man's eyes was nothing like the Elijah from Year One.
There was not a hint of remorse in his eyes, which were filled with nothing but evil menace. The intense emotions that flooded out of him were a mixture of glee, elation, and the emotional component that made the perfect cocktail for revenge.
This sensation was nowhere new. It felt old in nature - ancient - as if he'd held this desire to destroy for centuries instead of a few semesters. I noticed the tattoos on his neck and the backs of his hands, which shook with impatience as he stared at me. The marks were a certain symbol that reminded me of a commitment to a cult of some kind.
This was the Elijah that had been the epitome of our troubles. This was the evil twin we'd still yet to completely prove existed.
This was the man who’d killed my friends.
He raised his hands up as if he were presenting something to a crowd.
"Surprise," he whispered with a cynical tone of happiness. "Did you enjoy your gift from Papa Dearest?"
That made my blood turn cold as my eyes widened at his comment. He merely laughed at my reaction and then sighed dramatically.
"Did you really think your dad would allow himself to be on death row and let you continue life as is?" He laughed at me like he'd told the best joke of the century. "Stupid. Pathetic. Wow. You really don't know how the mafia works, and you’re of his blood."
He shook his head and sighed yet again. "You think because you're at a school for magic users and future demigods that your father's past would never affect you? So sad that Witchling Academy doesn't prepare you for the dark reality of this world. You all thought you were immortal? Invincible? That you'd always be saved? Hah! That's not how life works!"
He gestured around at the chaos. "Can't you see? Or are you blind? Look at what you've done."
I bit my lip hard enough to bleed, but it was nothing to me. The pain was insignificant because the burden of my lack of abilities to protect those I love was the biggest stab in my heart.
"You see, I wasn't going to interfere," he admitted. "I was merely admiring the view from the depths of the forest, waiting to see what would come out of this. I knew your sword friend would have killed those gunners easily, not to mention what Brianne or Jax would do, but my opportunity came when you urged to take over with the protective barrier. You wanted to prove your presence and contribute to this battle that didn't need your aid to be successful. Had you just stayed back, things would have gone completely different. Bri would have surely figured out a way to save your other friend, and you'd all be alive."
I looked at him like he was joking, only for him to give me a sad smile.
"Do you believe I'd interfere when it's five against one? I'm too much of a coward for that, but you made it so easy. Shatter the protective barrier and boom. Bri and Jax shot. That swordsman, Kaito, was it, having to take the burden of killing those elite assassins and come save your ass. I knew you'd be an easy target with all these emotions taking over your mind. See, if you were really smart, you would have gotten that shit checked out rather than dismissing your struggles like a wimp." He clapped his hands then. "Now look at the consequences! Your team, your true, beloved friends, are dead!"
He spun around, appearing before me in a flash, and I felt the cold metal of a gun to my forehead. "Sadly, it's time for me to finish things off."
This couldn't be the end. I had to fight back, but my eyes merely lifted to see the delight in Elijah's orbs.
"You could have changed all of this, Connor. You carry a gift like the one the Shadow Kingdom is so fucking desperate to have, and yet you let your friends die."
My eyes further widened and he nodded his head in acknowledgment.
"Did you know your father has such an ability? To reverse shit and correct it? He told me when ordering me to finish you and the team off since he worried you'd use it. Instead, you allowed such a gift to go to waste. You had the ability to change all of this, like flipping an hourglass to give you a new reset, but this is your end."
He tsked and let out a long sigh. "Ironic, but what can I do? I'm a bad guy and I need you all dead for the sake of gaining my heart's desire, the ultimate throne of Witchling Academy. It won't take me long now that you're all out of the way: the school, your peers, the professors. They're all on a clock and it's ticking towards their approaching doom."
He took the safety off the gun as he gave me a final look.
"Farewell, Connor Giovani. Or should I say Zephyr?" His finger inched to pull the trigger. "Next time you come to the world, you'll acknowledge where you lack instead of being a fucking superhero."
I braced for the bullet that would end it all, my tears falling as I shut my eyes. I wouldn't give this man the satisfaction of being the last image I saw before death. He wasn't worthy of such a role.
My last moments would be spent remembering Brianne's appreciative smile, Jax's confident grin, Kaito's calm expression, and Finnick's contagious laughter. This ending would only lead to a new beginning elsewhere, and I could only pray we all met again.
Please Universe...let me be with my loved ones on the other side.
My hands burned then, which seemed to give me that peaceful comfort that my final prayer would be answered. I waited patiently, wishing Elijah would stop delaying this and pull the trigger, but nothing seemed to happen.
Deciding to open my eyes, I was surprised by the sight of two arrivals: Sebastian, who stood behind Elijah with a gun pressed against the back of his head, and a tall woman wearing a dark purple combat suit, accented by her silver boots with turquoise-teal highlights.
The woman was the one who got my attention. I took in her long silver locks that were layered with turquoise, gold, and white strands. They were styled down, and she wore a cape that sat upon her shoulders. Her arms were crossed.
She held a golden wand in her grasp, and the red tattoo with a magic circle in the middle glowed slightly on her chest, just above her cleavage. Her lips were ruby red, and her turquoise spheres were watching me with intrigued interest.
"You're..." I whispered but held my words as I looked at Elijah, who remained frozen in place. I soon realized that everything was completely frozen. No wind, no sound, just a void of complete stillness.
"Silver Spell Solange," she answered as if to dismiss my obvious shock before she turned her attention to Sebastian. "You're late."