Chapter 21 why?

(Pov: Paula)

It's been quite a while since my nephew left. Why is he taking so long? Could something have happened? No, no, I must be overthinking things.

Speaking of overthinking, I feel my face burn with embarrassment. What the hell did I do? I shouldn't have listened to Safira's advice, that sly woman.

Did he... notice? If he did, he must think I'm a vulgar woman, right? For sure, what kind of woman, even if married, would have interest in someone other than her own husband, even if mine is a despicable being.

"What am I doing? He already made it clear he didn't want anything." I murmured sadly, feeling a wave of despair wash over me. I'm deluding myself; my nephew doesn't want anything to do with me, which is the right thing. I'm the disgusting one for feeling this way. I... feel disgusted with myself. Why? Why did I have these feelings?

Suddenly, the entire apartment started to shake violently!

"What is this? An earthquake? Eugênio!" I jumped out of the chair and ran to open my apartment door, but I fell to the ground when another, even stronger tremor shook the building. What's happening?

I looked out the window and my eyes widened in pure horror. The sky was tinted a deep red, like blood, and the clouds were also stained, with scarlet droplets running down the window glass. My heart raced and a primal fear took hold of me. What's happening? Move, Paula!

"Eugênio, I'm coming!" I shouted, as I got up trembling and ran to the door to open it.

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(Pov: Safira )

I'm biting my nails, a habit I usually avoid, but the anxiety is consuming me. My eyes turn to the sky, tinged with an intense red, pulsing with a fury that seems to reflect my own. Why did this have to happen now? It could have been later, any other time, but right now!

"Ma'am, there's no way through," my driver informs, his voice laden with concern. I don't even need to look ahead to know what he's seeing: an endless line of stopped cars, the chaos caused by the tremors, and the apocalyptic sky.

"Alright, I'll fetch her myself," I respond with determination as I open the car door. I notice my driver is about to say something, perhaps a protest or a warning, but a look from me is enough to silence him. I get out of the car and slam the door forcefully. The irritation boils inside me, but now I have a clear goal: to save Paula. It's the only thing that matters at this moment before everything around us turns into a true hell.

The distance to Paula's apartment is considerable, but that doesn't stop me. I start running, each step propelled by adrenaline. I feel my heart pounding in my chest, but that's not all that drives me. With a powerful leap, I jump high into the air, almost as if I'm flying. The passersby below must be astonished, watching me with wide eyes. They don't know yet, but this is just the beginning. Many more incredible things are to come, and unfortunately, they won't be good.

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(POV: Paula)

My heart pounded in my chest, each beat a painful reminder of the chaos around me. I struggled to maintain my balance as the ground shook violently beneath my feet, turning each step into a monumental challenge. With tremendous effort, I finally managed to open the door to my apartment, only to be met with a corridor that looked like a nightmare scene. Neighbors screamed in despair, children cried, and panic spread like a wave, engulfing everything and everyone.

"I need to find Eugênio," I thought, desperately trying to stay calm amidst the whirlwind of emotions. I ran down the stairs, my feet occasionally stumbling on the uneven steps, but my determination to find my nephew and ensure his safety pushed me to keep going.

Each floor I descended felt like an eternity. My heart raced even more as I thought of Eugênio, who had gone out to buy candy. "I hope nothing has happened to him," I murmured, almost like a silent prayer.

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice shouting my name. "Paula!" It was Safira, running towards me with a look that mixed relief and urgency. How did she get here so quickly? It didn't matter now.

"Safira!" I shouted back, running to embrace her. The feeling of having her in my arms brought a glimpse of comfort amidst the chaos. I felt her body trembling slightly, something rare for someone as strong and fearless as her. Her strength as she squeezed me revealed the fear hidden in her eyes.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said, her voice firm but trembling. "Come on, we have to get out of here!" Safira grabbed my arm with a force that made me feel a momentary pang of pain.

"We have to find Eugênio," I insisted, the worry for my nephew eating away at every thought. "He must be nearby."

Safira gave me a look that made me uneasy, something dark and desperate that I had never seen in her before. "We have to get out of here, now!" she said, her voice laden with an almost desperate urgency. I had never seen her act like this, especially with me. Something was wrong.

"I'm not leaving Eugênio behind! I have to find him!" I shouted, trying to turn around, but I felt my hand being pulled forcefully.

"He's probably already dead!" Safira's words came out with bitter anger, her face twisted in an expression of despair and frustration. "Stop worrying about him and come with me!"

"D-don't say nonsense!" I shouted back, refusing to believe that Eugênio could be dead. He couldn't be. He had to live.

"Shut up and come with me now!" Safira shouted, her voice echoing down the corridor. Who was this woman in front of me? Why was she acting like this? I couldn't understand, but one thing was certain: I couldn't abandon Eugênio.

"Are you crazy?" I shouted, my voice trembling with anger and despair, echoing through the place. "Eugênio is alive! I know he is!"

Safira, with wide eyes and accelerated breathing, took a step forward, her presence almost suffocating. "Paula, you don't understand," she insisted, her voice laden with an almost insane urgency, as if time was running out. "This is much bigger than you imagine. We need to get out of here now!"

Something in the way she spoke, in the intensity of her gaze, made me even more suspicious. Her face was pale, her eyes shining with a mixture of fear and determination. Who was this woman in front of me? The Safira I knew would never act like this, never show such vulnerability. "Why are you doing this?" I asked, my voice almost a whisper, trembling with emotion. "Why are you acting like him?"

Safira's face contorted in an expression of pain and anger, as if my words were a sharp knife piercing her heart. "Don't compare, Paula. I'm trying to save you!" She grabbed my arm so tightly that I felt the pain radiate through my body, her fingers digging into my skin like claws. "Please, trust me."

But I couldn't. Not after everything my husband had put me through, all the pain and suffering he had inflicted. Every word of hers, every gesture, reminded me too much of him, and it paralyzed me with fear. The way Safira was acting, with that mix of desperation and urgency, was a disturbing echo of the past.

Before I could react, before I could process the whirlwind of emotions inside me, I felt a strong blow to my stomach. The pain was immediate and intense, making me double over in agony, the air escaping from my lungs in a muffled groan.

"Forgive me, Paula," I heard Safira murmur, her voice laden with remorse, the sound almost lost amidst my pain. But it was too late. The pain enveloped me like a wave, and my vision began to darken, black spots dancing at the edges of my field of vision. The last thing I saw were Safira's eyes, filled with tears and despair, with the red sky behind her, before everything went dark and the darkness completely enveloped me.

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(POV: Safira)

Every step I took with Paula in my arms made my heart ache in an almost unbearable way. She was as light as a feather, but the emotional burden I carried was overwhelming, a weight that seemed to double my shoulders and crush my soul. Paula was unconscious, and her limp body molded against mine as I ran through the chaotic and destroyed streets with superhuman speed. The pain in my heart increased with each beat. What have I done? This question echoed in my mind, an incessant torture.

"Forgive me, Paula," I whispered again, my voice broken by despair and guilt. As if the repetition could somehow alleviate the weight of what I had done. But deep down, I knew it couldn't. The scene of her expression of pain and despair was etched in my mind like an indelible mark. I had done the unthinkable, something I had promised myself I would never do. But the situation was desperate, and I saw no other way out. Every decision, every move, seemed to push me deeper into an abyss of guilt and regret.

I ran at a speed no one could match, dodging debris and stunned people with almost supernatural dexterity. The blood-red sky, tinged with shades of orange and purple, seemed to reflect the anger and torment burning within me. It was as if the universe itself was in fury, mirroring my inner turmoil. I had to get Paula away from danger, even if it meant hurting her temporarily. Each of her breaths was a cruel reminder of the price she was paying for my decisions.

"I am not like him," I murmured to myself, trying to convince myself as much as the universe. "I am not like that bastard." But Paula's words, her comparison to the man who had hurt her so much, echoed in my mind, making my blood boil with anger and pain. How could she think that of me? I, who had always been by her side, who always protected her? It was such a deep blow that it seemed to tear pieces of my own identity.

My anger also turned to Eugênio. That boy who had Paula's love in a way I could never have. He was just a nephew, but he occupied a place in her heart that I desired with every fiber of my being. He had her romantic love, something I never achieved, something I deeply envied. Every smile she gave him, every loving look, was like a knife stabbed in my chest. But now, none of that mattered. Eugênio could be dead, and honestly, I didn't care. The only thing that mattered was saving Paula.

"Why do you always choose others?" I murmured bitterly as I ran. "Why never me?" Tears streamed down my face. Each tear was a drop of pain, a physical expression of my broken heart. I was running not just to save Paula, but also to escape my own demons. I ran to escape the painful truth that, despite everything I did, I was never enough for her. And that reality, more than anything else, was the true weight I carried.

Adrenaline and fear guided my steps with overwhelming intensity as I carried Paula in my arms. Each beat of my heart seemed like a drum echoing in the void, a palpable mix of despair and determination. Around me, the chaos was deafening, like a tidal wave of uncontrolled sounds and movements, but my mind was focused on one thing: getting her out of here. No matter what it took, I would do it. Paula's pain was now my pain, and I couldn't allow her to suffer more than she had already suffered.

I reached my luxurious apartment quickly, almost without noticing the distance covered. With a powerful kick, I burst through the door, which opened with a crash. The maids who worked for me were there, their faces pale and marked by fear.

"Lady Safira, we need to leave this world now!" one of them exclaimed, her eyes wide with terror. Her voice trembled, laden with urgency and despair.

"I know," I replied, my voice firm but trembling. "Prepare everything." The maids moved quickly, like ants in a frenzy, beginning to gather the necessary items for our departure. However, one of the maids, an older and wiser woman, looked at Paula with disdain, her piercing gaze like an ice blade.

"She must not come with us," she said coldly, each word laden with disapproval and resentment.

My anger exploded like a volcano erupting. "Shut up!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the apartment walls like thunder. "She comes with us, and no one will discuss it."

The woman recoiled, frightened, and continued to prepare things in silence, her movements now more hurried and nervous. I approached Paula, who was still unconscious in my arms. The sight of her, so vulnerable and fragile, made my heart ache even more. Her hair was tangled, her pale skin contrasting with the darkness around us.

"Forgive me, Paula," I whispered again, as my fingers gently ran through her hair, trying to soothe her even in her unconscious state. "I never wanted to hurt you. I just want to save you." My words were a mix of confession and plea, laden with the weight of guilt and unrequited love.

With everything ready, we headed towards the blue portal that pulsed with mystical energy in the center of the room. The portal was our only way out, a passage to a place where we hoped to find safety. The blue light shone intensely, casting dancing shadows on the apartment walls.

I looked at Paula one last time, my heart heavy with guilt and unrequited love. Her breathing was soft, almost imperceptible, and I could feel her warmth against my chest. "I love you," I murmured, as I ran my fingers through her hair one last time. "I hope one day you can understand why I did this."

With a final sigh, I stepped towards the portal, carrying Paula with me. The blue light enveloped us, and for a brief moment, everything around us disappeared. The sensation was like being swallowed by an ocean of energy, where time and space ceased to exist.