Aftermath

The air was thick with the hum of urgency, a swarm of police and Apostle members surrounding the shattered site of the explosion. Some were combing through the debris, looking for any sign of casualties. Others stood back, their faces grim, watching as people from nearby cities arrived—some to witness the devastation, others desperate to find family, friends, lovers.

A black car screeched to a halt. The door flung open, and a woman, breath ragged, stumbled out, her heels digging into the dirt as she ran toward the chaos. The officers blocking the path moved quickly to stop her, hands raised, voices firm but soft.

"Please, let me go!" She cried, her voice breaking, "My daughters—my daughters are there!"

"Ma'am, we understand your pain. We're doing everything we can. Please, cooperate. We're still looking for the source of the explosives," one officer said, his tone steady, trying to calm the rising panic in her eyes. "It's best not to go any further."

Kiaan and Kyros appeared at the edge of the crowd, moving swiftly toward the scene. The officer's gaze snapped to them as they approached.

"We're still searching for the source," an officer responded to their unspoken question.

"And the casualties?" Kyros asked, his breath quick, eyes darting between the officers and the wreckage.

"Thanks to Miss Meryt, everyone who was near the blast site was teleported to Luminous Harbour. They're safe."

Teleported? That far? All of them? The thought hit Kiaan like a cold wave, and his mind spun with questions.

Kyros exhaled sharply, the weight of it all settling over him, before the woman's frantic voice broke through.

"Are you an officer?" She clutched Kyros's shoulder, her fingers trembling with urgency, her face twisted in terror. "Please, help me. My daughters—they're still there!"

Kyros's gaze softened, but his voice remained firm. "Have you checked the list? The one with the names of those who are safe?"

The woman nodded, her eyes desperate, her voice shaking as she answered, "Yes… but my daughters weren't there. Their names… they're not there." She gripped her shirt, her knuckles white with the strain. "They aren't answering their phones. Please… please save them."

Kiaan stepped forward, his hands gently resting on her shoulders as he spoke, "Ma'am, please calm down—"

But before he could finish, Kyros's voice cut in, sharp and urgent. "What are their names?"

Her lips parted between sobs, the words almost getting caught in her throat. "Kaia and Th—"

Before she could speak the last syllable, Kyros was already moving, rushing toward the rubble, his heart pounding in his chest. The officer's yells to stop him were drowned out by the roaring in his ears. The seconds felt like hours, the weight of the woman's plea hanging heavy in the air.

Then, just as suddenly, he stopped. His body froze. His breath caught in his throat.

Two figures appeared through the dust. He recognized them immediately—Kaia and Yona. His heart twisted painfully, his chest tightening with dread.

Kaia was carrying Thalia.

Kyros's world shifted, the air around him growing cold and thick. Thalia, lifeless, draped in her sister's arms. Kaia's face was a mirror of the emptiness inside him—dark, disheartened, and trembling.

No… no, this couldn't be real.

Kyros's knees buckled, but he forced himself to stay upright, staring at Thalia's pale, unmoving form. He reached out instinctively, his hands trembling as they took her from Kaia's arms.

"Thalia?" His voice cracked, the word slipping from his lips as if it didn't belong to him anymore. His heart thudded painfully against his ribs.

Kaia didn't speak. Her eyes, hollow with grief, met his, a silent understanding passing between them. There was no hope in her gaze, no spark to cling to. It was as if the light had been drained from her entirely.

Kyros turned away, cradling Thalia's lifeless form as he moved through the wreckage, every step heavier than the last.

Behind him, Kiaan stepped toward the mother, whose sobs were tearing through the air. His heart clenched, but he couldn't bring himself to speak, not yet. The guilt twisted in his chest, tighter and tighter, as he watched her slowly crumble under the weight of the truth.

The woman's eyes, blurry with tears, tracked the ambulance as it slowly drove away. Her hands went to her mouth as her breath hitched. "Thalia!" she screamed, her voice raw with anguish, and she dashed forward, desperate to reach the vehicle, but the officers were already holding her back.

Kiaan stood still, the world around him muffled by the grief in his chest. Something inside him screamed that he could have done something, anything, to prevent this. But all he felt now was the crushing weight of helplessness. 

A soft pat on his head broke his thoughts. He turned to see Kyros, his face unreadable, not meeting his gaze. "It wasn't your fault," Kyros said quietly, his voice distant as he turned away, following the ambulance.

Kiaan wanted to argue, but the words died in his throat. Instead, he stood there, the quiet of the aftermath pressing in on him.

Kaia was standing at the edge of the wreckage, her gaze fixed on the ambulance as it disappeared down the road. Her body was still, her head slowly following its path. Yona stood behind her, mouth open as if she wanted to say something, but no words came.

"I need to be alone," Kaia's voice was hollow, barely a whisper. Without turning, she walked away, disappearing into the distance, leaving nothing but the echo of her pain behind.

Yona watched her leave, her expression unreadable, as if she didn't know whether to follow or give her space. In the end, she did nothing, her eyes tracing Kaia's retreating figure until it vanished from sight.

***

The woman sat hunched over on the bench, her body wracked with sobs. Her tears flowed endlessly, her grief raw and relentless. The world around her blurred, her chest heaving with each shuddering breath. She didn't notice the quiet approach of Kyros, until a gentle hand landed on her shoulder.

She flinched at the touch but didn't look up. The sobs continued, unabated. Kyros, his expression unreadable, slowly began rubbing her back, the motion soft, slow, almost as if he could ease the pain just a little.

"Kaia... where is she?" The woman's voice was barely a whisper, thick with grief as she spoke.

"She's safe. She knows about her sister," Kyros replied, his voice steady, though it trembled at the edges.

The woman's hand trembled as she wiped her face, trying to stem the flow of tears. Her shoulders quaked with the weight of her emotions. She looked down at the ground, unable to meet his eyes.

"Son... I…" Her voice cracked, and for a moment, she seemed to lose her words, as if the grief had stolen them. "Were you Thalia's friend?" she asked, her voice breaking.

Kyros's throat tightened at the word son. It hit him harder than he expected. He swallowed, looking away for a moment to steady himself, but then he answered, no hesitation, no shame.

"I'm sorry…" he began, his voice fragile. "She was a good friend—no, I loved her." The words tasted bittersweet on his tongue, but they were true. "I can understand your loss…"

The woman's tears intensified. She clung to his shirt, her cries growing louder as she buried her face against him. Kyros closed his eyes, the pain in her embrace sharp and searing. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a gentle hug, burying his head on her trembling shoulder.

"I'm sorry..." Kyros's voice cracked, barely a whisper. "I couldn't save her."

The woman's sobs grew even more uncontrollable, her grief consuming her. There was nothing left to say. The weight of the moment, of the loss, hung heavy between them, a shared burden that neither of them could escape.

A voice broke the silence, raw and desperate.

"Liora?" The man's voice was strained as he rushed forward. His steps faltered as he knelt beside the woman, his face pale with worry. "I just got the news… What happened? Is Kaia alright? Are you… Are you okay?" He asked, his words tumbling over one another, desperate to find some piece of hope.

The woman didn't respond. She was lost in her grief, in the moment of raw, unfathomable loss. Kyros looked at the man and then back to the woman, his expression unreadable.

"Leave her some time," Kyros said softly, his voice firm but gentle.

The man hesitated, his eyes darting between them, then he sighed, his shoulders sagging with the weight of the situation. "You're a friend of hers?" The man's eyes softened with a hint of concern, though his tone was more practical. "You should go home. Your parents will be worried. It's getting late." He patted Kyros gently on the back, as if offering comfort, but it felt hollow. "I'll take care of her. I'll be back with the hospital paperwork."

Kyros stared blankly at the floor, the words barely registering. "I'm fine," he replied quietly, his voice distant. "I don't need to go back."

The man gave a short nod, his expression unreadable. "Do as you like, young man." With a final pat on Kyros's back, the man stood up and walked away, leaving Kyros alone with the woman, her sobs still filling the air.

Kyros didn't move. He stayed there, the weight of everything pressing on his chest, as the woman's grief wrapped around them both like an unbreakable chain. The world outside seemed so far away.