Death

Sylvin

Her screams still echoed in my ears. I had stood over her, watching as Luna injected the power enhancer into her bloodstream, her body writhing beneath me as the serum worked its way through her veins. Audra had cried, screamed, begged, but we hadn't stopped. Because if this worked, it would unlock something inside of her. Something immense. And that was exactly what terrified me. I had known, even then, that if the enhancer worked, it would amplify her abilities beyond her control. She would be too unstable, too dangerous. She would need to be watched, restrained if necessary. So I had asked Luna—should we keep her in the lab for observation? She had dismissed me. Said it wasn't necessary. That Audra could handle it. I wish we had kept her in the lab. Now, standing outside Acheron's bedroom, I heard the shattering of glass and a rush of movement from within. My entire body tensed. Was she trying to escape? I had expected her to attempt something eventually, though she hadn't before now. Probably because of the drugs—the ones meant to keep her docile, numb, compliant. They worked too well. Each time I had seen a flicker of emotion cross her face, it had disappeared just as quickly. But today, she had felt something, and today, for the first time, I had felt something for her. The sound of something being ripped from the wall snapped me out of my thoughts. Shit. I grabbed the bathroom door handle and pulled. Locked. Damn it. We had been trying to allow her more privacy, but now I regretted it. Without hesitation, I slammed my shoulder into the door. Wood splintered as it gave way, the force of my movement propelling me inside— My eyes frantically scanned the room, she was gone. I rushed forward, my eyes scanning wildly. The floor was slick with her blood, deep crimson against the pale tile. A gust of wind sent shards of glass skittering across the floor. Then my gaze locked onto the broken window, and my breath caught in my throat. I looked down. And there she was. A twisted, broken form sprawled out on the cold earth below, her limbs bent in unnatural angles. A dark pool of blood spread outward like a shadow, thick and unforgiving.

Shit, shit, shit—

I clamped a hand over my mouth, horror gripping me in a vice. My fingers fumbled desperately in my pocket as I yanked out my phone, my hands shaking so badly I nearly dropped it. I dialed Acheron. The phone rung agonizingly slow before he answered, voice sharp with irritation. "What is it, Sylvin?" His voice hissed, echoing through the speaker. "Sir, we have a problem," I gasped, already sprinting toward the stairwell. "Luna's experiment worked—her power exploded." Acheron sounded unimpressed. "That's good, then. So how can there be a problem?" He said sounding board, as if he knew the experiment would be a success. I rolled my eyes, my footsteps echoing loudly as they pounded on the cold concrete of the stairs. "Listen to me!" I snapped. "Her power exploded through the bathroom window. When I got inside, there was blood everywhere, and—" I swallowed thickly, my throat dry as bone. "She fell."

Silence.

The only sounds were my pounding footsteps as I tore down four flights of stairs, my lungs burning with each breath. Acheron's voice, cold and skeptical, cut through the static. "What do you mean, she fell?" I rolled my eyes again. "I mean, she went splat on the ground! From a four-story window!" I yelled, my voice breaking. I hit the bottom of the stairwell and bolted through the halls, shoving past anyone in my way until I reached the front door. As soon as I stepped outside, I saw her. A limp, broken form. My stomach lurched. "Oh God, oh God, oh God," I choked out, rushing toward her. Please. Please don't be dead. Luna rounded the corner shortly after Acheron and I hung up, at a run, two men following closely behind with a stretcher. "Move! Move! She needs immediate attention!" one of them barked. Luna skidded to a stop beside Audra, her sharp eyes scanning the carnage. Slowly, she crouched down, inspecting the damage. Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Oh dear," she murmured, scratching her chin. "This doesn't look good at all." I backed away, unable to breathe as Luna carefully turned Audra over. Huge shards of glass jutted out of her skull. Blood—thick, deep red—dripped from her hair, pooling beneath her. She may have been dead before she even hit the ground. Luna inhaled sharply. "Come on, boys, we don't have much time," she commanded. The men set the stretcher down and rolled her onto it as gently as possible, but there was no disguising the dead weight of her body. Acheron stood a few feet away, watching with dark, narrowed eyes. "Is she going to be okay?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Luna looked up, her expression unreadable. "I'm not sure." She glanced back at Audra, studying the damage. "She has significant head trauma. Falling from that height... she would have been lucky to die before she hit the ground." Her words chilled me. Because it meant that if she hadn't died instantly, she was in unimaginable pain. Luna hurriedly gestured for the men to move, and they rushed Audra toward the lab. "What happened?" Acheron demanded, his voice low and dangerous. I recounted everything—how the experiment worked, how I had suggested keeping her in the lab, how Luna had insisted she would be fine. How I hadn't been able to get into the bathroom fast enough because of the damn locked door. His jaw tightened. His teeth ground together. We followed them to the lab, where Luna immediately set to work. I stood there, frozen, as she removed each shard of glass from Audra's body. A healer was called in, their magic the only thing that could possibly save her now. They filled a tub with enchanted water, spelled with intent to heal and revive. Luna submerged her head, pouring the water over her face again and again, the liquid swirling crimson as it mixed with her blood. The healer chanted over her, pressing a bitter concoction between her lips. We all held our breath. Waiting. And waiting. Nothing. The room was silent. The heart monitor that had been placed on her earlier remained flatlined. Luna exhaled, shaking her head. "She's gone." The words hit like a blade to the chest. "What?!" Acheron's voice was sharp with fury. "She can't be! Power like that only happens once in a millennia! I order you to fix her!" The healer exchanged a wary look with Luna. She pursed her lips and sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I guess it's worth a try… but that doesn't typically help in cases like this." The healer nodded grimly. "At least then, you can say you tried everything." She said softly, her gaze lingered on Audra's body. Luna rolled her eyes. "Fine." She turned to one of the men. "Bring me her mother. Now. And make it quick. We have less than 18 hours before it's too late." Luna starts prepping the OR. I come up to her, "Luna what are you going to do?" I ask curious on how Luna might save her. "It's a ritual called Blood-bound Reanimation. It's a risky procedure involving her blood relative. If it works though, she could be saved." She explains. Five hours later, a frail, unconscious woman was wheeled into the lab. Only 13 hours left. I swallowed hard. "You're not… you're not going to kill her mother, are you?" Luna gave me a sad, knowing smile. "As with any surgery, death is a possibility," she said simply. "But I'll do my best. Because that's what Audra needs—fresh, healthy blood from her mother." She turned to her assistants. "Prep for surgery. This is going to be a long one."