YP – B3: QtnoWLM – Chapter 22 (Chapter 119)

177 Days Until Confrontation And the Uncertain End (part 3)

Zeydar looked at Kony who sat with wide eyes and his knees curled to his chest. He was panicked, in breath and in his eyes. The poor boy looked like he had seen something worse than death, and it made Zeydar worried for what was in the room. However, at the moment his focus was on Kony. The boy reminded Zeydar of the reflections he had seen after the fall of Arcadia. Kony was Zeydar’s first priority.

“It’s not okay.” Kony grabbed Zeydar’s hand, digging his finger nails into Zeydar’s palms. Zeydar was afraid Kony would draw his own blood. “It’s not. We have to save them.”

Save them? Zeydar looked up to Kim who watched the hallway paler than he thought she should be. He heard Evester and Heia speaking from inside the room. Pulling his hand from Kony’s hand he turned to the door once more. He knew, that in the moment that he should help Kony, help Kony be okay. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that if he did not address the room, Kony would not be helped.

“Be careful.” Kim warned Zeydar as Zeydar stood and moved to enter after Evester and Heia.

Unsure, Zeydar stepped inside to find a massive hall of tables and chambers. In some of the glass chambers — cylinders, cubes, shapes of all sorts — there were bodies floating. In some cases they were multiple bodies being combined together. In others, it was parts of a body, or a single limb. There were masses of monsters lying on the tables. In part and full. Aralax and human, separate. Humans combined, Aralax combined, Aralax and humans combined.  There were bodies dissected, others that were being tested on. 

“We didn’t create them.” Zeydar stepped forward. “Right?” The fear came from somewhere he didn’t want to admit. Had the Stars created the Aralax that killed so many? Had the humans created their own worst enemy? Could they have been so depraved as to create the very monsters that were set to destroy them?

However, it wouldn’t have surprised Zeydar. The Superiors were corrupt. They had destroyed Towers. They had decided to kill everyone in the world, for their own sake. The Superiors were perhaps the only group that could do such a thing, but if they had, who else knew?

“No.” Evester’s voice was hoarse. “No. We didn’t.” But there was little support to Zeydar that what he said was certain.

Zeydar’s eyes scanned over the bodies feeling about as ill as he usually did. In that moment he wanted nothing more than to take more Sweet Dreams to erase all that he saw from his mind forever. How would he help Kony when he couldn’t save these people? How could he make sure another person did not get destroyed like he had been.

Closing his eyes, he recognized the magic then. It swarmed the room chaotically, broken, hurting. It stung his skin and cried for him too. Trying to soothe it, he pulled at it hearing glass shatter. It was then that he understood, perhaps, the one way he could “save” anything. Centering himself, he readied his mind for what he would have to do. One breath out, he pulled more.

“What are you doing?” Heia snapped at him.

Eyes open, Zeydar looked to his mess, feeling the tension welling inside of him. “The magic is a mess.”

“Why?” Evester asked.

“I’m not sure.” He’d never had to deal with it before. Bodies twitched and spasmed. Others cried out in agony and with all his power, Zeydar tried to set the balance right, when screams erupted in the room coming from the chimeras that were alive. For a moment the screams reminded Zeydar of Arcadia. However, they too were different. There was agony, but there was also relief. And the magic was becoming right. “But I have to do this. Go.” Zeydar held out his hand. “You won’t want to watch this. We have to destroy this place.”

“I’m watching.” Heia did not move. “If you are certain this is what needs to be done.” If he was sure there was no way to save them.

“Just do it.” Evester spoke with a little voice.

Summoning all the magic in him, Zeydar pointed his staff out freezing the entire room in spikes destroying what was left of the chimeras and bodies silencing their screams. Hand shaking, he lowered his staff. Heia grabbed his hands as they dove into his pocket.

“They had to die.” Heia spoke to him keeping him from pulling out the box. “Focus on me and right now.”

“Heia I need it.” 

“I’ll be the one to decide that.” She answered taking the box from him and stepping back. “This is not the answer. Not now. Not when we need you here with us. It is not your fault these people died. It is the fault of the Circles who did this to them.”

And Stars, Zeydar wanted to add but did not. She did not need to hate his people more.

“Set this place ablaze?” She asked of him and he felt the magic swirling around him, chaotic still and need of release.

“Run.” Zeydar agreed. 

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