The Hunt for the Ghostkeeper

Chapter 27: Extrication

"Time to fly!" Hecata shouted.

"Hurry- to the balcony!" Rose shouted, helping Ariadne to her feet.

They were now sprinting at full speed, past Celestia's stragglers, towards the end of the courtyard. Hollingsworth swept her hand forward, shattering all the vestiges of broken glass away from the edge of the overlook. The survivors where they gazed into the beyond, where the sea had risen up far further than it was when they had first arrived. The Celeste truly was sinking.

"We're going to have to jump," Hollingsworth said, removing her thick white jacket.

"Are you insane?" Layla asked incredulously. "Why can't we DisAppear?"

"Celestia has cast curses that prevent us from performing supreme acts of intelligence. We have no choice."

"But-"

"Enough!" Jane spoke up. "The Chief is not mistaken. This is what defines soldiers. Bravery and courage are not bestowed to everyone, but take a leap of faith now, and you will all prove yourselves."

And with that, Jane jumped up on the ledge of the balcony, took a deep breath, and dove into the black sea with the flexibility and agility of a much younger woman.

"Follow her lead," Hollingsworth directed. "One by one."

The Vexors looked at each other. Rose hesitated. Should she be the one to step up? She was a Vexor now- did she want to prove herself as a true Zarrius like her grandmother predicted? Could she ever stop being that what she was born?

Layla stepped forward. She mounted the ledge as Jane had done, and gazed into the inky waters below her, the waves drawing ever so closer like the evil surrounding her. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath-

-Time to fly-

and dove.

She was falling, falling- she was airborne for far longer than she expected. Her fingertips hit the water, and soon her entire body was underwater. Every pore of her body was stretched farther and farther like a knife was cutting into every one. She tried to swim forward, but her body was too heavy. She removed her heavy snow pants and her coat as fast as she could, and swam up to the surface for she desperately needed oxygen-

She only brought her mouth above the sea and gasped for air. Re-energized, she unzipped her inner jacket and lifted her entire head into the open air. She looked forward and spotted the Scappatella anchored ahead. Through the pure water that was mixing with the salty waves surging from Hecata's canal, she waded in a perfect motion- she didn't care about anything, she no longer knew where she was, she just needed to save herself. She needed to reach that ship.

She tried to scream out, but her voice was gone. She reached out and pounded against the algae-infested wooden side of the ship. She screamed out, though her vocals were weakened with depression of strength.

Someone was coming for her. She did not know who it was. Her savior was climbing down on a rope, and grasped her out of the water with the vitality that she had lost. She was carried up and up, and over the side, and she fell onto the deck-

She was safe. She was on board. She was free.

"Are you alright?" a woman approached her, a woman with incredible autumn colored eyes.

Layla nodded, gasping for breath. Soon the other members of 707 joined her on the ship, along with Hollingsworth and Hecata. Behind them, the last of the Celeste sunk into the waters.

"Where are the Liebeauxs?" she sputtered. "Did everyone make it?"

"They are aboard the other ships of the fleet," Circire said. "Is everyone safe?"

"Yes, we all escaped, thank God," Hecata said. "Circire- did she really do it? Is Merciel reincarnated?"

As if in answer, Celestia's scream sounded across the estuary.