A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 133 | A Dance Of Death

Eko's fingers clutched the grass beneath her as she drew in deep breaths. The surroundings became a cacophony of piercing white noise, drowning out all other sounds. Abruptly, strong arms encircled her waist, lifting and propelling her forward. Amidst the tumult, distant screams reached her ears.

"RUN!" Toni's urgent command broke through the disorienting chaos. Soot and debris roughened the texture against Eko's skin, remnants of the implosion caused by Madison. Blood streamed down the side of her face, mirroring Toni's disheveled appearance. Together, they surveyed the pandemonium.

As her blurry vision gradually cleared, Eko discerned figures scattering in every direction. Fire raged, casting an eerie glow against the night sky. The ferris wheel stood ablaze, its skeletal structure outlined by billowing smoke as ash gently descended around them.

"M-Maddy?" Eko croaked, still being pulled along by Toni's urgent grasp.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S DONE, BUT XERO IS HERE!" Toni's voice cut through the noise, his panic evident in the face of the unfolding chaos.

As they navigated through the crowds of civilians and soldiers, they witnessed the desperate battles between soldiers and the marauding monsters and youmas. The youmas, in particular, seemed to be overpowering the defenders, creating a scene of overwhelming chaos and danger.

Eko gasped for air, the pain in her chest suggesting a possible collapsed lung from the blast. Her vision slowly sharpened, and she locked eyes with Toni, his figure covered in dirt and grime. Raising his hand, Toni unleashed a blast of energy, repelling the monsters advancing toward them.

"Wh-where's Mad's?" Eko managed to ask, her gaze darting across the chaotic battlefield as the monsters fell, writhing in pain.

"I saw Matthew go after her," Toni replied tersely. "He wanted me to get you." With that, he pushed Eko into a small clearing, the smoke and haze thickening around them.

Catching her breath, Eko stepped away from Toni, tears welling up as she surveyed the devastation caused by Madison. She ran her hands through her hair, the chaos and screams intensifying around them. She turned to Toni, who stared back with intense anger.

"She is gone the moment we have this sorted," Toni hissed. "And if she gets anyone hurt or killed, that's on you!"

"I know," Eko acknowledged, her voice heavy with guilt. With a snap of her hand, she conjured her catania staff.

"You right to fight?" Toni asked, his teeth gritted, recognizing there was no time for further discussion. He watched as she spat out the blood pooling in her mouth.

"Not even close," she replied, shaking her head. The pandemonium around them escalated, with monsters rampaging and massacring everyone in sight.

"We need to go; Xero will be here for us." Toni tapped his wrist, his disguise taking over as he transformed into his warrior form. "This is our chance to end him."

Eko nodded, following Toni's lead. She tapped her wrist, and her transformation began, turning her into Snow.

She felt far from okay, and the consequences for this chaos would be severe. Hell would be paid, and Eko knew she had a heavy debt to settle.

***** ****

"JASMINE, THE STUDENTS! GET THE OTHER SOLDIERS!" Richie bellowed across the field, his gaze scanning the area as Mya dashed off to locate Mackenzie and Sawyer, who had disappeared moments earlier.

Their elite soldiers were dispersed throughout the chaos. In the midst of the turmoil, it was impossible for Richie to distinguish between the blood and dirt, making it difficult to identify who was a soldier and who was a civilian.