The Garden of Eden (Silent Moments Series: Book 5)

Chapter 24

Bellamy, undeterred, pressed on. "Kegan, remember how you once tried to force the flame on Luna? You were even willing to bear it yourself to avert a war over this bunker. How is this any different?"

"Madi's a child, Bellamy. That's the difference," I argued vehemently. "The Grounders' beliefs in the flame don't outweigh her safety. It's not the same."

Bellamy's voice was firm, betraying his conviction. "Madi will be protected. Gaia and I—"

I cut him off, my fear for Madi's safety fueling my words. "And what about when Octavia wakes up? What then?"

Bellamy's correction was almost a whisper. "If she wakes up. We'll be in the valley by then. She'll see the peace with her own eyes, she'll understand. I know it."

Refusing to accept his rationale, I stood my ground. "No, Bellamy. Unchain me now. We need to get out of here."

He approached closer, his eyes reflecting a mix of sorrow and inevitability. "Kegan, I'm sorry. This is happening. For Echo, Raven, Murphy, Emori – they're my family too."

As I strained against my chains, disbelief and betrayal coursed through me. "Don't, Bellamy!" I pleaded, my voice raw with emotion.

Ignoring my pleas, Bellamy called for the guard, sealing the fate of his plan. "Guard!"

"You promised to protect her!" I yelled, the chains clinking as I fought against them, desperation taking hold. "You said you'd keep her safe!"

My shouts turned to screams as Bellamy exited the cell, leaving me to grapple with the reality of his decision. "No! Bellamy! Wait!" But it was in vain; he was gone.

Alone in my cell, the echoes of my cries fading into silence, I was haunted by the implications of Bellamy's decision. Madi, so young and unsuspecting, was about to be thrust into a world of immense burden and danger. The helplessness of my situation, bound and unable to protect her, was a torment unlike any I had ever experienced. Bellamy's promise, now broken, left me grappling with a profound sense of loss and a deepening fear for what lay ahead for Madi.

***

The sudden buzz of the cell door jolted me from my daze of introspection. I had been lying on the unforgiving concrete floor, each minute stretching endlessly, filled with a turmoil of thoughts and emotions. Slowly, I pushed myself up, feeling the stiffness in my limbs and the coldness of the floor seeping into my bones. As I sat up, the raw, aching pain in my wrists became acutely apparent. The handcuffs, tightly clasped around them, had chafed the skin to the point of bleeding. The sight of my own bloodied wrists was stark and jarring, a harsh reminder of the physical struggle that mirrored the emotional chaos within me. The struggle against the chains had been more than a physical act; it was the manifestation of my desperation, my futile attempt to change a situation spiraling out of control.

My raw wrists were more than just physical wounds; they were emblematic of the situation I found myself in. Bound and powerless, I was subject to the whims and decisions of others, decisions that held the lives of those I cared about in the balance. The pain was a constant reminder of the helplessness that plagued me, the inability to protect, to change, or to influence the events unfolding outside the walls of this cell. As I braced myself for whoever was coming through the door, a mix of dread and resignation washed over me. The physical pain of my wrists paled in comparison to the mental and emotional anguish of not knowing what fate awaited me, Madi, and the others. The uncertainty of what was to come, coupled with the feeling of being trapped both physically and situationally, cast a heavy shadow over my spirit.

Cass's entrance into the cell was like a tempest, her fury palpable. "How could you do this? You swore to me Madi would never ascend!" Her voice was sharp, cutting through the tension that already filled the room.