The World's End | ONC 2024 ✔

ੈ✩‧₊˚ |𝟭𝟵| 𝗔𝘅𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲'𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁

Would we be able to live again?

I thought we'd simply drive through the streets of Veridonia, but I couldn't see anymore. They tied something on our eyes to prevent us from seeing anything. We were unable to move, unable to talk...our mouth was stuffed with something as well. I ignored the sensation in my mouth and tried not to gag from the lack of air. Deep breath in, deep breath out. We were powerless now, at the mercy of forces beyond our control. All we could do was wait and hope.

Hope.

The tires screeched on the bumpy road, and we knew we were there. Wherever they wanted us to be. The vehicle stopped and a Verid grabbed my arms and pulled me out of the back. I heard Keira wince slightly, and Wylan took a deep breath.

Was this worth the torture?

We were led somewhere, and they directed us through a maze-like structure that I couldn't keep up with. I'd only hoped one of the others was tracking it if we were able to escape.

Key word, if.

I had seen nothing, and I heard nothing until the clang of the metal, and my hands were freed again. I gasped and pulled open the blindfold to see myself in the darkness along with Wylan, and Keira nowhere in sight. Wylan did the same, and before we could protest, the door was locked and they were gone.

Until, we heard a scream.

"No! No, stop! I didn't do anything," Keira yelled from a distance. It was almost an echo. "Wait, please. No!"

That was all it took for all hell to break loose in our cell. It was just the two of us, but we screamed and pulled at the metal door until the door opened itself and it was the one person that I loved, but knew nothing about.

Mama.

She walked in, her face expressionless and closed the door behind her. The key that opened it was a collection of multiple other keys. It was almost like a trick. There were at least thirty of them there. Thirty different keys for thirty different things. She ignored our cries and sat on the chair to the side, as if it was a throne.

"Mama," I panted, my voice coming out like a wheeze. The cloth that they had stuffed into my mouth had done its job. It made me completely out of breath, and now I was craving it.

Air.

"Sit down," she said hoarsely, her tone unyielding. "Sit down, both of you."

It was much like hell; the walls were painted a drowning black. The lack of color here was just like Veridonia—just as dark and dangerous. I obliged, sitting on the floor while she was above us, on her throne of lies and murder.

"Mama...Wylan and Keira are my friends. They didn't do anything. You need to let them go," I pleaded with her desperately. But she remained stoic, her eyes betraying no emotion.

Keira's screams only became louder.

Wylan had his head in his arms now, and he was trying to take deep breaths. It was nearly impossible to breathe properly in this room, whether Mama manufactured the air or not.

"You decided to do things you shouldn't have messed with, Axelle," she replied coldly, her voice cutting through the silence like a sharp knife. "You meddled, and so did they."

"But they didn't do anything," I insisted, my voice rising with frustration. "I know everything about Vancouver and what you did to Caity."

At this, she glared, her eyes piercing through mine. I had hit her where I needed to because her gaze softened slightly, only to be replaced by a smirk.

"You think you know everything, don't you?" she asked, her voice echoing throughout the room. "Vancouver is evil, not me. I'm just a puppet in a grand scheme of mastery."