>>Amber
At first, it was a faint prickling sensation, like needles dancing across my skin. But soon, it intensified into a searing agony that tore through me with merciless ferocity. Every fiber of my being screamed in protest, as if my very essence were being torn asunder by the overwhelming force of the mana.
My eyes went wide in horror
I tried to suppress the pain, to push through it with sheer force of will, but it was relentless, unforgiving in its intensity. It felt as though my body were being consumed from within, as if the very essence of who I was were being devoured by the unbridled power of the mana.
"AHHHGGGGGHHH!!!"
I cried out in anguish, my voice lost amidst the cacophony of agony that echoed through the chamber. Each breath felt like fire in my lungs, each movement sending waves of torment rippling through my shattered form. I didn't even realize when I laid down, clinging onto my chest as if trying to rip it out.
Through tear-blurred vision, I saw Hael's face contorted with concern, his hands reaching out to me in a futile attempt to ease my suffering. But his touch only served to exacerbate the pain, sending shockwaves of agony rippling through me with each fleeting contact.
Time seemed to blur and distort, the minutes stretching into eternity as I writhed upon the bed in a torment beyond imagining
Hael put his hand on my eyes, "Sleep," He said and I felt the glow of his magic and the coolness of his mana enter me
I closed my eyes, letting his magic come into and put me into slumber
>>Hael
"Ready?" Helena put both her hands on Amber's stomach
"Let's start," I put both of mine on her head and we began to pour our magic into her to keep her alive, to keep her intact, and to keep her safe
***
>>Amber
A searing heat washed over me, engulfing my body in flames that threatened to reduce me to ashes. It felt as though I were being submerged in molten lava, the scorching heat searing every inch of my flesh, leaving behind nothing but charred remnants.
I screamed in agony as the inferno consumed me, my cries lost amidst the roar of the flames. It was as if the very depths of hell had opened up to claim me, tearing through my flesh and bone with merciless fury.
But then, just as I felt myself on the brink of oblivion, a wave of icy coldness washed over me, pulling me from the brink of the abyss. I was plunged into the icy depths of an ocean, the frigid waters offering a brief respite from the searing heat that threatened to consume me.
Yet, even as I gasped for breath in the icy waters, the pain took on a new form, crushing me beneath the weight of a thousand mountains. It felt as though the very weight of the world were pressing down upon me, threatening to crush me into oblivion with every agonizing moment.
And then, just when I thought I could bear it no longer, the crushing weight lifted, leaving me adrift in a sea of darkness. Everywhere I turned, there was nothing but emptiness, a void that threatened to swallow me whole as I plummeted into its depths.
But within that abyss, a faint glimmer of light emerged, offering a fleeting glimpse of hope amidst the darkness. It was a beacon of solace in the midst of despair, guiding me through the shadows and offering a semblance of comfort in the face of overwhelming pain.
Yet, even as I reached out towards the light, I felt myself being torn apart, my very essence unraveling before me. It was as though I were being deconstructed and reconstructed, torn apart and pieced back together in an endless cycle of torment.
I try to walk, but with each step my body breaks. I take a step and my foot crumbles away. The sight terrifies me, it crushes my soul. I take another step and all of my lower body crumbles away
I'm suspended in the air, my cells drying up and cracking, then withering away into nothingness
My senses dulled, the pain becoming a distant echo in the recesses of my mind as I floated in the void, adrift in a sea of nothingness. It was a sensation of utter emptiness, of being stripped of everything that defined me, leaving behind nothing but a hollow shell of my former self.
And yet, amidst the chaos, I felt something reaching out to me, something trying to pull me back from the brink of oblivion. It was a faint whisper of hope, a glimmer of light in the darkness, as if someone were trying to keep me from succumbing to the void and ensure that I did not fade into nothingness.
***
>>Hael
I was at my limit by the time we were done. Sweat came pouring out of me, dehydrating my body. My world was a blur, my mind got foggy, darkness was trying to consume me.
My hands were still on her stomach when another hand came onto mine, "You can stop now," It was Helena's voice, "She's out of danger,"
I raised my head to look at her. I couldn't see her properly, the whole place was blurry. But I saw as she fell down
!!!
I got up to look at her, but as soon as I stood up from the bed, I felt like I had no body and before even realizing it, I fainted on the ground.
God,
I definitely underestimated this whole thing. I thought I'd be able to handle it because I could handle the holy artifact. But if Helena wasn't here, we both would have died.
It's no wonder though, a speck would have to be this powerful for the core to be able sustain a race.
***
>>Amber
I woke up in an unfamiliar room. My throat and lips were dry and I felt disheveled. It felt like I had been pulled back to life from the depths of hell
"Where am I?" I tried to speak but my voice came out too hoarse. I looked around the pretty room and noticed a jug of water on the side table along with a glass. I grabbed the jug and began to chug water directly from it like a thirsty animal
Stream of liquid ran down my neck as I drank the water. It felt like I had been starved for ages. I finished the whole thing, down to the last drop.
Then I let out a sigh of relief as I put the jug back on the table. Gulping my saliva, I looked around the room again. I wiped the water that escaped my mouth and traveled down with my sleeves.
The room was furnished with nature. It made me immediately think about the palace.
Am I in a room in the palace?
!!!
Then I recalled what happened and looked down at myself in surprise. I threw away the blanket on me and stood up after leaving the bed to examine myself.
Everything was intact.
I carefully saw my fingers, my fingernails, my feet, my knees, my hair, everything was there.
So, we made it
I smiled
I could feel it in me. The warm energy coursing through my veins. I looked at my hands, from one fingertip to the other, I felt it running in my blood.
It was strong
I looked at the door and then walked out. I had no idea where I was, so I walked in a random direction. From the looks of it, I was definitely in the palace but how do I get to the Queen or Hael?
I'm a saint, shouldn't there be at least one person next to be? Like an attendant? Everyone knows the saint after all.
Should I call him?
I stopped near a room. He did tell me to call him and he'd come to me.
Hmm
I folded my arms
I should give it a go
"Hael," I called out his name and waited.
No response
"Hael!" I waited again but got no response. Does it not work in a foreign country? I was so focused on myself, I didn't notice the door opening and a person stepping outside with their gaze fixed on me.
"Hael!!" I called his name louder but he didn't answer me, nor did he appear. Why isn't he responding? Could he be asleep?
It's possible, I nodded to myself, then let out a sigh and began to walk again when someone called me from behind.
"Wait," It was the voice of a female.
I turned around and saw the most gorgeous yet the most worn out elf in history.
"Yes?" The word came out of my mouth automatically as I was mesmerized by her beauty
Oh shit
"Are you lost?" She asked me and I noticed her silver hair and those silver eyes that looked very familiar for some strange reason.
"Um," She was so beautiful, she made my heart act up, "Yes," I scratched my cheek, "Sort of," I looked around, "I'm not sure where I'm supposed to go."
"I see," She turned around, "Where do you need to go," She asked, "I'll guide you,"
"Really? Oh! Thank God!" I stepped towards her, "I want to meet Queen Helena, so can you take me to the throne room?"
"Sure," She began to walk, "Right this way," And I followed her, "So, what's your name?" She asked.
"Amber," I told her. I thought all the elf people would know me by this time, but I guess not. I was being cocky huh. That makes me feel a little embarrassed, "I'm a guest of the Queen."
"I see," She had a subtle smile on her face but that smile of hers was very sorrowful, "And the name you were calling, who is that?"
"Hael?" She flinched at the name, "He's my-uh-" How do I introduce him? "Uh- he's my partner, he came with me, so he's also a guest here."
"I see," She replied, "Can I meet with this 'Hael'?'