Zei stood before the waterfall in silence, all hope was lost. They couldn't escape that thing. All their efforts were worthless.
The creature drew closer. She glanced at Rayne, his expression was pale, his body trembling from exhaustion.They were both at their limits.
Before she could react suddenly a thorn sliced through air towards her, bracing myself for the impact she stood there. However, Rayne pulled himself closer to her in his embrace. The branch barely missed them.
"I'm sorry…" he muttered, blood dribbling from his mouth. He stood there protecting her from the incoming barrage of projectiles despite knowing that it was futile, yet he didn't let go.
"It's fine," Zei murmured. A broken smile crept on her face "You can rest now"
His body slumped in her arms as he lost consciousness. It seemed like the injuries combined with exhaustion had taken a toll on his body, not to mention the price he paid after using the foresight.
Dozens of thorns hovered above the creature aimed at them, they shot forward in a deadly barrage. However, they never reached their target, bursting into crimson flames and turning to ashes.
"You've done enough, let me protect you now," She whispered, her voice cold and steady.
Her gaze flickered onto her hand, crimson runes flared to life "It's not enough," she said, her gaze staring at the flickering runes "But it's alI I have left"
Rising to her feat as flames flickered around them. Each step she took, crimson flames erupted from the ground, devouring everything in its rampage. The world around them turned into a fiery hellscape.
She turned her gaze towards the creature who seemed wary of the crimson flames. Yet, with a beastial roar, it swung its claws forward to capture her. She didn't resist, its grip tightened around her neck, blood welled from her lips as she smiled.
As her blood met with the creature's flesh, it burst into scorching flames.The fire crawled across its skin like a curse, devouring it completely.
Wailing in agony, it hurled her to the side. She crashed against a tree letting out a pained cry.
Seizing this chance, she forced herself up and rushed towards Rayne. Lifting his unconscious body, she turned and leapt from the cliff into the waterfall below.
They hit the water hard, the roar of the fall deafening everything else.
Zei opened her eyes on a rocky shore near the shore of a lake. Pain pulsed through her body but she persisted and forced herself upright.
She looked around to find Rayne but to no avail. Fear gripping her heart.
"No!!, it can't be" she grimaced, a strange feeling settled in her heart.
She looked around desperately to find him but was met with disappointment, her heart racing.
"He must be in the waters; he couldn't have fallen far from me". She dove into the lake, looking around frantically but couldn't find him.
Just when all hope seemed lost, she saw his limp body sinking deeper and deeper into the lake.
Rushing towards him, she grabbed his hands and pulled him above with all the strength she could muster.
After struggling for what seemed like an eternity of struggle she finally managed to drag him onto the shore.
Rayne was unconscious, his pulse was weak, his body was limp and unresponsive, he was not breathing.
Fear gripped Zei's heart, placing her hands firmly over his chest she started squeezing his chest to get out all the water in his lungs, however no reaction came from him.
"Wake up" She cried "please...wake up"
Unknowingly tears started streaming down her face as she desperately tried to wake him up.
Then— his fingers twitched.
He coughed, gasping for air and opened his eyes, relief washed over her as she saw him breathing again.
"Welcome back" she whispered, a tired smile appearing on her bruised face.
Rayne's POV
Opening my eyes I found water surrounding me from every side.
I was drowning.
I tried to move, but my body refused. I couldn't breathe, my lungs screamed for air.
"So this is how it ends" I thought, struggling to breathe.
"I hope she is safe" I whispered, with that my vision faded.
My eyes fluttered open staring at the sky, hazy and gray. "Where was I? "
Then I hear Zei's voice.
"Welcome back"
I turned my head. She was kneeling beside me, bruised and soaked.
"You're alive" I whispered
"I thought I lost you as well" I said weakly, my hand interlocked with hers.
She pulled me towards her, embracing me firmly. Her warmth seeped into mine "I am glad you are alive" she whispered.
Despite our bodies drenched in cold water I could feel the warmth as my body was tightly pressed against hers, her chest pressed firmly against mine. I tried not to look at her clothes which had become translucent after being drenched.
I had already lost everyone important to me in the past. I couldn't afford to lose the only person I have left beside me.The thought of losing Zei terrified me.
I pressed her body tightly against mine.
"I am not going anywhere Rayne" she muttered, as if reading my mind. I could feel the lingering warmth of her body on mine as she parted.
We sat together for a while. It seemed like the creature was not pursuing us anymore, so I asked Zei what happened after I lost consciousness.
"I am not quite sure what happened, I remember the creature caught me with its claws and then it was suddenly engulfed in flames and I took that moment to escape"
"I see….I am just glad you are safe" I replied
"What about you?" She asked "How did you get to me so fast? I even saw your body glowing blue for a moment when that creature chased us down'
"Honestly, I don't know either"
"What do you mean?" Zei asked with a confused expression
"When that thing was chasing us down. Time slowed down around me and then suddenly I-I seemed to have seen the future for a few seconds before everything returned to normal. That's how I was able to save us when it tried attacking us before"
"....I see, I'm just glad you're safe," she said quietly.
We ventured a little further and then stopped to rest. The recent events had drained us both physically and mentally, I insisted on keeping the guard telling Zei to sleep first.
Soon dawn came waking me up, the first thing my eyes fell on was Zei who seemed to be staring somewhere in the distance.
Her head turned towards me, with a tired smile she murmured , "Good morning, how are you feeling?"
"My body is still aching but it's manageable," I uttered while getting up "what are you looking at?"
"Look over there," she pointed in the distance.
I followed her gaze—and my eyes widened.
A city, from the height where we were standing it was easy to spot it. We must have missed it last night.
"Looks like our journey is finally coming to an end" she said gazing, towards the buildings in the distance.
"Or the start of a new one" I replied.