Chapter 6: “A Heart Divided”
The sensation of falling felt endless this time. My limbs were heavy, my mind fogged, and I could barely hold onto any sense of direction as we plummeted through time. There was nothing to grab onto—no up, no down—just a relentless tumbling into the unknown.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fall stopped.
I gasped, my lungs filling with cold, sharp air. My body hit the ground hard, the impact sending a jolt of pain through my side. Darkness surrounded me, broken only by the faint glow of distant stars twinkling far above. I struggled to push myself upright, blinking away the dizziness.
“Elias?” My voice cracked, but there was no answer.
The landscape was barren, a vast, empty desert stretching out before me. The air was thick, heavy with the scent of something ancient and untouchable. I could see no sign of Elias, no indication of where—or when—we were.
My heart pounded in my chest, a growing sense of dread creeping in as I called out again. “Elias!”
Still nothing.
I staggered to my feet, looking around wildly. The ground beneath me felt strange, like it wasn’t quite solid, as though the world itself was fraying at the edges. Panic surged through me. I had to find him. I had to find out what happened. My mind raced, grasping for any memory of the rival, of the dark energy that had torn through the valley.
Just as I was about to take another step, a soft voice reached me from behind.
“You’re alone now.”
I spun around, my heart seizing in my chest. There, emerging from the shadows like a ghost, was the rival. Their eyes gleamed with triumph, their silhouette sharp against the barren landscape.
“Where is Elias?” I demanded, taking a step back instinctively.
The rival smirked, crossing their arms. “Oh, he’s close. But not close enough to help you now.”
My stomach dropped. They were playing a game, a twisted one, and I was trapped in it.
***
Suddenly, before I could move or respond, a hand reached out from behind me, gripping my wrist with gentle but firm pressure. The touch was familiar—warm, steady—and I turned quickly, relief flooding me as Elias appeared at my side, pulling me close. He had a deep cut on his forehead, his face pale, but his presence was enough to calm the storm of fear rising inside me.
“Are you okay?” His voice was rough, edged with concern.
I nodded quickly, too overwhelmed to speak, and wrapped my arms around him. For a moment, I let myself sink into the warmth of his embrace, the steady rise and fall of his chest. It was the only thing anchoring me to reality, the only thing that felt real in this fractured world.
“I thought I lost you,” I whispered, my voice muffled against his chest.
Elias pulled back slightly, just enough to look down at me, his hand lifting to brush a stray strand of hair from my face. His eyes softened, and for a moment, the tension between us dissolved. His thumb grazed my cheek, his touch gentle despite the chaos that surrounded us.
“You’ll never lose me,” he said softly, his gaze locking with mine.
There was a quiet intensity in his eyes, something raw and unspoken. I couldn’t tear myself away from him, couldn’t let go of the momentary peace his presence brought. We had been running for so long—through time, through danger—and now, even in the middle of this broken, empty world, he was still my constant. The one thing I could hold onto.
I felt his fingers trail down my arm, sending a shiver through me as his hand found mine, intertwining our fingers together. The gesture was simple, but it carried the weight of everything we had been through.
“Elias…” I whispered, my voice trembling.
His other hand cupped my face, his touch warm and reassuring. “We’ll figure this out. No matter what it takes.”
Before I could respond, he leaned in, closing the space between us, and kissed me. It was slow and deliberate, filled with a tenderness that made my heart ache. There was no rush, no urgency—just the quiet, unspoken promise that we would find our way through this, together.
The world around us faded into the background, the distant stars dimming as everything else melted away. For that moment, nothing else mattered. Not the rival, not the fractured timelines, not the fear. Only us.
His lips moved against mine with a softness that made my breath catch, his hand tightening around mine as if he was afraid to let go. And I kissed him back with everything I had, pouring all of my fear, my hope, my love into that one moment.
When we finally pulled apart, our foreheads resting against each other, his breath mingling with mine, I felt a sense of calm that I hadn’t felt in days.
“I’m with you,” I whispered, and it wasn’t just a promise. It was a truth, one I knew deep in my soul.
Elias nodded, his eyes dark with determination. “I know.”
***
But the moment was shattered by the sound of a cold laugh echoing across the empty landscape.
“Touching, really,” the rival said, stepping closer. “But it won’t change anything. You’re too late.”
I pulled away from Elias, my heart racing again as I faced the rival. There was something different about them now, something darker. The air around them seemed to shimmer, bending unnaturally as though time itself was warping around them.
“What do you mean?” I demanded, my voice steady despite the fear clawing at my insides.
The rival smiled, a cruel glint in their eyes. “You’ve already lost. You just don’t know it yet.”
Before either of us could react, they raised their hand, and the ground beneath us trembled violently. I stumbled, grabbing Elias’s arm for balance as the world began to crack open around us.
“No!” Elias shouted, stepping forward to shield me, but the rival was faster. With a flick of their wrist, a surge of dark energy shot toward us, and the ground exploded in a blinding flash of light.
I screamed as the force of the blast knocked us both backward, my vision going white as the world spun out of control. I felt Elias’s hand slip from mine, and in the chaos, I reached out desperately for him, but the distance between us grew wider with every second.
“Elias!” I screamed, but my voice was swallowed by the roaring wind.
The last thing I saw before the darkness claimed me was the rival’s figure disappearing into the shattered landscape, their mocking laughter echoing in my ears.
And then, silence.
When I finally opened my eyes, I was alone.
Elias was gone.