I Am The Last Nightblood (the 100)

Till I Hear It From You

The beginning of the second book. Extra long chapter to celebrate!

After everything. Every war fought to gain peace, every life lost to form a coalition among the clans, every day spent nourishing the earth back to the beautiful green planet it once was. Everything that made us who we are, products of war and rejuvenation. Every hour striving for peace and serenity. How could it be all for nothing? How could we have come so far just to get wiped out again?

All for nothing. We're all gonna die anyway. We're all dead. For once I'm thankful for my seda's (teacher's) teachings. My head understand things my heart is not willing to accept. I don't know what to do with everything I feel now. All my life, because of the very color I bleed, I had been taught to be a figment of living stone. To feel nothing, yet feel everything. I was forced to keep the ocean beneath my skin at bay. Taught to never let the waves rise. That in love, you drown. Drown in love, you drown in weakness.

I stare off the balcony of my room over the ruins of a city a hundred years ago. The earth is scattered with empires that thought they were eternal. We were one. I stare out at the mountains, and I try to make my eyes look beyond. I wonder what used to be over the valleys as I look at in the distance. 100 years ago, what stood where trees now grow? Homes full of families and children? A large market? More shops and stores from the city that weren't as fortunate as what stands as Polis now? I try to imagine something other than the staggered trees and valleys. I imagine buildings so crisp and beautiful and grand like the ones I saw in the city of light. I imagine houses, children playing, without the shadow of death hanging over them. For a moment; I can see it all. A life of nourishment and peace, modern.
At least I assumed it was peaceful; until the bombs dropped.

And now, I'm standing and I'm seeing something else among then the beautiful houses and crisp buildings. I see the missles flying across the stars. I see blinding light, and feel the strain against my fragile eyes as I watch the light fade and reveal the mushroom cloud engulfing the earth, destroying miles of civilization every second as it spreads.

Three knocks on my door interrupt my thoughts and sulking. My eyes look to the door, then back to the green trees on the mountain in the distance- no longer being shredded by a missile. I straighten my posture and leave the balcony. I am covered in grey silk, a dress that trails behind me on the floor as I walk- nothing made for visitors.  I toss the shawl set on the back of the couch over my shoulders, and clasp my hands over each other.

"Come in." My voice carries an unintentional edge.

The door opens with a loud creak, and Bellamy steps through, radio in hand, a small smile playing on his lips. A flood of almost relief washes over me, I would be displeased if an ambassador saw me in anything of this sort.

"Gada bilaik yu ste shanen na sin ai in." (You look happy to see me.) I relax my shoulders.

"You would be happy to see the person on the other side of this radio, they've been asking to talk to you." The smile creeps into his voice, one that doesn't reach his eyes. He holds the radio out to me, and I take it in my hand.

"Verena?" A wave of relief covers my body, and I relax my joints slightly. One unanswered question to mark off the list of a hundred.

"Raven?" I exhale without permission, like I was holding my breath all along. "God it's good to hear you. Are you all okay? Jasper?"

"Yeah we're all in one piece here." Her voice cracks slightly. Even over the piece of fancy tech, I can hear the raspiness of her voice. Sleep deprivation maybe? Obviously exhaustion is a big part. Poor girl needs rest; I doubt she will get much after we reveal the world is going to end.