Accepted

The worst is yet to come

"She's here."

I swiveled around to find two enormous Vexons behind us, towering over us with smiles on their face.

"Oh shit," Zion said, staggering back. We had walked right into their trap.

"Zion."

Eying the door a couple feet away, I nodded as I mustered the best show of confidence I could.

"Where are they?"

Not bothering to answer, one of them snatched Zion up into the air by his arm, snapping it backwards faster than I could respond.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" I yelled as Zion's toe curling scream filled the room.

"RUN!" Zion mouthed to me, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead as the Vexon tightened his grip on him.

"Let him GO!" I screamed, releasing a flood of dark magic that consumed both of the Giant as they winced in pain. I flew up grabbing Zion's arm and using all my strength to wriggle him out of the giant's iron grip. Even with the dark magic, we were no match. Desperation and anger triggered my werewolf side and I could feel my strength building. I sunk my fangs as deep as I could into the giant's arm until he loosened his grip just enough for me to pull Zion away.

I flew away, dragging Zion with me as fast as I could but I could still feel them behind us, drawing nearer. As soon as we got to the door, I tapped into my magic and the dark magic inside of me channeling every ounce of energy into closing the door. I could feel the door shaking, barely holding even with the magic.

"This won't hold for more than a few minutes. Can you find them?" I yelled to Zion, straining as my magic continued to flow into the door.

"Yes," he said panting as he pulled his arm back into place before disappearing. Afraid if I let go, the door would come crumbling down I stayed in place, hoping Zion would find them and come back in one piece.

Seconds dragged on for what seemed like hours and I could feel myself weakening as my magic was almost gone. I was starting to lose hope when I heard shuffling coming from behind me.

I turned my body slightly so I could see who was coming without breaking contact with the door.

Zion emerged, a guarded look on his face and my unconscious father and sister on each arm.

"Are they okay?"

"Saron, we need to go NOW," he yelled, staring at the door in horror as two large cracks emerged on it and the door began to collapse. I let go of the door, opening a portal before sprinting towards Zion and grabbing him before falling in.

We landed in the Cafeteria at the Academy. It was empty so I assumed everyone was still with Oreres.

I rushed over to Edward and Esat, grabbing them and shaking them awake.

"Saron," Zion said, his voice trembling as he said my name.

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

I stared at him in confusion before realizing. I turned back to Edward, who was covered in gaping wounds and bloodied from head to toe. Esat however, had not a scratch on her. I noticed her chest slightly rising and falling with each breath and released a sigh I had been holding in.

"They're fine," I said, looking at Zion while I wiped away the blood of Edward's face.

"Saron-"

"WHAT? THEY'RE FINE ZION."

"Saron, listen."

"What are you-"

"Just listen," he persisted, eying me carefully.

I focused my hearing and heard it. Mine and Zion's quick paced heartbeat and Esat's slower one. Three sets of heartbeats. Finally realizing what was wrong, I grabbed Edward and pulled him into my lap. I was exhausted and barely had any magic left but I used what was left to push into Edward's body.

Zion watched silently, concern clear on his face.

"Stop. He's just hurt. He'll be fine."

"Saron."

"NO ZION! NO. HE IS FINE. STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE I'M CRAZY."

That's when I smelled it. It was so faint, I didn't realize it before. The sour, rotten stench of his body rotting away.

"No," I whispered, placing Edward's body down before standing up.

"Zion, do you-"

He nodded, letting me know he smelled it too.

I stared in silence at Edward's limp bloodied body as I clutched my chest. It felt like my heart had imploded and my body was breaking from the inside out. Tears started to spill down my face like a river as I fell to the ground. The pain I felt was unbearable, like nothing I'd ever felt before.

"This is my fault."

"No Saron. You can't do that," he replied rushing over to comfort me.

"Don't," I said, backing away from him.

"Saron, this is not your fault. You didn't know none of us did."

"You're wrong Zion. I did know. Everyone that gets involved with me die. Saira. Crexus. Edward. How many more people have to die because of me?"

"STOP. NONE of that is on you," he yelled back at me.

"It should have been me," I said, my voice breaking as I looked up at his blurry figure through my tear filled eyes.

"You don't mean that."

I wiped the tears from my burning eyes, throbbing from the amount of times I'd wiped away my never ending stream of tears. I turned on my heel and took off. As I zoomed through the hallways in a blur, I had only thought. I had to get away. I couldn't sit there and hear Zion or my friends try to convince me it wasn't my fault when I knew it was.