✓ | The Borrowed Identity (Fate's Transgression Series, #4)

TBI 12: Uphold

[ Chapter 12: Uphold ]

Selene | Selvy

"Selene!"

"Wake up!"

"Selene!"

It was the worried voice of Admiral that woke me up. A sense of panic filtered in his voice as he tried his might, shaking me endlessly until he could sense movement. I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly to adjust to the sudden brightness. The surroundings were familiar— the trees, the leaves, and even my aching wound.

As my senses gradually came back to me, I realized that I was lying on the forest floor, surrounded by a dense canopy of trees. The scent of damp earth and foliage filled the air, mingling with the urgency in Admiral's voice.

"What happened?" I groaned, my head throbbing with pain as I struggled to sit up. Memories of the chaos at Jasmine Lake and the encounter with the deity of fate flooded back to my mind, reminding me of the weighty mission that lay ahead.

"We thought we'd lost you," Admiral explained, his voice filled with relief. "Lutch sensed that someone was following you, so I went to look. I found you unconscious on the forest floor."

Memories of the attack began to resurface, and my heart raced with a mix of fear and determination. "Where is the attacker now?" I asked, my voice filled with urgency.

"I fought with it, but it managed to escape," Admiral replied, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if expecting another threat to emerge. "I don't know where it went."

"Are you alright?" I asked, my concern evident in my voice. I quickly assessed Admiral for any signs of injury, relieved to find that he appeared physically unharmed.

"I'm fine," he reassured me, his grip on my arm tightening slightly. "But we can't stay here. Valan believes that we need to keep moving. He wants to ensure you're away from the endpoint of the barrier."

"The endpoint of the barrier?" I repeated, confusion lacing my words. I had no recollection of any barrier or its significance

Admiral sighed, his expression grave. "There is a powerful barrier surrounding this area. It was Valan's idea to limit the casualties if a rampage occurred. Valan believes that being near its endpoint puts you at risk."

My mind raced as I tried to comprehend the gravity of the situation. "Valan's barrier?" I asked another question that confused me.

Admiral parted his lips but he eventually shut up without answering my question, but instead, he let out an assurance. "Hindi ito ang tamang panahon para malaman mo kung ano talaga si Valan, kaya nais kong sumunod ka sa sasabihin ko," agad na sabi niya.

I nodded, pushing through the pain as I attempted to stand. With Admiral's support, I managed to regain my balance, albeit unsteadily. Hindi ko napansin ang gamit kong kabayo kanina, at hindi ko rin maalala kung kailan ako nahimatay. That deity must have pulled some tricks. Palaisipan pa din sa akin kung sino ang taong umatake sa akin kanina. It clearly displayed its intention, and that is to harm me.

We came to a sudden halt as a chilling gust of wind swept through, emanating from Jasmine Lake. Intrigued by the cool breeze, I turned around to face it, only to be greeted by a sight that filled me with terror.

Before my eyes, the tranquil surface of the lake transformed into a chaotic scene of devastation. It appeared as though a tremendous surge of nuclear energy had detonated right in the heart of the lake, unleashing an unimaginable force.

The once serene waters now churned with an otherworldly intensity, sending towering waves crashing against the shores. The sky above darkened, as if shrouded in a dense cloak of ominous clouds, while eerie ripples of energy emanated from the epicenter of the explosion.