HUGO
We approached the origin of the light. It was a massive, fiery orb, a star that had descended to meet Danica. Oddly, the star didnât radiate heat.
I would have thought being this close would melt my face off. Danica stood beside me, her gaze fixed on the luminous entity before us.
Astra extended her hand to Danica, who didnât seem to hesitate. She seemed to accept that whatever was going to happen, would happen.
From my vantage point, I saw Daisy approach, her face etched with fear, but she came nonetheless. I figured Elena must have filled her in on this world because she wasnât nearly as terrified as I expected.
She positioned herself next to me, and I felt her hand brush against mine. I jerked my hand away and turned to look at her.
âI know youâre scared. I am too,â she admitted, reaching for my hand again.
This time, I didnât pull away. I held her hand tightly in mine.
Danica was hand in hand with Astra.
âIt is time, my dear,â Astra said, her voice filled with joy, her smile radiant. She seemed to have forgotten her earlier disdain for Danica.
âThe whole world will be at your feet,â Astra continued. Astra lifted Danicaâs hands to her lips and kissed them.
âSave us,â she whispered, a glimmer of hope in her eyes, quickly replaced by her usual icy demeanor.
Astra released her hands and turned her attention to the star, waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, she glanced at Danica.
âWhat should I do?â Danica asked, her eyes meeting Astraâs.
âTouch it. Then⦠survive this,â Astra instructed.
Danica nodded, but I could see the apprehension on her face. She didnât want this, never wanted power or to be a savior, but she had no other choice. She was destined for this, burdened with the responsibility to save us all.
A responsibility she never asked for. I wished I could spare her from this, save her from her burden. But the world was ending, the sky was falling, we all needed her. And no matter how much we resisted, her element would always find her.
Celeste approached me.
âYou came?â I asked, surprised.
Her eyes were glossy.
âI raised her, of course I will be here. She is my family,â she said, her voice strained. Not because it wasnât true, but because she was admitting something she had never said to Danica before, not when she needed or wanted to hear it. Because Celeste had her own demons, her own past that kept her distant from everyone.
Slowly, Danica extended a trembling hand towards the star, which was ten times her size.
DANICA
I lifted my hand, struggling against the heaviness of my arm. I felt like giving up. I wanted to laugh at the danger I was facing.
My heart pounded loudly and rapidly. This was it. There was nothing else I could do.
Until the last moment, I hoped to wake up from this nightmare. I touched the star with my fingertips and time froze.
I looked around me and everyone was frozen in place, holding their breath, their eyes fixed on me. I noticed ravens in the sky and perched on tree branches, thousands of them.
Astra hadnât told me what to do but⦠my mind was trying to tell me something. It was unclear, but it was significant.
Nothing was moving except me and the ravens. My eyes were drawn to one bird. He was perched on the lowest tree branch, blood dripping from his beak. His wing appeared injured; some of his feathers were singed.
He looked weak, as if he was slowly fading away, surrendering his last breath. Slowly, he took flight, his path uneven.
I thought he was coming towards me, but he was actually heading for the star in front of me. He flew into the star that my fingertips were still touching.
I needed to follow him. It was my path. I just didnât know where it would lead me. Maybe to a better place, maybe worse.
I pulled my fingers away and time resumed. The ravens vanished.
âWhat are you doing, girl?â Astra asked impatiently.
I raised my hand to silence her. She looked frustrated, even angry.
My gaze locked with Hugoâs, his eyes never wavering from mine. He was my rock, my anchor in the storm, the one who pushed me to endure the pain. Without him, I might have already succumbed.
In this life or another, I would always seek him out. I loved him. I realized that the day I understood he was the only one who could ever truly understand me. Even if it was wrong, I couldnât control the way my heart felt about him.
I turned my attention to the star that continued to shine brightly in front of me. My heart pounded in my chest, my fists clenched at my sides, radiating heat.
~This feels right~, I thought. It felt like my destiny. Hugo once told me that not everyone was meant to save the world, but some people had the responsibility to do so.
If this was my purpose, then I would fight with every ounce of strength I had. If this was my final battle, then I would fight until my last breath.
I stepped into the star, its light enveloping me. The heat began to intensify. Everything around me was a fiery red.
I thought I had experienced the worst pain possible until a bolt of lightning struck me, piercing my heart. The only thing I could focus on was the sensation of my soul slowly detaching from my body.
The lightning didnât cease, and I felt as if my eyes would burst from the sheer intensity of my screams. I could feel my insides churning, my body burning.
The lightning was the only thing holding me together. I felt as if I was losing myself. My body no longer felt like my own.
The only thing that was truly mine was the excruciating pain that consumed me. I noticed the star beneath me disintegrate. I was still writhing in pain, standing only because of the relentless lightning.
Through my blurred vision, I saw everyone watching in horror. All except Astra, who had witnessed this scene play out thousands of times. Thousands of Celestial rulers had died during this stage of transformation.
My eyes sought Hugo, hoping he could somehow alleviate the pain, end this torment. Suddenly, he looked up at the sky and I followed his gaze.
Something bright and massive was hurtling towards me. I felt as if I was suffocating, my hands instinctively reaching for my throat. I had no more screams left, only raspy growls.
The light was coming for me, but I refused to let this be my end. I vowed to endure until my mind gave out. I wouldnât accept my death, not now.
HUGO
The star collided with her in mere seconds, knocking her to the ground as her body absorbed its energy. She glowed like the star itself, but her eyes were closed and her screams had ceased. She wasnât breathing.
Everything came to a halt. The night returned to its normal state.
Daisyâs hand was in mine, but I pulled away.
I rushed to Danica, ignoring Celesteâs cries of protest.
âHugo, donât!â she pleaded, but her words barely registered.
I knelt beside Danicaâs glowing body, thrown to the ground with such force that it left an imprint. The light gradually faded until there was none left.
The world was eerily silent, not even the wind dared to make a sound. Just moments ago, Danicaâs screams filled the air. Now there was nothing.
Her face was still adorned with stars and a moon, but the trails of blood from her eyes, nose, and ears were a stark reminder of the pain she had endured. Her skin was a ghastly white, so pale it was almost lifeless. But I refused to accept it.
I placed my hand on her neck, searching for a pulse, but found nothing. In a panic, I fumbled with the crystals in my pocket. I pressed a few into her palm, hoping they would heal whatever was broken⦠but nothing happened.
She was still, so still⦠it was as if she was⦠dead. I couldnât let her just fade away like that.
My breath was the only sound I could hear, shaky and uneven, while my heart pounded painfully in my chest. I cradled Danicaâs face in my hands, her skin chillingly cold.
âDanica, please, wake up,â I whispered, my words meant only for her ears. âDonât go⦠donât leave me, Danica⦠I need you⦠can you hear me?â
It was only then that I felt the wetness of my own tears, falling onto her face. âIâm yours, Danica. If youâre gone, I⦠I canât be without you. I love youâ¦â I confessed, my eyes squeezed shut as I hoped to feel her breath against my skin.
I rested my head on her chest, straining to hear the reassuring thump of her heartbeat. The first drops of rain began to fall.
I lifted my head, watching as the rain intensified until it felt like a deluge, the ground beneath us turning to mud. I pulled Danica closer, trying to shield her from the rain.
Then I froze. Her body was warmâ¦