19. Lyra

19

LYRA

I grit my teeth, pushing through the burning in my muscles as I navigate another floating platform. The air around me shimmers with illusions, but I've started to notice subtle patterns in the magic. A faint shimmer here, a slight distortion there—telltale signs of fabrication.

My phantom wings ache, the spell granting me flight feeling more unstable with each passing moment. I can't shake the feeling that even this magic is working against us, designed to fail at the worst possible moment.

A familiar face appears before me—my mother, her expression twisted with disappointment. "You'll never be good enough," she sneers.

I falter for a moment, old insecurities threatening to overwhelm me. But then I notice the slight flicker in her image. Another illusion.

"Not real," I mutter, pushing through the apparition. It dissolves around me, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

I leap to the next platform, my legs trembling with exhaustion. How long have we been at this? Minutes Hours? Time seems to blur in this nightmarish arena.

Ahead, I spot what looks like a clear path to one of the exit portals. It's too easy. My eyes narrow, searching for the trap. There—a barely perceptible distortion in the air. The "safe" path is an illusion, likely leading to a deadly fall.

I veer off, choosing a route that looks more treacherous but feels real. Sharp spikes jut from the next platform, forcing me to weave between them. My arms and legs are slashed and bleeding, but I press on. Pain means it's real. Pain means I'm still alive.

As I near what I hope is the final stretch, I catch a glimpse of golden eyes watching from above. Sariel. For a moment, our gazes lock. Is that concern I see flashing across his face? Or am I just seeing what I want to see?

I shake off the thought. I can't afford distractions now. Wings or death—those are my only options. And I refuse to die here, a pawn in their cruel game.

I push forward, my lungs burning with each ragged breath. The end is so close—I can see the shimmering exit portals just ahead. My muscles scream in protest, but I force myself to keep moving. Just a little further...

Suddenly, the air around me shifts. A violent gust slams into me from the side, nearly knocking me off the platform. I stumble, barely catching myself before toppling over the edge. What the fuck?

The wind picks up, swirling around me in a dizzying vortex. My phantom wings flap uselessly against the onslaught. This isn't right. It feels so targeted.

"Fuck!" I curse as another gust threatens to sweep me off my feet and my wings give up. I drop to my knees, clinging desperately to the edge of the platform. The world spins around me, a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes that makes my stomach lurch.

I don't recognize anything now. I have no way to combat the swirling magic and wind — a vortex. I was taught to maneuver with my wings but this…

Realization hits me like a punch to the gut. This wasn't part of the original course. Someone's changed it. Sabotaged it.

Sariel's face flashes through my mind. His golden eyes, usually so cold, filled with conflict the last time I saw him. Did he do this? Was everything between us just another cruel trick?

Anger and betrayal surge through me, giving me a burst of strength. I won't let them win. I won't let him win. I've come too far to fail now.

I force myself to focus, searching desperately for any pattern in the chaotic winds that threaten to rip me apart. My heart pounds in my chest, each beat a reminder of how close I am to failure—to death.

Then, I spot it. There—a slight pause between gusts. It's not much, but it might be enough. It has to be enough.

Gritting my teeth so hard my jaw aches, I time my movements with the brief lulls. Inch by agonizing inch, I crawl towards the nearest exit portal.

The wind howls in my ears like a furious beast, threatening to tear me away at any moment. My muscles scream in protest, but I push through the pain. I can't give up now. I won't.

With each excruciating movement, I'm hyperaware of how exposed I am, how one wrong move could send me hurtling into the abyss. But I keep going, driven by a determination I didn't know I possessed.

My fingers brush the edge of the portal, so close I can feel its energy humming against my skin. Just a little more...

Through the haze of exhaustion and pain, I spot what looks like a shortcut—a narrow beam stretching across a gap to another platform, bypassing a series of treacherous obstacles. It's risky, but if I can make it across, I'll be that much closer to the final portal.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what's to come. The beam looks barely wider than my foot, and the drop below... I can't even see the bottom. I will have to rely on my wings or one wrong slip will send me to my death.

My muscles are already strained, and I'm not sure that I could keep myself aloft if I needed to. I'm so unaccustomed to having wings that I don't have the strength to keep using them.

But I have to try. For my family, for my future, for the chance to prove everyone wrong. With trembling legs, I step onto the beam, arms outstretched for balance. Each inch forward feels like a mile, my entire body tense as I fight to stay upright. Don't look down, I tell myself. Just keep moving.

Without letting myself think too hard about it, I launch myself towards the beam. My phantom wings flap uselessly, the spell barely holding as I land on the narrow surface. For a moment, I feel a surge of triumph. I've done it!

But then I feel it. A subtle shift beneath my feet. The beam isn't solid—it's another illusion.

"Shit!" I curse as the fake surface dissolves beneath me. I'm falling, plummeting through empty space. My stomach lurches, terror clawing at my throat as I desperately try to regain control of my phantom wings.

They flicker and sputter, the magic failing me when I need it most. The ground rushes up to meet me, and I brace myself for impact. This is it. This is how I die.

I'm falling, the wind rushing past me as I plummet through the air. My phantom wings have failed, leaving me helpless against gravity's cruel pull. The ground below grows larger with each passing second, and my heart hammers in my chest.

This can't be happening. Not when I was so close. Images flash through my mind—my parents' disappointed faces, the other candidates who looked up to me, the life I dreamed of having as a xaphan. All of it slipping away as I fall.

I try to scream, but the wind steals my breath. My body twists in the air, and I catch glimpses of the arena above me. Did I see a flicker of golden eyes? Or is my mind playing tricks on me in these final moments?

The pain hits before I realize what's happening. Something solid slams into my side, and I hear a sickening crack. My vision blurs, agony radiating through my body. I'm still falling, but slower now. Did I hit a platform? Am I bouncing off obstacles on my way down?

My thoughts scatter, fragmented by pain and terror. I failed. I'm going to die here, broken and alone, just another human who wasn't good enough.

As darkness creeps in at the edges of my vision, I feel... something. Strong arms wrapping around me, a sudden change in direction. Am I hallucinating? The world spins, and I catch a glimpse of silver-white hair.

"Sari—" I try to speak, but my voice fails me. Everything goes black.

I drift in and out of consciousness, my body a symphony of pain. Voices filter through the haze, urgent and muffled. I can't make out the words, but the tone screams panic.

Gentle hands probe my injuries, sending fresh waves of agony through me. I want to scream, to tell them to stop, but I can't form the words. My throat feels raw, as if I've been screaming for hours.

Fragments of conversation reach me, but I can't piece them together. Why am I still alive? I remember falling, the ground rushing up to meet me. I should be dead.

My eyelids flutter, but the world remains a blur of shapes and colors.

I swear I can hear a familiar voice and I reach for it, trying to fight my way through. My thoughts scatter as another wave of pain washes over me.

But I can't hold on. And darkness seeps in, stealing me away while I think someone begs me to stay.