57. Tairyn

fifty-seven

Tairyn

I frantically flip through endless years of visions, scouring for any trace of a solution. Did I ever foresee this nightmare? Did I ever glimpse a way out? My mind races with memories, a dizzying slideshow of fragments: sights, smells, sensations. But no answer emerges. No glimmer of hope. Just an overwhelming sense of dread.

No hope.

The room is consumed by a deafening silence, the air thick with palpable desperation. Mira's heart sinks through our bond as the cruel reality of our fate sets in. Desperately, I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to drown out the rising tide of anxiety that threatens to overwhelm me. Each beat of my heart feels like a sledgehammer pounding against my chest, as if my body is trying to break free from its own confines. It's like standing on the edge of a crumbling cliff, struggling to maintain balance while the ground beneath me gives way.

Deep down, I know the answer, even if I don't want to acknowledge it.

How long do we have until he catches up with us? Thirty minutes? Five? Like taming a wild horse, my heart resists the panic and eventually settles into a steady rhythm. I reluctantly open my eyes and see the same realization settling on the faces of those around me: our fate is sealed.

Bobble frantically spouts off ideas, his voice laced with fear. "Maybe we should try attacking from the windows again and using them as cover to regroup and build up our strength?"

Cor'than nods along as if this is remotely possible. "Yes, yes. Good. We can continue what Mira started."

Mira's eyes glisten with fear as she eyes Callum. "Bobble, aren't you out of Chroma?"

"I can still fight. I have a sword, and I'm not a bad shot if I can find a bow around here."

Sunder's head stirs, his gaze shifting from his injured soldiers to me. He asks, "What about you? How much strength do you have left?" It's like a general checking in with his soldier to see how much fight is left in them. Will they surrender easily or go down fighting, taking down as many enemies as possible? But there's a glimmer of hope mixed in with his acceptance of the dire situation. As if he believes I could be the one to save them all.

As my reserves dwindle to dangerously low levels, a harsh truth settles in my mind. I breathe in the musty stench of this room, allowing it to soothe the inner demons that have haunted me for so long. The fear and uncertainty that consumed me when I woke up in this unfamiliar body now crystallizes into a single moment of clarity.

This is how it was always meant to end.

Every possible future I once had converges into this one pivotal decision. And with an instant's realization, I know there was never any other way for this to play out.

"I have enough to do what must be done," I say, meeting Sunder's hopeful gaze. I hardly recognize the voice that comes out of my mouth. So grave yet resigned.

Both Bobble and Callum turn their heads towards me, their eyes filled with hope. Cor'than and Mira exchange uncertain glances.

Tranquility envelops me as the words part from my lips. They are heavy with the gravity of what they signify - willingly surrendering my independence, my sense of self. Words that I never thought would escape my mouth, yet here they are, hanging in the air like a weight on my heart that's been lifted. "We have to merge, here and now, into Dan'thiel. It's the only way this ends."

Mira's sudden gasp indicates her surprise at my unexpected statement, and I can't say I blame her for it. "No, there has to be another way. We can escape the city. Run away together. We'll regroup and come back to fight another day."

Bobble is the first Shard to meet my eyes with a silent acquiesce. He places an arm around Mira's shoulder to calm the rising panic we all sense inside her.

"You know how to do that?" Sunder asks, skeptical.

"I spent years studying with Yurghen to glean anything I could about soul magic. He dangled these answers in front of me like a carrot on a stick, but I found most of the answers myself alone at night pouring over the tomes in his library. I wasn't going to let him feed me false information when he did deign to give me any."

A massive explosion reverberates through the air, its origin not too far from our current location. The ground trembles beneath our feet. In between the rumbling, Cor'than manages to ask, "You merge into Dan'thiel and then what happens?"

"He and Mira will likely be restored to full Chroma when they meet. The bond will set between them instantly, as is customary with traditional mates. The three of you will have a better chance than the six of us as broken as we are."

"No! I won't let you do this. Please," her voice breaks into soft pleading sobs. She grabs the lapels of my now-tattered jacket, her sweet scent filling my nose. I breathe her deeply, as if trying to etch this last moment with her deep into my mind. "Tairyn, please. We'll find another way. Let's run away and regroup. Please."

Her eyes bore into mine, pleading as if I am the only hope she has left. Her gaze is filled with a raw desperation that pierces my thoughts, begging me to understand and see clearly. My heart is heavy as I wrap her in my embrace, allowing her to lean against my chest.

"Every second we wait, the more souls are lost from this world forever," Callum manages to say. He meets my eyes for the first time since I took him captive, and I'm startled to find a hint of respect behind them. "We have to merge."

Sunder's gaze remains fixed on the space between us as he gently takes Bobble's hand and gives it a firm squeeze. Only then does he lift his gaze to meet mine, where I stand with Mira in my arms, and speaks. "Tell us what to do. I trust you."

The impact of those three words hit me hard, catching me off guard. Mira breaks free from my embrace, leaving me with a sense of loss that is almost unbearable.

She moves to Sunder, still with soft pleading on her lips to reconsider. He wraps his arms around her and whispers into her ear with a sad smile on his lips, "I'll still be with you. Every time Dan'thiel is a thoughtless asshole, you'll know it's me knocking at the doors of the bond asking to be seen."

She muffles a half laugh with a sob, pressing her face against his chest. Bobble moves in behind her, wrapping both her and Sunder into a hug. "And whenever you feel the comfort of his love, just remember that it's me. I'll always be there with you. In this life and every life after, guiding his love like a cozy blanket and your favorite fuzzy socks."

Callum pulls himself to his feet with great effort. The bloodstained floor beneath speaks volumes to how much time he has left. Sunder and Bobble release their group hug with Mira, and she goes to him. Half holding him up, half hugging. "When he sees the beauty in mundane things, or spends hours pursuing knowledge that seems meaningless or benign. That's when you'll see me."

Cor'than puts an arm around Callum, keeping him upright as she finally turns to me. My hand trembles as it reaches to gently cup her flushed cheek, feeling the heat radiating from her skin like a raging inferno. I am consumed by the intensity of my longing for her, unable to control the tumultuous emotions swirling within me. "When he's so handsome, you just can't look away."

Mira releases a sudden laugh, and I mirror her smile as I pull her against me one last time. "I love you, Mira. I wish we'd had more time. I wish things had been different."

"I know," she whispers against me. "I love you too."

I slowly close my eyes, savoring the sensation of her presence as it washes over me and fills me with a sense of peace. The warmth of her touch and the acceptance in her gaze provide the closure I need. Yet at the same time, she stirs a fire within me, igniting a spark of courage that I had forgotten existed. And amidst all these emotions, there is an overwhelming longing, coursing through every fiber of my being, for more moments like this with her.

I inhale deeply, savoring her scent one last time as I kiss the top of her head

"Mira, it's time," Cor'than tells her. She nods, pulling away from me with teary eyes.

"Ok," I say, my voice recovering some of its earlier steady command. "Stand as the four corners of a square. This won't take long."

I take one last look at Mira as she goes to assist Cor'than in helping Callum into place. My heart is at ease knowing that even if I can't be with her, she will be taken care of. The four of us cherish her above all else, and as Dan'thiel, I am confident that we will ensure her safety and well-being.

No matter what may come.

The four of us join hands, exchanging glances of trepidation. Yet a calm settles over us. An acceptance. I hold Callum's gaze for the space of eternity. As I begin the incantation to start the ritual, I hear Bobble whisper, "I'm glad to have met you. All of you. I'm glad it ends like this. Together."