Ava's hands shook, the box slipping from her grip and clattering to the floor. Alaric's hologram flickered out, his last words—"my soul will get damaged"—burning in her skull. Her chest heaved, like she'd been punched.
Dead?
Ninety percent gone?
Revival?
It was too much—too damn much.
She staggered backwards, her eyes wide with fear, as she looked at Hina, who appeared ghostly pale. Her lips were trembling.
Velmo was frozen in place. His previous smug grin vanished, replaced by a look of shock.
Erica's hope, which had just flickered to life moments before, was crushed. She held onto the doorframe tightly, her nails digging into the wood.
"No... no, no, NO!" Ava screamed, her voice cracking the room's silence. "He's not dying! He's not doing this alone!"
Hina snapped out of her daze, grabbing Ava's arm.
"We have to find him! We have to find him now!" Her voice was sharp, but her eyes were wet—fear, not just for Alaric but for what he'd become.
