CHAPTER 14

Chapter 14

*Leo Qi*

“Ruiran,” I mumble, stupefied by the sudden turn of events.

Ruiran? The girl who killed my family?

I hated her, but I never wanted this. Despite my anger, I still believed she could be a good person. Things might have changed, if she had lived. If I hadn’t been so harsh, would she still be alive?

And would Debbie be dead?

I close my eyes for a moment, unable to resist the guilt clawing at my soul. It shouldn’t have come down to Debbie or Ruiran. It should have been me.

My fault.

Debbie drags herself over to me and takes hold of my hand. “We have to go,” she says, her voice breaking. “There’s nothing to be done for her.”

I give myself three seconds.

One. In my mind, I unlock Ruiran’s cage, a cage I’d never even realized that I had.

Two. “I forgive you,” I whisper.

Three. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

I let her go.

*Courtney Tern*

Leo and Debbie come plummeting out of the window, stricken looks on their faces.

“What happened?” I ask, worried.

Debbie just shakes her head. “Ruiran’s dead.”

“Oh,” is all I can say.

Ruiran helped us, died for us. And I didn’t even know her.

I clench my jaw. I won’t let her down.

We run as fast as we can, our shoes spraying dirt in every direction. I can only hope someone knows what to do once we reach the water, because I have no idea how we’re going to cross.

We’ve only just made it out of the fortress when the darkness in front of us thickens, and a figure steps out.

Debbie makes an incoherent  noise in her throat. “Rachel.”

Rachel glowers at us accusingly, barring our way.

“Ruiran was my friend,” she says, her voice thick with emotion.

“I’m sorry,” I say softly.

“Ruiran was my friend,” she says again, her voice rising. “My only friend.” The shadows around her seethe and churn, the water swirling as if it’s unable to support her grief.

“And she died because of you!” she shouts, and the tears finally come. Her whole body shakes uncontrollably as she lets her anguish out, overwhelming her in a hurricane of sorrow. Dark walls composed of shadows form around us, trapping us in.

“If it weren’t for you, Ruiran would still be here. With me,” Rachel snarls. “I’ll kill you. I will kill you.”

“Rachel?” Sara stammers, her voice unstable but gentle. “Ruiran just wanted to save our lives. She knew it was the right thing to do. Don’t let her die for nothing. Please.”

Rachel takes several deep breaths, stifling her sobs. “She was a good person, no matter what she did. Remember that.”

The darkness dissipates, while a section of the sea freezes into ice, allowing us an escape route. Rachel steps aside, leaving our path clear.

“Thank you,” Debbie murmurs, her head hung low in shame.

“Just leave,” Rachel whispers.

She slowly fades into the twilight, and soon there’s nothing left but her tears wetting the earth, bits and pieces of a broken girl’s pain, still shining and staining the ground at our feet.