Chapter 304 The collapse

Chapter 304: Chapter 304 The collapse

Kaelen’s POV

The light was fading.

I could see it flickering behind us, with the golden barrier that Talia’s necklace had created. It was still holding, but I could see the cracks forming. The guards were pushing against it, with their hands pressing against the light, and their faces twisted with fury. They were fighting to get through, and I knew that it would not hold much longer.

"Talia," I said. "We need to keep moving."

But she did not respond.

I looked at her, and I saw her face was pale. Her eyes were half-closed, and her breathing was shallow, and she was barely holding on. Each step she took was like a battle, and she was losing.

"Talia," I said again. "Talia, stay with me."

She blinked, and I saw the effort it took for her to focus on my face. "I am trying," she whispered finally.

"Keep going," I said, with my voice desperate. "We are almost there."

Talia nodded weakly, and she took a step forward. Then she took another, and her legs were shaking beneath her, and I could see the strain on her face.

She took one more step, then her legs gave out.

I saw her falling, and I lunged forward immediately. I caught her before she hit the ground, and I pulled her against my chest. Her body was limp in my arms, and I felt the heat radiating from her skin.

"Talia!" I said. "Talia, look at me!"

Her eyes were closed, and her body was limp. She had given everything in this journey, and now she had nothing left.

"Talia, wake up," I said. "Please."

She did not respond. Her head lolled against my shoulder, and her breathing was so shallow that I could barely feel it.

I looked at Seraphina, and I saw the fear in her eyes. "Is she..."

"She is alive," I said quickly. "But she is fading."

I looked at the barrier behind us. It was still holding, but it was flickering. The guards were still pushing against it, and I could see the cracks growing wider. Which meant that it would not hold much longer.

I looked at Talia’s face that was pale and still. I could not carry her again and fight the guards at the same time. But I had to choose, and i chose her.

"I am carrying you," I said. "I am getting you out of here no matter what."

I lifted her into my arms, and I felt her weight against me. She was so light, and so fragile. She had given everything to save her mother, and now she was paying the price.

"I have you," I said. "I have you, Talia."

Seraphina moved beside me, with her hand gripping my arm. "Kaelen, we need to go now."

I nodded. "I know, Seraphina."

I looked at the barrier one last time. It was still holding, but I could see the guards on the other side. Their hands were pressing against the light, and their faces were twisted with rage. They were shouting, pushing, and fighting to get through, but the barrier held.

"Go," I said. "We need to go now."

I turned, and I ran with Talia in my arms. Seraphina ran beside me, with her hand gripping my arm for support. We did not look back, but I could hear the guards shouting behind us, with their voices echoing through the tunnel.

I held Talia tighter against my chest, and I ran.

"Talia," I whispered, with my voice cracking. "Hold on. I am getting you out."

She did not respond. Her body was still, and I could feel her heartbeat against my chest. It was weak, but it was there, and I knew that my brave mate was still fighting.

We ran through the darkness, and I felt my lungs burning. The silver was still eating away at my skin, and my legs were shaking beneath me, but I did not stop.

"Kaelen," Seraphina said, with her voice breathless. "How much further?"

I looked ahead, but I could not see the end. The tunnel stretched before us, dark and endless. "I do not know."

"Kaelen..." she started.

"I do not know, Seraphina," I said. "But we have to keep going."

Talia stirred in my arms, and I looked down at her face. Her eyes fluttered open, and I saw the exhaustion in them.

"Kaelen," she whispered. "Are we out?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. But we are almost there."

She nodded weakly. "I am sorry, Kaelen."

"For what?" I asked.

"For making you carry me," she said. "For being so weak."

I held her closer, and I felt the tears burning in my eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Talia. You saved your mother, and you have saved us back to back."

Talia did not respond. I looked down at her face, only to see that she was already unconscious again.

Pain burned in my heart, watching Talia collapse non stop, and drift in and out of consciousness. So I ran faster.

The tunnel twisted and turned, and I lost track of where we were, but I did not stop. I just kept running, holding Talia against my chest, and praying that I would find the way out.

Seraphina stumbled beside me, and I caught her with my free hand. "Keep going," I said. "We are almost there."

She looked at me, and I saw the exhaustion in her eyes. "Are you sure?"

I did not answer, because I did not know, and I did not want to give her false hope.

But then I looked ahead, and I saw a faint light. Not the golden light of the barrier, but something else that was different from the crack in the tunnel. It was pale and silver, and it was real moonlight.

"The exit," I said, with excitement filling my voice. "I see it."

Seraphina looked ahead, and when I glanced at her, I saw the tears on her face. "We are almost there."

I pushed forward, and I ran toward the light. My legs were shaking, and my arms were burning, but there was great hope in my chest now.

The tunnel opened wide ahead, and I felt the cold night air on my face. I felt the grass beneath my feet, and I felt the stars above me.

We were finally out.

I stumbled to my knees, and I held Talia against my chest. I could hear the guards behind us, with their shouts echoing through the tunnel. But I did not look back, I just held her.

"We are out," I said. "We are out, Talia."

Seraphina collapsed beside me, with her body trembling. "We made it."

I looked at Talia’s face that was pale and still. She was still unconscious, but she was alive, and I could feel her heartbeat against my chest.

I pressed my forehead against hers. "I told you," I said. "I told you I would get you out."

She did not respond, but I did not need her to. I had kept my promise.

“Get them!” A voice yelled from inside the tunnel.

I felt very tired and broken, but we were not safe yet. I could still hear the guards now closer behind us, and I knew that they were coming.

"Kaelen," Seraphina said, her voice trembling. "They are still coming."

I looked at the tunnel entrance, and I saw the torches flickering in the darkness. The guards were almost through the barrier, and they were almost out.

I looked at Talia’s face, and I felt the determination rising in my chest. I had gotten her out of the dungeon, and I had gotten her out of the tunnel, and I would make sure that I get her to safety.

"Then we keep running," I said. "We do not stop."

Seraphina nodded, and I saw the determination in her eyes.

I lifted Talia into my arms, and I stood up.

"Come on," I said. "We need to find the others."

We ran into the night, and we did not look back.