The morning light drifted between the trees, thin and pale. It carried little warmth, and I was awake before it ever reached us.
Kathera's voice stirred inside my mind.
You do not need to do this. We can find a different way. I do not want you to make this kind of sacrifice.
I do not think I have a choice, I told her. Celentra cannot stay frozen. Your people are suffering. If I can help them, I should.
We will help them, she insisted, though uncertainty trembled beneath her words. But it does not have to be like this.
What are we going to do, go fishing for an essence with a worm as bait?
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Celentra cannot remain frozen. The memory of the trees' voices pulsed cold beneath my ribs. They were clear.
I am not meant to live.
Just see what Oliver can accomplish. Do not dive into that waterfall.
I have to get there first.
I looked over at Oliver, where he lay, still half asleep. He rolled onto his back and blinked up at me.
"Good morning," he murmured, stretching.
"Good morning. We need to leave. The trees were clear." I rose immediately, every word sharp with urgency. "We need to get the essence before it moves. It travels through the water."
He sat up slowly, confused but calm. "Okay, how about we have breakfast and then leave?"
"Can't we eat while we walk?"
He stopped stretching and looked at me fully, reading every frantic thought I tried to hide.
"We can," he said, "but we will not. We are taking our time getting to the Waterfall of Sorrows." His tone carried absolute certainty, like he had the authority to decide how quickly fate moved.
"Who put you in charge?" I demanded, hands on my hips.
His gaze swept over me, slow and amused, and a smile cracked across his face.
"Sahora," he said softly, "I have always been in charge." He nodded toward a fallen log. "Sit. I will make you breakfast."
I stomped over and sat. "We do not have time for this!"
"Yes, we do," he called back, bringing over a bowl. It smelled sweet, earthy, and warm.
"What is it?"
"Mashed mushrooms and herbs."
"What do the herbs do?" I eyed the bowl suspiciously.
"I have not found any that help with retrieving the essence, but these will calm you. Help you slow down and think before you make a rash decision."
I ate quietly. It was delicious, thick, and filling. Oliver handed Elyon a bowl; they did not eat it. Oliver shrugged and watched me finish.
"What?" I asked.
"Do you feel calmer?"
I leaned back. I did. More decisive, too. And I knew exactly what I intended to do.
I tried to shove the thought out of my mind before he could catch it.
But he already had.
Dread swept through me as he set his bowl aside, hands trembling.
"Please do not," he whispered.
"I hope we find another way," I said, forcing the lie across my tongue.
He could taste it.
"Do not lie to me," he said steadily. "I can literally read your mind. You cannot hide anything."
"I have to save these people, Oliver."
"We will find a way that does not cost your life."
"I want to believe you."
"Then believe me." His face held a longing that nearly broke me.
"Okay," I whispered, and shoved every fatal thought as deep as my mind would allow. I filled myself with visions of hope, of survival, of a future he talked about like it was possible.
"Okay. We can go now," he said, cleaning up and grabbing his pack. Elyon hummed quietly.
I stood and began walking the path. Every thought focused on one thing: survive.
A cottage on a hill. A fire burning warmly. Books and herbs. Oliver's arms. A life I had never allowed myself to dream of.
We hiked deeper into the forest. The trees leaned in to greet me.
"Skyborn, we have waited so long," one murmured, glowing green.
"So you are one of the sky," another said, bright yellow.
"I can smell the sky on you," hummed a blue trunk.
The waterfall's scent filled the air before we even reached it. When it came into view, its size stole my breath. A vast sheet of water plummeted into a black pool below.
At the top stood Ami, Cyrus, Briar, and Castor.
We climbed to them.
"The essence is at the bottom of the waterfall," Ami shouted over the roar.
They began discussing plans in a frantic huddle.
"I can try forming a bubble around her head," Briar offered. "I have never done it, but—"
"No. Too risky," Oliver cut in.
"We could try hiklni root," Cyrus said, flipping his maps. "There are legends that it lets people swim incredibly fast."
"How does speed help with breath, Cyrus?" Oliver snapped, desperation cracking his voice.
I stepped back, focused on neutral thoughts. Neutral breath.
Ami flipped pages. "There is a breathing spell. The strongest lasts about five minutes."
"Not enough," Oliver muttered.
I reached the edge.
The drop was steep. If I stepped just right, I would miss the falling water and gain precious seconds before the plunge.
The pool below shimmered black as midnight.
My heart raced.
I tugged the bond and stepped off.
Goodbye.
No, Kathera screamed.
Wind tore past me.
I dragged in one last breath and kept it.
The impact of the water was like a stone.
Cold consumed me as I swam down. Deeper. Darker. The chill pierced the bone.
Then a red light flared beneath me.
The essence.
I reached for it just as my lungs burned, my chest tightening painfully.
A woman in a dress of starlight appeared before me.
To accept this essence, you must accept one thing.
My breath faltered.
You must accept that you are meant to save this world because you are broken, not in spite of it. Nod if you accept.
I nodded. Hard. Frantically.
The pain in my chest sharpened.
The blood essence is yours.
Water tore into my mouth as I finally inhaled. The cold flooded my lungs. Darkness swallowed my vision.
The last thing I saw was Oliver's face.