66- In The Light
Iris.
“Ione,” I gulped, my voice shaky, trying not to let my eyes trail down. One look down and I would hurl whatever I had eaten for the day. I could feel myself already going dizzy and nauseous from the air at this level, but I swallowed both my bile and my fear and faced Ione.
Come over to me. It is not safe there,” I tried to reach her again, but she did not even look in my direction. It was like she did not hear me at all. “Please…” I said, desperation clutching my heart.
It was like she was on a plank, and a single step would be catastrophic. If she moved a foot forward even half an inch, she would fall to her death. Sweat broke out on my brow, my heart racing wildly. “Ione,‘ I moved closer to her, closer to the precipice, to certain death. “You have to come to me. Listen to my voice, please,” I was almost begging her.
She did not twitch; she just stood there on the precipice. What was she waiting for? If she had sleepwalked, why had she come here of all places? When it seemed like she was not going to hear me, I inched even closer. I would just grab her; that was the new plan. I reached out my hand to grab anything on her–clothing, skin, even her hair–then I heard a crack. My stomach dropped as I looked down. My stomach lurched as my eyes made contact with the crack that had now formed on the stones that made the roof of the castle. It was weak, and I was still not close enough to lone to grab her. It was possible that the structure would not be able to take the weight of two people.
I gulped. I had to think, I had to think. My mind was racing, the chaos making it hard to formulate a solution. I could take steps back and be safe, but if I did not take Ione with me, the cracks would turn into a break, and she would fall to her death.
If I could just reach out to her, if she would just hear my voice. But she was unresponsive. Then realization dawned on me: she was probably still stuck, not as much as she had been before in the other realm. Because now she had control of her limbs and knew directions in the real world. Parts of her were already making their way back, but it seemed like her subconscious was still trapped, hence why she could not hear me. I had digested even more of the book during my session the previous night when I had gone back. I could only hope that it would be enough.
I had to reach into myself, to get to her because her spirit was trapped traveling through me. In a strange, most unorthodox way, she was stuck within me. I had to reach inside; I could only hope that what I was thinking would work, just as I heard another crack of the stone beneath my feet. It was like my body knew; it was instinctual. It was like how my body had reacted during Vorax’s rampage. Despite the enormity and severity of the situation, I closed my eyes just as I heard another crack.
All I saw was darkness, but I concentrated on the visage of Ione–long dark hair, dark eyes. I searched within my subconscious like a person trying to recall a distant, hazy memory.
“Ione,” I called out, but this time my mind’s voice was the one that spoke. “Are you there?” I asked the darkness. This was crazy; this was madness, yet I did not stop. I did not see another way out. Before help came, Ione could have fallen. I could not take the chance. If I went back to save myself and tried to reach the part of Ione trapped in my mind, the stones could finally give; if I moved forward, the same could happen. I would do what the Zeta elders had said; this was the only way. If I could bring her back myself, we could escape together before the stones gave. We did not have minutes, or even seconds; we had heart–racing moments.
“Ione!” I screamed in my head, desperation clawing at me. “If you are there, listen to my voice.”
Nothing.
My heart was growing too big for my chest.
“Ione!” I screamed again. “Are you there?”
Nothing.
One beat, two beats, three beats, four bea-
Then I felt something move in the darkness; I heard chaotic footsteps. Like a drunk person moving. It was distant at first, then it grew closer and
closer.
I reached for whatever was in the darkness. “Ione?” I called out, unsure. “Is that you? Please, tell me it’s you.”
The footsteps got closer and closer until I could have said that I saw the outline of a figure in the darkness. My heart skipped a beat, but I did not
waver.
“Ione, follow my voice,” I said, uncertain but trying to hold on to positivity. It had to be Ione.
Almost like I had spoken a command, the figure got even closer to me.
“Ione?” I called again. “Can you hear me? This is your way out of here.” I tried to convince her that I meant no harm. If it was Ione, I could not afford to chase her away. “Follow my voice; I know that you can hear me.”
The figure stalked even closer, but its steps were hesitant, as though uncertain. Then it disappeared altogether. I was alone in the darkness again. Panic whirled within me, fear holding me captive. She had been so close; it had been her, I could feel it.
“Iris?” I heard a small, shaky voice that sounded like a wounded child. But it was Ione’s voice, I knew it.
“Ione?” I called in the darkness. “Is that you?”
‘Open your eyes, Iris!” It was Cassian’s panicked voice that tore through the silence. I opened my eyes and raised them to where Ione stood. My eyes widened when I saw that her eyes were open now and she was looking at me, confused as though she did not know how she had gotten there.
Setting
21:06
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66 In The Light
“Ione, jump!” I said, the cracking under us intensifying. The stones were past their last leg, “Jump now!”
Without hesitation, she finally moved and jumped, and I held her as I jumped away from the edge just as the stone ledge finally crumbled, taking part of the roof with it.
The adrenaline coursed through my veins as I held onto lone, our bodies colliding with a thud on the safer side of the roof. The sound of stones crashing echoed behind us, and 1 dared not look back. My chest heaved, trying to catch my breath, and fone’s weight pressed against me. She was trembling, her eyes wide with fear and confusion.
“Iris,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the collapsing ledge. “What happened?” She sounded so scared that it broke my
heart.
I swallowed hard, feeling the rush of relief wash over me. “You were sleepwalking,” I explained, my mind reeling while trying to keep my voice steady. “You almost fell…” I was stroking her hair, checking her body. It almost felt too surreal that she was here and not a bloody pulp at the foot of the castle. I could have cried with relief.
She shivered, looking at the rubble that was once the ledge. “I… I don’t remember,” she stammered. “I just felt… drawn to it.”
I pulled her closer, hugging her tightly. “It’s okay now,” I soothed, my voice shaky from the close call. “You’re safe.”
Cassian appeared at our side, his face pale and eyes wide with concern and fear. He knelt beside us, his gaze fixed on Ione; he was almost trembling. “What the hell happened?” he demanded, his voice laced with panic.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, still holding onto Ione. “She was on the edge, but it was like she was not really there. Like her mind was still trapped.” Cassian’s jaw clenched, and he glanced back at the remains of the ledge. “We need to get her inside,” he said, his tone firm. “It’s not safe here.” Landon came forward, his eyes filled with worry, and as he reached for lone to carry her, her body suddenly went rigid. Her eyes widened in alarm, and before I could react, she began to convulse violently. Her entire body shook uncontrollably, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
“Ione!” I cried out, panic flooding my voice. I tried to hold her still, but the convulsions were too strong. Not again.
Landon quickly moved to help, Cassian’s face pale with fear, his hand twitching at his sides like he ached to hold his sister. “We need to get her to the infirmary, now!” he shouted, lifting her trembling form into his arms. Ione’s convulsions didn’t stop, her body jerking violently as we hurried through the corridors.
I followed closely behind them, my heart pounding in my chest. Ione’s gasps and the sound of her thrashing filled the air, a terrifying reminder of how little control we had over the situation. My mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening. Was this some kind of aftereffect from being in the other realm, or was something else at play?
We burst into the infirmary, shouting for help. The deltas quickly sprang into action, guiding Landon to a bed where he gently laid Ione down. They moved with practiced efficiency, checking her vitals and securing her to prevent injury from the convulsions.
“She woke up just now,” I informed them as they tried to help her. “She spoke a little before she began to convulse.” Despite the fact that she was convulsing, the deltas looked relieved at the news.
I stood at the edge of the room, feeling helpless and scared. Ione’s convulsions were slowing, but her breathing was still labored, her face pale and sweaty. One of the older deltas looked up at Cassian and me, concern etched on his face.
“She’s stable for now,” the delta said, his voice calm but relieved. “We’ll monitor her closely. Her body is probably reacting to her spirit being returned to it after so long. She should wake up again soon once her body adapts.”
Cassian nodded, his jaw clenched tight. He looked down at Ione, his eyes filled with worry. “Do whatever you need to do,” he said, his voice firm. “Just help her.”
The deltas continued their work on Ione, everyone with their hands on deck. I stood by the door, my hands trembling. The reality of the situation hit me hard–whatever had caused Ione’s convulsions was serious, and we needed answers fast.
As the minutes ticked by, Ione’s convulsions finally stopped. Her body relaxed, and her breathing became more even. The deltas continued to monitor her, but the tension in the room was palpable. Cassian and I exchanged worried glances, both of us silently asking the same question: Would she wake up again?
Another thing that unsettled me was how neither Cassian’s mother nor Rolan came to see her condition.
Finally, one of the deltas approached us. “We’re going to keep her sedated for now,” she explained gently. “It’s best to let her rest. She should wake up very soon.”
Cassian nodded, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Thank you,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.
The delta gave us a sympathetic look before returning to her duties. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. The uncertainty of the situation was terrifying, but at least there was hope.
I glanced at Cassian, who was staring at Ione with a mix of concern and something else, something that I could not quite place. “We’ll find a way to help her,” I said softly, trying to reassure both him and myself.
M
his expression softened into one of gratitude. Without warning, he pulled me into his He nodded, his expression grim. Then, looking down at me, arms and held me close. I could feel his heart beating in my ears. He buried his face in my hair and breathed, the tension leaving his body. “Thank you, Iris,” he whispered into my hair. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”
21:06
