Apocalyse: Marked by Chaos-Chapter 42 - A Price to Pay

With half-closed eyes, Olivia saw the hand. Hope surged through her, reigniting her will to live.

She kicked her legs against the water, propelling herself forward with all of her strength towards the stretching hand. She had no idea who—or what—the hand belonged to, only a desperate belief that it had come to save her.

The smoke-like tendrils screeched, clawing at her ankles, dragging her deeper into the abyss.

Olivia swam faster with all her might. 'Just a little more,' she encouraged herself.

Her fingers finally clasped around the blazing hand, and in an instant, she was yanked upward.

Cough. Cough.

Water gurgled out of her mouth, her black hair clung to her face, strands sticking to her damp skin. Her pale hand trembled slightly.

Waves of emotions surged in her, her eyes looked lifeless. A sad chilling laugh echoed through her chest. ' So it really was an illusion.' She thought bitterly.

Boom.

The sound shattered her trail of thoughts. She tilted her head up only to find Eritrea who was trying to keep the blazing barrier up. Her face had different cuts, both big and small. A trail of blood dripping from the corner of her lips.

Eritrea wobbled before buckling beneath her legs. Her long silver white hair disheveled. Outside the barrier, black tendrils in the form of a volcano crash down with the barrier.

" Olivia... I can't hold on for long," Eritrea weakly said, blood splattering from her mouth.

Olivia quickly scrambled towards her. ' What does she mean by that? She can't fight whatever these

monsters were?'

As she moved closer to her, a ripple formed at her movement. Realisation dawned on her, so she had been trapped at the other side, which was nothing but water.

She shook her head, she needed to stay focused. " What can I do to help," she asked, her brows furrowed.

Eritrea glanced at her, a look of guilt crossing through her eyes, " I'm sorry Olivia for causing all of this... I'm really sorry."

A lump formed in Olivia's throat. She really hates her for what she did, for trapping in her own body, but she understood that she had done it to save her.

" What should we do now?" She ignored her apology, she knew she should forgive but she just can't, not right now"And what are these things?" Olivia added, pushing back the lump forming in her throat.

Eritrea pushed herself up, before giving Olivia a smile, bitter and sad. " Trap it inside me."

" No you can't do that, you might die... then I won't have you to teach me anymore." She rumbled, her eyes unfocused.

" It's the price I must pay." Eritrea said, her voice calm and hesitant. " You will find a good teacher." Eritrea's golden eyes blazed as she drew magical signs in the air. The barrier shattered, the dark tendrils surged into her, as if it were being sucked in by a vacuum.

"No!!!" Olivia screamed, her eyes shut "Stop!!" As if harkening to her command, time stopped, Eritrea froze, the tendrils froze. Everything became silent.

Hesitantly, she opened her eyes when she could not hear a single sound. ' Is it over?' She thought inwardly.

Gasps.

She gasped, her breath hitching. Time had frozen. She struggled her feet, the sound of her heavy breathing was the only thing that pierce through the silent atmosphere.

She was walking towards Eritrea, whose eyes were shut, a single light red tear rolling down her cheeks. Olivia mindlessly wiped the tears away, staring at the liquid in her finger with a puzzled look. ' She cries blood?' Her fingers rubbed against the tears.

Her eyes darted to the dark tendrils, its form was so enormous, almost endless. It's tendrils shooting out like branches in an attempt to escape.

[SYSTEM ALERT]

[You have forcefully stopped time in your sea of consciousness. You have two options

1: Resume the timeline and let Eritrea die with the Myrkr.

2: Save the Eritrea and suppress the Myrkr]

[Choosing any of the two will cost you, but one is greater than the other]

Olivia nearly scoffed at the system. She had a strange feeling that her system is a scumbag, never making it any easier for her.

"Which one has the highest cost?" She asked. If she was going to jump into the water, first, she had to check how deep it was.

[If you choose the first one, you lose your ability to ascend... If you choose the second one, you retain your ability but lose a memory of the person you love the most.]

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

Olivia let out a deep sigh, her wet shoulders slightly trembling with cold. ' The first one is definitely not an option, the second one..." she let out a bitter chuckle ' I guess it doesn't matter... right? But why does it still hurt? Why does it feel like something irreplaceable is slipping through my fingers?'

Her thoughts drifted back to the warmth in her fake mother's gaze, the fleeting illusion of love. It would be a shame if she forgets about her.

[You have 5 seconds to choose]

The system cautioned before counting down. [ 5, 4, 3, 2....]

"I choose the second one." she said, her fingers twitching, her heart bitter. She didn't want to forget her mom, even though she doesn't show any love, Olivia has hope that she would turn a new leaf. But her hope is shattered now.

Tears streamed down her face.

[Granted]

BOOM

A violent clash shook the air. Olivia groaned as raw energy coursed through her veins, an overwhelming sensation that almost made her puke, her stomach churned, her temperature burning so high.

Her skin pulsed with energy, waiting to be unleashed. AAARGH.

A scream burst out from her throat, wildfire unleashed, burning the Myrkr. The Myrkr writhed as the fire swallowed it whole. For a brief moment, Olivia thought she heard something—a whisper, a plea? But the fire consumed it before she could understand.

The fire formed into a tornado surrounding the Myrkr. A violent and stormy hole formed in the sea, the fire channeled the darkness down into the hole.

The Darkness that had already entered Eritrea's body, was drawn out by Olivia, the sky was contorted with black and red energy dancing a wild dance.