Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 753: Finality ()

A deep breath in.

Neveah forced herself to straighten, she pushed past the grief clawing at her chest and locked it away in the depths of her mind, deep enough where it couldn’t reach her...not now, not while the stronghold needed her.

Exhaling slowly, Neveah turned fully to face Xenon. No words needed to be said, Xenon knew the choice she had made. There had never been any other path, truly.

"The infernal dragons are assembled," Xenon said, his voice was steady but his gaze was heavy with words left unspoken. "The Lord of Fort Inferno has requested you to preside over the war council." He continued.

He handed her a change of clothes, a simple black dress free of the blood and dust staining her riding suit. "I will have someone launder your riding suit. You should get changed."

Neveah nodded once. She took the dress and when Xenon stepped out, she quickly washed up and changed her clothing, tidying up to the best of her ability with the limited time available. She forced herself to move quickly, not allowing her mind the moment it would need to dwell.

On the blood staining the wash basin...

On the memory Adrienne had burned into her soul...

On the gnawing, terrible feeling that there was still more to lose...

As she stepped out, her vision swayed unsteadily and the room spun around her. She reached out for balance and Xenon was right there,

His arms caught her, steady and firm. They wrapped around her waist to anchor her. He had been waiting by the door... like he knew Neveah would need him.

"Veah..." Xenon’s voice was low, worried. "Maybe you should rest for a while, before..." He began to suggest but Neveah quickly shook her head.

"It’s not that." Neveah murmured, sucking in a sharp breath. The feeling was familiar, because Neveah had felt it first a short time ago, it was like a tugging sensation deep within her chest, an urgency... something Neveah could not quite place her hands on.

’A call. Someone is calling for you using whisps of magic.’ Demevirld clarified the sensation to Neveah.

’A call...yes, that’s what it feels like.’ Neveah thought as Xenon guided her over to the bed to take a seat. It made sense, why she suddenly felt like her mind was being tugged at and the urgency behind it also fit the narrative. ’But who?’

’It can only be someone you have recently used magic on.’ Demevirld replied.

’Adrienne...Menarx!’ Neveah’s breath caught in her throat.

’Do you want to answer the call?’ Demevirld asked Neveah. ’The magic will transport you through space, like a portal does. But the destination is dependent on the will of the caller and so you can only answer it alone. No one can follow.’

Neveah’s gaze moved to Xenon. He was already staring at her, his brows furrowed in concern. Her gaze was hesitant, "I think Menarx is calling for me. Demevirld can take me to him... I won’t be gone long."

Xenon’s brows furrowed even more, the reluctance in his eyes was obvious, not because he did not want Neveah going to Menarx but because he could not make peace with the idea of Neveah going anywhere alone when danger surrounded Fort Inferno on all sides. But it only took a moment for him to nod his consent.

"Go." He consented. "I’ll oversee the council. Bring him back."

Neveah nodded slowly, swallowing the lump in her throat. ’Take me.’ She thought to Demevirld.

Neveah barely had time to brace as a sudden surge of magic rushed through her veins and suddenly Neveah felt lightweight, like she was drifting in air. Her vision blurred, swaying so severely, Neveah’s eyes snapped shut.

Her ears rang and her eyes stung, it felt like an eternity had passed... and then stillness.

Neveah blinked against the harsh wind. She was standing on a rocky mountain ledge in a completely unfamiliar terrain. The mountain ledge was so high up, the ground beneath her feet felt dangerously narrow, the vast expanse of the sky stretched beneath her, nothing but thick clouds swirling below. She quickly retreated from the edge.

Scanning the mountain range quickly, Neveah’s heart lurched.

Menarx stood with his back turned to her, arms crossed behind him, his silhouette outlined against the backdrop of the stormy grey sky.

Relief surged through Neveah’s heart, raw and aching. She quickly hurried over but paused in her tracks when Menarx turned around to face her.

It had just been a little more than an hour since they had last seen each other. How then did he look so changed?

His face was pale, his eyes dull and hollowed out by something deeper than exhaustion. His shoulders, once broad with quiet strength were hunched, like a man carrying a weight that was far too heavy for his bones to bear.

A sharp pang of pain ripped through Neveah’s heart but she suppressed it. "Narx..." She whispered.

Menarx blinked slowly, as if pulling himself out from some deep abyss. "You’re here." His voice was distant, cracked. "She... said you’d come." He continued.

She...

Adrienne.

Neveah’s throat tightened. Menarx did not wield magic, he was not capable of sending that call to Neveah. It had been Adrienne’s work, just as she thought.

Swallowing hard, Neveah asked. "Where...is she?"

Neveah knew. Scales, she already knew.

But still, her eyes scanned the mountain ledge, desperate, searching. Menarx was by himself, Adrienne nowhere in sight.

But Neveah knew she could not be far... that was if she still lived. And the likelihood of that...was close to nothing.

"I am here." Neveah confirmed, her tone strained. "Are you... alright?"

It was a silly question to ask and Neveah regretted it the moment the words were out of her lips. The grief in Menarx’s eyes was as clear as day, and there was an aura of cold detachment around him... like he could not bear to be a part of this world.

A terrible, suffocating silence followed.

"Narx... I..." Neveah tried again but Menarx interrupted.

"She wanted you to have this." He inhaled shakily.

He reached into his robes and pulled out a strange item, a small orb. It gleamed faintly, and he stretched it out to Neveah. "Said it was urgent...to deliver it to you without delay..."

Neveah winced,

Wanted...said, Menarx was speaking in the past tense. That would mean...her heart constricted in pain.

Neveah did not want to contemplate it. She walked over to Menarx and took the orb, it was warm to touch, she did not recognise the item or for what it was used.

"Narx..." Her voice was barely a whisper now. "Let me see her...let me help. I think I can..." Neveah trails off. "Just let me try again..."

Menarx shook his head. He exhaled a shaky breath, the sound tore at Neveah’s heart and she bit down on her bottom lip, as harshly as was needed to keep down the overwhelming grief.

"You have done everything you can, Veah. I know your heart...I know you did even more than everything. There is nothing more you can do." His voice was gentle, too gentle. The voice of a man that had already made peace with his fate.

Neveah couldn’t. She couldn’t make peace with this.

Menarx continued with a tired, broken smile. "For all you did, now...and all that time ago, you have my eternal gratitude." He said.

The finality in his tone chilled Neveah down to her bones.