Chapter 88: Unraveling

Lucrezia struck the ground hard, the impact knocking the last of the air from her lungs. And for a moment, she couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. The world spun wildly around her, sound collapsing into a distant, hollow ringing.

Pain surged through her—searing through muscle and vein, a brutal reminder that she was still here… still alive.

Without warning, air rushed back in all at once, almost unforgiving. Lucrezia gasped sharply, the breath tearing through her chest as pain followed, spreading through her body in a harsh, burning wave. Her muscles seized from the force of it, her ribs aching with every uneven inhale she dragged in, but the pain was enough to tell her she survived.

Cold seeped through the torn fabric at her back, biting into her skin, anchoring her just enough to keep her from slipping under.

Lucrezia groaned softly, her body trembling as she forced herself to move. Her arms shook beneath her weight as she pushed up, pain flaring instantly, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t.

Her vision blurred at the edges, dark spots flickering in and out, but she blinked hard, willing it to clear. For a while, she struggled to maintain her sight—blinking hard, once, twice—and when her vision finally steadied enough, her heart dropped at the sight before her.

Vespera was surrounded.

Creatures closed in from every direction, their forms flickering but persistent, their hollow eyes fixed solely on her. They outnumbered her far more than before with movements sharp and coordinated.

Lucrezia’s breath caught. From the way Vespera moved, the strain was obvious now.

Her shoulders tensed with effort, and her breathing became heavier than before. There was a slight delay every time she summoned her flames, and her strikes even… they were far from precise.

Her chest tightened. She’s getting weaker, and they knew it.

One shadow slipped past Vespera’s flame before she caught it a second too late and another forced her back a step she couldn’t afford, opening just enough space for a precise strike to follow.

The distortion cut through the air without warning. Vespera barely had time to react as the force hit her squarely, tearing through her defenses.

It slammed into her with brutal accuracy, ripping the ground beneath her feet apart. Her body was lifted clean off the ground. She was hurled backward through the air, crashing into the frozen earth with a force that echoed across the shattered fair.

For a moment, everything seemed to pause—not in silence, but in that strange, suspended stillness where the chaos no longer felt scattered, but controlled.

Lucrezia’s breath caught in her throat.

“Vespera—!”

Her voice broke as she pushed herself forward, her body protesting violently at the sudden movement. Pain shot through her limbs, but she ignored it, dragging herself across the frozen ground. Her body burned despite the cold, and her pulse hammered within her chest, threatening to escape.

Lucrezia shrugged the heavy cloak off her shoulders, letting it fall carelessly to the ground as if it had suddenly become too much to bear. The cold bit at her instantly, but she didn’t mind. She dragged in a sharp breath, filling her lungs with air that felt raw and unfiltered.

She stayed like that for a moment, steadying herself, waiting until the tightness in her chest eased just enough, and only then did she move.

Her fingers found the edge of a splintered wooden table, gripping it tightly as she pulled herself forward. The effort made her wince, but she didn’t stop. Slowly, she lowered herself, pressing against the frozen ground as she began to crawl toward Vespera, using whatever strength she had left to keep going.

Each pull and push caused her muscles to beg for mercy. She ignored the pain blatantly, attention fully focused on her destination. Noises pressed deep into her skull, clinging like a moth to a burning flame. Worse, she couldn’t stop them, leaving endurance as her only option.

A sharp broken piece pierced into her elbow, sending searing heat through her entire body. Lucrezia bit her lips to prevent the scream already at the tip of her tongue, grunting instead.

The creatures had not moved yet, but she knew without any doubt, that they noticed. Why weren’t they attacking then? Why did they let her proceed?

Breathing hard, Lucrezia found the spot, blood dripping, staining the ice ground crimson. Something was stuck inside her flesh, already coated in blood.

Counting from one to five, Lucrezia reached for the broken piece, pulling it off within a breathless second.

“AH-mm!” She cried, biting down hard instead. Cold clammy sweat trickled down her temples as her body shook from the searing pain. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She couldn’t breathe around the quiet sobs.

The pain was too much! Far too much!

Soon her crying turned into ragged pants. Lucrezia knew she had to move. She had to be strong. She had to survive.

Yes, survive.

As if that was the key and engine to her procession, she began her careful ride, taking cover over wooden stalls. A faint groan echoed in the air, and Lucrezia’s gaze snapped to its direction.

“Vespera,” She called, increasing her pace as she dragged her weight against the frozen ground. Vespera lay unmoving at her far left, her body concealed by a collapsed stall, smoke curling heavily in the air.

The sun had already taken cover, leaving behind a starless sky stretched wide and empty above them. The fair, once full of laughter and light, now lay in ruin: broken stalls, scattered wood, and the faint crackle of dying flames filling the silence.

Lucrezia’s breath came in uneven pulls as she dragged herself forward. “Vespera…” she called again, her voice weaker now, barely steady, but enough to be acknowledged as a whisper.

There was no answer.

Her chest tightened painfully, panic rising despite the exhaustion weighing her down. She pushed herself harder, ignoring the protest in her limbs, the sting of her wounds, or the way her body begged her to stop.

She couldn’t. Not now. Not when she was this close.

At last, she reached the collapsed stall and forced herself to lift her head over the splintered edge. Vespera lay still there, her tonic clung to her sweat-laden body, unconscious or dead… one couldn’t tell.

For a terrifying second, Lucrezia’s heart stopped entirely. The thought sent a wave of trepidation through her entire body, stealing her breath.

T-There was no way…

But then she saw the faint rise and fall of her chest, barely obvious, though a sign to tell that the figure was alive.

Relief hit her so suddenly that it almost made her lightheaded. Lucrezia hadn’t realized how her body trembled from both the cold and pain until she crawled closer, her hands shaking as she brushed aside broken pieces of wood.

“Vespera… can you hear me?” She asked softly, though her voice trembled.

Still, nothing to signify that her question was acknowledged.

Up close, the damage was worse. Blood streaked down the side of Vespera’s face, her arm twisted awkwardly beneath her, and whatever strength she once held seemed to have drained away completely.

Lucrezia swallowed hard, her throat dry. She’d never seen her this… vulnerable, and the sight terrified her more.

She tried again. “We need to move…” She whispered, though she didn’t know if she was saying it for Vespera or for herself.

Lucrezia caught the almost invisible pool of blood stained on the frozen ground, and her heart dropped.

She traced the blood back to Vespera who lay still, breathing shallow in pain, gaze narrowing toward her side. The fabric at her side had darkened, the stain spreading far too quickly against the pale ground beneath her. From the look of it, the injury sustained seemed severe enough, leaving behind a pool of blood tainting the ground red.

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