(Mira Oka)
I ended up tripping and falling. I landed on the ground. I winced at the pain in my legs. I’m…almost there. Ace’s wings would've gotten us there faster, but…he’s wounded too.The blackout is still here. Ace must’ve damaged it pretty badly. Just then the lights got back on. It’s over. No, we need more time. I stood up. “Ace, can you redo the blackout?”
No reply.
“Ace?” I turned around. He wasn’t there.
Panic rose in me. Where is he? He was right behind me. Where did he go? I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to calm my breathing. Think, Think, Think! Then my mind clicked onto something. The gas! He was gone right after I told him to follow! It must’ve been poison or something. I have to go back. Despite my pain, I tried running again. That’s when I felt a kick at the back of my legs. I fell down again. Shakily, I sat up and turned around. Two guards were standing there. One of them squatted down and handcuffed me. It was glowing red. No! He helped me up and held me by the shoulders.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked. “Where’s Ace? Don’t you need both of us?”
“You will be in the waiting room for your bonfire.” He replied.
My eyes widened. “Bonfire?”
“Yes. That is specifically what your execution is.”
“N-No! Where’s Ace?”
The other guard shook his head. “He will not be executed.”
“What does that mean?” I demanded. “What did you do to him?”
The guard pushed me into his car. They both got in and it started to drive away. Eyes still wide, I placed my palms on the window, watching the scene go by. The plan was going smoothly… We almost made it… We could’ve won… What went wrong?
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I was locked inside the waiting room, still handcuffed. I sat down, my legs completely frail. They told me my execution will begin shortly. I was alone. I felt my throat close up. I wanted to cry. I wanted to take back everything. Why was I so careless? If only I turned around…My goal. My goal to shut down the borders so everyone could be free is nothing but dust in the wind. It failed. I have failed. I was a failure. Just like my father always said.
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