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I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites

Thank you if you take the time to read it!

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Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 70: THE LAST SILVER CHILD

                Faint wind caressed Kadem’s cheeks as she walked forward, almost encouraging her.
                At first she thought she would have to act fast, or else fear would overcome her. She dreaded giving herself time to rationalize and bury the emotions that fueled her brisk steps. But the longer she strolled, the more aware of herself she became: her resolve was truthful, her intentions unbendable. She wouldn’t run away. Not this time.
                She could feel Hedera’s and Licorice’s wills behind her, getting farther away with each stride. The twins were confused and expectant. She sensed frustration in them, the frustration of old sages who understand most things and wish to understand all. Kadem found a strange satisfaction in disconcerting the two ancient demons, in making them wonder what she planned to do.
                As the twins’ presences shrank in the distance, and as she traversed the luminous hallways toward the sick ward, the wills of the moribund children ahead became clearer and clearer: they refused to die, and they were afraid, and they were brave. The silver witch was thankful. Their despair gave her strength, their courage reassured her.
                She would do the right thing. At last, she would make the right choice.
                She arrived to their door and sent the servants away with a swift gesture. She stood in silence, alone in the company of their minds. The delicate calm let her know that they were asleep inside the room. She took a deep breath. Her hands were trembling, but she couldn’t tell if it was from anticipation or fright. She wouldn’t fail. She couldn’t. She was the strongest witch.
                It was tempting to do the deed as the two slept, but she also thought it necessary to provide some semblance of an explanation. She opened the door, still ambivalent on whether to rouse them.
                What she encountered gave her pause: Malia and Gorken weren’t on their beds. Instead, they were lying on the floor between the two mattresses, sound asleep. Kadem concluded their awkward positioning had to be the result of an attempted, and mostly failed, hug. I suppose they didn’t have the strength to climb back up, nor the nerve to summon attendants and explain why in the world they leapt from their beds. The silver witch wasn’t sure if her smile was born from mockery or endearment, perhaps both, but regardless she couldn’t help subtly grinning to herself.
                Kadem delicately rested her hands on their shoulders. Despite everything, they were still warm. Her tender touch awakened Gorken; he stared at her, at first disoriented, then curious.
                “What’s the matter?” his voice was feeble against his will.
                Kadem blinked slowly, “I think I may be able to save you.” She noticed his body tensing up in anticipation, hesitant to be too hopeful, but she continued without pausing, “Your bodies have become cracked vessels. You’re dying because your life keeps leaking out of the fissures, in a sense. There is no way to repair those fissures… But as a silver child, all I have to do is pour enough of my life into you so that, by the time it all gets the chance to leak through the cracks, enough decades will have passed for your hair to turn the same color as mine. The energy from the core of a silver child should be enough to grant you both normal, human lifespans.”
                “…The energy from your core?” Gorken was struggling to keep up, “Doesn’t that mean you would-”
                “Yes, I will die saving you.”
                Gorken’s eyes widened, then they settled firmly on the silver witch, “I should stop you, shouldn’t I? If I was a decent person, I would tell you not to do it, to live and keep our memory in your heart. But… I want Malia to live… and I want to live by her side. I’m not even brave enough to lie and hide what I desire. Do you… Do you still think I’m worth it?”
                Kadem smiled, “That’s precisely why you’re worth it, handsome boy.”
                Gorken’s breath trembled, “…Malia won’t be happy about this. She’ll blame herself. She will cry. I’ll cry too.”
                “I know.” Kadem nodded, “You’re nice kids.”
                “A-are you sure you won’t regret it?”
                “I could never regret it.”
                “I don’t know how to…” Gorken’s heart gained vigor, “I don’t know how to thank you. How can I express gratitude for something so… What can I give you in return? How can we pay you back? How to even-”
                “You’ve already given me everything.” Kadem nodded, “This is my gratitude. You can do as you please with the life I’m simply returning to you.”
                He stayed silent for long moments. Malia’s muted breathing became lightly audible. Kadem’s hands stayed on their shoulders.
                “How will you…” Gorken gathered and then lost his courage to speak almost immediately, “When will you…?”
                “As you should know, I’m a fabulously skilled magician.” Kadem smirked, “I’m the strongest witch, after all. So great am I at what I do, in fact, that I’ll be done in a few moments. So thank you. Thank you all, annoying children, for everything. Thank you for bursting into my life and giving it value, and meaning. Thank you for giving me my ‘why’ at long last. Truly.”
                Before Gorken could react, Kadem’s body collapsed into a shriveled carcass. Her silver hair turned to dust, and so did her bones. All that was left of the last silver child was a pile of pearly powder and a layered dress on the polished floor.
                Malia woke with a start. She sat up and wept. She didn’t know, and yet she knew. As Gorken held her tight, tighter than he ever had, the tears kept streaming down her face. For a long time, they wouldn’t stop.

Description

I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites

Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 70: THE LAST SILVER CHILD

                Faint wind caressed Kadem’s cheeks as she walked forward, almost encouraging her.
                At first she thought she would have to act fast, or else fear would overcome her. She dreaded giving herself time to rationalize and bury the emotions that fueled her brisk steps. But the longer she strolled, the more aware of herself she became: her resolve was truthful, her intentions unbendable. She wouldn’t run away. Not this time.
                She could feel Hedera’s and Licorice’s wills behind her, getting farther away with each stride. The twins were confused and expectant. She sensed frustration in them, the frustration of old sages who understand most things and wish to understand all. Kadem found a strange satisfaction in disconcerting the two ancient demons, in making them wonder what she planned to do.
                As the twins’ presences shrank in the distance, and as she traversed the luminous hallways toward the sick ward, the wills of the moribund children ahead became clearer and clearer: they refused to die, and they were afraid, and they were brave. The silver witch was thankful. Their despair gave her strength, their courage reassured her.
                She would do the right thing. At last, she would make the right choice.
                She arrived to their door and sent the servants away with a swift gesture. She stood in silence, alone in the company of their minds. The delicate calm let her know that they were asleep inside the room. She took a deep breath. Her hands were trembling, but she couldn’t tell if it was from anticipation or fright. She wouldn’t fail. She couldn’t. She was the strongest witch.
                It was tempting to do the deed as the two slept, but she also thought it necessary to provide some semblance of an explanation. She opened the door, still ambivalent on whether to rouse them.
                What she encountered gave her pause: Malia and Gorken weren’t on their beds. Instead, they were lying on the floor between the two mattresses, sound asleep. Kadem concluded their awkward positioning had to be the result of an attempted, and mostly failed, hug. I suppose they didn’t have the strength to climb back up, nor the nerve to summon attendants and explain why in the world they leapt from their beds. The silver witch wasn’t sure if her smile was born from mockery or endearment, perhaps both, but regardless she couldn’t help subtly grinning to herself.
                Kadem delicately rested her hands on their shoulders. Despite everything, they were still warm. Her tender touch awakened Gorken; he stared at her, at first disoriented, then curious.
                “What’s the matter?” his voice was feeble against his will.
                Kadem blinked slowly, “I think I may be able to save you.” She noticed his body tensing up in anticipation, hesitant to be too hopeful, but she continued without pausing, “Your bodies have become cracked vessels. You’re dying because your life keeps leaking out of the fissures, in a sense. There is no way to repair those fissures… But as a silver child, all I have to do is pour enough of my life into you so that, by the time it all gets the chance to leak through the cracks, enough decades will have passed for your hair to turn the same color as mine. The energy from the core of a silver child should be enough to grant you both normal, human lifespans.”
                “…The energy from your core?” Gorken was struggling to keep up, “Doesn’t that mean you would-”
                “Yes, I will die saving you.”
                Gorken’s eyes widened, then they settled firmly on the silver witch, “I should stop you, shouldn’t I? If I was a decent person, I would tell you not to do it, to live and keep our memory in your heart. But… I want Malia to live… and I want to live by her side. I’m not even brave enough to lie and hide what I desire. Do you… Do you still think I’m worth it?”
                Kadem smiled, “That’s precisely why you’re worth it, handsome boy.”
                Gorken’s breath trembled, “…Malia won’t be happy about this. She’ll blame herself. She will cry. I’ll cry too.”
                “I know.” Kadem nodded, “You’re nice kids.”
                “A-are you sure you won’t regret it?”
                “I could never regret it.”
                “I don’t know how to…” Gorken’s heart gained vigor, “I don’t know how to thank you. How can I express gratitude for something so… What can I give you in return? How can we pay you back? How to even-”
                “You’ve already given me everything.” Kadem nodded, “This is my gratitude. You can do as you please with the life I’m simply returning to you.”
                He stayed silent for long moments. Malia’s muted breathing became lightly audible. Kadem’s hands stayed on their shoulders.
                “How will you…” Gorken gathered and then lost his courage to speak almost immediately, “When will you…?”
                “As you should know, I’m a fabulously skilled magician.” Kadem smirked, “I’m the strongest witch, after all. So great am I at what I do, in fact, that I’ll be done in a few moments. So thank you. Thank you all, annoying children, for everything. Thank you for bursting into my life and giving it value, and meaning. Thank you for giving me my ‘why’ at long last. Truly.”
                Before Gorken could react, Kadem’s body collapsed into a shriveled carcass. Her silver hair turned to dust, and so did her bones. All that was left of the last silver child was a pile of pearly powder and a layered dress on the polished floor.
                Malia woke with a start. She sat up and wept. She didn’t know, and yet she knew. As Gorken held her tight, tighter than he ever had, the tears kept streaming down her face. For a long time, they wouldn’t stop.