by C. S. Harte
I can’t let them die.
Two balls of light rose from below.
46
Masa held Helen’s face in his hands. “This is the where you make your escape.” His voice was soft, his eyes pleading.
Helen stared into his eyes. “Where would I go? There are no exits for me to run to.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Seems that the universe has decided that my place is here with you.”
The howling of the flaming boulders grew louder as they neared.
“I was afraid you would say something like that.” Masa dropped to both knees. He placed his hands together above his heart and closed his eyes letting his body and mind relax. The temperature on the field began to drop. A plume of icy breath formed with each exhale. He placed his palms on the ground. The entire ice fortress began to tremble.
In a matter of seconds, the ice fortress transitioned to vapor then back to solid, reconfigured as a dome of ice protecting the entire fortress.
Masa raised his hands slowly, palms up and over his head as if pushing a heavy weight. Spikes grew from the ice shield.
Moments later, dozens of explosions rocked the newly formed defense. The barrier did its job, but half of its depth was destroyed.
Masa, visibly tired, closed his eyes and began the repair process of his shield. What little color Masa had in his face was drained completely.
The trebuchets reloaded — another barrage of fiery boulders would soon be on their way.
The black dragon flapped its wings and soared into the air. The corner of its mouth slid upwards into a smile.
Multiple horns blared in the distance, followed by deeper sounding horns that kept repeating.
“The last set of horns. Do they sound odd to you?” Helen asked.
“War elephants,” Masa answered. His voice was eerily calm for the increasing level of danger.
Helen placed her hand on his back. “We must be nearing an end. You gave it a valiant try.”
He didn’t answer. His eyes remained closed as he concentrated on maintaining and repairing his glacier shield. The look of determination never left his face.
Helen could not help Masa with the trebuchet bombardment. She went to the East weapons rack and grabbed four blades. A katana, a scimitar, a wakizashi, and a jambiya — a medieval Arabic curved dagger. She sat down with her back to Masa. She laid the swords in front of her waiting to defend Masa should the enemies break through.
Three balls of light floated from the ground.
Helen immediately grabbed the katana and the wakizashi and jumped to her feet. Her eyes followed the three perfect spheres as they hovered above the ground. She cautiously approached them, blades at the ready.
The sphere shot through the ice shield and disappeared. Helen’s eyes initially followed them up. Her postured stiffened then relaxed after seeing the gifts left behind. A broad smile appeared on her face. Kayla, Maria, and Jaime were lying on the ground. Jaime was still unconscious and in the most critical condition of the three.
She rushed to him and checked his vitals. “Alive, barely.”
Another wave of explosions cascaded across the ice shield from the latest trebuchet barrage.
The black dragon added a rapid fire mix of fire breath and fireballs.
Masa grew paler with each hit.
The explosions woke Maria. She sat up and stared at Helen. “I was hoping this was all a dream.”
Helen shook her head. “I’m afraid not. Did you accomplish your mission?”
“Kill the giant mechanical fish of death? Yes.”
Helen looked impressed. “That’s fascinating. You must tell me more about that sometime. More pressingly, was there an instruction dais?”
“Yes, of course there was. Why? What are the instructions for this mission?”
“I don’t know. There’s no dais here. We’ve been defending wave after wave of attacks.”
Maria covered her mouth and gasped.
Kayla woke next, rubbed her eyes and saw familiar faces. “Maria? Helen? We made it!” She looked to her side to see Jaime. “Wait, where’s Victor?”
“It would appear that only you and Jamie…” Helen’s voice trailed.
Kayla shook her head rapidly. “No, we killed the giant condors and survived the snake army! He was still alive when some ball of light came for us!” Her eyes began to water.
“The Final Exam isn’t over yet,” Maria said. “He had to survive for the entire duration.”
Helen pointed at Kayla’s leg. “Are you able to walk?”
“No, but I can do this.” She levitated herself off the ground.
The dragon released a deafening roar, shaking the ground and everything around them.
The war elephants reached the ice shield and started ramming their heads into the barrier.
Large cracks streaked throughout the shield, threatening to collapse under the strain.
Maria looked up and held her breath.
Kayla scanned her surroundings to see a black dragon flying above breathing fire, elephants crashing into the perimeter, and flaming boulders raining down on them. “Um, what’s going on here?”
“I can’t hold the shield for much longer!” Masa yelled. His arms and legs were no longer steady.
How long has Masa been doing that?
“Hmm, the underwater, flooding cave wasn’t so bad compared to this,” Maria said.
“Where does that blue door lead to?” Kayla asked.
Helen and Maria turned their attention towards Kayla.
“What blue door?” Helen asked.
“I guess it’s more of a blue portal? It looks like a blue sphere, but much bigger than the white ones that brought us here.”
Helen and Maria looked everywhere. Their faces gave a puzzled expression.
“Were you hit on the head?” Maria asked.
“You don’t see that?” She pointed directly at it.
Masa gave Kayla that steely determined look he often gave when he had a hunch. “Kayla go to the White Room. Take Helen with you. Tell me what you see.”
Kayla held Helen’s hand and closed her eyes. The battle raging outside quieted down. The war-torn landscape began to wash away. Masa, Maria, and Jaime appeared briefly as ghosts and disappeared into the background. Everything became white except the blue portal. It was pulsating and humming softly, drawing her towards it.
“Extraordinary!” Helen clapped her hands.
"You can see it now?"
"Indeed. You truly are a unique girl."
Kayla glided closer. “This is the first time I’ve seen something of color in the White Room. I wonder if this is the exit out of the simulation. Maybe even the house.”
Helen placed a finger on her lips. “No. I’m not sure. This is not what the exit should look like.” With measured caution, Helen dipped her hand inside. “I don’t feel anything.” She pulled her hand out. “Very curious.” She stuck her entire arm in next. “I can feel a pull. More of a current I would say.”
“Like water?”
“No, like air being sucked into a powerful fan.” She looked directly into Kayla’s eyes. “Wait here and do not follow me inside until I come back.”
Kayla didn’t have time to respond before Helen immersed herself into the portal. She waited two minutes.
Helen never returned.
Masa’s original instruction was to report to him. She gave up on waiting and decided to update Masa instead. Kayla phased back to the battle.
The glacier shield protecting the group was no more.
Pockets of fighting erupted everywhere between the invaders and Masa’s ice soldiers. Every type of soldier in world history seemed present; Samurais, Centurions, War Elephants, Vikings, Spartans, Mongols, and many others.
It's like we're fighting all of history.
The black dragon was still circling above. Its eyes focused on Masa alone.
Masa held off dozens by himself, wielding a katana in one hand, shooting streams of ice with the o
ther. His speed and strength were far superior to any attacker on the field.
Maria stood over Jaime’s body, swinging a great ax twice her size, protecting him with every ounce of remaining vigor.
Sounds of weapons clashing, soldiers screaming, and animals roaring came from all directions.
Kayla returned to a vast sea of chaos, the depths of which slowly drowned her. She spun around for a full view of the carnage. The sounds became garbled in her mind. She covered her ears, unable to withstand the droning in her head. A throbbing pain developed behind her eyes, intensifying with each pulse. She fell to the ground, losing her levitation. Stop it! Stop it! It’s too loud! She closed her eyes and screamed, no longer able to bear the agony.
Her talents surged again. Every weapon on the racks and on the ground nearest her lifted themselves up and shot outward in all directions. Hundreds of attackers fell instantly. With her latest burst of Chi, she bought the group a small reprieve from the fight.
Masa knelt next to Kayla and lifted her head into his lap.
She opened her eyes. “Helen went inside the blue light when we were in the White Room. It seems to be the way out, but I’m not sure. She never came back.”
Blood dripped from Masa’s left arm and right thigh. He had cuts and bruises all over his face and torso. Masa wiped the sweat and blood from his face. “You and Maria need to carry Jaime out of here and into the blue light.”
“What about you?” Kayla asked while shaking her head.
“Someone needs to hold them back to give you time to leave. The exam will end immediately without a person in it. The portal might disappear. Come back for me later.”
Kayla shook her head violently. “No Masa, you have to come now. I'm not leaving...”
The dragon screamed a thunderous roar.
More invaders were on the way.
“There isn’t time to argue, leave now!” Masa yelled. He charged at the oncoming horde.
Maria picked up Jaime, leaving an imprint of blood on the ground.
“C’mon, you heard Masa,” Maria said. She grabbed Kayla’s hand and squeezed it gently. "We have to save Jaime."
Kayla closed her eyes and concentrated. The White Room faded in. The battle faded out. “Go into the blue light, I’ll be right behind,” She said to Maria.
Maria nodded and walked in holding Jaime.
As the last details of the battle started to disappear, she focused her attention on Masa. An arrow hit his leg, piercing cleanly through, the shaft was stuck half-way in his thigh. He fell to one knee. Masa tried to stand, but his legs would not lift him. Still, he would not relent. He placed both his palms on the ground. The last vestige of ice from his shield and fortress splintered into daggers. They levitated, aimed, and shot out in all directions. Hundreds of soldiers fell from the attack. The last sound Kayla heard was the thunderous roar of the dragon, just before it pounced on Masa, crushing him underneath its massive foot.
“NOOOOOooooo!” Kayla screamed. She tried to phase back to the fight but couldn’t. “Why?” She tried again.
The other world was gone.
And so was Masa.
A final image of him with his arm outstretched, reaching for her, just before the dragon landed, was seared into her brain.
Kayla cried. She wasn’t ready to leave Masa behind. She tried again to return to him. More tears fell from her cheeks. It was the kind of sadness that bordered depression. What’s the point if I keep losing people! First Victor, then Naveed, and now Masa. All seemingly gave their lives so that she could move on. It’s not fair! She wailed her frustrations, screaming louder each time. No one was around to hear her sadness. She hoped that someone would anyway. Her cries became full sobs. Uncontrollable sobs. She emptied her entire reservoir of tears, discharging all emotional reserves.
Kayla removed her hands from her face. She took inventory of them. The cuts and scrapes. The wound on her leg. The dirt and grime layered over her body. The blood, not all of which was hers, wet and sticky on her limbs.
The blue portal continued to pulsate dispassionately.
Kayla held her mother’s locket in her hand. “I could really use you right now, Mom. I don’t know what to do.” She sighed and collapsed onto her back. Her eyes began to close.
Memories of her time at Eden House flooded her mind. From the moment she first arrived, to her meeting with Jochi, to now. She was taken against her will. Countless other gifteds have been brought here, removed from their lives, and held hostage. Eden House wasn’t a paradise to Kayla. Rage quickly took the place of sadness. All the suffering she had endured was because of an ancient system to hoard gifteds. “This needs to end!” she screamed. Her anger sparked a new purpose in life and a renewed vigor. She levitated off the ground and floated towards the portal. “I’m gonna make it back to you Tommy and Charlie. And I’m gonna take down all the Eden Houses.”
The end. Thank you, dear reader, for making it to the end of my first novel. If you enjoyed Eden Wakes, I would be humbled if you could leave a positive review on your retail store of purchase. Your feedback would mean a great deal to an independent author such as myself.
— C.S. Harte
Acknowledgments
People often tell me that the first book will be the hardest. I've only written one thus far, so I don't have anything for comparison. I do know that without my Maria, this book would never have been conceived. She is the one that pushes me to do everything.
To Vicky, the wonderfully talented graphic designer, for the cover art. I am thankful for how you always seem to get me.
To Kate, for your writing advice and coaching. Your praise and confidence in my abilities meant the world to me, especially coming from such a gifted editor as yourself.
To all the other authors for keeping my imagination fertile and inspiring new writers such as myself. Blake Crouch and Chris Fox are two that I wish to highlight.
To the countless others for their warm words of encouragement and for sharing your stories with me. You didn't have to listen to me talk about my book. I am grateful that you did.
To my mother for unconditionally loving me. I wish I had finished this book in time for you to read.
About the Author
Eden Wakes is C.S. Harte’s first book. In a former life, he was a software developer. Now, he mainly spends his time baking, working out, and writing. Not always in that order. There are usually four jars of kombucha fermenting in his home at any given time. Shih Tzus are his biggest weakness.
For the latest news on future books or information about advance reader copies, please visit his website and sign up for his newsletter.
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