Gracie

Andrew appeared in a blur. His blade flashed as fast as the creatures-faster… and with one impossible slash, and like the morning mists before the rising sun, the nightmare imploded and popped out of existence. He cleaved the dark apparition away, leaving only him in its stead. To Gracie, at that moment, he appeared like an angel, radiant, fully embodying the title of a protector knight.

That was until he collapsed and toppled over himself. He’d put too much weight into his strike. The look of shock he had when their eyes met just before the fall was oddly funny.

Stupid for him to lose your balance because you see me. Did she look that bad? The moment was such a contrast to the nightmare she was living in just moments before Gracie wanted to laugh out loud… but no matter how hard she tried, nothing came out. As he ran over to her, she tried again to move, but nothing changed. Her body still felt cold and distant. It won’t listen to her anymore. It was a sad reminder that although the creature faded like a dream, what happened to her was real. She had really been cut down. There was no waking up from this. She was really going to…

Andrew was shouting something at her, but she could barely hear it. He looked frantically, checking her up and down. He kept on shouting the same thing over and over, occasionally screaming something beyond her to where she guessed the farmhouse was. Gracie groaned inwardly. Just watching him so frantic and desperate was making her feel more tired. This was not how she wanted to go.

Straining to move her arm, she’d lifted them up to touch the wolf that sat beside her. The wolf had stood by her side the moment the four of them arrived. As her wolf brothers kept the nightmare distracted, she took one look at her and remained at her side ever since.

It was as if she knew before Gracie did that there was no coming back from what it did to her. The wolf simply wanted to provide comfort during her final moments.

The pain she felt became more distant not too long after. The fear of what happened had lessened. It was as if the wolf was carrying some of her pain. As her hand brushed the wolf’s face, a surge of life ran down her fingertips and exploded in her core, causing her eyes to widen.

“-Just come out here quick!” Andrew’s voice finally reached her.

“Hey,” she pushed out. Andrew looked down at her in shock. Her voice came out meek and distant, and it took a lot out of her, but at least this time the words reached him. “Gracie! Everyone here is ok so don’t worry! Just focus on yourself and tell me where you’re hurt! I don’t see any-“ Andrew fell completely silent as Gracie shook her head. That vigour of energy she was given by the wolf was quickly fading. It was as if there were a thousand cuts cleaved within her core, spilling away any life essence that she held.

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“Did... Isabella make it?” she asked. It was so hard to take in another breath. With a heavy breath of his own, Andrew nodded. His eyes wandered around to anywhere but her face. So he was not entirely sure of her current situation at this very moment. Gracie closed her eyes in understanding. She felt kind of bad for wishing that it was Flynn who had made it here beside her, but even so... somehow she knew that her sister was safe.

Life is too short for second-guessing.

“If you meet her, tell her that she should ‘go for it,’ she’ll understand,” she pushed out. She’d always had a headstrong temperament. Maybe it was not the world that Gracie was protecting her sister from.

Death and danger can happen anywhere and at any time... She felt kind of stupid for only understanding the weight of those words now.

“I’ll be sure to tell her, I promise,” Andrew said, his words coming out as rasped whispers. His assurance made her smile. She wanted to thank him, but the effort to say those words was beyond her; she barely had it in her to take another breath. Tears welled up in her eyes, her vision blurring. She had to let him know that she was grateful. Desperate to express her gratitude, she reached out to the wolf beside her once more, but as her arm reach part way, the wolf flinched back with a whimpered.

It was no use. The wolf was already enduring her burdens; if Gracie took anymore of their energy now, then she’d risked it sharing the same fate. No matter how she looked at it, she was too far gone. Taking more energy now wouldn’t do much good for her, anyway. Frustrating stabbed her like an icy blade.

After everything that’s happened, after how coldly she treated him before she could not let things end like this, she needed to make amends. Tears streaming down her face, she tried to push herself and reach out to Andrew. She needed to make him understand—had to make her words reach him. But to no avail. Too busy calling for the others to come, he did not see her struggle. All that effort they put in only to fall short almost broke her. Just as her hand was about to fall limp, Andrew caught it tightly on his own.

“I understand! It’s no big deal, and Natalie will not hold it against you. So you don’t have to worry,” he said.

It reached him… her tears were now joyous. Despite how scarily similar his powers were to that nightmare she fought, he was a kind soul. One who’s able to banish the nightmares. Natalie best keep a tight hold on him.

As Gracie’s world faded into darkness, she could vaguely feel the wolf lick the tear off one side of her cheek. In her last moment, she felt comfort. Although she could no longer see them, she could sense the surrounding wolves. They were all standing there, watching her as she drifted. It was strange; never once did she feel the urge to ask about the village or whether they defeated the Famine Fissure. It’s because, in a roundabout kind of way, she already knew the answer.

The moment she fired off that arrow to call the wolves, their presence here told her all that she needed to know. The village was not only safe, but back to normal. Their relationship with the guardian wolf was back to how it used to be, where the people still trusted and believed in the alpha king Griffin’s promise to protect them from the bigger, wider world. It meant that her people were safe, and she was willing to bet that her sister somehow played some small part in that.

They heeded my call… Isabella. It’s just like you said. When I needed them most, they came … and now… I too will… The howl of wolves was the last thing Gracie heard as her thoughts faded, and she fell into the endless dream.