The air grew heavier in Leonar's lungs, as if an invisible weight was crushing him from within.
'Is this... my limit?'
"Leonar, stop. Let me take over before you lose consciousness," Eleonora's voice echoed in his mind, now filled with worry.
Despite part of him urging him to listen, another part—
Another part insisted that someone might still be there!
'Just a little more… wait a little longer...' Leonar thought, clinging to what little awareness he had left.
"What are you doing? This is madness! If you pass out now, we're both dead!"
The terrifying finality of her words wasn't enough to dissuade him. The red haze clouding his vision only heightened his sense of urgency.
'I can do this... I can... do this...'
Inside that small submerged room, two figures appeared, one more visible than the other.
Humans.
They were human!
The closest figure, glowing with an intense green hue, indicated no immediate threat.
'Someone's alive...' Leonar thought with a flicker of hope as both figures moved faintly. Summoning the last remnants of his strength, he pushed himself forward, step by agonizing step, toward the door, his body fighting to stay upright.
Finally, he crossed the threshold.
The water, now overflowing, completely flooded the room. The pressure mounted, and darkness crept into Leonar's vision.
"Enough!"
Eleonora's voice thundered through his mind, leaving no room for protest this time.
As Leonar's will began to falter, Eleonora seized control of his body.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
[Eleonora's Power Activated]
[Warning: User's body is in critical condition]
[Power release canceled.]
A single second.
That was all Eleonora needed to act.
An invisible explosion shook the room as she unleashed a fraction of her power. The water filling the space compressed instantly, coalescing into a violently spinning sphere. The pressure was so intense that even the metal walls groaned, their structure threatening to give way.
With a swift motion, Eleonora hurled the compressed sphere outward, sending a torrent rushing out, sweeping away coins, floating debris, and shattered door fragments.
In the same breath, she extended her hand, forming a new door entirely out of crystalline ice. The gleaming structure shimmered with an iridescent glow, sealing the entrance and blocking the relentless flood from outside.
It all happened in less than a blink.
'I did it! I actually did it!' Eleonora cheered internally, her voice bursting with excitement as Leonar's body gasped for air.
Rita coughed violently, spitting out water she'd swallowed during the chaos.
Her body trembled, whether from cold or shock, she couldn't tell.
Beside her, Damian leaned against a wall, panting as he fought to steady his breathing.
"What... what the hell just happened?" Rita's voice quivered with fear and confusion.
Damian could barely respond, his gaze fixed on the figure standing before them.
Leonar, visibly exhausted, seemed on the brink of collapse.
"Leonar..." Damian murmured, finally recognizing him. Pushing aside his own fatigue, he rushed forward just in time to catch Leonar as he began to fall, his body giving out completely.
"Leonar?" Rita echoed, following Damian. Her attention, however, was drawn to the gleaming ice door now blocking the entrance.
It was simply… incredible. Had he really created something like that in such a short time?
Rita's eyes filled with awe.
"How...?"
Damian knelt by Leonar, who was breathing heavily, each breath a monumental effort.
"What do you need? Are you okay?" Damian asked urgently.
Leonar blinked slowly, his eyes returning to their normal state as he tried to focus on Damian's face.
A faint chuckle escaped his lips.
"It can't be... you're really here..." Leonar said between gasps, a weak smile spreading across his face.
Rita approached slowly, still unable to process what had just happened.
"What happened here? How did you do all of that?" she asked in a trembling voice.
Damian shook his head, his attention returning to Leonar.
"That doesn't matter right now. He needs to rest."
Still lying down, Leonar turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping across the room. He took in the scattered gold coins and odd objects strewn across the floor.
But apart from that… there was no one else.
His smile faded bit by bit.
"I thought... there would be more people..." Leonar murmured, disappointment evident in his voice.
Had all that effort really just been for two people...?
"That's all I could do with this damn body!" Eleonora snapped, her tone frustrated, before adding, "Don't ever pull a stunt like that again. I forbid it!"
Damian placed a reassuring hand on Leonar's shoulder, sensing the guilt weighing on him for not being able to save more people.
"It doesn't matter. You saved us. That's already pretty incredible. Thank you, really."