{Enki | New Cinder}

Chris couldn’t take much more. Lead-lined his skull, too heavy to lift it. Sand swallowed his limbs to the knees and elbows, too deep to raise them. Tears poured endlessly from his eyes, too salty to blink them.

Let Chris’ heart finish breaking.

Let him die.

Never—never—would he forget the forgiveness in Ross’ eyes as he—

When he almost—

Chris’ hands… the warmth from Ross’ thighs would burn him into Eternity and branded him with an irreversible sin.

Jack… how could Chris begin…

Then surviving all that to witness the rupturing of Tameka’s heart, with the love for her son bleeding from the fissure like magnesium tears, unable to help her at all. To sweep Pax up and escape with them. All of them together.

Chris was ready to die.

Now, Celindria forced him to watch over the very people she forced him to betray, holding guns on them while she shackled their leader in nacre cuffs.

Jack called out, “Don’t worry, Fury. We’ll get you back.”

Infected, infested, and invaded, Chris groaned as Celindria raised his arm and aimed the gun right in Jack’s face.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

“Eventually, I suppose you’ll fade.” Her words to him inside his mind brought no comfort. “As your will disintegrates, I will become you. I thought you’d endure longer than this, but…” She shrugged. “Better you accept your fate sooner rather than later.”

Was this a gift? An end to this existence? Or would the perpetual awareness remain?

With little strength left in him, Chris muttered, “I’ll live long enough… to see you finished.”

The slight smile on Celindria’s face was approving, and Chris could give a shit for her approval.

In reality, her actual body placed a warm kiss on his cheek. “Good guard dog. Keep them in line while I’m gone. I’ll give you a treat when I return.”

Someone else—Bones, maybe—gagged.

Oh, did Chris feel that.

In his real peripheral vision, Celindria brought Tameka before the cage. “Any rousing last words for your troops, child?”

A shudder overtook him. Chris hated the way she infantilized the brave woman leading this rescue mission, who proved herself more than a match when Tameka said, “Don’t forget Chris. Leave Pax to me.”

Did Celindria clench her jaw at that?

Chris was surprised his throat could even form a chuckle, but there it was.

“Silence, toy. Or pay the price you abhor the most.”

Why was Celindria such a bitch?

Her actual body left with Tameka. Unfortunately, as much faith as Chris placed in the young galactic leader, Celindria could reduce her to a puddle even without nacre cuffs. Chris cheered Tameka on so hard when she uppercut the bitch, but Elden dammit, he knew how it would end before it started.

The First Progeny was absurdly powerful and swift. No, Chris supposed it’d take an Aegis or a god to bring her down. The combined might of the Progeny. Something—

“Don’t worry, Chris. We’ll get you out.”

Jack’s reassurances tugged on Chris’ heart strings. His head lightened a touch, and he lifted it from the ground.

Inside his mind, Celindria glared at him, and Chris spent the last of his strength to pull his lips into a knowing smirk.

They would win.

“Thanks, kid.”

The words came from Chris’ actual mouth.