Chapter 143: Chapter 143: bright portal
Amelia broke through the surface with a desperate gasp, only to swallow another mouthful of water. She coughed violently, her chest burning as she struggled to draw in enough air. The current dragged her sideways, and before she could steady herself, a fresh surge crashed over her head and pulled her under again.
She kicked frantically, reaching for the surface, but the river seemed determined to keep her beneath it. Her limbs were growing heavy, and the bags she was carrying only made it harder to stay afloat.
Just as panic began to creep into her thoughts, a solid arm locked around her waist.
Amelia jerked in surprise, but Enzo’s familiar face appeared beside hers a second later. His wet hair clung to his forehead, and water streamed down his face as he tightened his hold on her, keeping her head above the churning surface.
"I’ve got you," he said, his eyes fixed on her face. "Breathe. Don’t waste your strength fighting the water."
Amelia coughed again, gripping his shoulder with trembling fingers. She tried to nod, but another wave splashed across them, forcing her to turn her face away.
Enzo shifted his hold to keep her steady. When he noticed the bag still tangled in her hand, he reached for it and pulled it free before it could drag her under. He secured it alongside his own pack, adjusting the straps so neither would pull them down.
"Can you keep holding on to me?" he asked.
Amelia managed a weak nod.
A short distance away, Amy had managed to get a firm hold on Caleb. He was thrashing wildly, his arms striking the water as he fought against the current, and she was struggling to keep his head above the surface.
"Stop moving!" she shouted at him.
"I’m trying not to drown!"
"And you’re making it harder for both of us!"
Amy tightened her grip around his upper body when he attempted to pull away again. Her jaw was clenched, and her breathing had grown uneven, but she refused to release him.
"Unless you want me to let go and see how well you swim on your own, I suggest you listen!"
Caleb stared at her, water dripping from his eyelashes. For a moment, he looked ready to argue. Then a wave crashed over his shoulder, and he hurriedly grabbed her arm instead.
Nearby, Reid and Dean were doing a better job of managing the current. Their stronger frames helped them stay above the surface, and rather than wasting energy fighting the river head-on, they angled their bodies and let the water carry them forward.
Reid spat out a mouthful of water and wiped his face with one hand. " I have never had this much fun, we should definitely be following amelia around."
Caleb, meanwhile, had reached the end of his patience.
"How the hell are we supposed to get out of this?!" he shouted, coughing between words. "We can’t keep going like this!"
Amelia heard him, but she didn’t answer. Her attention had shifted to something else. The river was carrying them deeper into the Forbidden Forest, and she could feel the old power surrounding the water.
She turned her head toward Enzo. Her wet hair clung to her cheeks, and she had to blink repeatedly to keep the water out of her eyes.
"Can you hold me a little longer?"
Enzo looked at her, his brows drawing together. "What are you planning?"
"Something that will save us."
Enzo studied her for another second, then tightened his arm around her waist.
"Fine. Whatever you’re about to do, do it. I’ve got you."
"Thank you."
Amelia drew in as much air as she could and brought her palms together.
She closed her eyes.
Soft words slipped from her lips, drowned out by the roar of the river. She repeated it, her voice growing steadier with every word.
The Forbidden Forest was unlike any other place. Its ancient powers had existed long before the territories and their borders, and some of them still answered those who knew how to ask.
Amelia could only hope they would hear her.
"Amelia!" Caleb shouted from behind them. "What are you doing? This is not the time to start praying!"
The roar of the river grew louder.
Much louder.
Amelia’s eyes snapped open.
The water beneath them had become faster and rougher, pulling them toward a point where the river seemed to disappear into the darkness. A fine spray drifted across the surface, catching against their faces.
Caleb turned his head. Then his expression crumpled. "There’s a fucking waterfall!"
Amy twisted around, and the color drained from her face when she saw the river narrowing ahead. Beyond it, the water dropped into open air, disappearing into a deep gorge below. White mist rose from the plunge, making it impossible to see how far down it went.
"Oh, no," she breathed.
Reid’s usual teasing expression vanished. He tried to angle himself toward the side of the river, but the current was already too strong.
"This isn’t good," he called, his voice strained.
Dean looked toward the approaching drop, then at Amelia. "Please tell me your plan includes not falling off that."
Amelia didn’t answer immediately. She kept her palms pressed together, forcing herself to finish the prayer despite the water battering her body. Her lips were turning numb from the cold, and her arms trembled with the effort of maintaining her concentration.
Caleb’s panic erupted behind them.
"How are we supposed to survive that?!"
"Stay calm!" Enzo shouted back.
"Stay calm? We’re about to go over a waterfall!"
"And panicking is going to stop it?"
Caleb stared at him as though he’d lost his mind.
"Why are we even trusting her right now?!" he yelled, pointing desperately toward Amelia. "She dragged us into this!"
The exchange might have been absurd under any other circumstances, but no one had the breath to continue it. The waterfall was rushing toward them, and the ground beneath the river seemed to vanish faster with every passing second.
Amelia lifted her head.
"Swifty!"
Her voice was nearly swallowed by the roar, but the little divine beast heard her.
A silver streak flashed through above them.
Swifty plunged from the sky, its wings tucked close to its body as it dived straight toward the open air beneath the waterfall. For a split second, it looked as though the small beast intended to throw itself into the plunge.
Then its body began to glow.
The light intensified so rapidly that Amelia had to squint against it. Swifty’s silver form expanded, its outline blurring until the little beast disappeared into a brilliant, perfectly round portal suspended beneath them.
The sight lasted only a heartbeat.
Then the river carried them over the edge.
Amy screamed. Caleb’s shout broke into a strangled cry, while Reid reached instinctively for Dean’s arm. Enzo pulled Amelia tightly against his chest, turning his body toward hers as they plunged through the open air.
Amelia caught one final glimpse of the glowing silver circle beneath them. They fell straight through it.
The moment their bodies crossed the threshold, silver light swallowed everything. The thunder of the waterfall vanished, the freezing water disappeared from around them, and the darkness closed over their vision.
For one brief, weightless instant, Amelia felt nothing at all.
Then the world went blank.