CHAMPIONS (The Lost Chronicles of Eden, #1) [Published]

25: THE END OF THE BEGINNING OF THE END

25: THE END OF THE BEGINNING OF THE END

There were no knights and princesses riding off into the sunset. Just seven desolate young men and women who, for a short moment, thought they could be heroes. There was no blazing sun rising over green fields and rolling hills. Only a bloodied, war-torn land with dried up earth filled with dead and injured bodies.

There was nothing noble in battles and war. There were no real victories. Only the lingering whisper of death, defeat and destruction.

Solenn stayed where she was sprawled and closed her eyes as she felt the first beams of the sun touch her face.

How could the sun rise after such a blood-stained night? How could the world continue to spin after such devastating loss?

How many did we lose? She wondered. It was a nasty battle.

The waves of demons that got out of Gate Pandora was more vicious than anything they’d ever seen before. They attacked her men as soon as they flew out of the portal from hell while she and Solomon were out cold.

Solenn closed her hand into a fist. She knew those men. Before she brought them to this mission, she learned everything there is to know about them, from their stats to their personal details. She knew the names of their families, their significant others, and their crushes. She took them into her command with the promise that she was going to lead them back home, but she failed.

But wow, failure hurt like a son of a gun.

“Sol.” She knew that her partner was never far from where she was lying.

“Yes, ‘Lenn.”

“How many…?” She choked on her own question. She couldn’t continue, not when the air she took in got stuck somewhere in her throat. She suddenly couldn’t breathe.

“‘Lenn, don’t.” 

“But…”

“Just don’t.”

Solenn took another deep breath, feeling the air move into her body, traveling faster than the speed of light into every cell, before she released it again. “OK.” and then she took another. “How’s everyone?”

“OK. The seven of us, we’re OK.” 

“Good. Samson?”

“Angry, but alright.”

“Thank the Triune.” Solenn felt, rather than saw Solomon’s hand closing the gap between them. It took all of her strength to meet his hand and hold it in hers. “We did it, yeah? We closed the portals. We didn’t die and woke up as spirits?”

Solomon squeezed her hand in reassurance as he stifled a weak laugh. “We did.”

“But he got away.” 

“Yes, he did.”

“The sword’s still with him?” 

“Yeah.”

“We failed.”

Solomon was quiet for a moment. “Yes.” Admitting that left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Solenn didn’t know if she wanted to leap up in joy for their victory, or to go on a rampage for letting their former best friend get away. After a few seconds of deliberation, she opted to just lie down on the ground, because she had strength for neither.

A thought struck her mind. Rather, somebody. “Gabriel?” 

“Probably traumatized for life at the discovery of being a king, but he’ll live.”