Chapter 30
WINDY
The moon is high in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the mountain, turning the world around us into a landscape of silver and shadow. The air is thick with tension, and every breath I take feels like it’s laden with the weight of what we have to do. The memory of the earlier quake, the way the earth seemed to roar in protest as we attempted to pull the flower, still haunts me. I can’t help but wonder if we’re making a terrible mistake, but there’s no time for second thoughts now.
“We need to get up there to pull the flower,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady, though the tremor in my hands betrays my fear. I glance at Wallace, Warrick, and Willow, each of them looking at me with concern and determination.
“The first time we tried, the mountain quaked,” I continue, my voice barely above a whisper as if saying it too loud might summon the quake again. “But we need to do it. We don’t have a choice.”
Wallace steps closer, his hand brushing against mine in a gesture that’s meant to comfort. “Windy, we can do this. You can do this. We just have to be careful.”
I nod, though inside, I’m anything but sure. “I’m afraid,” I admit, my voice cracking. “I’m afraid that I can’t pull the flower again. What if it happens again? What if the mountain?—”
I look over at Willow, who’s been silent, his gaze fixed on the path ahead. There’s something in his eyes that makes my heart skip a beat—a mixture of determination and something deeper, something I don’t have time to analyze right now.
I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself, to gather the courage I need to do this. The flower is the key to everything—the key to breaking the curse, to setting things right. But if I can’t pull it if the mountain won’t let me...
“We’ll figure it out,” I say, though I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince them or myself. “We have to.”
Just as we’re about to move, something catches my eye—movement in the distance.
My heart sinks as I realize what it is. “Aiden,” I breathe, the name falling from my lips like a curse. “He’s following us. And he’s not alone.”
The others turn to look, and sure enough, Aiden is there, leading a group of men from the village. They’re far away, but they’re closing the distance faster than I would have thought possible. Panic surges through me. There’s no way we can outrun them, not in this terrain, not with the mountain as treacherous as it is.
Wallace clenches his fists, his jaw tightening. “We’ll hold them off if we have to, but you need to focus on the flower, Windy. Don’t let them distract you.”
I nod, though the fear is still there, gnawing at the edges of my resolve. “Stay close,” I say, turning to face the path that leads back to the flower. “We need to be quick. If Aiden catches up...”
Warrick cuts me off with a sharp nod. “He won’t. Not if I have anything to say about it.”
Willow steps closer, his presence a strange combo of comfort and tension. “We’re with you, Windy. You’re not alone in this.”
The sincerity in his voice takes me by surprise, and for a moment, I almost believe that we can do this, that we can pull the flower without the mountain tearing itself apart again.
We move quickly, the four of us making our way back to the spot where the flower grows. The air is thick with anticipation, every sound amplified by the silence that surrounds us. My heart is pounding in my chest, each step bringing us closer to the moment of truth.
When we finally reach the flower this time, I pause, staring at it as if it’s some kind of elusive prize. It’s glowing softly now, but there’s something ominous about it, too.
Something that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
“Here you are again, my flower,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
Wallace, Warrick, and Willow stand around me, forming a protective circle.
What if the mountain quakes again?
What if I can’t control the magic?
What if ? —
“Windy,” Wallace says, cutting through my thoughts. “You’ve got this. We’re right here with you.”
I take a deep breath, forcing myself to focus. I can do this. I have to do this. I reach out, my hand trembling as I move to grasp the flower. The air around us seems to hold its breath, the mountain almost eerily silent. I close my eyes, trying to connect with the magic within me, trying to summon the strength I need to pull the flower.
For a moment, nothing happens. The silence is deafening, the tension unbearable. But then, I feel it—a surge of energy, a connection to something deep within the earth. It’s powerful, more powerful than anything I’ve ever felt before, and it scares me. But I can’t stop now.
I pull, and the flower begins to move, the earth around it shifting. The power surges through me, and I can feel the mountain resisting as if it knows what I’m trying to do. The ground trembles beneath my feet, a low rumble that grows louder with each passing second.
“It’s happening again,” Warrick says, his voice tense. “The mountain...”
“Don’t stop, Windy!” Wallace shouts, his voice filled with urgency. “You can do this!”
I grit my teeth, focusing all my energy on the flower, on the magic coursing through me. The ground shakes violently, rocks tumbling down the slopes around us. I can hear Aiden and his men shouting in the distance, but I block it all out, focusing solely on the flower.
“Come on,” I whisper, my voice strained. “Come on...”
The flower resists, the mountain fighting back with everything it has. The ground beneath us cracks, the sound like thunder in the still night air. I can feel the power building, growing stronger, and more dangerous. It’s almost too much to bear, but I can’t stop now.
“Windy, we need to go!” Wallace shouts, grabbing my arm and trying to pull me away from the spot where the flower remains stubbornly planted. The ground is still shaking, rocks falling all around us, but I can’t move. I can’t leave without the flower and at the same time I am afraid of what can happen if I manage to pull it.
What if I can’t control the magic?
“No, I need to pull it,” I insist, my voice trembling with desperation. The power of the mountain is overwhelming, and I can feel it fighting against me, resisting my every effort.
Aiden and his men are almost upon us, their shouts growing louder, but they’re just background noise now. My world has narrowed down to the flower and the unyielding earth that holds it. I keep trying, pulling, straining with everything I have, but it’s no use. The flower won’t come free.
“Windy, we have to go!” Wallace’s voice is urgent, almost panicked now, but I can’t tear myself away. I need this. We need this. But the flower stays firmly in the ground, mocking my efforts, refusing to yield.
“We don’t have time!” Warrick’s voice cuts through the chaos, and I feel him pulling at me too, trying to drag me away from the flower. But I can’t let go. I won’t.
But I can’t. The truth hits me like a punch to the gut. I can’t pull the flower. No matter how much I want it, no matter how hard I try, it’s beyond my reach. The mountain isn’t letting go.
“We have to go, Windy!” Willow’s voice is desperate now, and I can feel the urgency in his grip on my arm.
“Please, Windy!” Wallace’s voice breaks through.
Aiden is still coming, the mountain still raging, but all I can think about is the flower we left behind.
I didn’t pull it.