Chapter 27 – Decision
"Greg... We're not blaming you for anything. None of us could have imagined that we would be traversing an area of such violent aura waves. Besides, it was a Level 5 area, almost at the level of forbidden zones."
Nendula, in an attempt to console her Statera, got up from her chair and went to him. She supported him to sit back in the chair and stood by his side, comforting him. The other two women, however, had different expressions on their faces.
Felicia was still angry, but not as much as before. She knows there's no reason to make the situation worse than it already is. Arguing among themselves is the best way to worsen their already bad situation.
Cristhine, on the other hand, didn't seem affected by Gregory's words. She is more concerned with trying to solve the current problems than with mistakes that have already been made.
In her thoughts, Cristhine knows that her Statera's lack of skill and the will to improve at all costs were the main causes of this situation. She feels justified in blaming someone, and that someone is Gregory.
"When I chose you to be my Statera, Gregory, I was hesitant because you already had two other bonds before me. I still remember mentioning this concern to them, and I thought it wouldn't be a good idea for you to accept another bond."
As she rose, Cristhine began speaking calmly. She started walking towards the large bed and continued speaking without looking at the other women.
"I feared that you wouldn't be capable enough to maintain our harmony and help us improve our aura synchronization. But you seemed so motivated, so dedicated, so... zealous."
Once she reached the side of the large bed, she knelt down and pulled out a large suitcase from underneath, placing it on the bed.
It was a sophisticated suitcase, made of some material resembling wood with leather details. More like a chest than a travel suitcase, but it served its purpose perfectly, storing some important things.
However, this suitcase was locked with a padlock. While Cristhine made some movements with her fingertip, she continued speaking:
"Perhaps because of your motivation, I gave in. I forced myself to believe that it was just my caution being excessive and that having a Statera would be extremely beneficial, despite the risk. I believed that, and for a long time while we were together, I found myself thinking about how foolish I was to hesitate so much at the beginning."
Gregory, despite listening to everything, had no reaction. He kept his head down, and tears continued to wet his face.
Both Nendula and Felicia were paralyzed, both by the pain of facing a harsh truth and the shame that everything Cristhine said was something they didn't deduce despite all the clues.
The two didn't know what to say; after all, everything Cristhine said so far was the doubts she had, the doubts that could have avoided this situation if they had been taken into consideration.
Felicia continued to stare at the wood-burning stove in silence, and for Nendula, the only thing left was to continue comforting and trying to console Gregory in this difficult moment.
While a light emanated from Cristhine's finger and enveloped the suitcase lock, some clicks could be heard. Until the final click sounded, and the lock was opened. Cristhine then opened the suitcase, revealing its contents.
"I understand our situation... Felicia, Nendula, I truly understand how difficult our situation is. But forgive me; I can't keep enduring the shame of having a Statera who can't provide stability and balance to his bonds."
"It's not his fault... We've already discussed this, Cris. Greg wasn't at fault..."
"HE WAS AT FAULT, YES... Don't ignore the facts, Nendula, he must have felt the limit of his own ability. HE KNEW HE WAS BEYOND THE LIMIT..."
As soon as Cristhine finished speaking and opened the suitcase, Nendula couldn't stay silent anymore and decided to defend Gregory.
For her, everything that happened was an accident, a fatality that could have happened to anyone. A Level 4 zone is strong enough to desynchronize and destabilize even Lady Dragons without a Statera.
Responding with a loud voice, Cristhine became agitated and accused Gregory severely. She is already at the limit of her patience and calm after weeks of running and hiding, moving from hiding place to hiding place like street rats.
This is not the life she is accustomed to... The woman who was once a promising, honorable, and dignified dragon is now a fugitive, wanted for massacring an entire research camp...
More than 200 people were crushed, torn apart, and incinerated in less than 10 minutes.
There was no chance to fight back.
No chance to escape.
No chance to call for help.
And worst of all is knowing that she really did it... She, along with Felicia and Nendula, massacred all those people. She still remembers the sensation... crushing people with her tail, tearing them with her claws, and incinerating the bodies with her fire breath.
She remembers it very well; in fact, all three of them remember how they felt that night. Nightmares don't let any of them sleep at night; when they do, the sensation attacks them again, and they wake up afraid of losing control again.
The most affected, perhaps the person who suffers the most from this, Nendula wakes up trembling, crying, and often loses even partial control of her dragon transfiguration.
It is still painful to remember that, in the first few days after the incident, they had to rest outdoors because if Nendula had a nightmare in the middle of the night, she would transform into a dragon completely.
They didn't deserve this... Even Felicia, who massacred fewer people due to Gregory's intervention, still killed dozens of people. And it is a fact that she is not suffering any less than the other two.
"If he had told us... IF HE HAD ADMITTED HE COULDN'T HANDLE IT... Maybe we... maybe we wouldn't..."
Cristhine couldn't continue. She knows it won't make anyone feel better; it will only make everything worse. The more she thinks about the past and what she could have done differently, the more pain, remorse, and sadness she feels.
The more she thinks about everything that could have happened if she continued without a Statera, the more she feels angry at herself and disappointed. This is eroding the little hope they have now, and this hope is the only thing keeping all of them standing.
"Please, Nendula, don't let this decision become even more difficult than it already is... I will go all the way, whether it's with or without your support. And Felicia, I know you understand me, say something; I don't want our feelings to be hurt even more."
While speaking, Cristhine was rummaging through and moving some papers, stones, and vials in the bag. There were several similar things, but she was looking for something specific: a completely black cube.
It was a metal cube with all sides measuring about 20 cm, so black that it seemed to absorb the light around it. It had no seams or locks, and nothing indicated how it would be opened. It was just a simple black cube, apparently.
When the cube was taken out of the box, Cristhine's expression became serious, Nendula's turned pale and distressed, but Felicia's expression didn't change, and she remained as serious as she had been until now.
Then, looking directly into Cristhine's eyes, Felicia asked a question:
"Are you sure?"
"I am. I know the consequences, and I will bear them."
Without hesitation, Cristhine replied. Despite knowing all the consequences that come with breaking a bond, she was determined to continue to the end. But she wanted Felicia's and Nendula's support to complete the process.
"Nendula, we can't blame her for making this decision... She's the one suffering the most among all of us, and even then, she had the strength to support us all this time. She's at the limit, we need to free her from this burden."
While speaking, Felicia got up and went to Nendula's side. She began gently pulling Nendula until she was away from Gregory, then sat her down in the chair. With that done, she returned to approach Gregory and gave a thumbs-up to Cristhine.
Seeing Felicia's signal, Cristhine began to approach with the cube from where Gregory was sitting. And as soon as she got close enough, she placed the cube in Gregory's palm, and she put her palm over the cube.
Seeing that everything was ready, Felicia looked at Cristhine one last time. Then she spoke loudly to Gregory:
"Greg... If you truly care for her, let her go."
Nothing happened even after several seconds. But when it seemed like he wouldn't accept, a last drop fell from his eye.
Then the cube, which was a deep black, began to shine with a light as bright as the sun.
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I hope you can help me correct any spelling errors in the chapters.
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