Chapter 163

AXL I swear my heart feels like it’s being physically torn from my chest. The moment the chains slipped from our wrists, we ran here faster than we’ve ever moved before in our lives, ignoring the searing pain in our limbs despite knowing it wasn’t caused by the burns from the silver. Ophelia is gone. Yet still, we refuse to admit it. This is different from when we thought we lost the professor. More visceral in some ways, yet oddly less somehow. I stare at her lifeless body cradled in his arms. How have I not turned to dust at her loss? This numbness must be some sort of defense mechanism. My body’s way of protecting me. My brain won’t let me feel all the pain at once because it would spell my destruction. Malachi and Xavier are on either side of me, their shock bleeding into mine. She can’t be gone. I won’t let her go. I call out for her, and my heart cracks wide open when she doesn’t reply. “Take me instead!” I scream into the night sky. Surely someone will hear. Someone will take pi