Dragging the limp, struggling Carmen towards the fountain, Elena frantically brushed away the Vanaichi flowers clinging to her clothes. Gasping for breath, she stole a glance at Carmen’s face. It had already taken on a horrifying shade of crimson. A violent cough racked Carmen’s body, blood staining her lips as her eyelids fluttered closed.
Panic threatened to consume Elena. “We need the knights!” she rasped, her mind a whirlwind of terror.
Almost instinctively, her hand flew to the flute secured around her wrist.
If only…
Just as Elena raised the flute to her lips, Hazel lunged. Her hand clamped around Elena’s throat, a silent scream escaping Elena’s lips.
Before she could even struggle, Hazel lost her footing. Her calf collided with the fountain’s railing, sending her tumbling into the icy water.
A choked gasp escaped Elena as she hit the water, scrambling to find purchase on the slippery floor. The grip on her throat released momentarily as Hazel stumbled, but the reprieve was short-lived. Hazel, now submerged in the water with Elena, surged back, slamming Elena against the fountain’s wall. Hazel’s grip returned, cold and unforgiving, forcing Elena’s face underwater.
Elena clawed at Hazel’s hands, desperation fueling her strength, but Hazel held firm. The frigid water seeped into Elena’s bones, her lungs burning for air as she choked on the water relentlessly filling her mouth. Her vision blurred, the only things discernible amidst the distorted reflections in the water: the sunlight filtering through the greenhouse and Hazel’s relentless hands constricting her airway.
A strangled cry, “Elena!” pierced the chaos. Through the haze of panic, Elena faintly registered Cura’s desperate scream.
The pressure around her throat abruptly eased. Elena erupted in a series of hacking coughs, her body convulsing as she struggled for air. Reaching blindly, she grasped the cold railing of the fountain, hauling herself upright. The water wasn’t deep, barely reaching her chest as she slumped down, coughing uncontrollably. The frigid water seeped into her bones, threatening to steal her consciousness. Her hair plastered itself to her face and shoulders, but she lacked the strength to brush it away.
Shivering violently, Elena lifted her gaze. There, behind a thrashing Hazel, stood Cura. Her face was pale, her grip on Hazel’s body a desperate struggle for control. The icy water splashed with each of Hazel’s frantic attempts to break free.
“Elena, are you alright?” Cura’s voice, laced with worry, cut through the chaos. Elena managed a weak nod in response.
“What’s wrong with you? You’ve been exposed too! How are you fine?” Hazel shrieked, her voice ragged. Gone was her usual composure, replaced by a frantic desperation. Soaked from head to toe, the water clinging to her like a second skin only accentuated the chilling madness burning in her blue eyes. “Answer me! Why are you the only one unaffected?”
Despite the gravity of the situation, the sight of Hazel, consumed by blame and fury, still wanting to blame her, made Elena want to laugh. What could have caused her to be like this? Is it because of me? What did I do?
Elena tore her gaze from Hazel and met the horrifying sight of Carmen. The young woman lay writhing on the ground, her limbs contorting in a violent seizure. Panic clawed at Elena’s throat. Her gaze darted to her wrist where the flute lay, the strap leaving a raised, red welt against her skin.
With trembling hands, she lifted the flute to her lips and blew with all her might. The trilling notes echoed unevenly through the water-filled greenhouse. After what felt like an eternity, Elena slumped against the railing, utterly drained. Disbelief gnawed at her. How had everything spiraled so out of control in a matter of moments?
A flicker of hope ignited within her. The knights would hear the flute, they had to. And then, a deep tremor shook the ground, carrying the unmistakable vibration of countless paw steps approaching at breakneck speed. Even faster than the approaching knights, a wave of pheromones slammed into her, powerful and familiar. Someone she knew all too well, someone she desperately needed right now.
“Please, come quickly,” Elena whispered.
Before she could finish her plea, a deafening crash shattered the tranquil silence. The greenhouse roof exploded inwards, a shower of glittering shards raining down like a macabre jewelry display. Amidst the carnage, a hulking figure emerged – Kennad, transformed into a colossal black wolf.
