Page 39 of Angel of Ruin

Through the haze of exhaustion and pain, I spot what looks like a shortcut—a narrow beam stretching across a gap to another platform, bypassing a series of treacherous obstacles.It's risky, but if I can make it across, I'll be that much closer to the final portal.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what's to come. The beam looks barely wider than my foot, and the drop below... I can't even see the bottom. I will have to rely on my wings or one wrong slip will send me to my death.

My muscles are already strained, and I'm not sure that I could keep myself aloft if I needed to. I'm so unaccustomed to having wings that I don't have the strength to keep using them.

But I have to try. For my family, for my future, for the chance to prove everyone wrong. With trembling legs, I step onto the beam, arms outstretched for balance. Each inch forward feels like a mile, my entire body tense as I fight to stay upright. Don't look down, I tell myself. Just keep moving.

Without letting myself think too hard about it, I launch myself towards the beam. My phantom wings flap uselessly, the spell barely holding as I land on the narrow surface. For a moment, I feel a surge of triumph. I've done it!

But then I feel it. A subtle shift beneath my feet. The beam isn't solid—it's another illusion.

"Shit!" I curse as the fake surface dissolves beneath me. I'm falling, plummeting through empty space. My stomach lurches, terror clawing at my throat as I desperately try to regain control of my phantom wings.

They flicker and sputter, the magic failing me when I need it most. The ground rushes up to meet me, and I brace myself for impact. This is it. This is how I die.

I'm falling, the wind rushing past me as I plummet through the air. My phantom wings have failed, leaving me helpless against gravity's cruel pull. The ground below grows larger with each passing second, and my heart hammers in my chest.

This can't be happening. Not when I was so close. Images flash through my mind—my parents' disappointed faces, theother candidates who looked up to me, the life I dreamed of having as a xaphan. All of it slipping away as I fall.

I try to scream, but the wind steals my breath. My body twists in the air, and I catch glimpses of the arena above me. Did I see a flicker of golden eyes? Or is my mind playing tricks on me in these final moments?

The pain hits before I realize what's happening. Something solid slams into my side, and I hear a sickening crack. My vision blurs, agony radiating through my body. I'm still falling, but slower now. Did I hit a platform? Am I bouncing off obstacles on my way down?

My thoughts scatter, fragmented by pain and terror. I failed. I'm going to die here, broken and alone, just another human who wasn't good enough.

As darkness creeps in at the edges of my vision, I feel... something. Strong arms wrapping around me, a sudden change in direction. Am I hallucinating? The world spins, and I catch a glimpse of silver-white hair.

"Sari—" I try to speak, but my voice fails me. Everything goes black.

I drift in and out of consciousness, my body a symphony of pain. Voices filter through the haze, urgent and muffled. I can't make out the words, but the tone screams panic.

Gentle hands probe my injuries, sending fresh waves of agony through me. I want to scream, to tell them to stop, but I can't form the words. My throat feels raw, as if I've been screaming for hours.

Fragments of conversation reach me, but I can't piece them together. Why am I still alive? I remember falling, the ground rushing up to meet me. I should be dead.

My eyelids flutter, but the world remains a blur of shapes and colors.

I swear I can hear a familiar voice and I reach for it, trying to fight my way through. My thoughts scatter as another wave of pain washes over me.

But I can't hold on. And darkness seeps in, stealing me away while I think someone begs me to stay.

20

SARIEL

Iscan the arena, my golden eyes tracking the remaining humans as they struggle through the final trial. It's pathetic, really. These humans thinking they can become like us. But then I spot her - Lyra. She's making progress, determination etched on her face. Something twists in my gut.

Suddenly, the air shifts. The vortex I created earlier kicks in, more powerful than intended. Lyra's thrown off balance, her phantom wings failing. My heart lurches as she plummets.

"No!" The word tears from my throat before I can stop it.

Without thinking, I dive. Wind whips past my face as I tuck my wings and plummet after her. My mind races. What am I doing? She's just a human. I shouldn't care.

But I do. Fuck, I do.

I stretch out my arms, straining to reach her. She's falling fast, her body limp. Has she lost consciousness? Panic claws at my chest. I can't let her die. Not like this. Not because of me.

"Come on," I growl, pushing myself faster.