Phaenora barely had time to react. Her heart raced as she pushed herself forward, using all her strength to dodge, but the water sliced through the air. Not even her speed was enough to avoid the full brunt of the blow.
Her instincts kicked in and with a powerful, desperate lunge, she threw herself out of the path of the water. She didn't use Vastarael's remaining essence at all.
Her muscles screamed in protest. The sheer force of the impact sent shockwaves through her body. The earth cracked beneath her, fissures splitting open as the water slashed through it, carving a chasm into the landscape.
The shockwave generated by the strike slammed into her with the force of a thousand storms, sending her tumbling across the ground, rolling helplessly with the weight of it.
For a split second, it felt like time slowed down. The roar of the water, the screaming of the winds, the sound of the earth cracking... everything blended into a single enormous roar.
The force of the shockwave sent trees flying as though they were mere twigs. Massive trees were uprooted and hurled through the air, breaking apart in the wake of the water's sheer destructive power. The entire landscape around them was torn to pieces as the wave continued to crash across the ground.
Phaenora's body was tossed like a ragdoll as the shockwave carried her, pulling her across the earth. She used her body as a shield, wrapping herself around Vastarael, trying to protect him from the overwhelming force.
Her own bones cracked under the pressure. The sound of her ribs shattering echoed in her ears as she rolled. Every bone in her body seemed to fracture, her muscles screamed in agony but still, she held him close, her arms locked tightly around him as they continued to roll, tumbling across the shattered landscape.
The speed at which they were moving, the force of the rolling, sent them tumbling through rocks, boulders and even shattered trees. It felt like an eternity as the two of them were hurled from one point to the next, the pressure pushing down on Phaenora, pinning her as she shielded Vastarael with her own body.
Her breath was ragged, her body screaming in pain with every roll. Blood mixed with dirt and water, streaking her skin as her limbs took the brunt of the impact, managing to hold her together despite the horrific damage.
Her bones felt like they were grinding together with every movement. Her chest was punctured by rocks but she couldn't let go, couldn't stop. Not when Vastarael was in danger.
Not when he needed her.
Finally, after what felt like an age, their relentless tumbling came to an end. The shockwave began to fade but the damage had been done. Phaenora lay sprawled across the ground, bloodied, battered and broken, her body lying across Vastarael's, desperately clutching him even though her own body felt like it was barely holding together.
She could barely focus through the haze of pain, but she could feel the sharpness of the cuts across her body, the burning of broken bones and the nausea from the sheer force of the impact. Her ribs were likely punctured, her right arm twisted unnaturally beneath her, her legs felt as though they were barely functioning.
Vastarael, too, wasn't unscathed. His body was crushed beneath the weight of her as they'd rolled and his breath came in shallow gasps. He groaned weakly beneath her, his essence flickering weakly as he tried to push himself up, only to collapse back down in exhaustion.
Phaenora's chest rose and fell in slow, staggered breaths. She was on the edge of passing out, the pain almost too much to bear, but she had to hold on. She had to make sure he was okay.
Her vision blurred and for a moment, the world around her seemed to fade into a dull haze. But even through the agony, she couldn't ignore the crushing guilt that pressed against her heart.
She had failed to protect him.
She tried to lift her head but the pain was too much. She collapsed back into the dirt, her fingers trembling as she weakly reached for him.
"Veneri…" she whispered, barely audible through the pain.
He didn't respond right away, his face pale and covered in sweat, his eyes barely open. But then, with effort, he turned his head toward her, his lips curving into a faint, strained smile.
"It's... fine," he said, his voice raspy, almost too soft to hear.
Phaenora's heart clenched.
"No, it's not. You—"
"You... kept me alive. We got through it... together. And now... it's time to do it.'
Phaenora could feel his essence flickering amd straining, every ounce of power and vitality he had left pouring into one final act. The air around them seemed to pulse as Vastarael, using the last of his reserves, invoked the enchantment from his Codex.
The Veil of the Ingenious Prince spread around them, an ethereal shimmer of golden light that enveloped both of them. The veil was an act of pure ingenuity, a final gambit to buy them time and keep them safe.
But Phaenora knew the cost. She could feel the immense drain that had taken place, the way his body had collapsed even further under the weight of his sacrifice. He had used the last of his strength, the very essence that had kept him alive up until now, to ensure that they were invisible for nineteen hours.
Vastarael's hand fell back to the earth as he lay there, visibly struggling to hold onto consciousness. But he wasn't done yet.
With a strained exhale, he whispered;
"I leave everything in your hands, my companion."
The words were barely audible, but the effect was undeniable.
Phaenora felt a rush of warmth flood through her body. She could feel her limbs strengthening, her bones mending, the most severe injuries beginning to heal. The pain that had filled every fiber of her being receded, replaced by the strange, calming sensation of regeneration.
She could move her arms more freely and her legs, though still weak, began to regain the strength they had lost. Her vision sharpened and the fog that had clouded her mind began to clear. She gasped, taking in the world around her, though the sight she was met with made her blood run cold.
Her heart skipped a beat as her gaze fell on Vastarael. His golden eyes were barely open, but through the haze of his exhaustion, she saw something that made her stomach drop.
His skin was pale, much more than before and there was a sickly green tint to his veins. His breath was labored, shallow, and when he exhaled, it came out in raspy, painful gasps.
Phaenora's stomach churned in horror.
Poison.
It was a subtle thing at first, but as she focused, she could see it clearly now. The poison, likely from the monstrous manta ray, had seeped into his bloodstream. It was slow-acting, but it was devastating.
His lips were tinged with a sickly shade. His breathing was strained with every passing moment, as though each breath hurt him more than the last.
Phaenora's chest tightened and a bitter laugh bubbled up from deep within her, one full of helplessness and frustration. Her limbs were regenerating, but she was far from restored. And yet, despite her own suffering, she was more terrified than ever.
He was unconscious. But not for long.
With determination flashing in her eyes, she rose, barely able to keep herself upright with her own injuries still lingering. Her body screamed in protest, her limbs aching from the strain, but she ignored it.
Her focus was solely on him.
She reached down, her hands trembling as she lifted him onto her back, holding him close to her. He was surprisingly heavy in his weakened state due to his dense sapphire bone structure. Every movement she made sent a spike of pain through her own battered body
She pulled him closer, his body hanging limply from her back and as she stood, she gathered the last of the essence Vastarael gave her.
The wounds across her limbs still stung but she could feel the regeneration flowing through her, her body slowly mending itself, piece by piece. As the energy coursed through her, she reached out with her mind to summon sapphire chains, a skill she had honed through days of training in the camp.
The chains materialized with a soft shimmer of blue, wrapping themselves around her and Vastarael. The sapphire links tightened around their bodies, binding them together in an unbreakable connection. It wasn't just for his protection. It was for hers as well.
If she stumbled, if she collapsed, these chains would prevent him from slipping away, from being lost to the destroyed landscape or the dangers of the lake.
She exhaled slowly, focusing on the feel of the chains that had become second nature to her.
With one final glance back at the lake, she began walking, her movements slow but steady.
"That's not the Lake of Miracles."
The Veil of the Ingenious Prince was still active. Phaenora could feel the weight of the invisibility around them. For the next nineteen hours, they would be undetectable, so long as they remained within the veil's grasp, not even the Scavenger Rank manta ray could sense them.
She focused solely on moving forward, on putting distance between them and the creatures that still lurked beneath the destroyed landscape and the soaring manta ray searching for them.
And for now, Phaenora could keep moving, keep fighting, and keep him alive.
She didn't stop walking.