The One のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 30

MaerileeI’m a broken shell of myself, held together only by Permiton’s gentle embrace. My mother, still lying pale and motionless on the bed, is slipping away. Her chest rises and falls so faintly that, at times, I can barely tell if she’s breathing. I squeeze her hand, willing her to hold on, to give me some sign that she can hear me, that she’s still fighting. But there’s nothing.Someone sends for my father while the four of us wait in the room.“Maerilee,” Permiton says, his voice quiet but firm, drawing my attention away from my mother’s lifeless form. His eyes are unfocused again, and I know he’s seeing something beyond our reach. “The poison wasn’t meant to kill her outright.”I frown, barely able to comprehend what he’s saying.“What do you mean?”He takes a deep breath, meeting my gaze with a weight that makes my stomach churn.“I

MaerileeAs soon as River and I step into my mother’s chamber, I’m struck by how still it is. My father stands near the bed, his hand resting gently on my mother’s arm, while my three siblings, Jimmen, Orindan, and Carmelina, are gathered around the room, their faces pale and drawn with worry. The weight of the situation hangs in the air, thick and suffocating. My mother, once so vibrant, now looks so small, so fragile, lying there motionless.I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I have to be strong. For her. For all of them.“I’m going to try something,” I say, my voice trembling slightly, but I force confidence into it. “I’m going to erect a barrier to keep you safe while we figure out how to save her.”My family watches me closely, their eyes filled with hope and fear. I can feel their expectation pressing down on me, and for a moment, the weight of it makes me falter. But I shake it off. I have to do this. I can’t fail.I focus on the magic within me, on the connection I

*Maerilee*The moment we set out for Oceana, there’s a palpable tension in the air. I can feel it coiling around us like a tight, invisible thread, threatening to choke me. I wonder if the others can feel it as well. Surely, they don’t all have the weight of grief so heavy on their chests, threatening to crush them.It took all the strength I have to leave my family in such a vulnerable state, knowing that war is inevitable. When I erected the barrier in the castle to seal them off from the rest of the world, I wasn’t sure if it would last. We’ve not even been gone an hour, and I can’t say for sure that the barrier is even still up.I can’t worry too much about it at present, though. My mind needs to stay sharp. The journey ahead is dangerous at best–and deadly at worst. It will define not only our fates but the future of Altinna itself. Most importantly, if we don’t complete it, Mother will die. My four Ones walk with me, surrounding me in a square formation. Akin leads to my left,

*Maerilee* I can’t believe it. My heart sinks deep into my chest as the commander approaches, his soldiers swiftly surrounding us, their weapons gleaming in the faint light. I feel the sting of betrayal, sharp and cold, radiating through me like ice. Permiton stands there, so calm, so collected, while we’re about to be captured.“How could you?” I hiss under my breath, barely able to contain the fury bubbling inside me. My hands shake, clenched at my sides. Permiton doesn’t even look at me. He moves to stand behind the commander as if he’s always belonged there. His expression is infuriatingly calm, like this is all going according to some master plan. But I can’t see the plan. All I see is betrayal.And then everything happens at once.Before I can even blink, River and Brook surge forward, their hands outstretched. The air around us shivers, the tension crackling like lightning. I feel the pull of their magic immediately, the water in the air responding to their commands. In an inst

*Maerilee* The world comes back to me in bits and pieces. Blurred shadows shift above, and damp earth presses into my back, grounding me as I try to gather my senses. I blink, my  vision sharpening gradually, until I see the dense canopy overhead. Water droplets hang from leaves, refracting the faint morning light into tiny rainbows that sway and shimmer as though they’re part of a dream. It’s quiet here, with only the soft trickle of water nearby and the gentle rustling of wind in the trees. I push myself up on an elbow, and that’s when I spot them. River, Brook, and Akin are huddled around a low fire, surrounded by a group of strangers. My heart leaps as I focus on Akin, his wrists still covered, but not with chains. They’re covered in bandages, dark with some sort of balm underneath. His face is pale, but he smiles in the firelight, laughing at something one of the strangers said. Relief floods through me, so