Chapter 153: they are back

Chapter 153: Chapter 153: they are back

Caleb’s eyes flew open.

He broke through the surface of the pool with a violent gasp, coughing so hard that his whole body doubled over. Water spilled from his mouth and nose as he struggled to breathe, his hands scrambling for the edge.

Before he could get his bearings, strong arms locked beneath his shoulders.

"Caleb!"

Amelia’s voice sounded distant beneath the pounding in his ears. She had both hands hooked beneath his arms, dragging him toward the edge with an expression that made it clear she’d run out of patience several seconds ago.

He tried to help her, but his arms felt heavy and uncoordinated. Another cough tore through him, and he choked on the water still caught in his throat.

"Come on!" Amelia grunted, bracing her feet against the floor as she hauled him out. "Move!"

His body slid over the edge, and he landed heavily on the cold floor. He barely registered the shock of the icy surface against his skin. He was too busy coughing, his shoulders jerking with every breath as he tried to clear the water from his lungs.

Amelia dropped to her knees beside him.

"What the fuck were you doing?!" she demanded.

Her hands gripped his shoulders, holding him steady while he struggled to breathe. Her face was flushed, and the anger in her eyes was unmistakable, but beneath it was something else. Her fingers tightened every time another cough shook his body, and she kept leaning closer as if she needed to make absolutely certain he was still conscious.

"Did you want to get yourself killed?"

Caleb tried to answer, but another fit of coughing cut him off.

"I was trying to pull you out!" she continued, her voice rising. "You wouldn’t come up! I kept trying to drag you out of that damn pool, and you kept forcing yourself to stay under!"

Caleb slowly managed to get his breathing under control, although his heart continued to pound so hard that he could feel every beat against his ribs. His throat burned, his chest ached, and water dripped from his hair onto his face and neck. He barely noticed the cold creeping into his skin.

His mind was still trapped in that vision.

"Caleb?"

Amelia’s voice pulled him back to the present.

She was crouched in front of him, her hands resting firmly on his shoulders as she studied his face. Her gaze moved over his pale face, lingering on his unfocused eyes.

"What did you see in there?" she asked.

Caleb swallowed, but his throat felt too tight. He dragged a hand over his wet face, trying to collect his thoughts. How was he supposed to explain something he barely understood himself?

He considered keeping his mouth shut. But whatever that place had shown him, he couldn’t dismiss it as a meaningless illusion. The fear still clung to him, settling beneath his skin, and the memories were far too vivid to ignore.

"I died.."

Amelia went completely still.

Her fingers tightened slightly against his shoulders, and the color seemed to drain from her face as she stared at him.

"What?"

"I saw myself dead." Caleb’s voice came out rough, scraped raw by the water and the words he was forcing himself to say.

Amelia’s brows drew together. She simply watched him, as though trying to determine whether he was still in shock or whether the fortress had shown him something she needed to take seriously.

Then she glanced at his trembling hands and the water soaking through his clothes.

"We’ll continue this discussion as soon as we get out of here." She rose and held out her hand. "We need to get you out of these wet clothes before you freeze."

Caleb stared at her hand before accepting it. His legs felt unsteady when he stood, and he had to brace himself briefly against her arm to keep his balance. Amelia caught him without comment, waiting until he was steady before reaching for the heavy coat lying nearby.

She draped it over his shoulders and pulled the front closed against his chest.

When they walked out the fortress, the cold struck him immediately. They took off the coats before approaching the enormous white wolf was waiting where they had left it, its thick fur dusted with snow.

Its ears pricked up as Amelia approached. The creature turned its head toward Caleb, sniffed him, and let out a low sound that was difficult to interpret.

She helped caleb to climb onto the wolf’s back and settled herself in front of him. C

The wolf waited until they were both secure. Then, with a powerful push of its hind legs, it surged forward.

The journey back seemed longer than the trip there. Perhaps it was the cold, or perhaps his thoughts simply refused to leave him in peace.

By the time they crossed out of the frozen region and into the milder season, the worst of the wind had eased. The white wolf slowed as the meadow came into view, its paws pressing into the grass as it approached the waiting portals.

Caleb lifted his head.

Something had changed.

Three out of the four portals standing in the meadow were glowing far more brightly than before. Their light spilled across the surrounding grass. The radiance pulsed in uneven waves, growing so intense that they had to narrow his eyes.

"They’re coming back,"

One portal flared sharply, its light washing over the meadow. A second followed, then a third. For a few seconds, the entire clearing was bathed in brilliant light.

Then the glow began to fade.

Three figures emerged onto the grass, each accompanied by the divine beast that had entered the trials with them.

Enzo stood beside his tiger. Reid appeared with his panther, while Dean stood beside his snow leopard, silver hair falling around his face as he took in their surroundings.

They were back.

The white wolf had barely begun to slow when Amelia launched herself from its back. She hit the ground running, took off ,footwear tearing across the soft grass.