Chapter 25：I Couldn't Leave You

Glass and debris fly everywhere.

Some landed on Juno's poor, battered body since she couldn't move to avoid it.

"Juno!"

Juno never thought that she would ever be so happy, so relieved to hear her voice again.

Eve runs to her side doing her best to avoid the mess left behind, "Juno, are you okay!?"

"Can't... move..."

"Gods, I was almost too late but there's no time, we have to move."

Eve puts one of Juno's arms around her shoulder and does her best to pick her up. It's a little awkward with their height difference, "Damn it. Why are you so tall and heavy?"

"Sorry..."

"It's fine. It's going to be fine. I'm not the strongest but I'll manage."

Eve moves across the halls as fast as she can, it's almost a miracle she doesn't trip.

She finds an empty room and quickly scans around, looking for something.

Maybe luck is on her side after all because she finds what she was looking for, a wheelchair!

With this she won't have to drag Juno around anymore. She carefully sets her down on the wheelchair.

"This should be good enough."

But instead of leaving immediately, Eve takes off her bag and rummages through it looking for something else.

"What..?"

"It should be here."

Eve triumphantly pulls out what seems to be a vial, filled with a dark essence.

Juno doesn't like where this is going at all.

"You're going to drink this. It might help with the paralyzing."

She blinks helplessly.

"It's going to taste terrible though," and that's all the warning she gets before Eve forces her to drink it.

Terrible doesn't even begin to describe how it's making her taste buds burn in disgust!

This is torture!

She wants to spit it back out but Eve covers her mouth with her hand, she has no choice other than to force it down.

When she stops coughing she hisses, "What the hell was that?! Ugh! Gross!"

"It's dark energy in its purest form. I had it saved for emergencies."

Dark energy!?

"That could've..."

"It wasn't going to kill you. Dark magic gets a bad reputation. It's just hard to manage but when properly done, it's a powerful tool."

"That's what you've been studying?"

//That's not allowed? Not in this school?//

"Hm, in secret but that's not important right now. What's important is that it can hopefully give your mobility back. And it seems to be working."

She's right! Juno can speak normally again and she's regaining movement in her right arm but she still can't move the rest of her body.

Eve starts wheeling her away, "Okay let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"Literally anywhere but here. Ideally, we should head to A building since that's where everyone else should be and that's the only way to escape to the city."

//Did all the staff evacuate that fast?//

"Noodles! You're back?"

Eve frowns.

"That's good."

"I didn't know your snakes were affected too. Ugh, I wish we had more time."

"Well, he was thrown out of the window... isn't that enough?"

"Since he's Immortal that fall was probably nothing to him other than a nuisance. And Pearl is only able to hold him off for so long. I told her if things got bad, to escape."

Her stomach drops, "How much time do we have left!?"

"Not much. But we're close to the stairwells. Let's have some hope."

When Eve goes to open the door that leads to the stairs, she finds it locked. She tries to pick the lock but it doesn't work.

She kicks the door in frustration, "Ugh!"

"Can-can you break it down?"

"I can't! It's being blocked by some other force other than this lock."

"Wh-what does that mean? How are we getting out of here?"

"My other plan was to use my bat but that's not a viable option right now."

She gives it another pathetic kick.

She relays that suggestion to Eve.

"I suppose but do we really have enough time to make a rope? Why didn't I think of bringing one! But it doesn't matter, who's to say all the other exits aren't blocked. Ha, I'm, I am supposed to be one step ahead but, I don't, I don't think I can..."

In a soft voice she says, "Eve there's something I want to tell you."

She is confused by Juno's sudden tone shift, "What?"

"Thank you. For coming back for me, I mean."

"Don't say that…"

"Why not? You weren't obligated to since your visions are blocked. But in any case, you could have just left me but you came back, I, I'm so thankful."

"Ack! You-you don't get it!"

"Get what?"

"When it comes to you, I don't have a choice. I couldn't just leave you behind."

Juno can't help but ask, "Why?"

"You've always been so nice. You didn't know anything, you didn't know. And yet, and yet you tried to be my friend."

"Of course I did. I still-"

Eve meets her eyes in a fierce stare, "You're just too nice, Juno. That was your downfall."

"That again!?"

"But it was also mine."

Perhaps for the first time since Juno met her, does Eve give her a small but sincere smile.

"Your kindness, it melted a part of me."