Eleonor remained seated against one of the walls of the chamber.
She was still having difficulty breathing.
Every time she tried to move her body, she felt a deep pain in her ribs and injured shoulder. The serpent was gone, but the sensation of that pressure was still present in her body.
Sophie remained by her side.
—Don't try to get up yet.
Eleonor closed her eyes for a few seconds.
She could still remember what had happened.
The serpent wrapping itself around her body.
The cracking of her bones.
The lack of air.
The feeling of her magic slowly disappearing.
And, above all, that feeling that she was going to die.
She slowly opened her eyes.
—I thought I was going to die.
Sophie remained silent for a few seconds.
—I thought so too. It was horrible. I couldn't do anything. I'm sorry.
Eleonor lowered her gaze toward her hands. They were still trembling slightly.
—Don't apologize. Neither of us could do anything.
—But Noah saved me...
The words came out almost as a whisper.
Sophie looked at her.
Eleonor remained silent.
She didn't remember seeing Noah arrive.
She didn't remember the exact moment when he destroyed the serpent.
She had been unconscious at that moment.
She only knew what Sophie had told her.
Noah had saved her.
That thought continued to go around in her head.
For years, she had considered him an incompetent who needed to be protected. That was her responsibility. It was the duty she had accepted when she received the mark. She had trained for it. She had risked her life for it.
Noah was the Bearer.
And she was his guardian.
It was that simple.
Or at least, that was what she had always believed.
—Where is he now? —she asked.
—He's fighting Iara.
Eleonor immediately raised her head.
They had left the chamber.
Eleonor tried to stand up.
Pain spread throughout her entire body.
Sophie caught her before she could fall.
—I told you not to try to get up.
—I have to go with him.
—You need to calm down. You're too injured!
Eleonor ignored her. She felt something in her chest, something telling her that she needed to be by Noah's side.
That was all.
But then she heard a loud impact.
The chamber shook.
A sound resembling an explosion traveled through the corridors of the cavern.
Another impact.
This time, it was stronger.
A current of cold air swept through the chamber.
Eleonor felt the skin on her arms bristle.
—Noah... Please, don't die!
She didn't know why she had said those words.
Sophie had noticed it too.
—The fight must be getting closer to the exit.
Eleonor clenched her teeth.
She wanted to get up.
She wanted to see him.
She wanted to know if he was okay.
It wasn't only her duty.
If it had been solely her duty as his guardian, she would have felt concern.
She understood that.
But this was different.
It was more intense.
More personal.
And she didn't know why.
Another loud impact shook the cavern.
Eleonor closed her eyes.
She couldn't remember the moment when Noah had saved her.
But she could imagine it.
Sophie had told her what had happened.
The golden ray.
The beasts.
The way Noah had appeared in front of them.
The anger in his voice.
Eleonor placed a hand against her chest.
Her heart was beating faster.
—What's happening to me...? —she murmured.
Noah had changed.
That was obvious.
She had seen it during the recent events.
That incompetent who had left the family to go live in Canada was now fighting to protect them.
That when she had been about to die, Noah had not hesitated to confront Iara.
Eleonor lowered her gaze.
—He's changed a lot.
Sophie looked at her.
—Yes.
Eleonor remained silent.
She had grown up alongside Noah.
She had seen him make mistakes, learn, get angry, laugh, and get back up after every fall.
They had grown up together.
She had known him all her life.
But perhaps that was precisely why it was so difficult for her to understand what she was feeling.
She had seen every stage of his life.
She had seen his doubts.
His frustration.
His moments of weakness.
And she had also seen how he continued moving forward even when he had no advantage over the others.
Now he was different.
Noah was beginning to become the Bearer everyone expected him to be.
Part of her felt proud.
Very proud.
But she was also afraid.
A fear she couldn't explain.
Because every time she heard an impact coming from outside, her body reacted before her mind did.
Her heart raced.
Her breathing became faster.
And the only thing she could think was: Is he okay?
—This doesn't make sense.
—What doesn't make sense? —Sophie asked her.
Eleonor couldn't answer that question, so she simply remained silent.
Sophie watched her for a few seconds but didn't insist.
Eleonor leaned her back against the wall again.
Maybe she was simply exhausted.
Maybe after having come so close to death, her mind was confused.
That had to be it.
Yes.
That was it.
After all, Noah was the Bearer.
She was his guardian.
It was normal to worry about him.
It was normal to be afraid of losing him.
It was her responsibility.
But a small part of her didn't accept that explanation.
Because when she thought about Noah, she didn't think only about the Bearer.
She thought about him.
About Noah.
About the incompetent she had grown up with.
About the person she had looked down on when they were children.
About someone who, over time, had begun to occupy a place that was too important in her life.
Eleonor closed her eyes.
Why do I care so much?
She found no answer.
Then a roar brought her back to the present.
Eleonor immediately opened her eyes.
—That was one of the beasts.
The guardian beasts were still inside the chamber.
They remained close to them, watching the surroundings and protecting them while Noah's battle continued farther ahead.
Eleonor tried to stand up.
This time Sophie didn't stop her.
—Can you walk?
Eleonor took a deep breath.
—Yes.
Sophie helped her stand.
They both slowly walked down the corridor.
As they approached the chamber's exit, the sounds of the battle became clearer.
Impacts.
Explosions.
The sound of ice breaking.
Eleonor recognized that magic.
It was Noah's.
An involuntary smile appeared on her face.
They continued forward.
Eventually, they reached an area near the exit.
The glow of the magic could be seen in the distance.
Noah and Iara had already moved away from the chamber.
Their attacks echoed somewhere farther ahead.
Eleonor looked toward the outside.
She couldn't see him from there.
But she could hear him.
Another impact.
Then another.
Eleonor clenched her fists.
—Come on, Noah... You can do it. Kill that bitch.
Meanwhile, Noah was running after Iara.