Broken Sage

Chapter 3.2

Addison's pulse raced as she tried to stay focused on Amanda, but her senses were stretched thin. Aonmi's sharp eyes flickered between the shadows, and Addison could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. They were being watched.

She stumbled slightly under Amanda's weight, the exhaustion beginning to weigh on her. Her sister's labored breathing only made her feel more frantic. She couldn't keep moving like this.

"Aonmi..." Addison whispered, her voice tight with panic. "We need to stop. I can't carry her much longer."

Aonmi's dark eyes snapped to her, his expression unreadable as usual, but there was a slight shift in his posture, a softness in the way he stepped toward her.

"We can't stop," he said, his voice laced with urgency. "Not yet. If we rest, it'll be worse for both of you."

Addison swallowed hard, glancing down at her sister's pale, wounded form. She couldn't keep carrying her. But if they stopped, would the unknown predators in the woods find them? The weight of the decision pressed on her chest, but the intensity of the moment broke something open inside her. Her hands trembled, but her fingers tightened around Amanda, her determination solidifying.

She needed to help Amanda. She had to help her.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself as she glanced at Aonmi. He was right; stopping was a risk. But was there something else she could do?

Suddenly, her fingertips began to tingle, a warmth coursing through her veins, and her heart skipped a beat. The feeling was new-foreign, but undeniable.

It started in the palms of her hands, like a gentle pull, a subtle but growing warmth, and it spread upward toward her arms. She stopped in her tracks, frozen as she tried to understand the sensation. It was faint, but it felt like something alive, like energy she could control if she focused enough.

Aonmi turned to her when he noticed the sudden stillness in her posture. "What is it?" he asked, his tone suspicious and sharp. He could sense something was changing.

"I... I don't know," Addison murmured, staring at her hands. The tingling sensation was building, growing stronger, more intense. The warmth in her fingers began to spread throughout her entire body, almost like fire, but soothing rather than painful.

She looked down at Amanda. Her sister was still breathing heavily, though her chest rose and fell slower with each labored breath. Addison felt her hands twitch, almost involuntarily, like they wanted to reach out to her sister and do something, anything to ease her pain.

Focus, Addison thought to herself. Focus on Amanda. Help her.

Without thinking, Addison gently placed her hands on Amanda's side where the blood had soaked through her clothes, the warmth in her palms now almost unbearable. She closed her eyes, and in that moment, everything seemed to fade-the tension, the shadows, the creeping sense of danger in the woods. It was just her and Amanda.

At first, nothing happened. Addison's breath quickened, panic rising in her chest. She had no idea what she was doing. But then-

A faint light began to glow around her hands.

It started small, almost imperceptible, but it grew, gradually, until it surrounded Amanda's wound. The warmth in Addison's hands intensified, and she felt an overwhelming connection to her sister-a pull so deep it nearly overwhelmed her.

Come on... Addison urged silently. She didn't understand what was happening, but she wasn't going to stop. She couldn't.

The light flickered and pulsed as it seeped into Amanda's skin. Addison gasped, feeling a sharp tug at her chest as if something deep within her was being drawn out, almost like the energy was coming from the very core of her. She forced herself to focus, even as the sensation became overwhelming.

Slowly, Amanda's breathing began to steady. The blood flow from her side slowed, and the gash that had once seemed so deep and critical started to close, the flesh knitting itself together in an almost unnatural way.

Addison opened her eyes in disbelief, staring at her hands, which were glowing faintly with a soft, golden light. She didn't understand what was happening, but she couldn't deny the change in Amanda's condition. Her sister's body was healing, the wound shrinking before her eyes.

"Aonmi..." Addison whispered, her voice trembling in awe. "Look... It's working. I'm- I'm healing her."

Aonmi had moved closer, his eyes wide, his usual cool demeanor faltering. "Impossible," he murmured under his breath, stepping forward and eyeing Addison's hands closely. "I've never seen anything like this before."

Addison didn't respond, too absorbed in the glowing energy that now enveloped her fingers. She could feel Amanda's wound closing, the warmth radiating from her hands, and as it continued, Addison felt a deep, almost instinctive connection to the process. The magic within her flowed freely now, unhindered by any doubt.

Minutes passed, and the light faded. Amanda's breathing had steadied, and the visible signs of injury had all but disappeared. The skin where the gash had been was now smooth, healed, with only the faintest remnants of a scar left.

Addison pulled her hands back, her body suddenly feeling drained, the energy that had surged through her now leaving her exhausted. She swayed slightly, catching herself just in time.

"Amanda..." she whispered, looking down at her sister's now peaceful face.

Amanda's eyes fluttered open, her pupils dilated but clearer than before. She smiled weakly, her voice barely a whisper. "Addison... you... you saved me."

Addison shook her head, her hands still trembling. "I didn't... I didn't know I could do that. I- I don't understand."

Aonmi crouched down beside them, his gaze still locked on Addison with a mixture of disbelief and something else she couldn't quite place. His eyes softened, just slightly, before he spoke.

"You didn't know?" he asked, his voice low. "That kind of power... it's rare, Addison. Healing is one of the most difficult and dangerous abilities someone can possess. And yet, here you are, with it."

Addison swallowed hard, glancing down at her sister, who was now fully awake and more aware. She could feel the weight of Aonmi's words, but the overwhelming sense of relief that flooded through her was all that mattered at the moment. She had done something good. Something that had saved Amanda.

But that relief was short-lived. The air around them still felt heavy, and Addison could sense that the danger wasn't over. They had only just begun to scratch the surface of whatever lay ahead.

"Aonmi..." Addison said, her voice firm but laced with concern. "What's going on? What else is out there?"

Aonmi looked up at her, his expression darkening once more. "There's more to this than you realize. This isn't the last of them. Not by a long shot."

Addison's heart clenched, and she turned her gaze to Amanda, who was still recovering. There was no more time to waste. They were just beginning to understand the true nature of the world they were now a part of.

And now, it seemed, Addison had to face a new truth: she wasn't just a survivor. She was something more.