ArianaJones599
|• good friends are worth the sacrifice •|

"We should take the inner cave entrance, from the building," Lincoln added.

"Why?" Lyra gave him a questioning look. "We lost a friend that way."

"The cave entrance said something about an entrance without exits, so maybe this one will say something else?" Lincoln was doubtful, yet hope was stronger.

"Are you stupid or what? Listen, kid, I listened to you because you're a good one but I ain't losing another friend!" Dianne screamed at him and punched him in the chest which made him fall back. "I am not going back in there!" Juniper and Lyra pulled Dianne back as a roar of concerned voices filled the room.

"Shut up everyone, just shut up! We lost Croy, I know." River breathed heavily as his head pounded painfully. "He was everything to me, my brother, my first friend, he was my world. More than you all, more than you Dianne." River jabbed a finger at Dianne. "I cared about him. His death internally killed me. I am the living dead. But if he was in this room," River stomped towards the centre as the crowd parted for him. "He'd want us to get him justice. Justice for being imprisoned for a flipping experiment. So shut your mouths, and let's go through that entrance. It's a hope, Croy had hope."

"What if we're not imprisoned? What if we chose this?" Amybeth squeaked from the back of the room, she was scared to say it, but she thought it was right to ask. Silence reigned over the room, no one had answers.

"There's only one way we'll know." Lyra tore the silence. "It's time we leave everything, and find out who we really are."

—

This is an entrance, one with exits.

Lincoln grinned at Lyra as he began ushering her inside the dark, again.

They shivered through the damp tunnel, cold droplets of water randomly staining faces of scared, confused, and worried children. What had these children done? To be tortured in such ways? What were their mistakes? Was it their kindness and innocence that made them so gullible? For anyone who'd see their shivering pale faces would realise that these weren't just children, they were soldiers in a battle thrown by one heartless adult, who valued one life over a thousand others. Sacrificed one hundred for one. What was the point? Did it ever save anyone?

Lyra threw her grappling hook over the hole. As she pulled on it, it came tumbling down. She tried again, the hook nearly landing on Lincoln as he yelped and backed away.

"God, you trying to kill me?" Lincoln scoffed. Lyra wanted to reply with a snarky comment but decided upon silence. She threw it again, missed again.

"Let me try." Jude pushed through the crowd.

Lyra accidentally dropped the hook as she stared at Jude in astonishment. "Jude? I thought... you were..."

"Dead?" He threw his head back and chuckled. "I'm stronger than that, but I am injured." He picked up the hook. "Mind if I try?" Lyra shook her head as he threw it with more strength, earning himself a good grip. "Still have my strength." He gave her a proud smile and backed away.

"Show off," muttered Lincoln, Lyra hid her smile.

She gripped the metal rope with her slippery hands; the climb up was laborious. It was a short distance but it didn't fail to consume all her energy. Lyra coughed as she rolled over her back and onto the rocky ground, the entrance of the hole. She let out a relieved sigh as her hands dug up a handful of stones. No deaths, yet. She smiled to herself as she helped Lincoln come up.

"Wow." Breathed Lincoln. Lyra followed his gaze to see an illuminating glass box that reached the top of the cave. The inside was empty, it went down - further down - more than the human eye could see and further up too. "This wasn't here before!"

"It definitely wasn't!" exclaimed River. "I think we are finally going home!" He hugged the two before letting go to help others climb up.

"I'm gonna make her pay," Lyra whispered, her words almost audible. "I'm gonna show her she messed with the wrong people." She walked towards the box, placing a cold hand on the glass, she watched the intricate patterns climbing up the four borders of the box. "I'll kill you, Candace. You had no right to take away my life like this." The rousing heat in her chest made it harder for her to breathe. A ringing sound in her ears told her to stop and focus.

"You okay, Lyra?" Juniper placed a reassuring hand on Lyra's shoulder. Lyra nodded. "Thank you, for taking us home." The hope oozing out from Juniper's words struck Lyra harder, what if it wasn't the way home?

Lincoln called Lyra from the other side, "Lyra, come and check this out." Lyra jogged around till she met what he saw. There was a handprint in grey on a little white square by the border of the box. Lyra placed her hand on it, it matched perfectly. She expected something to happen, but nothing did. She dragged her eyes to the top where a word was carved in white cursive letters.

Sui Sacrificium

"What does that mean?" Lincoln asked with knitted brows.

Lyra's breathing became staggered. "Sui Sacrificium." She whispered. She silently turned around to stare into Lincoln's eyes. She let herself dig deep into his baby blue eyes, the calmness of the colour brewing magic in her heart. She breathed harder as she watched the complexity merge with simplicity; the little navy swirls in the baby blue, the specks of white lining the circle of dark blue. "I love you, Lincoln." She stood on her toes and leaned towards him. "It means self-sacrifice." She gently pressed her lips against his right cheek, moving away before he could react. "I love you, Lincoln." She pushed her hand against the handprint and fell in as the glass box opened.

It closed as quickly as it parted, trapping Lyra on the other side, a barrier between them now. Lyra was floating in mid-air while Lincoln banged on the glass frantically.

"Let me in!" he screamed with tears cascading down his face. Lyra cried and shook her head. "Please," begged Lincoln.

A cacophonous roar disoriented Lyra. She turned around. Pebbles and boulders tumbled down the side which was once known to be the entrance of the cave. She whipped around to see the same on the other side. The boulders crushed every child that they fell upon. A rock cracked the side of Lincoln's head, blood splattered against the glass. Lyra shrieked as she punched the glass angrily.

"Lincoln!" Her screams resonated. "Lincoln!" Wires snaked around and up her limbs. They tightened around her as she cried. Her eyelids became droopy as she sobbed.

"Lincoln." Her last word echoed amidst the lonely dark.

"Phase three initiated. Initiation complete."

—

Sui Sacrificium, is you didn't catch it, is Latin for self sacrifice.

I finally gave you readers what you wanted T-T #Lyra&Lincoln

It wasn't the sacrifice of one, it was of all.

Thoughts?