The battle had barely ended when the group rushed to get Dakota to safety. His once-pristine armor was now tarnished, covered in ash and blood, his form limp as they carried him through the cavern. The others, their hearts heavy with sorrow, moved quickly but with the deepest sense of urgency. Every step felt like they were running against time.
Ava held Dakota's head gently in her lap as they moved. Her eyes were red, her body trembling with barely contained emotion. She kept whispering his name, hoping for any sign of life, any flicker of movement.
Ava:
"Dakota, please… wake up. Please, don't leave me. Don't leave us."
The sound of their hurried footsteps echoed through the caverns, but it was drowned out by the constant ringing in Ava's ears, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on her. As they reached the makeshift shelter, Mia quickly set to work, her water magic swirling around her hands as she tried to ease the strain on Dakota's battered body.
Mia:
"We need to stabilize him. Get him on the bed, quickly."
Franklin and Duke moved with practiced efficiency, carrying Dakota to the center of the shelter. Henry and Lucas immediately joined them, their faces grim as they set up around Dakota, ready to assist.
Ava could barely focus, her fingers trembling as she brushed Dakota's bloodied hair away from his face. She couldn't stop herself from crying. She hadn't even known she was so terrified of losing him until now.
Ava:
"Please, Dakota… don't leave me alone…"
Henry, despite his usual bravado, couldn't mask the pain in his eyes. He had always been the strong one, the protector, but seeing Dakota so vulnerable—broken—shook him to his core.
Henry:
"We'll get him through this, Ava. We will."
Liam stood back, his fists clenched, eyes wide with disbelief. He had always seen Dakota as someone indestructible, someone who could handle anything, no matter how impossible. But now, seeing him broken, his chest barely rising with shallow breaths, Liam had to fight back the urge to scream.
Liam:
"There's no way this is happening… Not to him."
Jack moved beside him, his eyes narrowed, trying to keep his emotions in check. But even Jack, the ever-quiet one, couldn't help but show his worry for their friend.
Jack:
"We need to believe he's going to pull through. If anyone can come back from this… it's Dakota."
As the hours passed, the shelter became a place of anxious waiting. No one spoke much. Words felt useless. All they could do was pray.
It was several hours before anything changed. The group remained vigilant, their eyes never leaving Dakota's still form. Ava hadn't moved from his side, her face streaked with tears as she continued to whisper comforting words to him, despite the silence between them.
It was only when a slight shift in Dakota's chest caused Ava to look up, her heart leaping into her throat, that anything happened. His chest rose—then fell—faintly, but unmistakably.
Ava:
"Dakota?!"
Her voice cracked as her hands flew to his face, shaking him gently. She couldn't believe it, but there it was—his breathing had returned, even if weakly.
Liam:
"Is he...?"
Mia looked down at Dakota, a mix of awe and disbelief in her eyes. She had never seen anything like this before—no one could have. She had worked on healing him to the best of her ability, but this? This was beyond her magic.
Mia:
"He's... he's still alive. Barely."
Franklin let out a long, shaky breath. He had been holding on to a fragile thread of hope, but it was hard to believe Dakota could survive such a brutal blow. Yet here he was.
Franklin:
"We have to keep him stable. Just a little longer."
Ava was practically trembling now, her hands cupping Dakota's face as she leaned down, her forehead pressing against his.
Ava:
"Please, Dakota. Don't you dare leave me."
And then, as if the world itself was holding its breath, Dakota's eyes fluttered open. The moment seemed to stretch on forever as his vision cleared, his gaze meeting Ava's. For a moment, all he could hear was the ringing in his ears, the sound of his own heartbeat echoing in his chest. He felt… alive.
Dakota:
"Ava?"
Ava couldn't hold it in any longer. She threw herself at him, her arms wrapping around his chest as she sobbed uncontrollably into his shoulder.
Ava:
"Dakota, you idiot! Don't you ever do that again! I thought I lost you. I was so scared. I… I thought I…"
Her words were broken by her sobs, but Dakota only held her closer, his hand gently stroking her hair as she cried into him.
Dakota:
"I'm sorry… I'm not going anywhere. Not yet."
Henry stepped forward, his voice low, his eyes full of disbelief.
Henry:
"How did you survive that? I thought… after Fianna's strike—there was no way you could still be alive."
Dakota, still trying to catch his breath, glanced up at Henry, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
Dakota:
"I didn't. Not exactly."
The room fell silent as the group tried to process what he had said.
Ava pulled away slightly, wiping her eyes as she looked at him with confusion.
Ava:
"What do you mean? You're… you're alive. How is that even possible?"
Dakota took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering dizziness. He looked at his friends, his gaze sweeping over each of them—Liam, Jack, Franklin, and the others—before he spoke again.
Dakota:
"The crystal I stole from the auction in Rome. It has the ability to revive people—bring them back from the dead. When Fianna's strike landed, I used it. I had to, or I would have been gone for good."
Mia blinked in disbelief.
Mia:
"Wait… you had a resurrection crystal this whole time? And you didn't tell us?"
Dakota gave a half-hearted shrug, his expression a mix of exhaustion and grim determination.
Dakota:
"I didn't think I'd need to use it. It's dangerous… unstable. But when I saw Fianna's attack coming, I knew I had no other choice. I used it just in time, and here I am."
Jack shook his head in disbelief.
Jack:
"You've been holding out on us, Dakota."
Liam, however, was more focused on what Dakota had said last.
Liam:
"But why would you do that? You should've told us—let us know you had a way out."
Dakota's eyes darkened, his voice growing more serious.
Dakota let out a long sigh, his expression darkening even more.
Dakota: "oh and by the way duke and Franklin when we were facing the Djinn of wrath he showed us a vision and in that vision the blazer said that they will declare war on humanity, and now There's only five years left before the devils and djinns declare war on humanity."
The room went dead silent. Franklin, Duke, Henry, ava, Lucas Mia, Liam, Jack, and luna exchanged shocked glances, the weight of Dakota's words sinking in.
Duke:
"Five years? That's all we have?"
Dakota nodded, his eyes filled with a cold resolve.
Dakota:
"Five years. That's it. And during those five years, we need to get stronger than ever. We need to prepare for the war that's coming."
Henry's eyes narrowed.
Henry:
"So we've got no time to waste. We need to train harder than ever."
Dakota:
"Exactly. The devils and djinns aren't going to wait for us to catch up. We need to be ready."
Ava's voice was small but resolute as she looked down at him, her arms still wrapped around his chest.
Ava:
"Then we'll make the most of the time we have. We'll fight, we'll train, and we'll stop them. Together."
Dakota gave a tired but determined smile.
Dakota:
"That's the spirit."
And as the group gathered around him, united by the bond of their shared struggle, they knew one thing for sure: the real war was about to begin.
[End of volume 3: the dungeon of wish and terror.]