I shoot off into a sprint, pushing off from one leg harder than I ever had before, causing me to quickly pick up speed.
My destination. To Emily, of course.
I feel the muscles in my calves tear from the pressure I put on them as I launch myself from leg to leg.
In my mind I know that it is a futile endeavour.
How can a living being out run a speeding bullet.
They can't, that is the only answer. It's a possibility outside the realm of humanity's limits.
But I continue on anyway, as the though of failure drains from my mind as adrenaline slowly replaces all hesitation and fear.
Though as I hear a large symphony of gun fire a strange phenomenon occur around me.
Firstly, the necklace around my neck that has been a ancient family heirloom spanning generations. One that I had been prepared to give up to Corvo. It practically lit up like the sun, shining in colours I knew and those I could hardly comprehend- much less see.
Though with my beating heart and burning lungs, this only distracts me for a moment only.
What really shocks me, enough to break me out of my suicidal charge is what this glowing caused.
Frozen.
Everything around me has been brought to a complete stop. Stopped like it has all been frozen in time.
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it really has been frozen in time.
My beating heart and ragged breathing halt in my shock, that emotion quickly being replaced by wonder and fascination over something so mysterious.
Bullets swarming all around me like horizontal rain in a mirror to the droplets raining down from above. The barrels of the fired pistols lit up as if they had lightbulbs attached to their barrels. Only it was just that they were caught in this stillness, in the void of time just as they fired thier weaponds, captured in time like a painting.
Everyone around has had their expression preserved In the exact same position as the moment time came to a halt.
Observing this seem blooms within me a feeling of power, of an omniscients that I can't describe. But that is just an illusion that already know, and it would soon make it self clear.
But looking at the frozen despair plastered on Emily's face causes my heart to tense up in sadness, but it's only of seeing the swarm of bullets om her position that my sprint continues.
Though dispite the looks indicating that time was brought to a complete halt, with only me as the sole exception… that is once more another illusion. One merely more easily spotted by the bullets slowly speeding up and piercing through the air.
I quickly make it to her small form and wrap her up tightly within my arms.
Though by the time I had made it to her, time had already started rebelling against the borrowed power. Finally allowing the crisis that I so desperately wished to avoid indifferently march forward….
SLAP
Pain.
Unbearable pain hit me all at once.
Multiple bullet wounds appearing on my body in barely a second of time.
Each wound constantly pulsing along with every heart beat. Especially painfull from those bullets that get stuck inside my skin.
"Ah?"
I hear a quiet high pitched voice coming from underneath me as my body lets go and falls. My strength, even as much to just sit up betrays me.
I go limp, and everything around me starts to become muffled and my ears seemingly start to shut down. My eye sight following soon after with only one annoying ringing sound left in my core senses.
And it's so cold. Oh so cold.
This rain dosent help.
I wish it wouldn't rain.
"NO! Nnononono!"
This time I hear a loud scream coming from besides me, disbelief in their voice as they cry out in sadness.
Though even that quickly becomes more silent. More muffled.
Of course, I know who that is.
Even though I'm dying…. I'm not stupid, nor could I forget her voice.
Oh by the Cosmos… I'm dying arnt I… I-i don't want to die!
"-CALLISTA! PLEASEEEE….. don't leave me too."
Her screaming stops, or at least that is what I can tell from the vibrations baring against my skin. I can't hear much of anything right now, only this unbearable void like ringing.
I feel the tears well up in the corner of my eyes and slowly drip down. Falling from my cheeks and onto the small, dainty had holding desperately onto it.
No. As much as I want to cry, to scream out at the injustice I have suffered even with how hard I worked, I can't.
I can't leave this little girl seeing me im such a weak state.
So, with all the will power I have left I attempt to lift my arm. And oh how heavy it is.
But as I feel like cold winds of the void breath down my neck, I know I don't have much time left.
I need to do this. And I need to do it now.
I grit my teeth as hard as I can, barely managing to life to hand up to caress Emily's face, wiping the rapidly falling tears away.
It takes much more willpower than I even have to crack a smile at the little girl.
So much so in fact that my tears start frantically pouring out my eyes once again.
How shameful it is to cry in front of my charge like this. Even more with how much she looks up to me.
"Emi-… COUGH COUGH COUGH."
I attempt to speak, but my voice seems to fails me. Forcing me to disgustingly swallow any of my remaining saliva just to wet my throat enough to actually make noise.
"Emily."
There we go.
How rough my voice sounds though. If it were a more appropriate time, I would definitely laugh at how much I sound like a man.
"I'm sorry, but I will be leaving you now."
"Callista-"
"Hush now child."
I interrupted her interruption, chastising her slightly as I would usually do in our lessons.
Oh boy would she always pout. What a spoiled little girl she is haha.
"As much as it pains me to have to say this, as much as I would like for you to just be a little girl… You are going to have to be strong for me. You're going to have to be bra-."
COUGH COUGH COUGH
I'm forced to stop speaking again and wet my throat even me. I don't have time left.
"Brave. These horrible men are going to try and use you, I want you to remember yourself and be smart. I believe with my entire being that corvo will make his way back to you… after all…. He… always does…."
Now, as much as I don't want to I feel myself leaving, with saying my goodbyes Emily I have no more excuses. So…
Goodbye to you too Corvo.
Though I'm sad we will never talk again, not will we see each other, I know you will be even sadder than I when you see all this mess.
But nonetheless, I trust you to endure and fix all this mess and finish what you started.
You'll know what to do. Won't you
(Narrators pov- In the same location)
Callistas hand, the cold damp hand that was so gently caressing the crown princess, Emily Kaldwins, smooth face drops down heavily with a thud the second she speaks her final words.
A bloody handprint painted across half of the girls face.
With Callistas death, with the death of so many unfortunate souls that will depart so painfully today, the world grows still. It grows more grey and dull.
At least that is the case for little Emily.
A sorrowful little girl that had to watch not only a mother die and her farther suddenly disappear, but now a second mother figure die in her arms and all the people she has grown so close with all persist before her eyes.
Killed by men she trusted. Men they all trusted in.
And that is why she dosent even notice when she is roughly dragged away by havelock.
Her once pure white dress now dirtied red and brown with blood and mud giving her a tragic look.
His tight vice like grip on her digging into her arms so strongly that it quickly forms bruises.
But she just stares at the scene coldly, she stares at Callistas corpse as her eyes become cloudy and bleak…
Drip
Only for it to give away to dark blazing fury.
And if anyone got a good look….. they would surely know she is her fathers daughter.
——-
Word count: 1,500
A/N; Originally I was going to leave Callista an give corvo a bit of relief… but we all know there no happiness in the Chaos route, only despair.
HAHAHA!
Cringe.