We sprinted around the final corner, following the map that James had just given his life for. Enoch lead us through the hallway, scouting the tunnels for Defenders. 145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKXPCZeAaN
The Door was at the other end. I was speechless. We finally did it!
Enoch suddenly stops, holding out his arms so Thomas and I cannot pass him.
"They're here," was all he had to whisper before Thomas and I reached to the swords strapped on our backs, preparing to fight off the Defenders.
"No," he turns to us as the grinding metal sounds came closer, echoing louder around the tunnel. "This is it. This is where I use the last of my Flair." Enoch turns to the sound of the Defenders.
"What? No!" I am outraged! "Enoch, we still need you! You can't just give yourself up!"
Thomas grabs onto my arm to calm me down. "He's right. You and I both know that we need everyone's Tokens to be able to fix the Wrong. He can't Protect in the Sanctuary. This is the last place where he will have a chance to Protect, so he can give up his Token."
Tears start steaming down my face. "No, not after all this. We have to do this together."
Enoch turns around and looks straight at me with that brotherly look he has used throughout the past couple weeks.
"Noël, we aren't supposed to do this together. You were destined to do this alone. I have put off my Call-out for long enough." Enoch pauses briefly as the sounds gets louder. He turns and puts his hands on Thomas's shoulders, making it look as if he was decades older than Thomas instead of just years. "Thomas, get her into the Sanctuary. You know what to do."
Thomas nods.
He smiles at us one last time before turning away from us and toward the oncoming Defenders. He reaches for his swords that were strapped to his back as the first Defender came into view.
Enoch lets out a cry of fury and runs straight toward the Defenders. I reach for my sword to follow him, but Thomas grabs my arm, preventing me from helping Enoch.
"No! Let me go!" I cry above the sound of metal on metal as Enoch Protects us from the Defenders.
"You heard what he said," Thomas tightens his grip on my arm. "We cannot help him, or his Call-out will not happen."
"I don't want his Call-out to happen!" I scream and twist from his grasp, running down the hallway.
I only get a couple of steps closer to Enoch before Thomas grabs me and pins me against the wall.
"Stop it!" he screams at me. "You will only make it worse! Let him Protect us without having to worry about you making it worse, again!"
The uncontrollable tears come once more as I twist my head helplessly to watch as Enoch Protects us from the Defenders.
Enoch spins and jumps around the Defenders, working hard to find the Weak-spot. He distracts one by knocking its head with the blunt side of his sword before spinning around and shoving the tip of his sword into the Defender's shoulder. The Defender starts to convulse in the all-too-familiar way before dropping to the ground.
One down. Two more to go.
Enoch does the same for the second one, distracting it till he can jam the tip of his sword into the shoulder of the Defender.
With only one last Defender standing, Enoch's Flair-Bar starts to flicker over His head before shinning brightly in the dimly lit tunnel.
Very little Flair was left.
"No," I whisper as the bluish color of the Flair-Bar becomes smaller and smaller till it almost could not be seen.
With a cry, Enoch stabs the last Defender in the shoulder, keeping his sword there till the Defender dropped dead.
He turns to face Thomas and I one last time before his Call-out. He smiles and then winks.
ENOCH HAS USED HIS FLAIR. PROTECTING.
The Call-out sounds, notify the remaining Offenders of the loss of Enoch's Flair.
The familiar white lights come from the ground, and surround Enoch, taking him to the place where the other seventeen Offenders had gone, leave Thomas and I alone.
The white lights disperse, leaving Enoch's Token.
I walk over to the place Enoch had stood moments ago and pick up the Token.
I rub my finger over the symbol of a sword, clearing the dust that had collected during the last fight.
I open my satchel and gently place Enoch's Token with the seventeen others then turned to face Thomas.
"Come on. We need to hurry before more Defenders come." Thomas leads the way back to the Door.
I stand behind him as he leaned against the Door to open it.
With a loud screech, the Door swung open, revealing the Sanctuary.
The two last remaining Offenders stepped inside.
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