Chapter 263: One Last Try (1)
Seconds, minutes, and more minutes gradually passed by with Madeline showing no signs of getting back up. She remained in her spot, crying to herself at how useless she had become in a matter of a seconds, and now, it felt like everything they had struggled for, everything they worked so hard on had been for nothing, and it was all her fault, or so she thought, but that was until she heard Napoleon’s voice speak behind her.
"Don’t you find it strange that a hill can be this elevated? But when you get close enough, it looks like a mountain cave with steps that lead you straight up to its peak." He mused, sounding unlike his usual self, and Madeline, who had forgotten Napoleon was still around, turned her head to see him crouching just outside the circle that had been formed. The look in his eyes softened, and he went on.
"You know, I don’t really say stuff like this but you’ve been doing an incredible job so far. Accepting your fate, risking your health to come all the way here and perform the spell ritual, how can you not be afraid? Frankly speaking, It would have been more bothersome if you weren’t." He didn’t hide the fact that he would have been more worried if she wasn’t broken down.
"Your Mother was also afraid when she tried to create the spell on this very spot, I mean, she didn’t have to fight monsters to make it to the top, but... she was still very much afraid." He clicked his tongue at the memories, "it’s never easy to work on something, especially when you know more than a thousand lives depended on it - the anger, the frustration, fear is all a part of it, and you’ve dealt with it way better than anyone else could. I can say I relate to that frustration, but you wouldn’t be blessed with such a gift if you weren’t capable, Madeline. Look at Monica for example."
Their gazes darted to Monica who was still tied to the pillar. "She’s your cousin, very unique in her own way despite having no powers yet. She could have been the gifted one, but she isn’t, her elder sister, your uncle and Aunt, none of them have the powers you possess." He rose to his feet, "before I became county council, I didn’t believe I could rule over Whitebridge, but if there’s one sensible thing I believe Osvaldo told me, it was about setting a goal and not quitting till you attain it, and well, here I am."
"But I have tried."
"Trying is not enough." Napoleon disagreed, "If you wish to succeed, you need to remind yourself of your main goal. Why did you come here? You didn’t come here to lose to them? Right, That cannot be the main goal, no?"
Madeline’s teary eyes followed Napoleon, and her disoriented mind seemed to grab what he was trying to hint at. She looked at her fingers that were still painfully numb from numerous tryouts, and she balled them into fist. She had set a goal since the beginning of her journey, and she was already close to attaining that goal, she’d be nothing but a fool if she quits now. Orson, Inna, Elian, Cassian, was she really going to let them all down because of her own insecurities??
Sniffling back her tears, she wiped the teardrops from her eyes and tried to rise up again, but this time, she wasn’t going to fall till she created the spell.