NOVEL NEXT Chapter 302: What the hell?
"You… stole my Kael…"
Eira's eyes were filled with terror and she couldn't understand anything that was happening as Charlotte's fingers gripped her neck.
Dhayun and Yve stirred at the sudden noise, but sleep's fog still clung to their eyes.
They murmured in confusion but didn't fully wake up.
The storm outside drowned Eira's grunts and both of them continued sleeping.
Charlotte's grip remained firm, her nails biting slightly into Eira's skin.
"Gughhh!" Eira's lips parted but no sound came.
Her chest heaved as her lungs fought for air and her hands trembled as they tried to pry Charlotte's fingers loose.
Lightning flared again, illuminating Charlotte's face up close and her features were consumed with jealousy and rage.
For a moment, it felt as if time itself had frozen and the storm's roar muted as the room suspended between violence and dread.
*swoosh*
In an instant, the space between Brandon's room and the bedroom shrank, and Elize reappeared within the room.
Looking at the scene, Elize's gaze condensed.
Eira's eyes were wide with panic, her lips gasping for air, and her fingers clawed weakly at Charlotte's grip.
Elize didn't hesitate and stepped forward, clamping her hand around Charlotte's wrist.
"Let go of her!" Elize's voice cut through the silence and Charlotte resisted, glaring at her with hatred, but Elize's strength was unmatched.
With one sharp, twisting motion, she pulled Charlotte's hand away from Eira's neck.
Eira sagged immediately, collapsing backward onto the bed.
"Hurrgh... Huf..." Her hands clutched at her throat and her eyes fluttered as she drew in ragged breaths, desperate to get some oxygen.
Her chest heaved up and down violently, sweat beading on her brow.
Before Charlotte could recover, Elize kicked Charlotte squarely in the stomach.
The force of it sent Charlotte sprawling backward and her body slammed into the room's wall with a crack.
*THOOM*
The plaster splintered and crumbled beneath the force, and with a tremendous boom, the wall tore open.
Charlotte's body burst through the broken section and flew into the backyard in a shower of debris.
Eira, still gasping for air, pressed a trembling hand to her bruised throat.
The loud crash jolted Dhayun and Yve awake.
Their eyes snapped open and both of them quickly scrambled to their feet.
"What's going on?" Dhayun murmured, glancing toward the direction of the sound, while Yve's eyes darted anxiously toward the broken wall.
Before either of them could process what had happened, a flash of light erupted in the room once more.
Elize materialized in front of Charlotte in the backyard.
The older sister's eyes were hard with controlled fury, and her lips were pressed into a thin line.
Charlotte, still recovering from the shock turned around "Sister…"
Elize's expression didn't waver and she stepped forward punching Charlotte.
*THUD* The first blow smashed into Charlotte's jaw, snapping her head sideways.
The second struck her ribs, cracking with the sound of breaking bone.
*CRACK* A knee followed, driving into her side and sending her sprawling into the wet grass.
Meanwhile...
Brandon's eyes snapped open at the deafening crash from the nearby room.
His hand instinctively reached for Elize, lying beside him... but the space was empty.
"Elize?"
Without waiting, he swung his legs over the side of the bed.
His breath quickened as he darted out of the room, barely noticing the loose fabric of his nightclothes fluttering around his legs.
The hallway was dark except for flashes of lightning leaking in through the windows.
He stepped into the hallway opening into the next room and upon entering the room, he was startled.
Eira lay curled on the bed and her chest heaved as if struggling to breathe.
Her fingers clawed weakly at the sheets as Dhayun and Yve hovered around her, their hands gently resting on her arms and shoulders, murmuring soothing words that barely seemed to calm her.
Brandon's eyes trembled and concern was etched deep into his face.
His lips parted as if to speak, but the knot in his throat tightened, and he swallowed hard before forcing out a quiet, "Eira…"
She flinched at the sound but didn't respond, still shaking like a leaf caught in a storm.
His gaze, however, quickly went to the broken wall.
A jagged hole yawned outward with plaster and brick scattered across the floor like debris.
Rain lashed inside with each gust of wind, splattering the room's corners and soaking the edges of the bedspread.
Brandon's eyes narrowed and he walked toward the broken wall, pushing past the concerned girls.
Standing at the edge, he bent slightly, looking down through the hole.
What he saw made his eyes widen in absolute horror.
In the storm-drenched backyard, lightning illuminated two figures.
Elize fists and elbows connected Charlotte's face with a bone-shattering force.
Across from her, Charlotte was reeling from the relentless assault.
Her body twisted, trying to dodge or block, but Elize's blows landed again and again.
Brandon's grip tightened on the edge of the broken wall and his knuckles whitened.
"What... the hell?"
For a split second, he considered leaping down to stop them himself.
But then he turned and rushed back into the room where Eira lay trembling.
His eyes softened instantly as he dropped to his knees beside her bed, pulling her gently into his arms.
"Eira... are you alright?"
Hearing his voice, she opened her eyes and the sight of Brandon's familiar face, etched with worry, broke through the haze.
Without thinking, she clung to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso and burying her face against his chest.
"Brandon... Brandon..." she sobbed in a shaky voice.
Hearing her sobs, Brandon's heart twisted painfully and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.
His hand moved gently over her back, trying to ease her fear "It's alright, Eira. I'm here now... don't worry... I've got you."
His eyes quickly darted toward Dhayun and Yverine, who stood frozen by the bed's edge.
"What... happened?"
Yverine exchanged a glance with Dhayun before muttering quietly, "It... it seems like Sister Charlotte... she tried to kill Eira," she whispered, barely able to believe the words herself.
Brandon's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?"
Dhayun, still worried, stepped forward, gripping the edge of the bed "We... don't know what triggered it. But Aunt Elize appeared just in time... she pulled Sister Charlotte away before she could do any worse."
Brandon's jaw tightened as he struggled to make sense of the situation.
"Charlotte... She... tried to...?"