Chapter 202
Emma slammed her fist on the table, making everyone in the room jump.
“Stop fighting!” she shouted at the group of adults who had been arguing for an hour.
The adults stared at her in surprise. She was just a normal kid now, but somehow they still listened when she raised her voice.
“Mrs. Peterson,” Emma said to the woman on her left, “you can’t keep your daughter locked in the house just because you’re scared she’ll waste her resurrection p>
Mrs. Peterson’s eyes filled with tears. “But what if she gets hurt? What if she dies and I’m not there to stop her from using it on something silly p>
“Then that’s her choice to make,” Emma replied gently. “You can’t live her life for her p>
She turned to the man on her right. “And Mr. Jenkins, you can’t keep jumping off buildings just to prove you’re not afraid of death. Your family needs you alive p>
Mr. Jenkins looked embarrassed. “But I feel so free now. Like nothing can hurt me p>
“Everything can still hurt you,” Kael said from the corner where he was recovering from his mysterious illness. “You just get one chance to fix the worst mistake. Don’t waste it p>
This was the fifth meeting this week. Emma and Kael had started holding them after seeing how confused people were about their resurrection power. Some were too scared to live. Others were too careless about dying.
“The point isn’t to never use your resurrection,” Emma explained patiently. “It’s to make sure that when you do use it, it’s for something that matters p>
A teenage girl raised her hand. “But how do we know what matters p>
Emma smiled sadly. “That’s the hard part. You have to decide for yourself p>
The meeting continued for another hour. People shared their fears and stories. Slowly, Emma could see them starting to understand.
But as everyone was leaving, Mrs. Peterson pulled Emma aside.
“There’s something you should know,” she whispered urgently. “My neighbor, Mr. Thompson. He used his resurrection last month after a heart attack. But yesterday, he started getting sick again. Really sick. The doctors say it’s impossible p>
Emma felt ice in her stomach. “What do you mean impossible p>
“They say his body is rejecting the resurrection energy. Like it’s fighting against being alive p>
Before Emma could ask more questions, Kael collapsed.
“Dad!” Emma screamed, rushing to his side.
Kael was shaking and his skin looked gray. “Emma,” he gasped, “something’s wrong. I can feel it happening to me too p>
“But you never used resurrection power,” Emma said desperately.
“I know. But I was there when you gave it to everyone. Maybe… maybe I got contaminated somehow p>
Emma helped Kael to the car, her mind racing. If people who used resurrection were getting sick, that was bad. But if people who just witnessed the giving of the power were also getting sick p>
They rushed to the hospital. On the way, Emma called Marcus.
“Marcus, I need your help. People are getting sick from the resurrection energy p>
“I know,” Marcus’s ghostly voice replied. “I can see it from the dimensional plane. The power you gave everyone is creating cracks in reality itself p>
“Can you fix it p>
“I’m trying. But Emma, there’s something else. The cracks aren’t random. They’re forming a pattern p>
“What kind of pattern p>
“The kind that opens doorways to very bad places p>
At the hospital, Emma found chaos. The emergency room was packed with people who had used their resurrection power. They were all showing the same symptoms: gray skin, shaking, and a strange cold that seemed to come from inside their bodies.
Dr. Martinez, the head doctor, looked exhausted. “Emma, thank goodness you’re here. We need your help p>
“I don’t have powers anymore,” Emma reminded him.
“I know. But you understand this better than anyone. What did you do to these people p>
Emma felt guilt crushing her chest. “I gave them a gift. But I think… I think I gave them a curse instead p>
She walked through the hospital wards, seeing person after person suffering from her choice. The motorcycle rider from yesterday was there, barely conscious. The woman who had been juggling chainsaws was hooked up to machines.
In the children’s ward, she found the eight-year-old boy whose brother had been hit by a car. The brother was awake now, but he looked terrible.
“Emma?” the little boy asked hopefully. “Can you fix my brother p>
Emma knelt down beside him, fighting back tears. “I’m trying, sweetheart. I’m trying my best p>
That’s when she noticed something strange. Not everyone in the hospital was sick. Some people who had used their resurrection power seemed fine.
“Doctor Martinez,” she called. “The healthy ones. What’s different about them p>
The doctor checked his notes. “Interesting. The healthy patients all used their resurrection for the same reason p>
“What reason p>
“They all died saving someone else. A mother who died protecting her child from a fire. A man who died stopping a robbery. A woman who died pulling someone from a car crash p>
Emma felt a spark of understanding. “They used their resurrection for love. For helping others p>
“But the sick ones p>
“They used it for themselves. For fun, for showing off, for testing limits p>
Emma’s mind was spinning. The resurrection power wasn’t just about coming back from death. It was about why you chose to come back.
“Emma,” Kael called weakly from his hospital bed. “I think I know what’s happening p>
She rushed to his side. “What p>
“When you gave everyone the power, you connected them all to the same energy source. But if people use it selfishly, it corrupts the whole network p>
“Like a computer virus p>
“Exactly. The selfish uses are poisoning everyone connected to the system p>
Emma felt panic rising in her chest. “So everyone who has resurrection power will get sick? Even the good people p>
“Eventually, yes. Unless p>
“Unless what p>
“Unless someone cleanses the network. Removes the corruption p>
Emma grabbed Kael’s hand. “How p>
“Someone would have to absorb all the corrupted energy into themselves. Take it out of the network p>
Emma’s heart sank. “That person would die, wouldn’t they p>
Kael nodded sadly. “And they couldn’t use resurrection power to come back. The corruption would prevent it p>
“So whoever saves everyone else dies permanently p>
“Yes p>
Emma sat quietly for a moment, thinking. She had created this mess by trying to help. Now someone had to die to fix it.
“I’ll do it,” she said softly.
“Emma, no p>
“It’s my responsibility. I caused this p>
“You’re just a kid. You shouldn’t have to die for other people’s mistakes p>
“But I’m the only one who understands how the power works p>
Before Kael could argue more, the lights in the hospital started flickering. Then Emma heard Marcus’s voice echoing through the building.
“Everyone listen carefully. The dimensional cracks are spreading faster than I can seal them. Something very large and very angry is trying to break through p>
Emma looked out the window and gasped. The sky was turning black, but not like nighttime. This was a hungry, living darkness that seemed to eat the light.
“What is that?” she whispered.
Marcus appeared beside her, looking more solid than usual. “That’s what happens when you give cosmic power to people who aren’t ready for it. You’ve attracted the attention of the Devourers p>
“The what p>
“Beings that feed on corrupted life energy. They can smell the poisoned resurrection power from across dimensions p>
Emma watched as dark shapes began descending from the black sky.
“How many are there?” she asked.
“Thousands,” Marcus replied grimly. “And they’re very, very hungry p>
Just then, all the sick people in the hospital started screaming at once.
“They’re coming for the corrupted ones first,” Marcus explained. “But once they feed enough, they’ll be strong enough to devour everyone. Even the healthy people p>
Emma felt the weight of the entire world on her shoulders.
“How long do we have p>
“Maybe an hour p>
Emma looked at Kael, who was getting weaker by the minute. She looked at all the sick people who were suffering because of her choice. She looked at the approaching darkness that threatened to consume everything.
“Marcus,” she said quietly, “I need you to teach me something p>
“What p>
“How to die in a way that saves everyone else p>
But before Marcus could answer, something burst through the hospital wall.
It wasn’t one of the Devourers.
It was Future Emma, but she looked different. Older. Scarred. And absolutely furious.
“Nobody is dying today,” she snarled. “Especially not you p>
Present Emma stared at her in shock. “But you faded away. You merged with me p>
“I lied,” Future Emma replied. “I’ve been preparing for this moment for a very long time. And I have a plan that will save everyone without anyone having to die p>
“What kind of plan p>
Future Emma smiled, but it wasn’t a nice smile.
“The kind that requires us to do something that will probably destroy the entire universe p>