The purple light from the lantern mingled with the orange of the fire, casting an eerie shade on Robin and what was left of Eveline. She stood staring silently at the scene in front of her, unsure what to do when MC rushed past, her poncho and trinkets violently whipping in the wind.
“Wait!” She exclaimed and reached out, merely to brush the tips of the flowing cloth. She could do nothing but stand by Eveline and watch as the woman ran to the crank in the middle of the bridge after the first section of the bridge on either side had folded onto itself.
The bridge groaned with each turn on the handle, and the folded sections of the bridge slowly stretched themselves to the shore; it happened in the span of a few seconds, no one showing any signs of ill intent. She heard the faint proclamation of good will from the boy holding the green lantern behind the metallic sounds of metal grinding upon metal.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw a blue light on the other side of the bridge, and watched breathlessly as a large panther shaped itself around another boy with a stone hanging around his neck. It leapt into the water, and MC still hadn’t finished securing the bridge. Robin clenched her hands tightly, nails digging into her palms, and crouched, preparing to whatever action she deemed necessary.
The water shone an impossible ethereal blue as the rapids calmed momentarily, overcoming the violent light of the hungry flames. There was a palpable stillness in the air; the fire raged on in front of her, and her heart skipped a beat, eyes tracing each individual—something was coming. The first panthers broke the water’s surface faster than she could blink, and dozens of the animals ripped themselves away from the indiscernible mass of the river.
Robin’s eyes dilated. Her heart rate stilled and the only thing she could hear was the sound of rushing water. Her head felt like it was about to split and the roaring of something intangible overcame her entire being. She watched listlessly as the panthers threatening to crush her and Eveline came to a halt, soaring so slowly above of them. With practiced ease, Robin picked up Eveline and walked to the forest to set her down near the light of the aggregated fireflies.
Her mind was steady as she returned to the front of the bridge. It was slowly breaking away from itself as the torrents of water leapt above its surface and consumed all it could. She moved swiftly, dodging the panthers that loomed over her and reached MC, who had let go of the lever and was about to fall into the water. Robin looked back at the shore—it would splinter to the point of no return before she would be able to bring MC back with her; a tangle of shapes in the water pushed incessantly at the side of the bridge and would inevitably destroy the only pathway back to safety.
As she gazed upon the still images of falling humans, panic etched on their faces, and the forms of water that threatened to overtake them, the lantern in her grip glowed gently, unburdened by time. She grabbed MC and continued moving forward, holding the lantern high in front of her. Robin felt an immense calm envelope her being as she approached the boy, face twisted in an expression of fear, and felt the orbs inside both lanterns react with intensity as she got closer. She did not look back, but knew that Eveline sat safely on the other side, and that the water had reached the surface of the bridge, crushing it in an instance that felt like infinity.
Holding tightly to MC, Robin gripped the hand of the boy, letting the lanterns clink against each other in a moment of what she felt was euphoric satisfaction. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, letting the combined, increasing light of the lanterns blind her, as the sound of rushing water and crackling fire roared back to life.