It was the sound, it traveled through her skin and burned itself into the myelin of her nerves. Then it was the smell, melted metal and intoxicating fumes, and blood... She could feel the metallic taste of blood inundating her body.

Ereya took hold of the main cable that snapped, preventing the suspension bridge to sink. At this rate, the mechanical suit would break in half from the pressure. Reinforcements would come soon, she just had to stand her ground and not let go, people’s lives depended on it. She was gritting her teeth from the excruciating pain, digging deep, summoning up all her strength. She gasped for air, sensing she was soon going to lose consciousness.

“It doesn’t matter, the pain doesn’t matter, my body and my pain must be separate. Remember the training, you’re water and can pass through anything, this trembling and agony is not yours,” she told herself, trying to calm down, repeating the mantra she was taught at the academy.

Her suit started to crack, causing metal fragments to fly off. The joints were the most affected with the bolts and screws coming loose from the pressure, revealing muscle-like artificial fibers underneath, tearing them slowly. Air pressure blew out of her suit and sparks ignited from the shortcircuited joints.

She could feel every strain put on her suit since she was wearing the small ground unit made for patrolling. Her arms felt like they were tearing off and she started biting her lips making them bleed. With great effort, Ereya slowly put her arms to her chest to keep better control of the cable but they quickly got opened up again from the accelerating force.

"At this rate, the armour is soon going to run out of backup energy. That means I can only use my own..."

The soldier inhaled deeply, focusing on awakening the ambers buried deep inside. She could feel at a molecular level her powers surging. Streaks of blue light appeared on her skin. It followed the course of her veins, spreading throughout her body rapidly. Her eyes glowed blue, energy started surging from within and transferred to her mechanical suit, quickly replenishing its energy source.

Ereya only used her powers when she was still training in the temple. After she left and attended the military academy instead, she was strictly forbidden to use them. But she didn't care for that now, people were going to die.

Ereya was hearing the sounds of people in agony, hurt and panicked, not knowing where to go, holding on to what they could so they wouldn’t fall. The whole structure was swaying back and forth. At first with a tranquil cradle movement but gradually it became like a raging, uncontrollable wave. Those that didn't have something to hold on to were swung like rag dolls. There was a moment of silence as if time itself stopped, like the calm before the storm. All screams disappeared and in their place, a terrifying void that seeped into their bones appeared. It was death itself.

Finally, the inevitable happened: The bridge deck started to cave in, breaking and crumbling like bread crumbs. From above, the crowd looked like broken toys. Toys made of flesh and blood and bone.

Then she saw it. In the corner of her eye, just barely out of sight: a small boy was hit by a loose suspender cable and was about to fall to his death. Ereya didn't have time to think, she had to act. She ejected out of her mechanical suit and put it on standby to hold the parabola. The young soldier leaped to grab the child's hand and quickly scooped him up, carefully cradling him into her arms.

The child was hurt, he was bleeding from his forehead and blood was gushing out, obscuring his vision. He could only see golden strands of hair flying in the wind and blurry fragments of bruises. He tried to conjure up words to thank her but his chest felt heavy and painful. His throat was sore and he felt a metallic taste in his mouth. But he had to ask, at least once before he died.

"Who are you? Are you an angel of death that came to take me?"

"I'm officer Ereya, princess of House Dorrean and I'm not going to let you die. Just focus on me and don't let go. What is your name?"

"Atthis..." he said as he dozed off seeing a colony of seagulls flying alongside him as if he was carried by angels themselves. Below them, the patrol vehicles flashed lights and let out loud siren noises.

"Maybe I'm really in heaven after all..."

After that everything became dark.