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The giant reeled back, his gaze turning from confusion to rage as it saw the blood dripping from the gash on his leg. It roared again, casting about for the tiny intruder that had wounded it. Its boots thundered across the cobblestone streets as it stomped towards Jackson and Thorne.
The thick dust cloud began to form behind them, obscuring their vision but not the giant's predatory determination. Each step shook the buildings as if they were made of paper dollhouses.
"Come on!" Thorne shouted over the noise. "We need to move!"
Smoke swirled around them like ghosts as they ran past abandoned houses and crumbled walls until they reached a small clearing where a hole had been blown into the hillside. They hesitated only briefly before leaping inside; darkness swallowed them whole.
The entrance closed behind them with an ominous sigh, muffling some of the sounds outside but not their pursuer's heavy footfalls or furious bellows which rattled boulders above their heads. They raced through tunnels cut by magic into solid rock until they reached a hidden chamber filled with torches providing just enough light to see by—barely. Panting heavily from exertion and fear, Jackson turned to check on Thorne's progress when something warm splashed against his neck, it was blood from above where pieces of debris had rained down from their escape route.
Gritting his teeth against panic, he ignored it and continued onward until they reached a second chamber containing rows upon rows of candles lit by an eerie blue glow emanating from crystals embedded in walls beneath glowing runes etched deep within black marble slabs. Here, they found another exit leading deeper into the earth's crust beneath an overturned cart near a well-hidden passageway outlined in soft white sunlight.
"I don't know how much longer I can do this?" Thorne gasped. "I can take him down, but you need to let me do it. I need your permission we both fucking know you would have married the prince and ruled over me one day."
Jackson didn't have time to process anything. He nodded, trying to see past the tears blurring his vision. "You're a godsend."
"No, I'm a man with nothing left to lose." Thorne pushed away and started back outside. "Get to the beanstalk. Go."
As Thorne disappeared back outside, Jackson was left alone in the candle-lit chamber with a sense of dread creeping over him. He knew what Thorne was planning and if he sat around to cry now, he would waste Thorne's heroism.
With a determination fueled by fear and love, Jackson followed Thorne out of the underground tunnels and back onto the streets. The giant was still hot on their heels, now closer than ever.
He ran toward the beanstalk, forcing himself to keep his gaze forward because if he turned to watch Thorne, he would never let the man go through with it.
The beanstalk somehow grew closer despite the way his lungs and muscles burned. He could not imagine how he was going to climb down, but he had no choice.
The ground shook, and he launched, slamming into the ground so hard his chin felt as if it split and the world spun around him.
He was too close to give up, but the ringing in his ears made it impossible to stand.
The giant turned around slowly, its massive form casting a shadow over Jackson even from where it stood. It snarled and reached for him, its fingers stretching like trees towards him as if it were playing a game of tag. But Jackson knew better. This wasn't just some game —it was a fight for survival.
The giant took the bait and lumbered after Jackson, its massive strides shaking the ground and making it harder for Jackson to move. Glancing over his shoulder, Jackson made sure the giant followed him.
"I'm sorry, Barrett," he whispered, a tear escaping his eye. "I did my best."
Jackson gritted his teeth, preparing for impact. He'd buy them the time they needed, even if it cost him his life. He raised his fists, and as the giant towered above him, he muttered, "This is for my farm, and for him."
The giant's massive fist swung down, aiming to obliterate Jackson.
It never saw Thorne emerge from behind and follow it, the target.
The world seemed to slow down for Jackson, the air thick with anticipation. Time itself held its breath as the Thorne rushed to grab the giant's fucking foot.
Acting on instinct, Jackson dove toward the beanstalk, hoping it would catch his fall.
He closed his eyes and braced for impact, tears threatening to escape, but he gritted his teeth together, holding them back. The wind rushed past him as he leaped towards the beanstalk, feeling it shiver beneath his feet as if alive. His hands splayed out wide, grasping at it with every ounce of strength left in him. He cried out as it bent beneath him but held fast. He felt himself rising upwards at blinding speeds that made his stomach twist.
Only, the giant jumped on as well—which meant Thorne and the explosive would have to be on it, too.
It was too late, the explosion came, shattering through the beanstalk and defeaning Jackson.
The beanstalk shuddered and groaned, the explosion rocking the very foundations of the earth the stalk grew from. The giants' castle, the source of so much destruction and heartache, crumbled into a million glowing embers, which drifted gently down, like the first snowfall of a new beginning.
The sky above filled with dust and debris, casting a haze over everything below. The air was crisp yet cold, and it tickled at their skin as they ascended higher and higher away from the dying earth below.
His eyes watered as the cool cloud air rushed past him, mixing with the salty tears streaming down his sweaty cheeks. His heart pounded in his chest like a drum, echoing in his ears alongside the roar of the wind that threatened to deafen him. He gritted his teeth against the force of gravity pulling him downwards and hoped against hope that Barrett had managed to make it to safety. . . but then, there was no more time to think.
The giant's massive hand wrapped around Jackson's waist and lifted him off the ground, its fingers digging into his skin like bark-covered roots.
