Protector

Chapter II

Just as Alex made it out of the house, the exit crumbled before him in a fiery inferno.

"No! Jasmine!" Alex screamed. Scrambling back toward the house, someone grabbed his arms and dug their nails into his skin. He cried out and whipped his head around, finding himself face to face with his eldest kin. His breath hitched. He had once seen such a look on his sister, and when he had, it had terrified him.

He had rarely seen his brother cry, and now that he was, it caused his fear for his sister to skyrocket. "A-Alex, it's too late . . ." Carlos begged.

Alex's eyes widened in horror, his breath getting caught in his throat. His gaze blurred with his tears, but it wasn't from the smoke or the fire. Alex shook his head as tears cascaded down his cheeks. "No! Shut up! You're wrong!" He glared at his brother, roaring in denial. "You're wrong!"

Alex cursed, beginning to pry away from Carlos' grip, but his brother tightened his hold, keeping him in place. Alex cried out when his brother's nails dug further into his skin, turning around to snarl at his kin. "Let me go! I need to help her!"

Carlos growled through the knot in his throat. He couldn't bear losing Alex, not after his sister's efforts to drag him out. He couldn't, no, wouldn't let his brother go back in, not even if his sister was still trapped. "Alex, stop . . ."

Alex continued to tug at his brother's grip but found it to be in vain. That didn't stop him though. He couldn't accept defeat. "Jasmine! No!" he howled in anguish until his voice was raw. "Jasmine!"

Minutes passed. The fire raged on, crackling and snapping as if nothing had changed. Alex hung his head, sobbing. He gave in to his brother's hold and accepted defeat. His knees buckled, and he would have collapsed if Carlos hadn't been holding onto him.

Carlos lowered both of them to the floor. He squeezed his brother's shoulder, offering consolation while tears trickled down his face.

Alex sniffled through his tears and turned over his shoulder, seeing his kin give him a smile that refused to reach his eyes.

Carlos turned to see his father and mother approaching them, both of their faces puffy with tears.

"Jasmine?" His mother's voice cracked.

Carlos swallowed back the knot forming in his throat, inhaling a shuddering breath as he shook his head.

His mother's eyes widened in horror and disbelief. She wailed into his father's arms.

Carlos turned to face his home. It was a blazing inferno with death etched into its crumbling walls. His heart clenched at the thought of never seeing his sister ever again. Come back to us, Izzy. We need you.

~~~

A/N: That marks the end of Chapter 2. What are your thoughts in this change in POV in the middle of the heat of the moment?

Chapter  2 and 3 will be updated one after the other so be on the lookout for them. Otherwise, chapter updates will be done every other Saturday.

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