Beyond the Rift ✔ (Completed)

Chapter 32: The Towering Inferno

The red kindles with the tangerine flames. Smoldering and engulfing his clenched-fists like a hungry lion. The heat mantles his body distorting the air around him. Few bushes and the scrubs within his proximity char; their newly grown twigs have been burnt to cinders. The acrid smell of the smoke hangs in the dense part of the forest. The heat from the overhead sun is nothing compared to the warmth radiating from him.

I look at the hunched figure, that is Ethan. His head hung low; eyes closed. They would be glowing red if he had opened them.

"What's happening to him?" I whisper to Marty besides me, all the while keeping my eyes on the potential humanoid explosive.

"It's his essence; it gets unstable whenever he experiences robust emotions,  such as sorrow or anger." Marty explains, "In times like these, he should be left by himself, if he engages in any activity or conversation with anyone, chances are; it might turn drastic. The last time it happened, people lost their lives."

My mind digs into the past; whenever Ethan would get vexed or sad, he would always leave abruptly, all the while his hand would be lit with furious flames.

The people Marty is talking, are maybe the ones he accidently killed when he was 8; right about the time Elvira found him.

Did he do that on purpose? Did he really intend to kill them? I do not know. What I do know is that he should've learned to control his emotions by now. If this continues, the tridents might have an upper hand in the further battles.

"How long does it last?" I ask Marty.

"Couple of hours; maybe more." He sounds unsure. Regardless, I notice the corners of Ethan's eyes crinkle, as if experiencing some severe migraine. His jaw clenches and the flames glitch for a split second; the intensity diminishes and their hue morphs from auburn to a soft yellow. It looks as though he is taming his essence.

"Is he in pain?" I look at Marty who too, spots Ethan's distress.

"Every single time." He utters grimly.

I gulp, my heart raps in my chest. I have a lot of hatred stashed for Ethan, at this very moment. I had come here with an intention of smacking some sense in him. However, espying at his feeble state has changed my mind. Maybe, he isn't pig-headed after all. Maybe, he too is trying his best.

I nervously step in his direction, my pulse ticking like a time bomb. If I can just talk to him; get his mind off the things, he might actually be relieved of his suffering.

All of a sudden, Marty grabs my arm and hauls me back.

"What are you doing?" he nearly squeals. His eyes on me; completely perplexed.

"I'm going to talk to him." I reply. But, before either of us could register, we hear Ethan's voice.

"What are you doing here?"

Our heads instantly snap at him, his flames are gone, nevertheless, he is still breathing heavily. His chest rises and falls as he stands up. I feel Marty's palm sweat as he tightens his grip around my arm.

"Nothing, we were on our way out." He responds hastily and tries to pull me out of there.

"No." I utter as I loosen his hold on me. "I wanted to talk." I ignore Marty's protests and walk towards Ethan.

I hear him inhale audibly; his muscles are tense; few beads of sweat sit around his temples. His Hazels; indistinct and have virtually turned reddish brown.

"Are you okay?" I hate to hear my concerned tone.

"What did you want to talk about?" He totally ignores my question. I can detect the sheer annoyance in his speech. It almost appears as if he intentionally switches his bitchy personality on; momentarily around me. Does he hate me that much, that the very sight of me makes his fuse short?