I struggled against Fin's grip, his arms like iron bands as he tried to restrain me. My eyes burned as they locked onto the inferno consuming the Academy. Flames curled up the walls, smoke spilling from shattered windows in black ribbons that clawed at the sky. Sections of the roof collapsed, sending sparks arcing into the dim morning light, painting the clouds in streaks of fiery orange. Ash rained down, coating my hair and skin in a gritty layer of soot, mingling with the sweat on my body.
"Let go of me!" I shouted, jerking my body against Fin's hold.
"Be rational, Navi," Baylen's voice cut through the roar of fire, sharp and commanding. "If she's in there, there's no telling where she could be. You're only putting yourself at risk."
"I have to try," I choked out, eyes fixed on the flames as though willing them to part. My fingers burned with desperation as I pushed my powers into Fin's arm. A sickening crack split the air, and I felt the bones give way. He cried out, but I ignored him, tearing free and sprinting toward the building's open doors. The heat hit me in waves, searing my skin and making each breath a struggle. I tore a strip of fabric from my dress and tied it over my nose and mouth, the smoke still thick, acrid, and suffocating.
"Stupid, Twoleg," Naxan growled through the bond, circling above. I could feel his agitation ripple through the air, a living tension. Yet beneath it was understanding. He knew why I couldn't stop. He knew I would risk everything for someone I loved—and that I would trust him to do the same.
Inside, the floors were littered with Kellso bodies, their black, rock-like forms twisted in unnatural angles. I ran my eyes over each one, heart hammering, stomach twisting. No sign of her. Not yet. My pulse spiked, panic clawing up my throat.
Then a piece of fabric caught the corner of my vision. I darted toward it, heart thudding violently. My breath hitched as I uncovered the body beneath. Relief washed over me, followed immediately by guilt and sorrow. It wasn't her. It was a man—someone's father, brother, husband, a life ended too soon. The grief of his loss pressed into me like a stone, and I exhaled shakily before forcing myself upright. I had to find her.
"Navi, you idiot!" Baylen's voice cut through the chaos. I whirled around to see Baylen running in through the open doors of the Academy."You can't make me leave. Not until I find her." My voice sounded drowned out by the roaring fire around us.
I could hear Baylen's groan through the fabric he had wrapped around the lower half of his face. "Only because I don't want to end up like Fin." I clenched my jaw, ashamed but resolute.
"We've searched the ground floor. She's not there," Baylen said, scanning quickly. "We need to move fast. This place won't hold much longer." His words were strained as he fought with some of the flames creeping too close toward us. They hissed and fought against him, but eventually died down into smoldering embers.
"No," I said, shaking my head. "Maybe she's upstairs." My voice sounded small against the roar of the fire, but I had to try.
Baylen grabbed my arm, his grip firm but not cruel, pulling me along. We ran through the library, the offices, the cafeteria. Each room was a nightmare of flame and smoke, furniture blackened, stone cracked, and debris littering every surface. Still, nothing.
"Navi," Baylen started, but I cut him off, racing toward the stairs and dodging the bodies of Kellso and pieces of the Academy littering the ground. "Navi!" he barked as I climbed two steps at a time, chest heaving, lungs burning. My eyes scanned the second-floor hallways. Nothing. Silence pressed in, thick and suffocating. Where are you, Mom?
Baylen was behind me in an instant, holding onto my arm. "She wouldn't be up here." Baylen's hand clamped onto my arm, steadying me just as a beam of burning timber cracked and splintered above. We dove aside as it smashed to the floor, sending shards of wood and stone scattering. I looked up at the new weak point in the roof, heart hammering. Smoke poured in, thick and choking. The structure above us groaned ominously.
YOU ARE READING
Through Smoke and Ashes
Fantasi*Undergoing editing. Half of these chapters were written when I was a child.* Book One: There is no prophecy. There is no tell-tale legend. There is no scripture written down in a book or a hidden cave. There is only the spoken word of the Gods. Dar...
