Soulbound: Embers of Defiance

Chapter 25: A Race Against Time

We scrambled towards the fallen figure. Isaac knelt beside him, his brow furrowed as he gently nudged the form with his calloused hand. The cloaked figure remained motionless, unnaturally still. A cold dread seeped into my bones, a chilling counterpoint to the warmth of the fire crackling in the hearth.

"Caleb!" I cried again, this time with a tremor of fear lacing my voice. I reached out a trembling hand, hovering hesitantly over the figure's back. Should I touch him? Was he even...?

Panic clawed at my throat, threatening to overwhelm me. But Isaac, ever the steady presence, placed a calming hand on my shoulder.

"Let me," he said softly, his voice barely a murmur. With practiced efficiency, he moved the cloak aside, revealing a sliver of Caleb's face. His eyes were tightly shut, his skin pale and clammy to the touch.

A choked sob escaped my lips. This couldn't be happening. Not Caleb. Not after everything. Isaac, his expression grim, pressed two fingers against Caleb's neck, his touch lingering for an agonizingly long moment.

Finally, he released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "He's alive," he said, his voice gruff but filled with a hint of relief. "Barely. But alive."

A wave of hysterical laughter bubbled up in my chest, morphing into tears that streamed down my face. Relief, so sudden and intense, left me weak. Caleb was alive. He was here. Somehow, he had found his way back to us.

But a part of me, a selfish, primal part, couldn't help but whimper a silent complaint. I had longed to see Caleb again, yes. But not like this. Not broken and pale, unconscious on the floor of Isaac's chamber. I wanted to see him strong, with that mischievous glint in his eyes. This wasn't the reunion I had dreamt of, huddled over his unconscious form in the flickering firelight. This was a nightmare, a cruel twist of fate that threatened to shatter the fragile hope that had begun to bloom within me.

"But how?" I stammered, wiping at my tears with the back of my hand. "What happened?" A million questions swirled in my head, each one demanding an answer.

Isaac rose to his feet, his gaze flickering towards the doorway. A steely glint hardened his usually gentle eyes. "We'll find out," he said curtly. "But for now, we need to get him settled and see to his wounds."

He gestured towards the examination table that dominated his small chamber. "Help me lift him."

My legs wobbled slightly, but I straightened my back, forcing down the wave of dizziness that threatened to consume me. This was Caleb. I had to be strong for him. Together, we grasped beneath Caleb's limp form, his body surprisingly heavy for its lean frame. With a grunt of effort, we hoisted him onto the examination table, his unconscious form slumping back against the hard surface. Dread gnawed at me, a cold counterpoint to the frantic thrumming of my heart.

Isaac wasted no time, his movements swift and practiced as he unfastened Caleb's cloak, revealing worn leather armor stained with dark splotches. His brow furrowed in concern as he peeled the leather back, exposing a deep gash across Caleb's shoulder, already turning an angry red.

My hands trembled as I grasped Caleb's arm, the familiar warmth of his skin replaced by a chilling coldness. Tears welled up in my eyes again, blurring my vision. "Caleb," I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. "Wake up. Please wake up."

He remained motionless, his breathing shallow and uneven. Panic threatened to surge through me, but Isaac's presence, a steady rock in the storm of emotions, kept me grounded.

"We'll get him through this," he said, his voice low and reassuring. "But for now, focus. Help me clean the wound."

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to focus. This wasn't the time for tears. Caleb needed me, and I wouldn't let him down.