Drakonis

Final Goodbyes

King Draven took a deep breath, his eyes reflecting a pain that mirrored my own. "There's no easy way to deliver this news," he said softly. "Your siblings, were severely injured in the battle. Despite all efforts, they did not survive their injuries. We found all their bodies except Ashely and Eli."

The ground beneath me felt as though it had crumbled away. My vision blurred as a wave of anguish crashed over me. My siblings—gone? The thought was so incomprehensible that I could barely process it. I felt a scream building in my chest, a primal, guttural cry of disbelief and fury.

"No!" I roared, my voice echoing down the empty corridor. "This can't be true!"

King Draven's face was a mask of sympathy, but the weight of his words was unshakable. "I'm deeply sorry, Loran. There's more. Your mother is in critical condition. She was injured and is being treated, but her situation is dire."

"Take me to her!" I demanded, my voice trembling with a fierce, desperate energy. "I need to see her now!"

King Draven nodded, his expression sympathetic but resigned. He led me through the castle's winding corridors, the weight of the situation pressing heavily on us both. The once-familiar halls now felt like a labyrinth of despair.I entered the dimly lit room where my mother lay, her face ashen and her breathing shallow. My heart was a storm of grief and rage. My father, Vorian, was already there, his expression a mixture of exhaustion and profound guilt.

I approached my mother's bedside, trying to steady my emotions. "Mother," I whispered, clutching her hand.

Before I could say more, the door opened, and Vorian stepped inside, his shoulders slumped. His eyes were heavy with an unbearable weight.

"Loran," he began, his voice cracking.

I turned to face him, the frustration and fury boiling inside me. "What happened, Father? "

Vorian's face contorted with guilt and sorrow. "We were ambushed. The enemy was too strong. Eli and Uhroh were out on a mission to help the injured. They... they didn't make it."

The confession struck me like a thunderbolt. My fists clenched at my sides, and a surge of anger erupted from within me. "How could this happen? You were supposed to protect them! You were supposed to keep everyone safe!"

Vorian's face crumpled in anguish. "I should have been there. I should have done more. It's my fault."

"No!" I roared, my voice echoing through the room. "You don't get to blame yourself! You were supposed to be our leader, our protector. And now they're gone, and Mother's lying here, barely alive!"

My rage was all-consuming. I felt the dark, burning sensation of betrayal and helplessness, and it fueled my anger. "What about Olympia? Ashley?" my voice crumbled.

Vorian's eyes were filled with tears, but his voice remained resolute. "I'm sorry, Loran. I failed them, and I failed you."

The words felt like a knife twisting in my gut. My anger surged, a potent mix of grief and frustration. My hands trembled with fury, and I felt a powerful urge to lash out, to find someone to blame, to make them pay for the pain and loss we had suffered. I felt the room closing in on me, my vision narrowing with the intensity of my emotions.

Vorian's face was a portrait of remorse. "Loran, please. We need to focus on helping your mother. We need to—"

"No!" I shouted, cutting him off. "I can't just stand here and pretend that everything is okay. I need to do something. I need to find a way to make this right!"

I needed to channel this anger, to find a way to fight back against the darkness that had taken so much from us. The weight of my family's loss was a burden I could barely bear, and the anger that roiled within me was a force I couldn't ignore.