On my way to hell

chapter 7

Christopher Barone

As she tightened her hold on me, it felt like a piece of myself, long lost to the world, had finally been returned, making me whole again

Just as I was lost in the thought of her, Alexandra's soft voice broke through the silence. "You know, I've never flown this high before."

Her words took me by surprise. "But... your cat, Ms. Zaa—she's a dragon. I thought you would have flown plenty of times," I replied, curious and a little confused.

She gave a small, knowing smile. "I have flown before. But not like this. I've always had trouble breathing at higher altitudes."

My heart skipped a beat, worrying about flooding me. "Are you having any trouble right now?" I asked, already preparing to signal Nyxalith to descend.

But before I could say anything more, she gently placed her hand on mine. "No," she said, her voice steady, almost in awe. "It's strange, but it's like that part of me—the one that feared the height, the thin air—it's just... gone. I feel light. I feel like I can go to the top of the world with you."

Her words hit me in a way I couldn't quite explain. It wasn't just about the altitude; it was about us. I squeezed her hand, my thumb brushing over her knuckles. "You can, you know. I'll take you as high as you want to go."

She smiled at me, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "It's not the height that matters," she whispered, "It's the fact that I'm with you."

I couldn't help but smile back, a warmth spreading through my chest. "Then let's go to the top of the world together, Alexandra. There's nothing we can't face now."

I admired the bond between us, but in this moment, it was as if the bond between her and the forest had come alive. She was seeing it for the first time, and every new discovery seemed to awaken something inside her. Her eyes gleamed as they darted from tree to tree, taking in every detail with the wonder of someone who had just stepped into a dream.

"Look at the trees..." she whispered, her voice almost trembling. "They're enormous, but they don't feel heavy. It's like they're floating, reaching up with their branches like dancers stretching to the sky."

The forest was unlike anything she—or I—had ever seen. The trunks twisted and curled as though the trees had grown with purpose, forming arches and spirals, their bark shimmering faintly in hues of silver and deep emerald. As the wind passed through the leaves, they didn't just rustle—they shimmered. Greens shifted to golds and even purples, catching the light like stained glass, casting a kaleidoscope of colors onto the forest floor. It felt as though the forest was alive, breathing with us, moving in time with her every step.

"Do you hear that?" she muttered, tilting her head to listen. "The sound... it's like music, but it's coming from the trees themselves. Can trees sing?"

I strained to listen, and there it was—a soft, melodic hum, like a distant lullaby drifting through the leaves. "It's beautiful," I said, but my gaze stayed fixed on her, watching the way her wonder seemed to blend with the very magic of the forest.

Her attention shifted to the creatures that moved within the trees. "What... what are those?" She pointed to a pair of animals perched on a low-hanging branch. They looked like birds but with feathers that glowed in the soft twilight, pulsing with warmth like embers. Their wings flared out as they chirped, leaving behind a trail of sparkling dust that hung in the air like stars. "Are they real?" she asked, breathless. "They're glowing... like they're made of fire."

"Firebirds," I whispered, watching the creatures flit from branch to branch, their flames never burning the leaves they touched. "They're real here, in this place. This forest... it's not just alive. It's enchanted."