Embers of the Fallen

Chapter 17

The pain was unrelenting, a constant throb that pulsed with every shallow breath I took. I couldn't tell how much time had passed since Leod had left me in the chair that final night. Hours? Days? My mind floated in a haze, tethered only to the burning ache in my body. The brand on my shoulder throbbed, each heartbeat sending shock waves of agony through me. It was a mark I would carry for the rest of my life, a reminder that of my helplessness, my captivity.

My body was a canvas of bruises, and cuts, and I felt every inch of it. But more than the physical pain, the weight of my shattered spirit pressed down on me. I was no longer just a prisoner of the Keep; I was a prisoner of my own weakness, my own failure to rise above what they'd done to me.

I had barely held onto consciousness by the time Leod had left me shackled to the chair. The room was cold, the stone seeping into my bones. I didn't know how much more of this I could take. My fire, that source of power I was once terrified of, was nothing more than a faint flicker inside me. The flames that used to burn with anger and defiance were now dulled by the exhaustion that had settled into my soul.

I don't know when the door opened, but the sound of footsteps stirred me from the haze of pain. They were heavy, deliberate. Not Leod's. Someone else.

Commander Levine stepped into the room, his face unreadable as ever. His white hair, normally neat and pristine, seemed slightly disheveled as though he hadn't slept in days. His eyes, cold and calculating, swept over me in the chair, taking in the blood, the bruises, the dried tear tracks on my face. I waited for him to say something, to give another cold command or offer another layer of punishment.

But he didn't.

Instead, he stood there, silent, watching me. For a moment, something unfamiliar flickered in his gaze- pity, regret, or perhaps a shadow of doubt. But it was gone as quickly as it came.

"You've been through enough," he finally said, his voice low but clear. He moved to the chair, his fingers working to unlock the chains that bound me. The cold metal fell away from my wrists, but my body was too weak to respond, too broken to move on its own.

Levine's hands hovered for a moment, as though unsure what to do next. Then, carefully, he scooped me up from the chair, earning a hiss from me. Although, his arms were surprisingly gentle, and the warmth of his body against mine was in stark contrast to the cold stone that had been my prison for what felt like an eternity.

I wanted to resist, to push him away and tell him I didn't need his help, that I could stand on my own. But the truth was, I couldn't. Not this time.

He carried me through the empty halls of the Keep, his footsteps the only sound breaking the silence. I leaned my head against his chest, too exhausted to care about the strange vulnerability of being held like this by the man who sanctioned my punishment. My mind swam with questions, confusion, and bitterness, but I was too weak to voice any of them.

When we reached my quarters, Levine pushed the door open with his foot and laid me gently on my small, creaky bed. The sheets felt too soft against my battered skin, but I didn't have the strength to care. He stood over me for a long moment, watching, his arms crossed. "You survived," he said quietly, as though the fact alone surprised him. Was he hoping I hadn't? That instead he would of found me cold and lifeless in the stone chair?

I didn't respond, my eyes half-closed, the world spinning around me. Surviving wasn't living.

"I never intended for it to go this far." His voice was uncharacteristically soft, almost like an apology, though the word itself never crossed my lips. I opened my eyes just enough to see his face, and for the first time, I was something besides the cold, unyielding Commander. 

There was guilt. Real guilt.

But the bitterness inside me surged. My voice was a raspy whisper when I finally spoke, my throat raw from days of screams and silence. "You could have stopped it. But you didn't."

Levine's jaw tightened, his eyes flickering with something I couldn't quite place. "It had to be done, You need to understand the price of losing control."

The magnitude of his words settled on me, but they didn't carry the same authority they once had. I had endured more than I thought possible, and now, here he was, telling me it was necessary.

I didn't believe him.

"You let him enjoy it," I whispered, the accusation sharp in my voice. "Leod. He loved every second."

Levine didn't deny it. He didn't need to. His silence was confirmation enough.

"He's dangerous," he said, after a long pause. "But I can't remove him yet. Not without consequence."

Anger flared weakly inside me. "Then why put me through this? Why let him-"

"Because you're not like the others." Levine cut me off, his voice hardening. "You're different, Elora. And they know it. You're a fire wielder. If you lost control, it won't just be you that burns."

I bit my tongue, forcing myself to look away from him. The fire in me was dangerous, yes, but so was he. So was the Keep. They were all dangerous in their own ways.

"I don't care," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I don't care what happens to me."

Levine stepped closer, his gaze intense. "You should. Because there are worse things than Leod in this world, and if you aren't ready when they come for you, you won't live a second more."

He turned to leave, his presence like a storm cloud hanging in the room. But just before he reached the door, he paused.

"Rest. Tomorrow, you'll start your training again. I'll be waiting for you up at the tower."

I closed my eyes as the door clicked shut behind him. His words left a bitter taste in my mouth.

But as I lay there, every part of me broken, one thought persisted.

I would endure. Not for the Keep. Not for Levine. But for me.

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