The Disaster Born's

Chapter Twenty-Seven - Ash

I stare at her, infatuated, the blue light glowing on her skin, casting an ethereal glow. She stares back, her face a mask of confusion rather than fear or excitement. "Did you find anything up there?" I ask the group, but they all shrug their shoulders. "Just graves, bro," Leon says. I nod at him, "Let's go back up and see if we can find anything else." Everyone nods at my command, and we ascend the stairs.

I stay close to Alysia as we walk past the graves. She investigates each one meticulously, tapping her torch aggressively on her palm whenever the light starts to flicker. "You'll break it if you keep doing that," I say with a smirk. She shoots me a sarcastic smile, "Sorry, when did I ask you?" I smile back, enjoying the banter.

Suddenly, she stops, her gaze fixed on the ground. I crouch down beside her, and she shines her torch on large footprints embedded in the mud. "This must be the grave they dug the other night," she says, examining them closely.

"If you want to know what's under there, Aly, I can try and pull it up for you," Ezra says, leaning over us as we crouch. "You can do that?" I ask, surprised. He nods confidently, "Yeah, easy. Just manipulate the roots to pull whatever or whoever it is to the surface." Alysia nods, smiling at him, "If you can, that would be great." He smiles back and nods.

"I need some space," Ezra says, gesturing for us to move back. He lifts his palms over the ground, his eyes glowing a vivid green. As he raises his arms higher, the ground begins to shift, the mud and grass pulsing rhythmically up and down. The air grows tense with anticipation, the only sound the soft rustling of the earth as it moves under Ezra's command.

Suddenly, the dirt stops pulsing, settling into a large, ominous lump covered by mud. Alysia gulps, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and determination. She walks towards the large object, crouching beside it. Her hands tremble as she reaches out, but she pulls them back quickly. "I can't," she whispers, her voice barely audible, before standing up abruptly.

Scarlett steps forward, placing a comforting hand on Alysia's shoulder. Her eyes turn a ghostly white as she summons her power. With a dramatic clap of her hands, a powerful breeze sweeps through the area, lifting the dirt off the object in a swirling cloud of dust.

As the dirt clears, we all gasp in unison. A human body lies before us, but not just any human—a Disaster Born. One of our own. The sight is both shocking and heart breaking. "It's Tjay," Riva mutters, his voice choked with emotion. I can hear the strain in his voice, his throat tightening as he struggles to process the scene. I can see Tjay is still wearing the bracelet he was gifted when he joined the Disaster Born training.  "This makes no sense. The Over Lord said they were sending him back to our bound," he says, frustration and confusion evident in his tone. Scarlett moves to his side, offering silent comfort.

Alysia kneels beside the body, her expression one of sorrow and empathy. "I am so sorry this has happened to you," she says softly, as if communicating with the body in some unspoken way. She examines the lifeless form, her fingers gently brushing against the cold skin. "Why would the Over Lord lie?" Leon asks, his voice filled with anger and disbelief. He holds Ember tightly as she sobs, her tears soaking into his hoodie.

"So is this our fate if he deems us not good enough?" Scarlett asks, her voice rising in panic. She begins to pace back and forth, her movements frantic. The tension in the air is palpable, each of us grappling with the grim reality before us. I look at Talon and he pushes his lips together, his expression grave. "I can tell you how he died," Talon says, his voice deep and resonant. We frown at his comment, unsure of what to expect. "If you want to know that is," he continues. We stay silent gesturing him to explain more.

"It's part of being a Star Born," he explains, crouching down beside Alysia. "It's a skill learned, not every Star Born can master the ability but, I had a great mentor. "May I?" Talon says as he rolls his sleeves up and moves his neck around to ease the tension, preparing himself for what comes next. "It takes a couple of attempts, but I can do it," he says softly. Alysia nods at him and then stands up to give him space. She stands between me and Ezra watching intently.