The Disaster Born's

Chapter Thirty -One - Alysia

I look at Neve, her eyes meeting mine with a sincerity I hadn't seen before. "Aly, I am so relieved to know you are okay," she says, her voice trembling as she embraces me tightly. I frown but hug her back, feeling the tension in her body. Her eyes widen with fear and worry as she pulls away slightly. "Have you seen Ezra?" I ask, my concern growing.

Neve presses her lips together, wiping the sweat from her forehead with a shaky hand. "What?" I ask, my voice rising with anxiety. She looks away, then meets my gaze again, her eyes filled with dread. "I don't want to put you at risk," she whispers, her voice barely audible. I shake my head firmly. "You're not," I retort, my tone resolute.

She bites her lip, glancing around to ensure no one is listening. Then, she grabs my arm and pulls me away from the group, her grip tight and urgent. "It's Ezra, Aly. He is locked in that house. I have tried to get him out, but I can't," she says, her voice filled with desperation. I turn to look at the house, its silhouette hauntingly familiar, like the one I was trapped in.

"Is he definitely in there?" I ask, my voice low and serious. She nods, her eyes pleading. "I'm too wounded to go back in there, Aly, especially with Dusk Wraiths lurking," she responds, her voice breaking. I nod, glancing back at the group consoling Leon. "Scarlett!" I shout, waving her over. She walks over quickly, her eyes questioning.

"Look after them. I am going to get Ezra," I say, my voice steady. Scarlett grabs my arm, her eyes wide with fear. "No way, Aly. You don't know what's in there," she says, her voice trembling. I smile at her reassuringly. "I have to try," I say gently. Scarlett nods reluctantly, and I turn towards the house, its dark shape looming in the distance.

I step onto the porch, the wood creaking under my weight. The door creaks open with a groan, and I pull my knife from my waistband, taking a deep breath. My eyes focus on the cracked paint and claw marks marring the entrance. I step inside, the air thick with the scent of damp. It's the same house I was locked in. I recognise the jars immediately, their contents a grim reminder of my past ordeal. I hold the knife up, my grip tightening as I investigate the downstairs area.

Suddenly, a floorboard creaks upstairs. "EZRA!" I shout, but there's no response. I start to make my way up the stairs, each step slow and deliberate, the wood creaking ominously under my weight. "Ezra, you up there?" I shout again, but my voice echoes back at me, the silence oppressive. I reach the top of the stairs and hear movement in the room next to the one I was trapped in. I open the door cautiously, and there she is—Ruby, standing and waiting for me.

"What is this?" I demand, my voice sharp. "Where's Ezra?" Ruby smirks, her laughter cold and mocking. "Oh Aly, don't you see? Ezra was never here," she says, her tone dripping with malice. I raise my knife higher, my eyes narrowing. "So why am I here, Ruby?" I ask, keeping my distance. "Oh, you could say I grew bored of your games," she replies, stroking her fingers across a dusty curtain. I notice more jars neatly placed on a shelf above her, their contents unknown.

"This is all your fault, Aly-cat. I mean, fine, have Ezra, but Ash..." she starts, tutting at me and wagging her finger. "Now that's too far," I frown at her, my anger rising. "You're deluded if you think me and Ash are something," I say sharply, studying her every move. Her hair glows a vibrant red as she conjures a ball of fire in her palm, her eyes glowing a fierce orange. "I see the way he looks at you, and you return it," she says, her anger boiling beneath her skin.

"Now you're gonna pay for what you have done," she snarls, her eyes locking onto mine. Suddenly, she rushes towards me, her fists blazing with bright orange flames. I dodge and duck her punches, my heart pounding. I see an opening and uppercut her, hearing her neck snap back. She stumbles away, spitting blood from her mouth, a twisted smile on her face, saliva mixed with crimson dripping down her chin.

"I don't want to fight you, Ruby," I say softly, my voice steady despite the fear gnawing at me. She gets into a fighting stance, her eyes blazing with fury. "You have no choice!" she screams, hurling a ball of fire at me. It sears my skin, the pain sharp and immediate. I wince, moving away from her, my mind racing for a way to end this without more bloodshed

I summon the inner strength in me as she rushes towards me again, her fists a blur of motion. She throws a series of punches, each one a testament to her relentless fury. I dodge and parry as best I can, but she lands a right hook that sends a shockwave through my jaw. I stagger, but I don't fall. Gritting my teeth, I grab her arm mid-swing and drive my elbow into her face with a sickening crunch. She steps back, her nose a broken mess, blood streaming down her face in thick, crimson rivulets.

She doesn't stay down. With a guttural scream, she charges at me again, more determined than ever. Her left hook connects with my cheek, and I feel my teeth tear into the flesh, a sharp pain that radiates through my skull. Before I can recover, she follows up with a jab that sends me reeling. She grabs one of the jars from the shelf, filled with Dusk Wraith poisoning, and hurls it at me. The jar shatters against my chest, and the small specs of black residue land on my leggings, burning through the fabric and searing my skin.

Ignoring the pain, I muster all my strength and land a right hook that sends her sprawling to the floor. I pant, wincing at the pain and burns that are now searing my leg as well as my arm. I spit the blood from my mouth and rub the blood running from my nose, my vision swimming. She lies unconscious on the floor, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths.

Guilt washes over me. I walk over to her, my movements slow and pained. I crouch down, reaching out to wake her up, but in a flash of movement, she slices me across my abdomen with a knife. The pain is immediate and overwhelming, and I place my hands on the wound as I fall to my knees. I notice the blood isn't red—it's black, thick and viscous.

Ruby stands towering over me, her face a mask of contempt. She spits blood at me, the globule landing on my cheek with a wet slap. "Worthless Earth Born," she sneers, her voice dripping with venom. My vision starts to go blurry, and I can feel the blood draining from me, my strength ebbing away. I watch her walk towards the curtain, her movements deliberate and cruel.

With a final burst of energy, I try to lift myself up to crawl, but she uses her foot to push me down, her boot grinding into my side. "Like I told you, you're nothing," she says, her voice a cold whisper.

"Ruby, please," I say softly, my voice barely a whisper as I attempt to plead with her. She cackles, a sound that sends shivers down my spine. She clicks her fingers, and a small flame ignites on her thumb. She rubs her thumb along the material of the curtain, setting it alight with a whoosh. The fire spreads rapidly, the heat intensifying with each passing second.

She crouches down to my level, moving my hair from my ear with a tenderness that contrasts with her actions. She whispers into it, her breath hot and foul, "Now you can burn, bitch. Say hi to Elodie for me." She then pulls my head up by my hair and throws it back down, the recoil sending vibrations through my skull that make my vision blur even more.

I watch Ruby leave, her smirk widening as she closes the door behind her. The fire is spreading rapidly, the smoke thick and choking. I can feel the heat licking at my skin, the flames consuming everything in their path. The smoke starts to choke me, my lungs burning. The fire was mixing with the shattered jars of Dusk Wraith poisoning, the air thick with venom.

I grunt trying to get myself up, but the pain was too much. I start to front crawl to the door, the heat piercing my skin, I cough spluttering black residue. I could feel myself dying. Suddenly my peripheral vision has a pulsing black border and everything goes black.