Beneath the Ashes

Chapter 21

Days had passed.
Aika remained in the hospital, her body a fragile tapestry of bruises and fractures, each shallow breath whispering of her pain. The sterile white of the room seemed to amplify her vulnerability, her pallor almost blending into the walls. She lay unmoving, a faint figure against the pillows, her fragility casting a shadow over the heart of the one who had vowed to protect her.

For him, the sight of her in such a state awakened something raw, something primal. He could not rest. Not while the threat that had done this to her still lingered. A fire burned within him—feral and unrelenting—demanding justice.

They had been hunted down, those who had dared to harm her. He had traced their trail beyond the kingdom's borders to a refuge hidden deep within a lawless wasteland. To venture there meant exposing his true self, the beast that lay dormant beneath his skin. But it did not matter. Tonight, there would be no boundaries, no hesitation. Tonight, he would ensure Aika's safety in the only language her assailants understood—violence.

The warehouse stood at the edge of the city like a specter of ruin, its rusted walls draped in decay. The faint glow of a single, swaying lamp cast fractured shadows across the ground, the flickering light barely illuminating the cracked pavement and tangled weeds. The air was thick with the scent of oil and rust, heavy with the remnants of unseen violence.

He stood motionless in the icy night air, his breath fogging with every exhale. A stillness hung around him, heavy and deliberate, as though the night itself held its breath. His eyes, sharp and unyielding, fixed on the decrepit structure before him.

It ends tonight.

With a push, the heavy door groaned open, the sound scraping through the silence like a blade against stone. The vast interior swallowed him whole, the darkness interrupted only by sporadic beams of pale light filtering through cracks in the walls. The scent of sweat, iron, and oil was stronger here, suffocating. His boots echoed in the cavernous space, a deliberate rhythm that announced his arrival.

Shadows stirred. Eyes turned toward him—hard and cold, their glint betraying malice and suspicion. The air seemed to thrum with tension, each breath heavier than the last, until a figure emerged from the gloom.

The leader stepped forward, a towering man whose scarred face bore the evidence of countless battles. His gaze swept over the intruder, calculating and cruel. Around him, his men shifted, their movements betraying unease as they waited for his command. The leader's sneer deepened, his lips curling into a predator's grin.

"What do you want?" His voice was gravelly, a harsh rasp that broke the silence like gravel underfoot.

The intruder stood his ground, his expression calm despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins. "I came to talk," he said evenly, his tone betraying none of the storm raging within him.

The leader laughed, the sound low and guttural, carrying the weight of disdain. Around him, his men exchanged amused glances, their smirks mirroring their leader's.

"Talk?" the leader mocked, his voice dripping with derision. "What could we possibly have to talk about?"

The words hung in the air, sharp as the daggers sheathed at their waists. Still, the man before them remained unshaken. "I know you were hired to take Aika," he began, his voice steady, measured. "I know who sent you. But I'm asking you to stop. She doesn't want the throne, doesn't care about the kingdom's power struggles. Take your gold, take whatever you've been promised, but leave her alone."

For a moment, silence stretched between them, taut as a bowstring. Then the leader's smirk widened, his scarred face twisting with malice.

"This isn't about what she wants," the leader growled, stepping closer. His boots crunched against the debris-strewn floor, each step deliberate. "Her bloodline is the threat. Her existence is the threat. And you?" He chuckled darkly. "You're just another body in the way."

The first blow came from the shadows—a sudden blur of motion. A fist shot toward his jaw, but he moved with preternatural speed, sidestepping the attack with ease. His counterstrike was fluid, an elbow driving into his attacker's ribs. The man crumpled with a pained gasp, collapsing to the floor.

Another came at him, blade flashing in the dim light. The intruder caught the glint of steel and twisted sharply, disarming his opponent with a brutal precision. The knife clattered to the ground as he drove his knee into the man's chest, sending him sprawling.

His movements were instinctive, lethal. The years of training he had buried deep surged to the surface, each strike more ruthless than the last. Yet beneath his calculated attacks, something more dangerous stirred—a fury too wild to be contained.

The air around him thickened, humming with a strange, electric energy. The beast within him stirred, rattling its chains, clawing at the edges of his control. Heat radiated from his skin, and his vision sharpened, tinged with crimson.

The dragon was awakening.

The leader watched as his men fell one by one, his confidence wavering. His gaze darkened as he drew a pistol from his coat. The weapon gleamed coldly in the faint light, its barrel steady as he leveled it at the intruder's chest.

"You should've stayed out of this," the leader said, his tone eerily calm. His finger tightened on the trigger.

But the shot never landed.

A roar tore through the warehouse, inhuman and feral, as the last chain broke. Heat exploded outward, the air shimmering with the raw power unleashed. The intruder's form shifted, his muscles coiling with unearthly strength. The dragon within him had awoken, its wrath spilling into the mortal world.

In a blur of motion, he closed the distance between them, his speed impossible to follow. His hand shot out, seizing the leader by the collar. With a single, devastating motion, he slammed him against the wall, the plaster cracking under the force.

"This is your last warning," he growled, his voice reverberating with the dragon's guttural resonance. "Leave her alone, or I will burn your entire world to the ground."

For the first time, the leader's bravado cracked, fear flickering across his face. He nodded frantically, his breath coming in shallow gasps. "You're making a mistake," he rasped, but his defiance was hollow.

The intruder released him, letting the man collapse to the ground. Around them, the remaining mercenaries scattered, their courage shattered.

Without another word, he turned and walked away, his body still thrumming with power, the remnants of his dragon form simmering beneath his skin. The night swallowed him whole, the warehouse behind him silent save for the leader's labored breaths.

They would not come for Aika again. Not after tonight.