𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙀𝘾𝙍𝙀𝙏𝙎 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙃𝙔𝘽𝙍𝙄𝘿, clone wars ² ✔

Chapter Eight: Act Two; Into the Fire

"When the world burns around you, the only way forward is through the flames."

☠⚡⛓

Nyx stood silently at the mouth of her cave, her glowing red eyes fixed on the shuttle as it lifted off into the stormy sky. The faint roar of its engines faded into the distance, leaving only the howl of the wind behind. Her quills rattled faintly as she lowered her head, her chest heavy with emotions she couldn't name—or didn't want to.

Rexy shifted beside her, the smaller rex tilting her head curiously. "Why didn't you join them?" she asked, her voice steady but tinged with curiosity. "They're your friends, aren't they?"

Nyx's gaze lingered on the distant horizon where the shuttle had disappeared. "I..." She hesitated, her claws scraping against the stone beneath her. "Yes, they are. But I can't go back to them."

Rexy cocked her head, her brown scales catching the faint light as she took a small step closer. "Why not?"

Nyx's jaw tightened, and she let out a low growl. "Not after what I've done," she said, her voice heavy with bitterness. "They wouldn't understand. They couldn't."

Rexy watched her for a long moment, her golden eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "You're sure about that?" she asked, her tone softer now. "Because from what I saw, they didn't want to leave you behind."

Nyx let out a sharp snort, shaking her head. "They shouldn't have to carry me anymore. I'm not the same. Not after..." She trailed off, her claws curling into fists.

Rexy stepped closer, her tail swaying lightly behind her. "Well, if you're not ready to go back," she said matter-of-factly, "you can always stay with me. For now, at least. Until you figure things out."

Nyx glanced at her, her glowing eyes narrowing slightly. "Stay with you?" she repeated, her tone skeptical.

Rexy shrugged, the faintest hint of a grin curling her lips. "Why not? I'm not so bad. And trust me, this place is easier to survive when you're not alone."

Nyx studied her for a moment, the tension in her body slowly easing. Finally, she let out a low grunt, her gaze shifting back to the stormy horizon. "I'll think about it," she muttered.

Rexy nodded, stepping back toward the cave. "You do that," she said over her shoulder. "Just don't take too long. You're not the only one who knows what it's like to lose everything."

Nyx didn't respond, but her quills settled slightly, her frame relaxing as the wind howled around them. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she felt the faintest flicker of something she thought she'd lost: a sense of possibility, fragile but alive.

SCENEBREAK

A day or two later, Nyx was still prowling through the wastelands, her nose low to the ground as she sniffed for prey. The rocky terrain offered little in the way of sustenance, but it had been enough to keep her going. She paused, her head tilting at the faint sound of distant wind. Then she froze.

A roar broke through the silence, deep and guttural, vibrating through the air. It sent a shiver down her spine. The sound was unmistakable—it wasn't a threat, nor a warning. It was something she never thought she'd hear in a place like this.

It was a mating call.

Her quills rattled slightly as she lifted her head, her glowing red eyes narrowing in confusion. A mating call? she thought, her mind spinning. She'd never imagined hearing such a sound again, let alone reacting to it. Yet something deep within her stirred, the Indoraptor instincts she so often kept buried flaring to life.