Through Smoke and Ashes

Twenty Eight||Misunderstood

I could feel Naxan's rage bleeding through the bond like wildfire—untamed, relentless, and all-consuming. It wrapped around him from wing to maw, coiling through every sinew and scale of his massive form, choking out everything else. The connection between us, usually steady like a heartbeat, was fractured now, distorted by the sheer force of his fury.

I tried to reach him after I pulled on the clothes Kayne had given me, to push past the burn of it, to find some sliver of calm in the storm, but it was like trying to speak through a wall of roaring flame. My thoughts scattered before they could form. My words, if they even reached him, were drowned out by the tempest crashing inside his mind.

Then came his scream again.

Raw, guttural, and heart-wrenching. It split the sky like thunder, echoing through the air and vibrating in my bones. I could see it through his eyes for the briefest momen; his head thrown back, jaws wide, fire flickering at the corners of his mouth. His pain, his fury, his helplessness, they were all tangled together in that one, primal roar.

And still, I couldn't reach him.

I clutched my head in both hands, fingers digging into my scalp as if I could physically block out the fury pouring through the bond. Naxan's rage wasn't just a feeling, it was a force. It roared through my mind like a storm, suffocating, relentless, every beat of his heart echoing like a war drum in my skull. My breath came in shallow gasps, my lungs refusing to work properly under the crushing weight of his emotions.

"Naxan!" I shouted through the bond again, pouring every ounce of desperation I had into his name, willing him to hear me, to see me. But it was like screaming into a void. The connection between us felt frayed, still there, still real, but unreachable, as though a wall of fire stood between us.

Nothing.

Not even a flicker of recognition.

"Why can't I reach him?" I asked, voice ragged with panic as I turned to Kayne. He was at my side in an instant, one arm wrapped firmly around my waist, keeping me upright as my knees threatened to give out beneath me.

"He's not himself right now," Kayne said quietly, supporting my weight as we slowly made our way down the stairwell. "He felt your pain, your fear. It's driving him mad."

The hallway spun slightly as we descended, every step a battle. The lanterns flickered ominously, casting everything in a sickly glow. My body ached, my skin still raw from the attack, but none of it compared to the torment clawing through my mind.

"We need to get outside," I whispered, clutching the wall with shaking fingers. "If he sees me—if he knows I'm alive, maybe it'll be enough."

Kayne nodded, his jaw tight with concern, and quickened his pace just enough to keep us moving but not send me toppling.

I forced my legs to keep going, dragging my battered body downward. I didn't care about the bruises or the pain anymore. All that mattered was Naxan. I had to reach him.

Before his rage consumed us both.

As we descended the final steps, the low murmur of voices swelled into a chaotic din. A crowd had gathered inside the main hall, their voices bouncing sharply off the stone walls, amplifying the tension in the air. The buzz of conversation was laced with panic and suspicion, each word tumbling over the next in a frenzied blur. The moment they saw us, their chatter shifted into wary silence, and a few heads turned to follow our path.

Tomi was the first to turn in my direction, pushing past the others to give me a questioning look.

"She was attacked. Something possessed Wex. He's still up there if you want to go interrogate him on my behalf. But I'll be there later," Kayne said with promise.