A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 118 | Cornered By The Devil

The explosion tore through the air with a deafening roar, effortlessly hurling Matthew and Eko backward. Their bodies tumbled through the sky like fragile paper dolls caught in a tempest. As they plummeted towards the upheaval sandstone ground, survival instincts surged to the forefront, and they summoned their powers, weaving a shimmering protective shield around themselves.

The impact was bone-rattling, the searing heat of the scorched earth penetrating their barrier.. Gritting their teeth, they forced themselves onto their knees, shielding their heads with their arms as they braced against the relentless onslaught of debris and blistering winds.

Amid the chaos, Eko's heart thundered in her chest, panic seizing her as she frantically scanned the surroundings for any sign of Matthew. The world around her was a nightmarish blur of destruction and flames. A towering firestorm raged around them, a tornado of swirling flames and ash, its furious roar drowning out all other sounds. The air itself seemed to burn, filled with the acrid stench of smoke and charred earth. Each second without sight of him amplified her fear, the swirling inferno making it almost impossible to see more than a few feet ahead.

The steadfast resolve that had anchored her through the past tumultuous months began to crack, giving way to a tide of helplessness. The firestorm's heat was oppressive, the ground beneath her cracked and scorched, radiating unbearable warmth. She could feel the weight of the destruction pressing down on her, the flickering flames casting eerie shadows that danced like malevolent spirits in the smoky haze.

Desperation clawed at her as she squinted through the fiery maelstrom, the chaos blurring her vision and thoughts. In a moment of raw, unfiltered emotion, Eko's composure shattered. She unleashed a primal scream into the ground, a desperate release of the terror and frustration that threatened to overwhelm her. 

The heat was unbearable, an oppressive force that circled around her barrier, relentless in its efforts to burn her alive. The world outside her protective sphere grew to a blur of orange and red, a living hell that sought to claim her.

"Matthew!" Eko's voice was a desperate plea, muffled by the ground into which she buried her face. She knew he was out there, fighting his own battle against the flames, their powers the only thing keeping them from being burnt alive.

But fire wasn't the only threat in this inferno. Oxygen, the very essence of life, was being devoured by the hungry flames. Eko felt her chest tighten, each breath becoming a futile gasp for air. Panic clawed at her mind, urging her to flee, to escape the suffocating embrace of the fire.

As she struggled to breathe, Eko tried to inhale as much air as possible, but it seemed like her lungs weren't receiving any oxygen. Panic set in, and she contemplated a desperate escape from the protective barrier that now felt like a suffocating cage.

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Matthew could sense her anxiety intensifying, and he swiftly crossed the divide between them, bridging the gap. He materialized within her barrier, his presence instantly reinforcing the protective shield enveloping them both. He kept her hunched over, huddled into his body, with her face pressed against the scorched earth as the inferno raged mercilessly around them.

"I'm here, I've got you!" he screamed. Momentary relief flooded Eko as she felt his arms around her waist, his body shielding her from the relentless assault of their surroundings. She clung to him, her grip firm, unwilling to let go of the only stability in the midst of chaos.

For Matthew, the pain was excruciating. His heart hammered against his chest, erratic and unrelenting. Numbness crept into his fingers, and his lungs felt as though they were being squeezed, each breath a painful effort. He knew all the warning signs were there.