| RED'S POV |
As my eyes began to regain focus, the world around me came into sharper view. The air crackled with tension, punctuated by the savage growls and roars echoing between Nicholas and Gwen. It was a battle of primal forces, a clash of fangs and claws that could not go unnoticed. Gwen, sleek and unscathed, struck at Nicholas with precision, leaving a trail of fresh wounds across his battered body. Despite her apparent lack of injuries, any scratches she might have sustained were minimal, barely leaving a mark.
I shifted my gaze downward, my attention drawn to the dark, slimy liquid still clinging to my body. It served as a grotesque cage, confining me, but something felt different. Strangely, I realized that I did not feel any pain. The shards of glass embedded in my skin should have elicited screams of agony and rendered me weak, yet I remained stoic. It was as if my body possessed a miraculous ability to heal itself with each attack. Although I could only see my shoulders, I knew without a doubt that the rest of my body was undergoing the same miraculous transformation.
"Looks like pretty boy is tired," Gwen's voice, laced with a sinister undertone, slithered through the air. My eyes widened as I witnessed her hurling Nicholas against the wall, eliciting a pained growl from him.
"Enough!" A thunderous voice erupted from deep within me, a voice I had never before unleashed. In that moment, I relinquished control to this newfound power, knowing it could guide me through the chaos. Both Gwen and Nicholas turned their attention to me simultaneously, surprise flickering across Gwen's face before settling into a self-assured smirk.
"Well, well, well, you're just in time for the grand finale," she sneered, convinced she held the upper hand. Little did she know, a fire was stirring within me.
"Burn," I whispered in an unknown language, and suddenly the flames surrounding me intensified twofold. As the arcane words rolled off my tongue, my body felt liberated, invigorated. The dark liquid recoiled, unable to withstand the searing heat. With each surge of flame, I fed off the pain Nicholas endured. I couldn't explain why, but in that moment, he became my source of strength, and I intended to wield it with all my might.
The dark creature, unable to bear the inferno any longer, detached itself from me and soared towards Gwen, who stood frozen, her eyes transfixed on my true self.
"Is this more challenging, then?" I jeered, my words echoing her earlier taunts. Suspended in mid-air for a fleeting moment, I slowly descended back to the ground, my eyes fixed upon Nicholas. His astonishment at my unleashed fury was evident, but it quickly transformed into a pained groan as he attempted to move. It was clear that the healing abilities of his wolf were unable to keep pace with the onslaught with his injuries and a boiling anger surged within me.
" Attack her!" Gwen's command reverberated through the room, her voice sharp and commanding. The dark entity, a sinister manifestation of her malevolence, obeyed without hesitation, hurtling toward me with the speed of a predator in pursuit. I braced myself, muscles coiled, flames flickering at my fingertips, ready to strike. But in that crucial moment, a voice, clear and urgent, pierced through the chaos.
"Red, dodge!" it commanded, its tone laden with an instinctual understanding of imminent danger. Without a second thought, my body responded, reacting on pure instinct. I twisted and contorted, narrowly evading Gwen's assault. Her razor-sharp claws swiped through the air, just inches away from rending my flesh. A surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins, heightening my senses, and reminding me of the delicate balance between life and death.
"Thanks, Reyes," I silently expressed my gratitude to the enigmatic voice within my mind. Rising swiftly to my feet, I cast a fleeting glance over my shoulder, my eyes locking with Gwen's predatory gaze. Determination burned within me as I made a split-second decision.
"I'm being the bait. I need to draw Gwen away from Nicholas," I declared, my voice laced with unwavering resolve. Reyes, the voice of reason in the midst of chaos, met my statement with a profound silence. It was a tacit acknowledgment, an unspoken agreement that my plan held merit. We both understood the stakes, the precarious dance we had to perform to protect those we cared about.
In the blink of an eye, I sprinted deeper into the room, each step fuelled by a potent mix of fear and determination. The darkness pursued me, its ethereal tendrils stretching toward me with relentless determination. Gwen's laughter, tinged with sadistic delight, echoed behind me, the sound crawling up my spine like icy tendrils of dread.
"I guess Morgan was wrong about you," she sneered, her voice dripping with venom. Her teeth, sharp and glistening, were bared in a menacing display, an attempt to instill fear in me. But I refused to be intimidated, my gaze locked firmly on hers, unyielding.
"Morgan was wrong about a great many things," I retorted, my words infused with a defiant strength. I stood my ground, refusing to let her insidious mind games find purchase within my soul. The air crackled with tension as Gwen circled me, a predator stalking its prey. The dark entity mirrored her every step, an embodiment of her wickedness, an extension of her malevolent will. I was encircled, trapped within their sinister dance, with no apparent escape. But I refused to succumb to despair.
"Your blood is tainted with darkness here, and pretty boy might meet his end very soon. Perhaps Morgan was right about something," she taunted, her voice dripping with sadistic satisfaction. Her words struck a nerve, igniting a seething rage within me. I yearned to unleash the full force of my flames upon her, to see the darkness devour her, to make her pay for her wickedness.
"Red, don't listen to her. Nicholas is fine. Don't let her get under your skin," Reyes's voice cut through the maelstrom of emotions, a calm anchor amidst the storm. With each word, his voice carried an unshakable confidence, a steadfast belief that anchored me in the face of uncertainty.
"How do you know he's fine? Have you seen his condition?" I lashed out at Reyes, my frustration and a flicker of panic bubbling to the surface. The weight of the situation bore down upon me, threatening to crush my resolve.
"Just trust me and attack only when I tell you to. Do you understand?" Reyes's voice resonated with authority, a commanding presence that demanded my obedience. In that moment, a wave of familiarity washed over me, as if I had encountered this unwavering demeanor before. A flicker of recognition sparked within me, but there was no time to dwell on it.
Could it be...
"Stop overthinking and let me kill you," Gwen growled in frustration, her voice laden with a potent mix of fury and anticipation. She lunged towards me with savage determination, her lithe form a blur of deadly grace. The dark entity, an extension of her malice, followed suit, closing in from the opposite direction. I found myself ensnared, trapped within their clutches, with seemingly no way to defend myself until Reyes granted me the signal, the moment to attack them.
"Reyes..."
"Wait."
"Reyes, they're getting closer!"
"Reyes!!"
"Now!" His voice reverberated through the air, commanding my full attention. The urgency in his tone left no room for hesitation. With bated breath, I prepared to unleash the powers that surged within me. The words burned in my mind, demanding release. "Burn them," I whispered, the syllables laden with a weighty determination.
In a swift motion, I lowered both hands to my sides, and from my outstretched palms, a torrent of flames erupted with a ferocity that defied reason. The inferno roared to life, engulfing our encroaching adversaries with a relentless fury. Each flickering flame grew in intensity, fueled by the anguished screams that tore from the depths of my being. Gwen's piercing cries pierced the air, drowning out all other sounds, a testament to her torment.
The dark creature convulsed, its once formidable power gradually waning under the unyielding assault. It shrank, diminishing in size until it teetered on the precipice of vanishing entirely. Victory seemed within our grasp, a tantalizing taste of triumph. But fate had other plans.
"No!!" Gwen's desperate shout pierced through the chaos, cutting through the cacophony of destruction. With a swift motion, she darted away from the searing flames, clutching a tiny bottle that I had caught a glimpse of before. As she uncorked it, a surge of energy pulsed through the room. The bottle acted as a conduit, drawing in the minuscule particles of the vanquished creature, its dark essence greedily absorbed.
Fire consumed every inch of the space, a tempest of blazing tongues that danced with unrestrained fervor. The scorching heat clawed at my skin, causing my body to tremble in response. The flames distorted my vision, leaving my thoughts mired in a haze of confusion, unable to find clarity amidst the inferno's cruel embrace.
My gaze shifted toward Gwen, her once haughty countenance now marred by the fiery wrath. Half of her form bore the marks of the scorching blaze, her flesh blackened and charred like a grotesque tableau of suffering. Thin wisps of smoke curled upward, a testament to her smoldering defeat. It was a sight both terrifying and satisfying, witnessing the embodiment of her malevolence crumbling beneath the relentless onslaught of fire.
"This is not over," she declared, her voice defiant even as her body transformed into a creature of the shadows-a raven. The ebony feathers glistened with an otherworldly sheen as she took flight, managing to elude the escalating flames that hungered for her demise. The darkness embraced her, granting her a temporary respite from the infernal chaos that reigned supreme.
Desperation clawed at my chest as I surveyed the encroaching inferno, seeking an escape route from the relentless blaze that closed in from all directions. The walls of fire seemed to taunt me, their heat intensifying with each passing moment. Claustrophobia tightened its grip around my lungs, constricting my breath, making the very act of drawing air a struggle. In that moment of suffocating fear, my mind yearned for Nicholas, recognizing that his presence was the anchor I desperately needed amidst the maelstrom of chaos.
"Red!" Just in the nick of time, Nicholas appeared, his presence a beacon of hope amidst the raging inferno. Yet, the flames surged between us, a formidable barrier that held him at bay. "You need to calm down, please," he pleaded, his voice laced with desperation. He implored me to quell the fire, but I was lost in a whirlwind of confusion. How had I ignited this blaze? Now, I had to find a way to extinguish it.
Fatigue weighed heavily upon me, my body and spirit weary from the relentless battle.
"I-I don't know how," I stammered, the words escaping in a trembling breath. It felt as if all my powers surged forth, an overwhelming torrent that I struggled to contain. The fire swelled in response, its voracious appetite consuming the room, causing debris to rain down upon us. The flames encircled me, trapping me within my own spell. The cacophony of whispered voices within my mind grew louder, their dissonant chorus spiraling into a maddening crescendo.
"Stop!" I cried out, desperation etched into every syllable. I clutched at my ears, attempting to drown out the clamor and restore a semblance of calm. Nicholas continued to shout, his pleas mingling with the roar of the flames, but I couldn't hear him. I was lost in a tempest of my own making.
Then, a sudden silence enveloped the chaos. I cautiously opened my eyes, tears streaming down my face, the warmth of their trails mingling with the scorching heat. I saw Nicholas, perched upon a table that teetered on the brink of destruction. In that precarious moment, he leaped with a swiftness that belied his humanity, traversing the distance with a grace borne of determination.
"Red," he softly called out my name, his voice a lifeline in the midst of my turmoil. His presence beside me sent a wave of solace rippling through my battered soul. "I don't know what to do, Nicholas. Please, make it stop," I pleaded, my words punctuated by a sob. With trembling limbs, I curled into myself, my head bowed, seeking refuge from the searing intensity. I clung to my own form, as if the embrace could shield me from the escalating tempest.
The sound of the flames grew ever louder, each crackle and hiss a malevolent symphony that threatened to engulf my sanity. And yet, Nicholas stood undeterred within the fiery circle that held me captive. His unwavering presence, filled with unwavering resolve, offered a glimmer of hope in the face of despair.
Time seemed to stretch into eternity as Nicholas inched closer, each deliberate step filled with curiosity and anticipation. My heart pounded in my chest, a symphony of emotions resonating within me. And then, finally, I sensed his presence before me. His knee touched the ground, and his warm hands gently cupped my face. I raised my head, allowing him to witness the tear-stained trails that marked my cheeks. Today had been a day of torment, the worst I had ever experienced, and I couldn't help but wish I had never gone out with him, hoping that it would have altered the course of events.
"I-I'm so sorry. I don't know how..." My voice faltered, unable to finish my sentence as the encroaching flames threatened to consume us. Panic surged within me, my eyes widening in alarm, instinctively urging me to push him away. But he remained steadfast, his unwavering gaze fixed upon me.
"Nicholas, you need to move," I warned, my voice laced with urgency. Yet, he defied my plea, drawing closer to me. His face mere inches away, a proximity that evoked memories of Xavier, a closeness I had once despised. But with Nicholas, it felt different - right. His touch, his voice, and now his proximity, all seemed to align, casting aside the shadows that had plagued my heart.
My thoughts were abruptly shattered as I noticed the flames dancing perilously close. Panic surged through my veins, and I struggled to form coherent words. "Nicholas, the fir-" The words caught in my throat, my mind went blank as my breath seized. My eyes widened in shock as his lips gently met mine. Time seemed to stand still, a suspended moment of realization.
Nicholas was kissing me!
~~~~~
| Hope you enjoyed this Chapter |