Pain coursed through my body... my eyelids grew heavier by the second... and on top of that, my breathing felt like I had a million shards of glass unceremoniously shoved into my lungs. In other words... life sucks at the moment.
I turned my head slightly to the left... and saw Swan fishing the rope I grabbed earlier from the dumpster... out of my shredded bag.
"Hey, Willow," he said as he turned back to me "Gimme your jacket, it's not doing you any good soaked in blood in this freezing weather, so take mine, alright?" he said as he slid his toned coffee brown arms out of his white and blue track jacket.
"Dude, no, it's freezing, just keep it," I said waving off his offer but he wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Look, Willow, I'll be fine. Stop being so stubborn," he said, his voice wavering as he tried to sound firm. The seriousness in his tone was unfamiliar and awkward for him. "Getting you out of here before you keel over from blood loss is hard enough. I don't want to add freezing to death because you're soaked in your own freezing blood to the list. Now, let's trade."
I sighed, recognizing his genuine concern. "Alright, alright, I get it. I'll stop giving you a hard time, okay?"
" good, see how easy things can be when you aren't so stubborn?"
" Chyeah Chyeah don't push it let's just get outta here, and um actually how are you getting us out of the forest of death?" I asked as I squirmed on the shield dreading the obvious answer.
"Glad you asked I'm going to drag you on this shield sled thing I just MacGyvered together and hope for the best" he said with a wry slightly worrying smile stretching across his face.
I really really hated his plan but I didn't have the will or energy to protest too much so I made myself as comfortable as possible and gestured for him to get on with it. " Well i don't have any better ideas"
" Yeah i can tell so just get some rest Alright just don't go dying on me ok" he said concern building in his eyes as he looked back at me
" don't worry birdy I'd hate to make you drag me around for nothin buuuut if you wanna make feel better sing me a song while you're at it it'll make time fly way faster " I joked
" Fine " he relented and began to sing
' Where is the moment when we need it the most? You kick up the leaves, and the magic is lost' he belted out in a choppy tones hardly withholding his laughter
" Oh you think you're so funny huh birdy, but i do appreciatethe classics" I said before joining in
'They tell me your blue sky's faded to gray They tell me your passion's gone away And I don't need no carrying on'
I choked out the lyrics with a mighty voice as loud as a whisper. But before our impromptu Karaoke could finish another explosion rang out from our smoldering school
"Uh-oh, we should probably go," I said, my voice tinged with urgency.
"Yeah, that's a cue if I've ever heard one," Swan agreed, his eyes scanning the chaotic surroundings. I made myself as 'comfortable' as possible on the makeshift sled bracing for the rough journey ahead.
"Hang on, this might be a bumpy ride, so, uh, try to hold your stomachs in, okay?" he warned, his tone a mix of concern and determination.
"Uhhhhh, Chyeah, I'll add that to the list of things I'm struggling to keep attached to my body," I retorted, fighting the rising nausea that threatened to overwhelm me.
"Sorry about this," he apologized, his grip tightening on the rope. "But, uh, hold on. I gotta put some more muscle into it."
With a grunt, Swan began to pull me through the rough terrain of the forest. The ground was uneven, littered with fallen branches and hidden roots that snagged at the shield, making the ride jarring and uncomfortable. Each bump sent jolts of pain through my already battered body, but I bit down on my lip, refusing to cry out.
The forest was a blur of dark greens and browns, the trees towering above us like silent sentinels. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, mingling with the acrid smell of smoke from the distant explosions. Every now and then, a gust of wind would rustle the leaves, creating an eerie symphony that only added to the tension.
Swan's breathing grew heavier with each step, his muscles straining as he dragged me over the uneven ground. Despite the pain, I couldn't help but admire his determination. He was a stranger, yet here he was, risking everything to get me to safety.
"You're doing great, Birdy," I managed to say between ragged breaths, trying to offer some encouragement.
"Thanks," he replied, his voice strained but steady. "Just hang in there a little longer. We'll make it out of this.
"I hope you're right," I replied, unable to keep the worry out of my voice. I hated feeling so helpless, but I knew there was nothing I could do. I just had to trust in Swan and hope he knew what he was doing.
Swan managed to keep the pace for nearly an hour which was certainly a testament to his athleticism. Eventually he tired out unable to keep up that break neck pace any longer.
Swan pulled me off the shield and laid against a tree so we could both rest for a moment
"We made it a pretty good distance. I can hardly see the smoke stack from here" Swan said, looking out over the scene around us.
"Chyeah, we 'made it.' Where exactly did we make it?" I said, glancing around and realizing I had no idea where we were.
Swan turned and looked at me with a worried expression. "Uh... We're in the forest."
"Chyeah, we are totally lost, aren't we? That's just great," I sighed, staring off at the massive trees that surrounded us.
"Yeah... okay, so we're a little lost in a dense forest on the outskirts of the city, filled with wild animals, but I'm sure a rescue team is on the way.," he said with a weak smile, trying to stay optimistic
"That's the strange part, Birdy. Normally, a security team would have descended on the school if somebody even looked at a kid the wrong way. Hell, a trauma team showed up when Daisy Dusher had a nosebleed. So I find it hard to believe a pack of giant bipedal wolves with axes and spears walked through the front door and not so much as a fire alarm went off," I said, my voice tinged with frustration and suspicion.
Swan's smile faded as he processed my words. "You're right. It doesn't make any sense. Where were the guards? The alarms? Even the police should have been here by now." His words only added to my internal list of things that simply didn't add up
"Hey Swan, do you have your phone on you? I seem to have lost mine in the midst of running for my life awhile back," I asked, glancing around nervously.
He reached back, digging into his pocket before pulling out a large black phone and tossing it to me. I fumbled a bit, catching it on the rebound and attempting to turn it on, but all I got was a black screen with a green error message flashing in the center.
"Hey Swan, when was the last time you updated this dinosaur you call a phone?" I teased, handing it back to him as he finally found a comfortable position to sit in.
He shrugged. "Honestly, I don't remember. Maybe last week? But that shouldn't matter. A missed software update or two isn't gonna stop that thing from working."
"Got any other tech on you, Birdy?" I asked hopefully.
"I've got an XRD-2," he replied, reaching deep into his other pocket.
"Ah, I see where all your cash goes. A true gamer indeed," I laughed. "Try turning it on. Those things have a browser. Maybe you can check the news and use the built-in GPS to find us a way back to the civilized world," I suggested, leaning against a large tree behind me. But I had a feeling it wasn't going to be as simple as that.
"Yeah, no luck. This thing is totally fried. It won't even turn on," he muttered, sadness creeping into his voice.
"Well, damn. Sometimes I hate when I'm right," I muttered. I looked around at the dense forest surrounding us. "I don't have any other options here unless you want to stay out here for a bit, Birdy?"
He scanned our surroundings again. "No, I don't think that would be a great idea," he responded.
"Well, if we make it outta here alive, remind me to take you shopping. First, we're getting a new phone that isn't older than me and an XRD-3," I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Deal. But maybe we should focus on not getting eaten by whatever's out there first?" he chuckled, glancing nervously at the dark woods.
I laughed, appreciating his humor despite our situation. "Good point. But at least my theory about this place isn't sounding so crazy now."
"Theory?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, those monsters seem to have knocked out the tech around here. It's the only thing that makes sense," I explained.
"Huh, you think the monsters are some kind of walking EMP?" he pondered, his curiosity piqued.
"Either that or they're using some sort of magic spell," I said, considering the possibilities.
"That actually sounds a lot more plausible. I saw Grace whipping out some magic before they took her, so I don't think it's too far-fetched," he admitted, looking thoughtful.
I glanced up at the sky for a moment to check the position of the sun before looking back at Swan, who was still scanning the horizon.
"Hey Birdy, why aren't the birds making a big ruckus like they were just a bit ago? The whole forest..." I trailed off, a sense of unease creeping in.
Every hair on my body stood warning me.
"Willow, I'm no expert on the forest, but I've got a bad feeling about this. Let's move," he whispered, his eyes darting around.
I nodded, agreeing with his sentiment. We needed to find somewhere to hide before it was too late. As we began moving through the trees, we noticed the silence was deafening. The air was still, and even the wind had stopped blowing.
I mulled over the countless thoughts in my head as we moved.
"Okay, deep breaths. I've watched enough werewolf movies to know the drill. Rule number one: Don't split up. Second, forget silver bullets—like I'd have any. Monkshood might work, but good luck finding that here.
Running blindly? Not a great plan. But standing still? That's just inviting an attack. I shiver, more from fear than the cold, and look at Swan. "We're pretty screwed man" I chuckortle, masking my anxiety with a half-hearted attempt at humor. Swan rolled his eyes at me.
" Well we can't keep moving around slowly like this. Every step is already exhausting you we have to find a shelter or something to regroup" Swan said
We continued moving slowly and I was already panting again and with every step the realization that there's no way both of us were getting out of here alive set in. I closed my eyes to try to think but it was getting hard to focus on anything. So instead I looked up at him my hand reaching for the large Azure jewl hanging from my neck.
" Swan " I said a little lounder than intended trying not to sound as bad off as I actually felt.
"What?!" he said, not daring to turn around.
"You need to lose the Wolf. You can't keep looking after me and expect to get outta here with all your limbs attached" I managed as I pushed the Jewl Grace gave me towards him
" Grace told me this mystical jewl or whatever is important take it and run as far as you can "
Are you insane?!" he yelled.
"Probably! But you can't carry me all the way outta here," I argued.
"Willow, I'm not letting you—"
"I'm not asking you, Swan. Just drop it. I'll be fine, trust me!"
"Willow, I ca—"
"Just do it! He's mostly after me anyway."
"Willow, I don't know where you got this martyr complex, but I'm running the show now, quite literally," he huffed.
I had to admit, Swan had a good point, but I hated feeling like such 'dead' weight. So I did the only thing I could do and kept a lookout for the beast.
'How close is that damn furball?!' I thought to myself before I spotted a large black mass charging through the woods.
"There," I whispered, pointing towards the black mass.
Swan gave no acknowledgment, but he did veer in the opposite direction, narrowly avoiding the beast. But we definitely couldn't keep this up forever. I was barely able to stay conscious, and Swan's strength was going to run out eventually. We needed a plan, and quick.
After we'd widened the distance between us and that murder mutt, I spotted a cave through the trees.
"Swan, stop for a sec."
"What!? What is it!? Where is it?!" he said, spinning around, looking for the Wolf.
"No, look, there's a cave right there. Maybe we could hide there."
"That's a bit obvious; it's the only landmark around for miles," he said as he started running toward it.
"Look, I get it, but I have another idea. Just get us to the cave, and I'll worry about the details."
Swan looked like he had a million and one objections, but he swallowed them down and kept going. We arrived at the cave moments later, and Swan placed me down on a large rock before taking a look around.
"Okay, so what's the plan now?"
"I'm not exactly sure yet, but give me a second, okay?"
"Not sure!?"
"C'mon, I'm kinda winging it, okay?" I said as I scanned the surroundings. 'Okay, we're in a cave. The entrance is about a yard or so from where I'm sitting. It's pretty dark further inside,' I observed in my head.
"Swan, take my jacket and, umm, that rock on your right, and wrap my jacket around it. Use that herculean strength of yours to hurl it down there," I said, pointing into the dark depths of the cave.
"You think it'll work?" he asked, unsure.
"No, but what else can we do?"
"I guess you're right," he sighed.
"I always am," I joked.
He gave me a quick, half-hearted chuckle before hurling my jacket with all his might into the cave's haunting depths.
"Okay, let's get far away from this cave," he said, hoisting me on his back.
We took off and soon heard the familiar sound of the Wolf's paws pounding in the distance.
'It's coming for us,' I thought as I turned my head back and saw the Wolf's silhouette slowly come into view. I saw him scanning the ground and sniffing at the entrance of the cave, and boy, did he seem pissed. He let out an unearthly growl and lunged into the cave.
"WHERE ARE YOU, WENCH!!!" I heard the Wolf growl from deep within the cave as he prowled the space. We made it a ways into the forest before we heard the Wolf howl once more, and it sounded livid. The sound of claws tearing through stones and ripping up the ground served as prime motivation to get the hell away.
But as if this horror story couldn't get any more cliché, Swan tripped, sending us tumbling towards the ground with a hard thump. Swan managed to slightly cushion my fall as I fell face-first into the soft ground. I coughed up a mixture of blood and dirt before lifting myself up off the ground.
"SORRY," Swan panted heavily as he dusted himself off. "You alright?" But before I could answer his question, the Werewolf appeared behind us, snarling viciously.
"I found you, girl!!!" He growled, swatting Swan away like a fly. Swan barely had time to react and raise his shield before the Wolf's lanky arm hit him with the force of a semi-truck with jet engines attached.
The blow sent him crashing into a thick tree with a thud. The Werewolf turned towards me and started to advance. I struggled to my feet, sure it was curtains for me.
Arangoth advanced towards me, sending a shiver down my spine, his beastly maw looming over me, while his eye continued to ooze blood from the scissors I had forcefully embedded into its socket. His presence alone sent chills through my soul, evoking a profound sense of dread. However, I couldn't help but notice the visible changes that had befallen him. His once fearsome visage now bore the marks of a harrowing ordeal. His fur, which was once sleek and wild, had been horribly singed, and there were bullet holes that marred the upper part of his right shoulder.
'Did Jason do that? I hope he got out looking better than this mutt,' I thought.
"Witchling!! I will not make your death slow. There will be no stops in this show," he growled as he started to close in.
I struggled to my feet and backed up until my back met the thick bark of a tree, and still, he kept advancing slowly and methodically, like a predator playing with its prey. I pondered my desperate options.
"Run, fight, or keep absolutely still, hoping its vision is based on movement? A classic choice," I mumbled to myself, all thrilling options that led straight to my death. The only differences were how dumb I looked in the process.
The beast sprang forward, its massive form propelling through the air with an intimidating grace. Instinctively, I dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding its razor-sharp claws that sliced through the air, a hair's breadth from my head.
"Whoa, that was too close," I muttered, my heart pounding in my chest. Ignoring the searing pain that surged through my body, I swiftly regained my footing and mustered all my courage. With a burst of energy, I sprinted towards the creature's left flank, my every muscle tensed and ready. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I summoned every ounce of strength to shake it off, catching it off guard for a split second before it regained its menacing composure.
In a lightning-fast movement, the beast lunged at me, its massive frame driven by a ferocious hunger for victory. Its razor-sharp claws, gleaming with a malevolent glint, slashed through the air, finding their mark on my arm. The excruciating pain seared through me as deep gashes opened up, revealing the raw vulnerability of my flesh. Yet, fueled with an unwavering will, I refused to yield. The growing list of injuries only served to ignite a fierce resolve within me.
Pushing through the agony, I continued to press forward, my body pushed to its very limits. There was no room for doubt or hesitation. If I couldn't emerge from this battle unscathed, I would, at least, make every effort to lead this beast away from Swan, offering him the best chance of survival.
With each step, my battered body propelled me forward, strangely feeling the chill in my bones begin to fade. Droplets of sweat formed on my brow, mingling with the dirt and grime, as the heat intensified, engulfing me in its suffocating embrace
As the deafening sound of roaring flames grew louder, a mixture of frustration and resignation filled my thoughts. "A fire? Seriously?" I groaned inwardly, realizing that my day had taken an even more treacherous turn. The mystery of its source was soon unveiled as I burst into a vast clearing, nestled amidst the ancient woods. The flickering, dancing flames painted a mesmerizing picture, casting eerie shadows upon the surrounding trees and igniting my curiosity.
Yet, as I stood on the threshold of this enigmatic clearing, "What the hell?" was about all I could muster as the nightmarish sight processed.
There were black flames with purple hues bathing the area, but nothing was burned. As if in a trance, I stepped forward closer to them, curiosity being my second worst enemy at the moment—a fact of which I was quickly reminded of when I heard the footsteps directly behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was."You're constant running is quite annoying, witchling. I can't for the life of me understand why you would flee from your starring role. Besides, I'm feeling peckish after this pointless chase," Arangoth bellowed.
As Arangoth lumbered towards me, his heavy footsteps echoed ominously, each thud resonating in the pit of my stomach. A surge of fear coursed through me, sending shivers down my spine. With every step he took, my body instinctively began to retreat, inch by inch, until my back foot met nothing but empty air. The sudden absence of solid ground jolted me out of my panicked state.
I whirled around, my heart pounding, to see just what else the gods of misfortune had sent my way. And, of course, there it was—a smoldering crater, deep enough to swallow an entire eighteen-wheeler semi-truck. Covered in black flames, as if mocking my already chaotic existence.
Exasperated, I let out a frustrated sigh, feeling the weight of the world crushing down on me. How could things go from bad to worse in an instant? It was as if misfortune had made it its personal mission to torment me.
"Oh my, that is a quandary, my star," Arangoth snickered, his obsidian black claws mere inches from my neck. "I hope you didn't forget, witchling. That would be such a shame. Next thing you know, you'll be forgetting your lines," he continued.
But before I could react, his hand closed around my neck, his grip like a vice. My sight grew blurry, and my oxygen-starved lungs burned as he dangled me over the burning depths. "Now, now, don't die yet, witchling! This is a horror show, a true thriller! A silent death through strangulation just won't do; that's just so boring, my star. So please, dear, try not to die soon!"
I struggled for air, my eyes fluttered closed as my body went limp in the werewolf's arms. Everything felt numb; my whole body felt like a wet sponge. As I began to slip away from consciousness, "Not yet, witchling!!!" Arangoth howled, driving his fist into my abdomen, sending a searing pain through me and shocking me back to my senses.
I choked back the scream threatening to escape my lips, desperately clawing at his arm. "Stay with me, witchling!!" he growled. "If I kill you too quickly, my star, the show will be ruined!!"
He threw me on the ground in front of him and stomped on my gut. "STAY AWAKE!!"
I spit up blood and whatever breakfast I had that morning in an instant. As he crushed my rib cage with his monstrous paw, I could feel the bones cracking and breaking.
I wheezed and coughed as the intense pain consumed me. The moment seemed to stretch on endlessly as I struggled to draw breath, the agony slowly giving way to numbness.
The beast laughed as he knelt down to my pitiful level, his maw inches from my face. "It appears you're at your limit, my dimming star. That's unfortunate, but alas, you put on a good show. Fortunately, I still have that other morsel to entertain me," he laughed.
That last line bit into my nerves like a cobra, the venom behind them fueling my last embers of resolve. I mustered my anger into one final punch to his stupid face that landed pathetically against his snout. "Go to hell!!" I screamed.
"Hahaha, see you there, dimming one! But a good star knows when to make their exit," Arangoth bellowed, kicking me into the burning crater.
The intact bones I had left shattered as I rolled down into the flames that engulfed my body, but I couldn't feel the heat. Maybe my body was just overloaded with adrenaline or whatever. Pft, no point in thinking about it now. At least I wouldn't feel the flesh burning off my bones as I died, I thought, before it all went black... or at least that's what I expected.
Instead, I found myself on the cusp of my final breath, enveloped by an infinite void. The oppressive blackness stretched out endlessly. I floated around aimlessly until I saw a faint purple light in the distance. As I moved closer, the darkness gave way to a dazzling vision. A massive chain, not of iron but of shimmering galactic hues, stretched through the void. Each link, a window to alternate versions of my life across time.
I gazed into the links, I saw brief glimpses of other lives. In one, I was a girl in a poor family, my clothes tattered and worn, my face smudged with grime. "Is that really me?" I thought, baffled. Another link showed me as a nerdy girl, with big glasses and frumpy clothes, clutching a stack of books. "Huh, no way I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that. There's no way that's me," I muttered. Then, a link revealed me standing alone in a small, dimly lit room, my eyes downcast. "Who's that girl?" I wondered, a mix of confusion and curiosity swirling within me.
As I watched these lives unfold before me, a chilling realization set in. Were these different dimensions? Different paths my life could have taken? The thought was both fascinating and unsettling. Suddenly, the links began to fracture, each one breaking away and disappearing into the ether. I watched in stunned silence as every link vanished, leaving behind only one blank, obsidian link. The last vestige of my many selves now unified in this singular, pivotal moment. i floated there confused for what seemed like an eternity before more pressing matters reached the rough surface of my mind.
"Damn it, what do I do? What even can I do?" I shouted into the literal void. Part of me hoped that whatever awaited me next would provide some answers. But what about Grace? If I'm dead, who's gonna help her? And what about Swan? He's totally gonna be wolf chow if he's not already. Holding on to that last thread of hope, I thought, Whatever. I might as well get this crossing-over thing over with. Maybe one of those heroes jumping around Saber City I've been hearing about will help my friends out, I said, as I got closer and closer to the violet light.
"Well, on the bright side, I might get to see Mom again," I mused, a bittersweet smile tugging at my lips. "I bet she's in all the plays in heaven... Do they even have plays in heaven?" I wondered aloud as I got closer, a shape in the light began to come into view, and let's just say the big shiny doors to heaven I was expecting gave way to the crushing reality that is a ginormous flaming bird.
"WOWOWOWOWO WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL IS THAT!!!" I screamed in my head as it rose from the light, flapping its giant flaming wings and cawing loudly in response, sending waves of searing heat down on me.
It looked equally as angry as I looked terrified, if that were even possible. The beast stared down at me as if appraising me; its eyes were like burning purple suns glaring into my soul as if to size up its next meal. I didn't need to pay attention in Mr. Yoshizawa's mythology class to know that what was staring down at me was a giant phoenix.
"I can't even catch a break in my afterlife," I mumbled under my breath as it spread its massive wings. "As if it didn't look big enough," I said as it towered over me.
It was so huge that its shadow engulfed my whole body and swallowed up everything else, a shadow like being cast by a building. The avian was like a towering mass of black flames; it was much different from any phoenix I'd ever seen in a book or game.
if I had to guess, it had to be about three stories tall and nearly 100 feet long, and its wingspan must have been at least 200 feet from tip to tip. The phoenix towered above me, its eyes filled with what I'd describe as disdain, but there was a hint of fear in its gaze.
"What the hell could that burning behemoth be afraid of?" I thought to myself as it kept its scorching eyes on me.
"Hey, buddy," I started, "I'm not here to hurt you..." as if I could. I mumbled under my breath.
"So just, uh, chill out?" I finished weakly.
The bird bucked and cawed angrily.
"Okay, okay, okay, uh, don't chill out," I thought to myself, "Can they even chill?" I thought before quickly shooing that useless thought away, as i kept my eyes locked on the beast
The bird looked unconvinced at my attempts to placate it.
The phoenix let out a piercing screech, its fiery plumage flaring with intensity. Wings spread wide, it fixed me with a gaze that seemed to burn with ancient fury, making it clear my efforts had only fueled its ire.
"OK look, birdo, I'm already dead, and if you're here in this void, then you gotta be too. So the way I see it is you can't hurt me, and I definitely can't hurt you, so why don't you just calm down, ya hothead?" I said, finally fed up with this situation. I'm already dead—what's to be afraid of now?
The bird seemed to consider my words. It then lowered its giant head until it was as close to eye level with me as possible. I stared into its sun-like eyes, and suddenly my mind snapped back to earlier this morning when I saw that strange light, that earthquake, that weird dream—it couldn't be, could it?
"T—that was you?"
It cawed in response.
I paused for a moment, staring deep into its eyes. The faint gleam of intelligence shone within them. I sensed a restlessness in its fiery feathers, a flicker of turmoil within its radiant form. Then, I noticed the subtle dimming of its light, as if part of its very essence had been damaged by something otherworldly, leaving an ethereal scar upon its flaming plumage.
It was clear the Phoenix was in pain; it seemed like it could hardly stand. As I tentatively extended my hand towards the Phoenix, mentally berating myself for attempting to touch a creature engulfed in flames, to my surprise, there was no resistance. Instead, an intense flame enveloped me, I was swallowed by the fire itself. The air around me shimmered, and I felt a strange, almost magical warmth spread through my fingers, up my arm, and into my very core.
As the flames fully encased my being, I noticed the jewel at the core of my necklace begin to pulse with a powerful, almost otherworldly energy. It was as if the jewel was reacting to the sudden influx of power. The pulsing grew stronger by the second, syncing with the rhythmic beat of my heart, creating a deep, resonant thrum that seemed to echo through the very fabric of reality.
A soft glow emanated from the jewel, casting dancing patterns of light onto my skin. The sensation was both exhilarating and terrifying.
My body felt energized, like I had just consumed several hundred coffees at once. The sensation was overwhelming, as if a battle raged inside me. It felt like my body was struggling to maintain its current form, rapidly breaking down and morphing into something new.
I didn't think I could be shocked anymore today, but unfortunately, I was wrong. I lifted my head, groaning in agony, clutching at my gut. A hacking cough escaped my lips, each spasm sending ripples of pain through my abdomen. "Hey... Birdy," I wheezed between coughs. "I appreciate the caffeine boost, but could ya pull back a bit?" I groaned as I slowly opened my eyes, expecting to see the fiery creature before me.
But Instead, I found nothing. Only an eerie silence pressing down on me. The only sound was my own labored breathing, amplified by the vast emptiness around me. The flames, flickering around me, cast dancing shadows on the darkness, echoing in the stillness.
I was the sole light in this infinite void. My thoughts raced faster and faster as the flames intensified, their power engulfing my body. A violent purple glow began to emanate from me, spreading like a wildfire across my flesh. I felt sure I must look like a human-shaped star, blazing against the backdrop of the endless night.
The energy within me thrummed, a tangible force that vibrated through my very being. The flames, once a gentle flicker, became a wild, chaotic dance. They whipped and roared, engulfing me in a fiery embrace. My skin, now a blazing purple, pulsed with an unbearable heat.
The world around me warped and distorted, the darkness swirling and twisting in response to the power surging within me. I felt myself losing control, the flames growing ever more erratic, the energy threatening to consume me.
Then, a blinding flash.
The silence that followed was deafening.