He passed out two seconds after asking who I was.
Rude. I hadn't even answered yet.
Typical male.
I crouched next to him, my fingers still tingling from where I touched his arm. The sensation hadn't stopped. In fact, it was growing like something had cracked open inside me, and now the world was bleeding in.
His emotions were still there. Not fading.
Just waiting. Lurking like a beast with too many teeth.
I didn't panic. Not because I'm brave—because I don't do panic. Or fear. Or anything, really.
Until now.
"Great," I muttered. "I broke myself. Or you broke me. Either way, I hate this for both of us."
I checked his pulse. Erratic. Burning hot.
The ground beneath him was singed in the exact shape of his body.
Like the earth had tried to swallow the fire, and failed.
Who was he?
Whoever he was, he wasn't normal. No one held that kind of power not unless they were hiding something old. Illegal. Forgotten.
Or cursed.
I glanced toward the road. Then at him. Then back again.
I should've left.
I should've walked away.
But something inside me whispered, Too late.
The air shifted. A chill.
And from the shadows of the forest, a sound broke the silence.
Not a twig. Not an animal.
Breathing.
Heavy. Rhythmic. Wrong.
I rose slowly, hand at the dagger strapped under my coat. The blade was ceremonial. Useless in a real fight. I carried it for the aesthetic.
A shape moved between the trees. Tall. Too tall.
Armor glinted dark steel, spiked at the joints.
Not soldiers.
Worse.
The Sentinels.
I swore under my breath.
They were the kingdom's private hounds, sent to track illegal magic. Trained to kill first, question never.
And they were here. For him.
I knelt fast, grabbed the boy's arm—and his power roared. A shockwave of heat blasted out, knocking leaves from the trees.
The Sentinel turned.
His helmet locked on me.
"Well, sh*t."
The boy's eyes snapped open. Glowing. Terrified.
"Run," he croaked.
Too late.
The first arrow split the air aimed straight for his heart.
So I did something incredibly stupid. Again.
I dragged him into my arms and turned my back to the shot.
There was no time to think. Just the sound of metal flying
And the arrow stopped. Mid-air.
No.
It melted.
Turned to silver vapor before it touched me.
The Sentinel froze.
The boy stared.
I didn't move.
Because something was moving inside me.
His fear, his panic it wasn't just there. It was crawling under my skin, begging for space, building into something volcanic.
And when I looked down, the ground was cracking beneath my boots.
Cracks that glowed.
Cracks that hissed.
Cracks that whispered:
You feel now.
And that was the moment I realized
Whatever he was
He brought me back with him.