Thornton

  The weight of everything that had just happened still sat heavy on my chest, the air around us thick with tension. We hadn't seen anyone alive from the village since the attack, so when I heard those footsteps, my pulse kicked into overdrive.

  And then I saw them—Cole and Lane. They looked rough, sure, but they were standing, and that was more than I could've hoped for. Relief washed over me, though it didn't quite erase the sting of everything that had happened. But seeing them alive... it made everything feel a little less hopeless.

  Emberes was the first to step forward, his usual stone-cold demeanor cracking just a little. His eyes softened, but his voice didn't betray him as he spoke.

  "Cole," Emberes said, his voice thick with something I couldn't quite place.

  "Emberes," Cole responded, offering a stiff nod. The unspoken history between them was clear. They didn't need words to communicate the depth of their bond. They had fought together, and that meant something.

  I moved closer, but I kept my distance. As much as I respected Cole for what he could do, and even though we were allies now, there was still that damn tension between us. We didn't always see eye to eye, but today, that didn't matter.

  "Good to see you made it out in one piece," I said, trying to keep things light even though the weight of everything was pressing down on me. I wasn't sure if I was trying to reassure myself or him.

  Cole gave me a slight smirk. "Wouldn't be the first time you've seen me survive something," he shot back. "You too."

  I could tell there was a little more behind that smile, but the hard edges were still there. Lane, though, was more reserved, looking at Emberes like she was trying to read him.

  "We didn't know if we'd see anyone again," Lane said softly, voice steady, though there was a trace of worry there. "Before all hell broke loose, Drexel—" She stopped herself, glancing at Emberes like she wasn't sure how to continue.

  "What about my dad?" Emberes' voice was tight, like he was bracing for the worst. His eyes bore into Lane, demanding answers.

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  Lane swallowed, then spoke again, voice low. "Drexel knew something was off before the attack started. He sent us to the archives. Said we should hide. He told us the Demon was after us, saving us for last. He took it away from the building, started fighting."

  The air felt heavier. Emberes didn't say anything, but I could see it in his eyes. He wasn't surprised by what Lane had said. Drexel was a man of action, and he would've done whatever it took to protect them.

  "We waited in the archives, thinking Drexel was holding off the Demon," Cole said, voice tight with frustration. "But when we heard nothing for a while... we didn't know what to think. Eventually, we came out, and everything was destroyed."

  Lane's eyes flickered with the weight of it. "We thought Drexel was still fighting. But when we saw the destruction..."

  Emberes clenched his jaw. I didn't need to hear more. He was already processing it all, but I could tell it wasn't going to be easy.

  "I'm sorry," Lane said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We didn't know..."

  Damn. That hit like a punch to the gut. I knew Drexel had been close to them, but hearing the pain in Lane's voice made it feel all the more real. Emberes wasn't ready to talk about it—not yet, at least.

  "Drexel did what he had to do," Emberes finally spoke, his voice steady, though there was an undercurrent of something deeper in it. "He took the Demon away from the village. He bought us time."

  And just like that, we all fell into silence. The kind that presses down on you, heavy and suffocating.

  "Where is the Demon now?" Cole asked, his voice sharp, eyes intense. "Is it dead?"

  "We killed it," I said, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. The Demon was gone, but so much else was left behind. "Emberes, Jade, Hue, and I—we fought it together. It's done."

  Cole's brow furrowed. "The Demon... is really gone?"

  "Gone," I confirmed, voice firm. "We ended it. The threat's over."

  The relief that flooded through me was almost overwhelming. But Cole's next words reminded me just how close we'd come to losing it all.

  "What happened to Drexel?" Lane asked softly, glancing at Emberes.

  "He's gone," Emberes replied, his voice quieter now. "But we'll carry on. He did what needed to be done. We'll make sure that wasn't in vain."

  For a moment, I thought that would be the end of it, but then Hue spoke up. "Drexel distracted the Demon long enough for us to finish it. We're all here because of him."

  I saw Cole and Lane exchange a glance, their expressions serious. "Then it's really over?" Cole asked again, his voice tinged with disbelief.

  "It's over," Emberes said firmly. "The Demon's dead. But we've got a lot to figure out."

  A long silence passed before I spoke again. "We need to move forward. This fight is done, but we've got a bigger road ahead of us. We can't waste any more time."

  "Agreed," Cole said. "We've seen what happens when we try to go it alone. We stick together."

  Lane nodded, glancing between the group. "Together," she echoed softly.

  I looked at Emberes, then at Jade, and finally at Hue. "We travel together. We're stronger that way."

  "That's the only way forward," Hue agreed, his voice steady.

  And just like that, we made our decision. We would face whatever came next, together.