The room was eerily silent, save for the faint crackling of embers still glowing in the aftermath of my flames.
Ash settled across the floor in a fine layer, the remnants of Nathaniel's arrogance and cruelty scattered like dust. I took a moment to catch my breath, my chest heaving as the adrenaline from the fight coursed through me.
My arms trembled, though not from fatigue Nathaniel was gone, but the sight before me had drained every shred of the satisfaction his defeat might have brought.
Aeliana.
She was bound to the wall, suspended by thick, enchanted chains that glimmered faintly with runes carved into the metal. Her head hung low, her body slumped in exhaustion, yet even in this wretched state, she was breathtaking.
Her wedding dress, a cascade of pristine white fabric and delicate lace, hung around her like a cruel reminder of what today should have been.
Her dark hair framed her face, tousled and damp, her features pale but no less beautiful.
She would have been my bride today. The thought hit me like a dagger to the chest, sharp and unrelenting.
We should have been standing together, vows exchanged, promises of forever woven into the air around us. Instead, she had been here, trapped, hurt, her radiance dimmed by Nathaniel's malice.
I couldn't let myself dwell on it, not now. She needed me.
"Aeliana," I called softly, my voice trembling despite my efforts to remain calm. I took a tentative step forward, my boots crunching against the ash-covered floor.
Her body jerked faintly at the sound of her name, and for a moment, I thought she might look up.
I rushed to her side, my hands reaching out to cup her face gently. Her skin was cool to the touch, her lips cracked and dry. "Aeliana, it's me," I said, my voice breaking. "I'm here. You're safe now."
Her eyes fluttered open, the deep green of her gaze dull but unmistakably hers. Recognition flickered across her face, followed by a glimmer of relief that nearly brought me to my knees.
"Ciara..." she whispered, her voice hoarse. It was barely audible, but it was enough to make my heart twist painfully.
"I'm here," I repeated, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I've got you. You're safe."
My attention shifted to the chains binding her wrists and ankles, the runes on them pulsing faintly with Nathaniel's dark magic. They had to go. Now.
I stood, summoning what strength I had left and igniting my hands with purple flames. The fire danced across my fingers, eager and hungry for something to consume.
I pressed my palms against the chains, the enchanted metal hissing and groaning under the heat. The runes flared brightly, resisting, but I poured more magic into the fire, forcing it to overpower the spell.
The first chain snapped with a sharp crack, the broken metal clattering to the floor. Aeliana let out a small gasp as her arm fell limply to her side. I moved quickly to the others, breaking each one with the same focused determination.
When the final shackle fell, she collapsed into my arms, her weight startling me for a moment before I steadied myself.
"It's okay," I murmured, holding her tightly. "I've got you."
She clung to me weakly, her fingers gripping the fabric of my torn suit. I could feel her trembling, her body racked with the aftershocks of whatever torment Nathaniel had put her through.
My rage threatened to flare again, but I forced it down. He was gone. He couldn't hurt her anymore.
"Aeliana, can you stand?" I asked gently, leaning back to look into her face. Her gaze was distant, but she nodded faintly.
"I... I think so," she said, her voice still weak.
I helped her to her feet, keeping an arm around her waist to steady her.
Her wedding dress, once immaculate, was now streaked with dirt and torn at the hem, but it still clung to her like a beacon of what we had almost lost. The sight of her in it, fragile but alive, filled me with a surge of determination.
"We need to get out of here," I said, glancing around the room. The air was heavy with the scent of blood and burnt magic, the walls bearing the scars of our fight. This place reeked of Nathaniel, of his experiments and his cruelty. I didn't want her here a second longer than necessary.
"Can you teleport us?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Yes, but first... I need to make sure nothing else remains of his work." My gaze swept the room, lingering on the vials and notes scattered across the tables.
Nathaniel had been meticulous, his experiments cruelly precise. Whatever he had been trying to achieve, I couldn't allow it to continue.
I guided Aeliana to a nearby chair, one of the few pieces of furniture still intact, and helped her sit. "Stay here," I told her, brushing a hand against her cheek. "I'll be quick."
She nodded, her fingers clutching at the chair's armrest as though it were the only thing anchoring her. I turned away, my flames sparking to life once more.
One by one, I incinerated the remnants of Nathaniel's experiments the vials of glowing substances, the papers filled with dark incantations and twisted diagrams.
Each burst of fire felt like a cleansing, a way to erase his influence from the world.
When I was certain nothing remained, I returned to Aeliana's side. Her gaze met mine, and for a moment, the weight of everything we had endured seemed to lift. She was alive. That was all that mattered.
"Let's go home," I said, my voice soft but resolute.
She nodded, her fingers reaching for mine. I took her hand, holding it tightly as I summoned the magic for our teleportation.
The room around us blurred, the oppressive weight of Nathaniel's lair dissolving into nothingness.
We were going to leave this nightmare behind. Together.
The garden of the castle materialised around us, its familiar scents and sights striking a sharp contrast to the horrors we'd just left behind.
The sun had begun its descent, casting golden hues across the manicured hedges and blooming flowers. It should have been serene, a place of calm and solace, but I could barely take it in.
My knees buckled the moment we landed, and the weight of Aeliana in my arms nearly brought me crashing to the ground.
I caught myself, trembling with exhaustion, my breaths shallow and ragged. Every fibre of my being screamed for rest. I had poured too much of myself into the fight, into the teleportation—more than I should have.
My magic reserves were dangerously depleted, and the pain in my chest felt like a vice tightening with every heartbeat.
But I couldn't collapse. Not yet.
Aeliana stirred weakly, her weight shifting as I held her. "We're home," I whispered, my voice hoarse and barely audible even to myself. "You're safe now."
Her only response was a soft murmur, her head lolling against my shoulder. She was still so pale, her wedding dress streaked with blood and grime, her strength sapped from her ordeal. Seeing her like this broke something in me.
She had always been the embodiment of grace and resilience, yet now she seemed so fragile.
I forced myself to straighten, gritting my teeth against the wave of dizziness that threatened to pull me under.
My garden, our sanctuary, was so close to the castle. If I could just get her inside… if I could just hold out a little longer.
"Aeliana," I said softly, shifting her weight as gently as I could. "We need to move."
I took one shaky step forward, then another, the world tilting slightly with each movement.
The gravel crunched beneath my boots, the sound unnaturally loud in the stillness.
Sweat dripped down my brow, and my vision blurred at the edges, but I pressed on. Every step felt like an insurmountable challenge, yet the thought of stopping never crossed my mind.
The castle loomed ahead, its familiar silhouette a beacon of hope. I focused on it, willing myself to keep going. The air was heavy with the fragrance of roses, their scent mingling with the faint tang of blood clinging to Aeliana's dress.
My legs trembled beneath me, and I stumbled, catching myself against a low stone wall. The sharp edge dug into my palm, but I barely noticed the pain.
I couldn't fall. Not here.
The sound of hurried footsteps reached my ears, and I barely had the strength to lift my head. Two figures emerged from the archway leading to the garden, their faces sharp with worry.
Seraphine, her crimson hair flowing behind her like a banner, moved with a grace that belied her urgency. Riley was just behind her, her green eyes wide with alarm as she took in the scene before her.
"Ciara!" Seraphine called, her voice a mix of relief and panic as she closed the distance between us. "What happened?"
I tried to answer, but the words caught in my throat. My knees buckled again, and this time, I couldn't stop myself from sinking to the ground.
Aeliana slipped from my arms, but before she could fall, Riley was there, catching her with surprising gentleness.
"She's alive," I managed to croak, my voice barely a whisper. "She's... safe."
Seraphine knelt beside me, her hands warm and steady as she grasped my shoulders. "Ciara, you're burning out," she said, her voice tinged with a rare softness. "You've pushed yourself too far."
"I couldn't… let him win," I said, my vision swimming as the edges of the world began to darken. "She needed me."
"And you saved her," Riley said firmly, cradling Aeliana as though she were made of glass. "But now you need to rest."
I wanted to protest, to insist I could still fight if I had to, but the weight of exhaustion was too much.
My body slumped against Seraphine, my head resting against her shoulder. The last thing I saw before everything faded was Aeliana, safe in Riley's arms, and for the first time in what felt like forever, a fragile sense of peace settled over me.