5 hours later
Luis woke up to the feeling of a thick warm blanket draped over him. His mind was still sluggish from the chaos that he experienced.
He moved slightly before noticing the weight of something on his sides. Resting on his shoulder leaned back on the couch were his younger brother and sister, they both nestled against him.
Luis slowly sat up straight raising his head from the back of the couch making sure not to wake up his siblings. Looking around he again realised how big the space was the ceiling and walls stretching endlessly. Looking around he could see that countless figures filled the hall, some of them who he knew were Phoenix clan members in the village, some who he had seen in the villages but didn't know were Phoenix clan members and some who he had never seen before. Luis also felt like the hall had grown bigger than when he last saw it, now it was big enough to fit more people. He could see groups of people all having hushed conversations around the room.
His eyes moved across the room until he spotted the backs of his parents in a bigger group near the benter of the hall. All the people in the group seemed to have intense expressions and even from a distance he could see the tension in their stances. While Luis was still looking around a figure from the group where his parents were turned around and gazed at Luis. With a subtle movement he gestured to Luis's father that Luis was awake.
By the time Luis looked back at the group where his parents were he was surprised to see his father was right in front of him a few steps away. Noah kept walking and crouched in front of Luis until they were eye level.
"What's up, kiddo" his father's voice was quiet but it carried the same warmth Luis knew.
Luis swallowed his throat dry, he wanted to say something but he didn't know what to say and how to say it, the words lingered in his chest.
Noah's gaze softened as he looked at Luis "How are you feeling?"
Luis's hands tightened around the blanket, letting out a slow breath, Taran's lifeless form haunted the edges of his thoughts.
Taran.
"I…" His voice caught, barely a whisper. He clenched his jaw, forcing the words out. "Taran's gone."
Noah's expression didn't change, but something in his eyes did. A flicker of grief, of understanding.
Luis swallowed again, his hands curling into fists against his lap. "I couldn't save him." The words felt bitter on his tongue, an admission that burned like fire. "I tried. I really tried, but" His breath shuddered, his voice breaking. "I wasn't strong enough."
Noah didn't speak immediately. Instead, he sat down beside Luis, his presence solid and unwavering. Noah placed a hand on his son's shoulder, a firm grip. Noah didn't console him saying it was his fault or he did his best. He simply let Luis have his silence, allowed him to sit in the weight of his own grief.
After a long moment, Noah exhaled. "You did everything you could." His voice was quiet, steady.
Luis shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "But it wasn't his fault Taran wasn't a Phoenix clan member but he was just trying to help but because he was friends with me he's gone. I… wasn't strong enough to help him."
"It doesn't matter if you are strong or not there are times where it will never be enough." Noah continued. "Not in war. Not in survival. No matter what we do, there will always be people we can't save." He paused, his voice quieter. "That doesn't make it your fault."
Luis bit the inside of his cheek, the ache in his chest refusing to ease. He wasn't sure he could accept that not yet.
His father sighed, shifting slightly. "When I was younger, I watched people I cared about die, too." His voice was distant, his gaze fixed on the fire across the cavern. "I thought the same thing you did that if I had been stronger, if I had been faster, maybe they would've lived." He glanced back at Luis. "But that kind of thinking will eat you alive."
Luis clenched his fists. "Then what am I supposed to do?"
Noah was quiet for a moment. Then, he reached out, placing his hand over Luis's. "You remember them. You carry them with you. And you keep moving forward."
Luis exhaled slowly, his gaze looking at the floor. His grief wasn't fully gone yet but his father's presence did help make it a little easier for him to bear.
"I don't want to forget him," Luis murmured.
"You won't." Noah's voice was certain. "You carry him with you, in every step you take." He tapped a gentle hand against Luis's chest. "Here."
Luis stared for a long moment before nodding his pain didn't ease yet but the support of his father made so he didn't feel alone anymore.