Chapter 5 Ember’s POV:

The night felt endless, the forest pressing in on all sides.

I stumbled after Hail, my breath coming in shallow gasps.

The ridiculous cuff on my wrist throbbed in time with my heartbeat, each pulse a reminder of what I’d lost.

It wasn’t just my fire, it was my strength, my freedom, everything that made me… me.

The ground beneath my boots felt like it was tilting, the trees blurring together into a dark haze. I wanted to stop. I wanted to rip the damn cuff off, scream, burn everything around me to ash, but I couldn’t.

Not yet.

Hail didn’t speak as we moved, his steps quick and purposeful.

His blade was still out, the edge catching the moon's faint light. His shoulders were tense, ready for another attack.

I hated how calm he looked. Like this was all just another job for him, another night spent running from the people who wanted him dead.

But it wasn’t just his fight anymore. Now, they wanted me too.

“Stop,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended.

Hail kept walking, his pace never faltering.

“I said fucking stop!”

He froze mid-step, his shoulders stiffening before he turned to face me. His gray eyes met mine, cold and unreadable, the scar along his jaw catching the faint light.

“What?” he asked, his voice low.

I stepped closer, my fists clenched.

“You knew they were coming. You knew this was going to happen.”

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t deny it.

“Who were they?” I demanded. “And don’t give me that ‘it’s not your concern’ bullshit. They tried to kill me too, remember?”

He sighed, his hand moving to the hilt of his blade like he was resisting the urge to use it.

“They’re mercenaries. Hired by someone who wants me dead. That’s all you need to know.”

“That’s all I need to know?” I laughed bitterly. “Are you fucking serious? You’ve dragged me into your mess, and now they’re after both of us. If I’m going to keep running for my life, I think I deserve a little honesty.”

For a moment, he didn’t say anything. His gaze shifted to the shadows, scanning the trees like he was searching for an escape.

Finally, he said, “They’re not after you, Ember. They want me. You’re just…collateral.”

“Collateral,” I repeated, the word tasting like ash.

He met my glare head-on, his expression hard.

“This isn’t personal.”

I stepped closer, my voice dropping. “It is now.”

I turned away, my pulse pounding in my ears. Anger flared in my chest, hot and suffocating, but the cuff snuffed it out before it could take root.

He was lying.

Or maybe he wasn’t.

Either way, I couldn’t trust him. But the worst part? I couldn’t ignore the flicker of something familiar in his voice. The way he talked about running, fighting, and surviving. Like he wasn’t just doing this for a paycheck. Like he was doing it because he didn’t know how to stop.

The forest felt different now, the shadows darker and heavier.

Even the air seemed charged and thick with tension.

Hail noticed it, too. He tilted his head, his body rigid.

“We need to keep moving,” he said, his voice tight.

“Why?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer.

His eyes darted to the trees, his hand tightening on his blade.

“We’re not alone.”

I felt it before I heard it, a faint tremor beneath my boots, so subtle I thought I’d imagined it.

“Hail,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I know,” he said, his tone grim.

The ground shook again, harder this time, and a sound cut through the silence, a low, guttural growl that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

“What is that?” I whispered, my chest tightening.

Hail’s jaw clenched. “Trouble.”

The growl came again, closer this time, followed by the crash of trees snapping in the distance.

Hail stepped in front of me, his blade gleaming in the moonlight.

“Stay behind me,” he said, his voice steady. Before I could argue, the shadows ahead shifted, and something huge emerged from the darkness. Its eyes glowed like molten gold, and its skin was cracked and blackened, faint lines of fire visible beneath the surface.

It stood on two legs, towering over us, its claws dragging deep grooves into the ground as it moved.

The fire-born weren’t done with us yet.

Hail didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward, his blade cutting through the air with deadly precision.

The creature roared, swinging one massive claw at him, but he dodged, the edge of the attack missing him by inches.

“Move, Ember!” he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

I stumbled back, my pulse pounding in my ears.

My fire surged instinctively, desperate to rise, but the cuff burned against my skin, forcing it back down.

Hail struck again, his blade carving deep into the creature’s side. Embers spilled from the wound, glowing faintly before fading into ash.

The creature roared, its molten eyes locking onto me. I

froze, the weight of the cuff dragging me down as it charged.

“Ember, now!” Hail’s voice was sharp, desperate.

I moved, just as the ground where I’d been standing exploded into flame.

We weren’t going to survive this.

Not unless I found a way to fight back.