THE VOICE THAT PULLED ME BACK ARIA POV

Aira, wake up.

The words drifted through the darkness, soft and cracked, worn thin from repeating for too long.

Aira, wake up.

Pain hit first from a deep throb pulsed behind my eyes.

My ribs burned with every shallow breath. My calf was torn open and crusted stiff with frozen blood.

Snow had glued half my face down. My hair was frozen in clumps against my cheek.

The only warmth left was the silver pendant pressed between my chest and the icy ground.

Aira, wake up.

I knew that voice.

My eyelids were sealed with frost and exhaustion. I forced them open slowly.

Gray dawn sliced through the haze. Snowdrifts, jagged rocks, and pine branches bowed under heavy frost.

The world blurred at first, then sharpened into painful focus.

Mira knelt over me.

Her braid was half unraveled. Black strands were matted thickly with blood and pine sap.

A fresh gash sliced across her left cheekbone and still wept slow red. Her cloak hung in shreds.

One sleeve was gone entirely. Her left hand clamped hard against her side.

Dark blood soaked through the torn fabric in a widening stain.

Her eyes, usually so calm they could quiet any storm, were wide and bright with raw fear.

“Aira,” she whispered. Her voice broke on my name. “Wake up. Please, little wolf.”

My throat felt scorched, full of smoke and unshed tears.

“Mira…?”i asked unsure

Her face crumpled with sudden relief.

Her shoulders hitched once before she caught herself.

She reached out and cupped my cheeks with both hands, gentle and careful, like I might break apart.

Her fingers were ice-cold except where blood had warmed them.

“Yes. It’s me.”she said

I stared up at her. My chest hurt worse than my broken ribs.

She was real, breathing,alive and here.

Something inside me shattered completely.

Mira slid an arm behind my back and eased me up slowly until I leaned against her chest.

Her heartbeat pounded strong and fast against my ear, fierce and so fiercely alive.

“You fell hard,” she murmured low. “I found you down here, not moving. I thought…” She swallowed hard. “I thought I’d lost you too.”

That word “Too” broke something in me

Mama and Papa Gone forever I'll never get to see them smile again now will I hear their voices.

A sob ripped out of me, deep, raw, and ugly. I curled into Mira.

My fists knotted tightly in her torn cloak. My face shoved hard against her shoulder.

Hot tears flooded out, unstoppable, soaking everything.

I saw it all again: screams tearing through the night, fire roaring up the walls, Mama’s hands slippery red as she tried to hold herself together, Papa’s last breath rattling while they reached for each other even as they fell.

I cried until I felt scraped hollow and shaking violently.

Mira didn’t shush me. She didn’t tell me to be strong.

She just held me tighter. One hand cradled the back of my head.

The other arm locked around me like she could glue every broken piece in place.

She rocked me gently, the same slow rhythm she used when thunderstorms used to scare me as a child.

“I know,” she whispered into my hair. “God, Aira. I’m so sorry. So sorry.”

We stayed like that until the sobs slowed to ragged hiccups, then quiet, shuddering breaths.

My face felt swollen and raw. Salt coated my lips.

Mira eased back just enough to meet my eyes.

Hers were red too. Tear tracks cut clean lines through the grime on her cheeks.

She wiped my face gently with her thumb, only smearing the mess worse.

“We can’t stay,” she said quietly. “Draven’s scouts would circle back soon and the wind’s carrying our scent we need to move while we still can.”

I nodded and she helped me up. My bad leg buckled instantly.

She caught me and hooked my arm over her strong shoulders.

“Lean on me, we will go Slow as we need.”

I gripped the silver pendant. It was still faintly warm against my skin.

The small wolf rune rested in my palm. Its carved edges dug deep into the flesh.

“Papa said we should go to the rogue camp,” I rasped. “It's on the East ridge above Blackthorn Creek that's our sanctuary.”

Mira looked up. The ridge rose sharp against the pale sky. Faint orange specks glowed in the distance. Campfires burned steady.

“That’s where we’re going.” Her eyes met mine. “You kept the rune. That’s our way in.” she said

I nodded again. Fresh tears pricked, but I blinked them back hard.

Mira took my weight. We started up the ravine side together.

Her solid steps guided us. My limping hops flared with pain with every bad landing.

Every step hurts like hell but I welcomed it. Pain meant I was still breathing.

Because I had promised myself something in the dark.

Because Mira was still here, still fighting for me.

Because somewhere ahead might be rest, even just one night.

And after that…

After that, Kael Draven would pay.

I didn’t say it aloud.

I didn’t have to. Mira felt it. She squeezed my hand once, firm and sure.

“We’ll get there,” she said. “Together.”

I believed her.

Two small shadows moved through the snow toward the ridge.

Behind us the wind carried away the last faint threads of smoke from everything we had lost.