All Chapters of What Survived The Burn: Chapter 151 - Chapter 158

Loria’s POVThe inside of the tent was warm, dim, and comforting—like a cocoon spun from silver thread and old magic. Simon’s wards kept the mountain air at bay, and the enchantments woven into the fabric muffled the rustle of the forest outside. It felt safe, even though we were camped just beyond the boundary of a territory we’d never stepped foot in before.Simon summoned a low flame in the center ring of the tent and conjured three simple plates onto the floor between us.“Sandwiches it is,” he said, slicing the loaves with a flick of his fingers. Cheese, apples, and something that smelled suspiciously like herbed turkey filled the air with warmth and nostalgia. “Don’t judge me. I added rosemary.”I smiled. “You’re showing off.”Anthony didn’t even look up from his book as he reached for a sandwich. “He always does.”We sat cross-legged in a circle, the glow from Simon’s small flame casting flickers of gold against the tent’s silver seams. Anthony chewed quietly for a moment, stil

Anthony’s POVThis library? This one was different.It smelled like old paper and tree bark, and the way it felt—it was like walking into someone else’s memory. Like the walls were remembering everything people had ever learned here and weren’t done teaching yet.Luna Solene brought us through a low stone archway, her red hair glowing in the torchlight. “There’s a room just above the library,” she told Mama. “You’re welcome to use it while you’re here. It’s private and quiet.”Mama smiled. “Thank you, Luna Solene. We’ll make good use of it.”She nodded once and left, her footsteps already fading into the silence.The library stretched in both directions, shelves curving like ribs around a heart. Tables and chairs filled the middle, and some of the lights hanging above us were shaped like stars. Like real stars. They didn’t flicker—they glowed.Mama dropped her bag on the nearest table and pulled out the enchanted map we found back at the castle. My heart sped up as she unrolled it—smo

Simon’s POVThe bed was too quiet.Which meant she was gone.I blinked into the dimness, hand trailing over the still-warm sheets where Loria had been. She hadn’t slept much lately—not since the summit, maybe not even before that. Ever since we left the castle, her insomnia had returned like an old enemy she refused to acknowledge.I sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.She’s not in danger, I told myself, but I didn’t believe it. Not entirely.Zyan stirred in the back of my mind. She’s not in danger, he echoed, but her emotions are doing that thing again…Which thing?The one that feels like standing in a wildfire holding a cup of water.Yeah. That sounded about right.I pushed off the blankets, grabbed the hoodie she’d clearly tossed aside, and padded barefoot across the stone floor. Her scent still lingered on the collar—lavender and pine and a hint of silver. Comforting. Grounding. But it didn’t stop the tightness in my chest.I followed the thread of her presence throug

Andy’s POVI couldn’t sleep.Everything just felt… too loud. My brain, my body, the air. Amy noticed right away—I didn’t even have to say anything. She just gently asked if I wanted some fresh air, and I nodded.We’d walked through the castle gardens in the dark, the kind of dark that only happens before dawn—deep and soft and filled with stars. I liked it. The quiet. The breeze. It felt like something important was about to happen, even though I didn’t know what.Amy let me be quiet. She always did.And then—A crack in the air.Like the sky hiccupped.A flash of movement on the path behind us—and suddenly, Loria and Simon were just… there.Appearing out of thin air like magic superheroes. Which I guess wasn’t that weird for them, but it still made my eyes go wide.Amy blinked too. “Luna.”Loria looked like she’d been running—wild hair, flushed face, silver still glowing in her eyes.She didn’t say hello.She just looked right at me, her expression kind of freaked out, and then said—