Fire Shrouding Cracked Tear Novels & Stories

*Moonlight Pack — Collapsing North Wall, Nightfall* The breach roared open Moonlight’s defenses. Wolves fought in chaotic clusters—claws raking, and war cries drowning in the sounds of collapsing timber. Crystal’s barrier of fire flared, holding the line for a while longer. But she could already feel the strain—every second the Flame burned in her palms stole another breath from her lungs. Her chest heaved, smoke stinging her throat. She forced more heat into the gap, sealing off three rogues that clawed for the opening. They fell back, yelping as fire curled around their tails.

Screams erupted into the air as people rushed around, trying to find shelter before it stuck. "No!". I flung my arms wide, divine energy rushing outward, weaving itself into a shield of shimmering gold. The blast slammed against it with such force my knees buckled so hard I fell to support myself with on one knee. Heat scorched the edges of my skin, searing, biting, demanding I fall, but I held on, groaning from the effort it took to not fall apart. The shield cracked, fissures crawling like spiderwebs across its surface, but it held. Just barely. The lightning dissipated, sparks scattering across the dirt in smoldering trails.

Now, only Roger remained, shaking uncontrollably as he sat in a puddle of his own urine. "I never hurt her! I swear I didn't hurt her…" At that moment, Tyler came rushing back with a doctor. The doctor quickly examined me, his face turning grim. "Her mouth is a mess—her gums and tongue are shredded, and her whole face is swollen. Whoever did this went way too far!" Seeing Margaret's expression grow darker, Tyler immediately pointed at Roger. "It was him! During our video call, he shoved a stick into her mouth when he wanted to show her to me!"

Tania placed a cold hand on my chest but that cold was stolen away by a rush of fire that engulfed my body from our point of contact. I clamped my jaw, grating my molars as I sucked in a scream of utter anguish as tendrils of the flames sought out every damaged and broken part of me, stitching it together at an unnatural pace even for me. Just as quickly as the flames latched onto me, they released me. My eyes widened and I gasped when Tania set me free. With a bit of struggle, I pushed to my feet and then stretched my aching bones and muscles. Dea's glasses had snapped in two, a spider-web of cracks running over both lenses, "Can you repair this?"

When she turns her face from the flames, wincing at the heated bite, I drag her a foot away, and make the fire bigger. I’m not sure how long this goes on. The watch on her wrist is busted, the glass shattered and the face within burnt to a crisp. The clouds hanging low above us promise rain, but the wind moves them across the sky before they dump water over the fire, and the sky opens to stars that… that I know. That I remember.

The earth shook beneath us, dust spilling from the broken walls as fire rose higher, brighter, until it felt like the sky itself was burning. I clutched Kieran to my chest, his body arching in my arms, every breath a blaze. Heat burst from him in waves, searing my skin raw. My burns screamed, begging me to let go. But I held tighter. The girl cried out and stumbled back, her small hands thrown over her face. The flames lit her hair and cloak in red. She shielded her eyes, but I could still see the creatures through the fire.

The Golden Chains burned with such intensity they blinded the chamber, exploding outward in a deluge of pure holy fire. The shadows shrieked. Vosvak's form shattered, rent asunder by the radiance. In Brunschière The fissure in the ward had almost opened, its borders clawing into the darkness like a wound on the world. Krishna's legs went out from under her, her hands shaking uncontrollably. The mages who stood about her wept in fatigue, their voices cracking. Ignatius leaned his whole body against the sigils, his teeth clenched. "It's breaking!" one mage screamed.

His burned hand stretched out, trembling with rage and desperation. The fire roared in defiance. It surged upward, a column of blood-red light, blasting the air around him. Sparks struck his skin, blistering his arm. He screamed, stumbling back, his body nearly consumed. The pack recoiled. Some shouted in horror, others in awe. The scent of burnt flesh and blood filled the chamber. But through the chaos, the fire did not relent. It leaned farther, stretching, bending—until its searing glow licked dangerously close to me.