Chapter 5 - The Healing Fire
The mechanical drone hovered like a deadly insect, its rotors whipping the dry leaves into a violent frenzy.
A harsh, metallic voice crackled through the drone’s built-in speaker system.
It was her father.
You truly thought you could steal my property and hide in the dirt.
The boy did not look up at the drone, keeping his glowing hands pressed firmly against Elara’s chest.
His eyes were closed in deep concentration, sweat pouring down his dirty face as he forced his energy into her failing heart.
The agonizing pain in Elara’s veins slowly shifted into a strange, buzzing warmth.
I have authorized the security team to shoot the boy on sight.
Her father's voice dripped with absolute, terrifying calm.
And since you love the wild so much, Elara, I have decided to burn this pathetic forest to the absolute ground.
A secondary, lower buzzing sound echoed from the distance, multiplying rapidly.
Dozens of smaller drones flew over the treetops, dropping small incendiary charges into the dry underbrush.
Within seconds, a massive ring of raging fire erupted around the clearing, trapping them inside a deadly inferno.
The boy finally opened his eyes, the green irises glowing brighter than the encroaching flames.
He pulled his hands away from her chest, breathing heavily as if he had just run a marathon.
Try to move your legs.
Elara stared at him, the roaring sound of the fire deafening her ears.
She focused every ounce of her willpower on her right foot.
For the first time in ten agonizing years, her knee bent upward on command.
She gasped in shock, digging her bare heels into the soft, mossy earth.
She pushed herself up, her muscles screaming in protest, but they miraculously held her weight.
She was standing.
The boy grabbed her hand, completely ignoring the military drone still tracking their every movement.
We have exactly one minute before that fire consumes all the oxygen in this clearing.
Ghost whinnied nervously, stomping his hooves against the rapidly heating ground.
The boy guided Elara toward the horse, but he did not help her mount.
Ghost will carry you straight through the weakest part of the flame wall.
Elara grabbed the boy's arm, her heart pounding with raw terror.
What about you.
The boy offered her a sad, beautiful smile as he turned to face the hovering drone.
I have a message to deliver to your father.
May you like
The boy raised his hand, and a massive shockwave of displaced air shattered the drone into a thousand burning pieces.
Before Elara could celebrate, a flaming oak branch the size of a car snapped from above, crashing down directly onto the boy.
