Night had already settled as Raine walked the familiar path of the Meadowcove forest. There was no need to rush. He was already late, so his mother was due to give him an earful regardless.

  Raine stuffed his hands in his pockets, mind working over his hectic day. The Sacrament this morning still weighed on his mind, muted only but his triumph over the World Tree, and then the mysterious battle on the plains.

  Ash wood was expensive, a rare luxury. Its price rising exponentially with age. The one Raine took down should fetch quite a hefty price, enough to put plenty of food on the table for six months. A grin spread across his youthful face. What would his parents think of this? He imagined his father’s astonishment, a mix of pride and disbelief welling up in his eyes.

  The thought alone made him skip in place, a child brimming with joy. Maybe it would even be enough to buy one of those magnificent Caribou his father had mentioned.

  As he approached to the outskirts of the town, he could see the lights of the town bruising the sky, painting the darkness in strokes of burnt orange. The trees blocked his view of the buildings, but he could almost feel the heat of the celebrations, the air thickening with the scent of wood and smoke.

  That’s one hell of a party.

  It was tradition to hold a lively festival on the day of Initiation. Feeling the excitement in the air, he quickened his pace, eager to join the festivities. Yet as he neared the clearing a sense of foreboding washed over him and, upon finally breaking through the trees, he became acutely aware of two unsettling truths.

  The first was the jarring sound of bells, tolling in discord which he could just make out from where he stood. Whilst one rang with a sharp, repetitive clang, the other offered a deeper, melodic resonance that flowed like a soothing whisper. Together, they created an unsettling harmony far removed from the familiar chimes of the town.

  The second was the thick wafts of smoke, billowing upward from the towering flames that licked away at the wood and thatch buildings of his home. What he’d thought were the lights and small fires of the festivities decorating the sky, was a raging blaze consuming everything he knew.

  His expression morphed into one of horror. He bolted towards the flames.

  The sight that greeted him was a nightmare. The streets he had ventured just earlier that day, full of trifling matrons, a bard’s terrible songs and the groaning of old drunken farmers amongst the sounds of the crowded, lively markets were now choked with lifeless bodies, others screaming as they were consumed by the hungry flames, piercing the night sky.

  Raine struggled to comprehend the chaos unfolding around him. The putrid odour of charred flesh, mingled with the acrid scent of smouldering wood and metallic tang of blood, threatened to overwhelm him where he stood, rising in a nauseating wave that forced him to choke.

  Another scream shook him from his frozen state, his head snapping in its direction. His body moved on its own. One step, then another and then a third, his mind blank, feet thundering over the ashen stone and dirt towards the Tavern. He sprinted towards it and jumped over the bodies that were strewn around the entrance.

  Raine had never been to this bar. Not because of age, but because the owner wasn’t fond of his family. He’d always been a mean and unpleasant man, who left a bad taste in Raine’s mouth. But in this moment, his personal feelings didn’t matter.

  He burst through the door, the heat of the flames scorching his skin as he barrelled inside, startling the few souls sheltering within. The bartenders’ eyes widened in surprise from his position behind the bar, whilst in the corner sat a girl, her trembling hands obscuring her face as she quaked with fear.

  It was Elysa, the baker’s daughter. She had always been a timid girl, but her warm smile and bright eyes could light up even the darkest of days. Her hair was dark brown, wavy and cropped short, and a heart shaped face, currently sullied by ash and tears.

  “Are you alright!” Raine shouted breathlessly, though the words stuck heavily to his tongue.

  She jumped off her seat and embraced him, sobbing loudly. He held her fast, eyes darting to the other survivors sheltering inside. Just as he was about to address them, the ceiling groaned above them, bowing in the middle as it began to surrender to the pressure of the fire.

  “Everyone, get out! We've got to go! Now!” Raine urged.

  “NO! Anywhere but there!” Elysa cried out, clutching him desperately.

  “If we stay inside, we’ll burn with the building! We’ve got to move!” Raine insisted.

  “No - there's that th-thing outside. We’ll die. We’ll die!” She cried.

  That thing? Raine furrowed his brows in confusion, but he had no time to focus on it as the ceiling began to crack, showering them in wooden debris.

  He snatched her hand and hurried to the back entrance. They stumbled through the door and Elysa fell, knees scrapping against the rough cobblestones.

  “You’ve got to get out of the town. You can’t stay here!” Raine shook her arms, eyes pleading as he tried to pull her back to her shaky feet.

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  A deafening crash sounded behind them as the Tavern finally collapsed in on itself, the sheer force throwing them forward. Raine hit the floor hard, the rough stone gauging his hands and knees. The world spun as his head throbbed with a ringing in his ears.

  He stumbled, frantically searching for Elysa. He found her when her usually soft voice became a piercing scream, slicing through the disarray.

  She knelt a few metres from him; clutching her arm that sat at a grotesque angle, the bones protruding through the skin. Blood dripped from the tips of her fingers to pool on the ground, face contorted in agony, echoing the pain that coursed through her body.

  Raine stared at her, utterly paralysed. Tears welled in his eyes, blurring his vision. His first memories of her flashed unbidden, as though his soul already knew what his mind would never accept. Elysa had been the first to greet him upon his arrival in the village. She was kind and gentle, yet fiercely independent. In many ways, she mirrored his own spirit, and he was suddenly overcome with the desperate need to talk to her more, to spend more time with her when there was none left.

  It’s my fault. I didn’t get to her fast enough.

  Elysa collapsed to the ground, her knees buckling. Raine rushed towards her, his gaze locked on her injured arm. She began to scream, backing away from him in fear, her voice hoarse.

  He reached out slowly, trying to coax her away from the burning tavern behind them, the heat of its flames suffocating. When her screams became nothing more than panicked whimpers, he pulled her to her feet, avoiding her broken arm.

  He half dragged, half carried her towards an empty street, the buildings already consumed by the fire. He avoided looking at the corpses, placing her back against the wall of blackened home. Her screaming had turned into dreaded silence, her vacant stare set over his shoulder.

  “You have to be strong now.” Raine urged, his voice trembling. “I’ll bring help -.” He froze. A dreadful realisation washed over him: his parents. He immediately turned to leave.

  “Don’t leave, please!” Elysa cried, tears and snot running down her muddied face.

  “I’ll be back. I promise!” He tried to assure her. He combed her hair behind her ear, holding her cheek as he would often see his father do to his mother.

  The touch seemed to calm her enough to release her desperate clutch on him, but she gave his shirt a sharp tug as he stepped back.

  “Promise?” She reaffirmed in a whisper.

  Raine could see the fear in her teary eyes, her body shaking. “Yeah. I promise.” He turned and ran, not daring to look back.

  She’ll be safe. The building has already burned down, so fire shouldn’t go there. She’ll be safe.

  Raine repeated to himself almost in prayer.

  The main street ahead was obstructed, forcing him to turn swiftly and retreat, only to find that the path behind him was equally impassable.

  Raine’s panic was only tempered by his determination to make it to his parents. The air was clouded with smoke and the heat was unbearable. Raine coughed violently, his legs threatening to give out beneath him, when he saw it.

  An opening: a pillar had fallen against the side of a house, but beneath there was a narrow gap wedged between two crumbling walls. He dashed toward it. The space was just wide enough for him to squeeze through. Ignoring the flames that licked at his body and singed his clothes, he crawled with desperate fervour. In that moment, he felt no pain; all that consumed his thoughts was the need to reach his family.

  He tumbled back on to the main road, the carnage stealing his breath. Bodies lay sprawled; charred beyond recognition, laced between the buildings that had turned into fiery gaols. He dragged his arm across his eyes, wiping away both sweat and tears, choking down a sob as he hurtled on unsteady feet toward his house, looming in the distance.

  He rushed past the neighbours’ sawmill, rounding the corner, his heart racing as he approached his destination. Yet, instead of the warm familiarity of home, he was met with the ruins his childhood, a mass of blackened wood and sour ash.

  Two lifeless bodies lay sprawled on the ground, their hands entwined. Raine limped through the gate, reaching out wordlessly to the corpses he knew were his parents.

  His heart thundered in his chest, each beat echoing the crushing weight of denial. Tears streamed down his face, gasping uncontrollably, each breath filled with despair. He wanted to scream, to cry out in anguish, but no sound escaped his lips.

  His father’s face was twisted in an expression of pain and anger, his eyes wide. A horrific wound marred his stomach, one far too brutal to be inflicted by a sword.

  Beside Pauel lay his mother, her face pressed to the earth, her once vibrant dress now stained with blood. Finally overwhelmed, he sank to his knees. His head spun and misery clawed at his throat. The world around him blurred and twisted, collapsing as he knelt before his lifeless parents. He let out a mournful wail - a sound of pure, unrestrained grief.

  He squeezed his eyes shut, anger and sorrow making him lash out into the nothingness inside him. At first, he was met by a well of darkness, an abyss that held no thought or pain. He wanted to surrender to its embrace, but his anger drove him further. His anger at his burning town, at Elysa’s broken arm and fearful tears, at his parents who he’d loved so dearly, now decaying at his feet. He dug deeper until he found himself standing in front of an ocean. Fierce waves clashed against one another in a ferocious storm. Heavy rain split the sky, gathering in the howling wind, beneath pitch-black clouds. Raine stood on the precipice, facing the storm, heart filled with rage.

  The storm stilled as though time had stopped. Raine’s gaze drifted downward, his heart stuttering as he swore something beneath the sea, stared back.

  The sound of rustling behind him made him lurch. Raine blinked wildly, finding himself back in the garden of his destroyed home, hands clasped against his knees, knuckles pale in their grip. He could hear footsteps, but his head felt too heavy to lift from his chest.

  “There you are.” A voice spoke. It was as cold and calm as a whisper, but to Raine it sounded guttural and inhuman.

  He made to turn around, when a deep burning pain shot through his body. He gasped, crumpling on the ground. It was excruciating torment, as if his heart had been gripped in an iron vice and set ablaze. His shrill cry was soundless.

  Then a second wave of pain crashed over him. It was unbearable, a burning sensation radiating from his heart that twisted in his chest, leaving him dizzy. His vision blurred; his consciousness began fading.

  “Would it not be safer just to kill him?” Said a second, familiar voice.

  “Why should I spare him the suffering?”

  “Just to be sure.”

  “Do not patronise me, human! I have already made sure.” The first voice shouted. It sounded as crushing and indomitable as a glacier.

  His right hand was tightly locked against his chest, squeezing with all his strength. He grabbed it with such intensity that if his bones weren’t in the way, he’d choke the life out of his heart only to ease the pain.

  He gathered his last bit of strength to flip over to glance at the two individuals. Everything turned hazy as he did. The voices of the two dark silhouettes grew more distant and unclear. Eventually, the only thing he could hear was the loud ringing of the bell.

  His consciousness faded away, and the world disappeared into darkness.

  The fire blazed into the long hours of dawn. Even after the final cry echoed from the town, the rubble still smouldering, the bell rang.