บท 112: You almost died
I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling—a jagged, rocky surface faintly glistening in the dim light. My head throbbed, a dull, insistent pain that made me groan softly. Blinking to clear my vision, I tried to move, but every muscle in my body screamed in protest.
Where am I?
The last thing I remembered was the beach, the masked attackers, and… teleporting Xyra. I must've burned through every drop of magic I had left.
I pushed myself onto my elbows, the world tilting precariously as I did. A sharp wave of dizziness hit me, and I immediately collapsed back onto the ground.
"Great," I muttered, clenching my teeth against the ache radiating through my limbs. "This is just perfect."
I scanned the area, my eyes adjusting to the dimness. It was a cave—cold and silent, with faint blue light bouncing off the icy walls. My breath fogged in front of me, and I realised I was shivering.
"Xyra?" I called, my voice hoarse.
No answer. Panic surged through me, and I tried to stand again, this time managing to get to my knees. The effort left me trembling, and as I finally got to my feet, my legs gave out, sending me crashing back to the ground.
I groaned in frustration, resting my forehead against the cool stone. My body felt like it had been set on fire and then stomped out, leaving nothing but ash.
"You're awake."
I turned my head toward the voice and saw Xyra stepping into view, her expression a mix of anger and relief. She looked unharmed, her usual poise intact, though her hair was slightly dishevelled.
"Don't move," she ordered, her tone sharp. "You look like you're about to keel over."
"Too late for that," I muttered, trying to sit up again.
"Ren, sit down!" she snapped, marching over to me.
Reluctantly, I did as she said, leaning back against the icy wall. The cold bit into my skin, but it felt strangely soothing against the fever burning through me.
"What the heck were you thinking?" Xyra demanded, her voice echoing through the cave. "Teleporting us in the middle of that chaos without even knowing where we'd land? Do you have a death wish?"
I winced, her words cutting through the pounding in my head. "I was thinking about keeping you alive," I said, my voice strained.
"Well, congratulations," she said sarcastically. "You did a fantastic job. Look where we are now—stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no clue where that teleportation stunt dropped us."
I frowned, forcing myself to meet her glare. "Would you rather I left you there to deal with them alone?"
"I would rather you didn't nearly kill yourself in the process!"
The sharpness in her voice caught me off guard. I'd expected anger—she always had plenty of that—but there was something else, something raw, lurking beneath it.
"I did what I had to," I said quietly, leaning my head back against the wall.
"For me?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly. "You nearly burned yourself out for me?"
"Yes," I said simply. "It's my job to protect you."
"Your job," she repeated bitterly, crossing her arms. "So you're willing to die for it?"
"If that's what it takes."
She let out a frustrated huff, pacing in front of me. "You're impossible, Ren. Absolutely impossible."
I stayed silent, too tired to argue further. The truth was, I'd do it all over again if it meant keeping her safe.
After a moment, she stopped pacing and turned to me, her gaze piercing. "Can you teleport us back?"
I hesitated, closing my eyes to feel for the remnants of my magic. The void was unsettling—I'd drained myself almost entirely, and the usual hum of energy beneath my skin was faint, barely there.
"No," I admitted, opening my eyes. "I don't have enough magic left for that."
She groaned, pressing her palms to her temples. "Fantastic. Just fantastic."
I tried to focus, reaching out mentally to my clones, but there was nothing. No connection. They were all gone, their flames extinguished. The realisation made my chest tighten. Not only were we stranded, but I had no idea what was happening back at the estate.
"Where even are we?" I asked, my voice rough.
"I don't know," Xyra said, her tone clipped. "But it's cold, so I did what I could to cool this place down further."
I blinked at her, confused. "You made it colder?"
"Yes," she snapped, glaring at me. "You were so hot I couldn't even touch you. Do you know how close you came to overheating? If I hadn't frozen this cave, I don't know what would've happened to you."
That explained the icy walls and the chill that seemed to seep into my bones. I glanced around again, noticing the thin layer of frost covering the ground and the faint sheen of ice on the walls.
"Thank you," I said softly, though the words felt awkward on my tongue. Gratitude wasn't something I was used to expressing.
She blinked at me, caught off guard by the sincerity in my tone. "Don't thank me," she muttered, looking away. "Just… don't do something that reckless again."
I nodded, even though I wasn't sure I could promise that. Protecting her was my duty—reckless or not.
Silence settled between us, broken only by the faint dripping of water somewhere deeper in the cave. My fevered body was beginning to feel the chill, and I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them to conserve warmth.
Then it hit me.
I glanced down at myself, and a wave of embarrassment surged through me.
"Xyra," I said, my voice tight.
"What now?" she asked, exasperated.
"We're still in our swimsuits."
Her eyes widened as she looked at me, then down at herself. A deep blush crept across her cheeks, quickly replaced by a scowl.
"Well," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm, "that's just the cherry on top of this disaster, isn't it?"
I groaned, covering my face with my hands. "Perfect. Just perfect."
She let out a dry laugh, and for the first time since we'd landed here, I felt a flicker of levity.
"We're a mess," she said, shaking her head.
I couldn't argue with that.
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