porcelain hearts @porcelainhvarts - Tumblr Blog

That roar from the dragon made her ears hurt but she kept pulling the guy along. "Yeah, we're moving." His weight kept shifting and she had to get a better grip. He was mumbling crazy stuff now about fire instead of shadows running through his veins. Just what they needed. Those creatures were doing more damage. Ahead of them the concrete channel kept going. Daylight was filtering down from what might be a storm drain opening. "Is that actually a way out up there?" Her arms were killing her from hauling this guy around. But they were close to getting out of this underground hell. His skin felt hot now instead of cold and sweaty. He was running a fever that was climbing quick. What that meant for the rest of them… she didn't want to go there. The battle sounds behind them were getting worse. More roaring and crackling like a massive fire. "Thomas, can you see if we can get up there?" The tunnel was sloping up now. Fresh air mixed with smoke hit her nose. Not like the stale air they'd been breathing down here. The worker jerked in her arms all of a sudden. Started babbling about dragons coming to save everyone. "Okay buddy, let's just focus on getting you out of here first."

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; carefully chosen words kill.#𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙠𝙖𝙣𝙜; vera brooks 013 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.

Thomas can't make heads or tails of what this guy is saying about dragons. He doesn't have a second to waste trying to decode it though. "Yeah I can see the opening," he yells back. He shifts his hold on the man's scorching arm. The fever keeps climbing and Thomas won't let himself think about catching whatever disease this is. Concrete rises up ahead of them. Real sunlight pours through what might be a storm drain. Outdoor air finally comes. Ash and particles float in it. His muscles protest from carrying this passed-out weight but liberation is within reach. The worker stiffens up abruptly. He starts convulsing like he's having some medical crisis. "We need to hustle," Thomas yells. More thundering noises roll from their wake. Whatever those black things are, they're still going at it below. The commotion builds and builds. They arrive at the way out. Thomas pushes the worker up ahead of him before pulling himself through. The instant he pops into bright light the heat rockets upward. Like someone jacked up an industrial heater. Ice blanketing every surface begins thawing in massive slabs. Vapour lifts off the asphalt. Thomas glances upward and spots wings. Enormous wings cut out the sunlight. A dragon touches down fifty feet from them. Its scales shine bright orange through the dark haze. Turns out the worker wasn't seeing things.

complete.

This place felt off and she wasn't wrong about it. Still, after what went down in the city, they were pretty much out of choices. Forrest's eyes swept across the empty area in front of them. That dead quiet was getting under his skin. "Yeah, this whole place gives me the creeps too." His fingers drummed on the wheel. "At least we don't have people trying to flatten us with cars anymore." How cold it got was really getting under his skin, which he didn't want to think about too much. After the heat wave earlier, none of this made sense. Usually when things got heavy, he'd start joking around. This time though, that strange humming in the air was making his jaw ache. "Okay, so maybe it's got that creepy film vibe going, but we needed to bail from that mob scene." He stopped the truck completely and studied the quiet landscape around them. Not a single thing was stirring and the engine ticking was the only sound around. Maybe his paranoia was getting the better of him this time. Could be they'd actually discovered somewhere protected to rest up and decide what came next. "This place looks okay." He cracked open his door and climbed out. As soon as he stood up, a giant creature made of shadows formed out of the dark behind them.

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; you stop asking what’s fair when reality sets the rules.#𝙟𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙣 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙣; forrest miller 003 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.

Bad vibes stick to Jordan like glue, and Forrest's fake calm drives her crazy. Watching him step down from the truck makes her feel sick. "Stay in there!" she shouts but he's already moving. Something black and twisty appears behind him and her body takes over. Sharp rocks blast out of the dirt everywhere. Panic does something nuts to the earth that doesn't add up. She's flying blind here completely. Stone pieces break loose and surround the wailing creature. New dark shapes rush in, and she blasts concrete chunks at them while voltage runs through her arms. Colossal wings swallow up all the daylight. Giant winged beasts plummet from overhead, and she thinks wonderful, because ground fighting wasn't tough enough. One slams down nearby and their eye contact screams mutual respect. Her soil abilities join forces with dragon flames. They massacre shadow beast after shadow beast until silence returns. Once the last beast fades into nothing, dead silence surrounds her. The dragon dips its head once then rockets skyward. She sees the driver's door hanging loose and Forrest has vanished completely. No shoe prints, no scuffle evidence, not a single clue anywhere. Only blank space where he was supposed to exist. "Forrest!" she yells, whirling around like crazy. "Where'd you disappear to, damn it?"

complete.

Blood wouldn't stop leaking between his fingers and everything looked blurry now. She kept telling him what to do but he was too messed up to fight her on it. "Fine, fine, I'll sit down." He collapsed on some broken concrete by the pharmacy door. Glass pieces dug into him when he landed and he made a face while she went for the medical stuff. "You can take off if you want ... those freaks might show up again." But yeah, she wasn't going anywhere. When she set her mind on something, forget about it. "The cold is crawling up my arm now. Feels like freezer burn mixed with poison." He watched what she was doing with the bandages. Didn't want to imagine more shadow monsters showing up right now. "Appreciate you not taking off when I went full dragon mode. Anyone else would've been gone." That antiseptic burned like fire when it hit his cuts but he kept the swear words to himself. "We should grab some pain meds while we're here. Maybe some food too since we don't know when we'll find another place that's open."

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; brilliant minds break bad too.#𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙞𝙧𝙖; cian qiong 009 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.

Looking awful doesn't stop him from pretending everything's fine. No matter what she wraps around his shoulder, blood keeps coming through. "Stop acting like an idiot," she says as she presses the gauze tighter against the bad cut. What he said about freezer burn makes her stomach twist since normal wounds don't do that. Whatever those dark creatures did to him was bad and she doesn't understand what. "I'm staying here so stop bugging me about it." She reaches for extra antiseptic on the shelf nearby. The whole dragon change should scare her way more but really she's just happy he's alive. "You really think I'd run off after you became some huge dragon to rescue me?" This pharmacy seems way safer than staying out there where those monsters are hunting. She gets done bandaging his shoulder and helps him scoot away from all the shattered glass. "We're camping here tonight since you can't make it down the street without dripping blood all over." She sits down beside him against the far wall where she can feel how warm he is. The sirens out there sound far away now but those creatures are definitely still around somewhere. "Don't you dare frighten me with wounds like that again," she whispers as she puts her head on his uninjured shoulder. "I do not know what would happen to me without you."

complete.

Nothing could have prepared her for watching Dane shift into something else entirely. "Great ... just perfect timing," she muttered. His skin was changing colors while that shadow creature broke apart like it was doing some sick magic show. She watched his body grow bigger and had zero idea whether this meant they'd live or die since Dane looked just as confused as she felt. Ice kept forming everywhere and her hands were losing feeling, but she couldn't look away from whatever he was turning into. She could hear his body changing and it sounded awful but this new thing he was becoming might actually work on these shadow creatures since his fire powers had been worthless. "Obviously you're turning into something else," she shouted. Her grip on the cabinet got stronger. The shadows were spinning around them faster and she was still hiding behind this stupid cabinet while Dane experienced some kind of freaky change. "I didn't know you could do this either but are you going to be able to fight or should we just wait here to die while you figure out what you are now?"

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; happiness looks different when you've never had it.#𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙; kaia quillon 002 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.

The transformation makes his bones feel like they're breaking apart and reforming. Strange power courses under his skin like liquid flame. She's mad about the timing of all this. He can't make his body behave normally. His muscles push past their regular limits. Ice starts covering the walls around them. "I have no clue what's happening either!" he shouts. His claws stretch longer and more dangerous than before. That shadows won't stop moving around them. Sparks fly from his fingertips whenever he shifts position. His wings expand to twice their normal width. His scales become deep colours that don't shine at all. Ice builds up on everything within reach. Fire-like warmth flows outward from his chest. The thing rushes at them again. His claws strike it and electrical energy courses through its body. For the first time, it retreats. Debris rains down as the roof bursts open. Three giant dragons break through and hit the ground hard. They surround them with wings stretched out completely. He immediately takes a combat stance. One dragon communicates directly with his brain. "Fighting isn't why we're here. You need to protect your mate immediately." They must mean her when they say that. He can't figure out why they're calling Kaia by that term. What is a mate? He takes her hand and tugs her toward the way out. "We need to leave now."

complete.

He tried to make her feel better but her mind wouldn't stop racing. Yeah they made it out alive but so what when they could turn into dragons out of nowhere? Her entire life had been normal and now she was expected to deal with growing wings and shooting ice when things got scary. "I get that we're fine, but that doesn't tell me what just went down." She couldn't make herself move her hand away from him. What he said about their bodies responding to threats made some weird sense but how was she supposed to deal with the fact that this power had been inside her forever? Did her mom and dad know about this? Had they hidden it from her or were they just as lost as she was right now? "You think we're the only ones who can do this?" She blurted it out without thinking. No way they were the only two people on earth who could turn into dragons. That would be completely nuts. "We better leave before this whole structure gives out. The rest we can handle after we're clear because I have zero idea what our next step should be." She secured the covering around her frame and studied the staircase.

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; unspoken rules written in bruised knuckles.#𝙠𝙮𝙧𝙤 𝙟𝙚𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙨; izel solis 006 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.

She wants to know if it's just them. He doesn't have any answers either. The dragon thing hit him completely out of left field. Maybe other people are wandering around with no idea what's happening to them. "There's got to be more of us out there. Two people randomly becoming dragons? That's not a coincidence." He guides her towards the staircase. Concrete chunks litter the floor and he steps around them carefully. The ceiling groans and complains overhead. Debris continues falling in small showers. They really need to escape before the whole structure gives way. His entire body still trembles from what just went down. The fight against those shadow beings felt completely right in the moment. Reflecting on it now makes his thoughts swirl wildly. "We can plan our next steps once we're out of danger. My only focus is getting you clear of all this crumbling concrete." The base of the stairs appears before them. He tilts his head upward to check the main floor. The environment shifts without warning. Heat replaces the previous chill. He peers through the enormous opening they blasted through the ceiling. Shapes dance across the sky above. Gigantic winged creatures soar past the nearby structures. Orange scales catch the light as they slice through dark entities using talons and blazing fire. Events just took a compelling turn. They might truly have a fighting chance.

complete.

Tough. Sahana wanted to snort at that. She'd thrown some creature across their place then nearly lost it in a closet, but Sterling thought she was handling this well. She wasn't about to correct him when he seemed impressed instead of terrified. She'd take any compliment right now since she honestly felt like she'd gone crazy. Their baby moved and she put her hand on her belly without thinking. What kind of world was their kid walking into if monsters were real and mom could mess with weather? The whole thing made her head spin. She watched her husband move toward the equipment and forced herself to follow him. Making jokes seemed like a good idea. Too bad she sounded like garbage when she tried. "More like a mom who throws things around with her brain." She tried to sound light but failed completely. His escape route was narrow and black as pitch, great for staying hidden. That tugging in her chest wouldn't quit though, like the wind expected her to do something with it. She might accidentally collapse the building on them. Or worse, she might hurt Sterling and the baby if she couldn't get a handle on this. She swallowed hard and pointed toward the exit. "You go first before I accidentally wreck this whole place."

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; silence speaks deadliest truths.#𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨; sahana rai 014 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.

The fear in her voice is dead obvious when she cracks that weak joke about chucking stuff with her mind. His missus just found out she can boss the wind about. She's fretting more about accidentally hurting him and the little one than those bloody shadow things chasing after them. Just like Sahana, innit. Worrying about other folk when everything's gone barmy. "Listen, you're not going to break anything," he says while heading for the tight corridor she showed him. The getaway path seems safe enough. It's properly dark and tucked away from those things creeping about outside. He goes into the shadows first since she wanted him to. Plus every bit of him is yelling to keep her safe right now. The tunnel curves further into the building. He knows she's right behind him. She's breathing rough but managing to keep the pace. Eventually they locate a little storage space completely cut off from the rest. Weathered boxes line the walls in stacks. Dirt blankets most things though it's secure and silent. Sterling brings her closer and slides his arm across her shoulders. His missus gained otherworldly skills at this point. Their child is forming within someone who commands moving air. The shadowy creatures remain out there pursuing innocent people. Bugger me, what an absolute shambles everything's become.

complete.

jade was thankful that she had someone to talk this out with. after all, it felt good to admit that she finally felt something for someone else, especially since it'd been so long since it'd happened. she inhaled a deep breath, thinking about the words being tossed in her direction. "you know what," she breathed out, "you're right. i'll just rip the band aid off and we'll see what he says. i just, you know, hope it works out in my favor..."

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; brilliant minds break bad too.#𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙞𝙧𝙖; jade na 001 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.

After all this time, Jade decides she's done second-guessing herself with Tristan. Mariana can't help but beam as she watches her friend finally get brave. Daniel's death really messed Jade up for a while there. "Seriously, just go for it already and quit driving yourself nuts with the maybe this, maybe that," she says. Mariana grabs another forkful of her dinner. The cheese stretches perfectly and the breadcrumbs crunch between her teeth. "I forgot how much I missed hanging out like this. Let's not wait so long next time, okay?" She tries to catch their server's attention near the kitchen. Work calls first thing in the morning for them both. But tonight was worth staying up a little later.

complete.

to be so open with violeta, with a friend, felt almost as though a weight was being lifted off of her shoulders and that was mostly because she knew that the woman was going to help take this guy down. she'd spent so much of her life avoiding things involved with devil's junction that she wished she would have let more people in. not everyone was out to get her. millie fidgeted with a couple of rings on her things and she nodded. "i trust you." she promised, letting out a breath after a moment. "what are you going to do once you track this guy down?"

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; tell me your troubles.#𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙖 𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙜𝙤; millie zhao 001 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.#/ you can end this mate

Millie's complete trust shakes her more than she thought it would. People don't usually give without expecting something back. This situation feels authentic in a way that surprises her. The poor woman has handled this scary stuff without help for way too long. "Right, so we need to chart out all his creepy stalking locations first." Write it all down." She snatches her coat off the back of the seat. Her brain starts spinning through her phone list. There are certain individuals who owe her big time. These are folks who deal with ugly circumstances and keep their mouths shut. Millie's terrified tone from before keeps replaying in her ears. This sicko chose the wrong target to harass. "After we nail down his routine and gather concrete proof of his behavior, he's gonna meet some very particular buddies of mine."

hannah didn't talk about her powers, not when they'd gotten her into trouble back home. it was the whole reason she was in devil's junction - she was trying to lay low but there was no way that hannah was going to let anything happen to someone who meant so much to her. "okay, so let's get out of here." she replied and intertwined their fingers as she moved along with him to find some sort of shelter. sitting out in the open certainly wasn't going to help either of them. once they were inside the vacant building, her eyes fell on his face. she was trying to figure out what was going through his head. "you're not mad at me, are you? i know i should've told you..." and he should have told her too. still, she wanted to make sure that he wasn't upset she hid it from him.

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; true wealth is seen in kindness.#𝙧𝙮𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙣-𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙜; hannah pearson 003 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.

Of all the questions to ask right now, she wants to know if he's upset with her. "Not upset," Min-sung responds as he tries to wrap his head around what they just lived through. The image of water bursting from his hands keeps playing over and over in his thoughts. Never once did he suspect he could pull off anything like what just happened. Not the slightest hint that this kind of thing was actually real. "Hannah, I was completely in the dark about my own capabilities." Right now they're pushing further into the building's interior. He can't help but keep glancing at their interlocked fingers. She's been covering up her electrical talents all along while he remained entirely blind to his own potential. None of this seems real anymore. "Like, water literally flowed from my fingertips. People don't usually do that. Let's find a spot where we can lay low. Those monsters are definitely still coming after us."

his lungs were on fire. christian couldn't remember the last time he had ran like this. it wasn't like it never happened but it definitely wasn't enough to be used to it. he nodded, "of course." he breathed out, leaning against the wall as he rested for a moment. his eyes were focused on the woman, afraid that if he looked away for a moment that something bad would happen and that was the last thing that he wanted. "i hear one of the announcers come across the radio." he replied and pushed his fingers through his dark hair. he allowed her to pull him closer and as she kissed him, his shoulders relaxed for the first time in what felt like ages. he kissed her back and held her close to him, "you're right. let's just figure out what we're going to do next. hiding here is best until we plan our next move."

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; true wealth is seen in kindness.#𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙖 𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙜𝙤; christian scott 007 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.

Hearing him talk about the radio makes her gut twist up. Those announcements never mean anything good. They only do citywide broadcasts when everything's going to hell. That kiss helped but reality hits her again fast. "Yeah, picked up some of it when we were hauling ass." She backs up and checks out his face. He's completely drained. They definitely can't hole up here indefinitely. Those monsters are still roaming around looking for fresh meat. She's thinking hard about what to do next while trying to catch her breath. The place feels secure at the moment but who knows for how long. "Let's find a backup exit or something." She walks over to what might be stairs going up. "Being trapped with just one exit makes us easy targets." The cement around them seems tough but today taught her not to trust appearances. "C'mon, let's head upstairs. Maybe we can see what's going on from up there."

things seemed to be getting weirder and weirder, and he had no idea what he was supposed to think in this moment. ulysses looked at the woman, relating to her thoughts of confusion. "no, i mean," he cleared his throat, "no, it's not just you. i can hear your thoughts too..." and this had never happened to him before. he paused to listen to the news coming over the radio for a moment before he officially shifted his attention back to alev. "and...this has never happened to you before?"

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; some inheritances come with keys.#𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙫 𝙠𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙯; ulysses addo 003 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.

No way she can ignore what's happening here. Even though pretending everything's fine sounds way more appealing right now. Alev's thoughts spin as she connects the dots. She pushes back against the rising anxiety. While avoiding eye contact, she searches beneath a damaged shelf. Looking for anything useful to secure the entrance. Movement keeps her grounded when sitting around would drive her crazy. Since this strange situation affects them both, they might give each other heads up when danger shows up. This definitely wasn't part of her morning plans. Not even close to what she expected today would bring. Her pulse pounds, begging her to bolt. But her legs won't cooperate with the escape instinct. "Wait, you can actually hear me? That's pretty handy, I guess. Weird as hell, but handy since speaking out loud might get us spotted if those creatures track by sound," she whispers. Her voice sounds tight and strained. "I figure we've got better odds working as a team. Give me a hand with this thing. Maybe there's another exit back there, or at least some kind of weapon we can use."

a laugh managed to fall from her lips, "and you know what? that's a valid complaint. pineapple doesn't belong in the same place as marinara sauce or cheese." dilara stated. she was glad that the mood managed to lighten up a bit because she was getting a headache from the seriousness of things. she walked up to the counter with her sister, her face twisting into a glare at the karen that took up space. though, as her sister spoke, she nodded. "alright. you know what i want, right?"

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; some inheritances come with keys.#𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙫 𝙠𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙯; dilara kiraz 001 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.

Seriously, they can't even grab a quick slice without drama. What has her world become? The woman screaming at the cashier makes Alev want to just walk away. Instead she breathes in deep and keeps her expression neutral. "Stromboli. Got it. Don't panic, Dilara. I'm avoiding all pineapple-related choices today." She teased on purpose. Sounding relaxed is better than revealing she's actually invested in this. Their food request goes through quickly. Hopefully without any more scenes. "They've got roasted eggplant as well. That's totally happening. Snag us a spot before someone beats us to it."

hannah enjoyed getting out whenever she could, so the fact that the other was up for a walk was a plus in her book. smiling as she spoke, she nodded in response. "let's do it. i love a nice walk." she responded and tucked her book into her bag before throwing it over her shoulder. "lead the way." as the two of them headed down the sidewalk, she glanced over at her. "so, how important was that meeting on a scale of one to ten?"

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; you stop asking what’s fair when reality sets the rules.#𝙟𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙣 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙣; diego otegui 001 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.

It's great to see, because most people wouldn't be so enthusiastic about walking, when Hannah gets going. Jordan fiddles with her bag strap, then heads down the main street, "Honestly, probably a nine, big presentation, lots of pressure on it", it's basically the highlight of her week. The bubble tea place is just six blocks away, and she picks up her pace to get there, still basking in the glow of how well everything went in the office. She turns to Hannah and says, "Your cardigan really did turn out to be lucky, I felt loads more confident walking in there". Coming across a small crowd gathering something in front of them.

She pulled the rough fabric around herself after taking it from him. This situation felt like a fever dream. Fighting shadow monsters as an ice dragon wasn't exactly on her Tuesday night plans. "I'm good," she managed to say, her voice coming out more steady than expected. She couldn't stop shivering. Fear and leftover adrenaline made standing still impossible. She moved closer until she could feel warmth coming off him. Before she could second-guess herself, she kissed him, her fingers gripping the sheet at his waist. She pulled away, breathing hard. "I was afraid you'd get hurt. Those things could've killed you and I had no clue what I was until just now." Her throat closed up as feelings she normally buried tried to surface. Her whole life she'd been the strong one, never letting anyone see her crack. Now she was telling him how scared she'd been. The basement was trashed, chunks of concrete and debris scattered around, but all that mattered was that he was okay. "We have to figure this out. Why are we both dragons and why did those things come after us?"

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; unspoken rules written in bruised knuckles.#𝙠𝙮𝙧𝙤 𝙟𝙚𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙨; izel solis 006 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.

When she kisses him, heat floods his chest. His thoughts scatter completely. Everything feels different now that she's pressed against him. Warm and solid after all the chaos they just survived. He notices her hands clutching the sheet. Part of him wants to draw her nearer. But then her words about fear sink in. The realisation hits him; she was afraid something would happen to him. A strange feeling churns in his stomach. "Hey, I'm alright. We're both alright." His voice comes out gruffer than he intended. She's actually telling him how scared she was. This is the first time he's ever seen her walls come down. He wants to keep her safe from the entire universe. Especially from whatever nightmare they just survived. "I was totally in the dark about the dragon stuff. Had no warning at all." His fingers find her face. His thumb moves gently over her cheek. The basement is completely trashed. But he can only focus on her. "Those things might have caused us to shift. Our bodies probably knew we needed to fight and just improvised." The theory seems wild. Tonight has been full of impossible moments though. "Nothing like that has ever happened to me. The heat, the scales, the whole thing. But seeing you change as well…" He goes quiet. There aren't words for what that felt like. They functioned like two halves of the same weapon out there. It felt like they were meant to battle side by side. "We should figure out where this leaves us."

She held onto the railing while they ran down two steps at once. That moment kept playing in her head where she'd launched that monster across their home with nothing but wind. How do you even process something like that? Her thighs ached but she kept going. Stopping would get them killed and she refused to let that happen. Their kid needed them both breathing. "Old storage place is two blocks that way," she yelled as they reached the bottom. Their footsteps rang against the metal stairs. That weird tugging feeling stayed in her chest like the wind was asking for orders. They ran across the deserted street while she avoided looking at the huge dark shapes hiding between buildings. The side door opened easily and they ducked inside where the darkness felt better than being out in the open. Her hands searched until they found the wall and she slumped against it to get air back in her lungs. "Tell me I'm not going crazy here. Back there I made the wind do what I wanted. Like really controlled it. That's not normal, babe. None of this makes any sense."

#𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙨; silence speaks deadliest truths.#𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨; sahana rai 014 #𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙪𝙚.

Right, she's not losing it at all. Sterling watches her catch her breath against that wall. His brain keeps going back to the madness in their flat. There's his pregnant missus launching some huge dark monster across the room with wind that bent to her will. How she defended them without missing a beat. Natural as breathing. Their little one's got quite the fierce mum coming, hasn't it? "You're not crazy, love," he tells her whilst checking this dim storage room for escape routes. Defending her family came as easy as breathing. Maternal instincts in overdrive. Their baby's getting one fierce protector for a mum, innit? "Your brain's working fine, love," he mentions whilst searching this gloomy storage area for additional exits. "Proper tough cookie, you are. Notice how you booted that creature into next week?" His proud voice shocks him a bit. She's frightened and baffled but fought like hell to protect them anyway. That dragging feeling she mentioned, wind responding to whatever she's experiencing inside. It's as if she's wired straight into natural forces. Complete madness but undoubtedly genuine. "Right, I'm completely clueless about this whole business, but that ability of yours just rescued us," Sterling adds whilst getting closer to examine possible exit strategies. "That little one's struck gold having such a protective mum in their corner." He catches sight of an escape route masked by obsolete apparatus. "Time to leg it, love. Those things might pick up our scent."

Her stomach dropped when the worker hit the ground. Those shadows were still doing damage, and watching him get worse so quickly made her realize they could all be next. "Yeah, I've got him." Every part of her wanted to run but she grabbed his arm anyway. His flesh felt sick and damp, like touching death itself. Hearing about shadows moving inside him made her want to puke but she kept helping Thomas anyway. "We need to find somewhere safe to put him down." Safe seemed pretty stupid to say right now though. The tunnel went on forever into black nothing and she had zero clue where they were headed or what was waiting for them. "Hey, can you hear me?" His blown-out eyes stared past her like she was invisible. Each breath sounded worse than the last and his body got heavier as the sickness took over. "Thomas, he's not gonna last much longer." This tunnel never seemed to end and every step forward felt like they were heading deeper into hell.