The house was still standing.
Kaelen didn't trust it.
He pushed the door open anyway, dragging Elira behind him as they stumbled inside. The wood scraped loudly against the floor, the sound too sharp in the quiet. For a moment, the world outside—the fire, the screaming, the steel—felt distant. Muffled.
Wrong.
His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, each inhale burning his throat. Smoke had followed them in, clinging to the air, thick and bitter. It coated his tongue, made every breath taste like ash.
"Elira—"
She tore free from his grip.
"Finn!" she cried, her voice cracking as she ran deeper into the house. "Finn, where are you?!"
Kaelen stayed where he was for half a second too long, one hand pressed against the wall as if the house itself could steady him. His fingers trembled. He curled them into a fist, forcing them still.
Outside, something collapsed.
The sound was heavy. Splintering. Followed by a scream that cut off too quickly.
Kaelen flinched.
"Elira," he said, louder now. "Stay close!"
No answer.
He pushed himself forward, moving through the narrow space with quick, uneven steps. The house felt smaller than it ever had before. The shadows stretched too far. Every corner felt like it could be hiding something waiting to move.
"I found him!"
Relief hit hard.
Kaelen rushed into the back room.
Finn was curled beneath the table, arms wrapped tight around his knees, his small body shaking uncontrollably. Dirt streaked his face, mixing with tears that hadn't stopped. His eyes lifted slowly, unfocused at first—like he didn't recognize them.
"Elira?" he whispered.
She dropped to her knees and pulled him into her arms. "It's okay," she said quickly, though her voice trembled. "We're here. We're here."
Kaelen crouched beside them, scanning Finn quickly. No blood. No visible wounds. Just fear.
Raw. Deep.
He exhaled slowly.
They were alive.
For now.
"We can't stay," Kaelen said.
Elira looked up at him, her face pale beneath the dirt. "What about Dad?"
The question lingered.
Kaelen swallowed, his throat tight.
"He told us to come home," he said quietly. His voice felt thin, like it didn't belong to him. "So we wait… for a little." He hesitated, just long enough for the truth to settle in. "Then we leave."
Elira stared at him.
She understood.
That made it worse.
A crash sounded outside—closer this time. Wood splintered. Voices followed, rough and sharp, echoing through the street.
Finn flinched, clutching Elira tighter. "They're coming."
Kaelen stood immediately. "We don't go out front."
He moved through the house quickly, grabbing what he could without thinking. A small pack. A piece of bread. A flask. His hands fumbled, clumsy with urgency, nearly dropping everything twice.
Focus.
He forced himself to breathe.
"Elira," he said, turning back to them. "Stay right behind me. Don't stop, no matter what."
She nodded.
The rear door creaked as he eased it open. The sound felt too loud, too sharp in the quiet. He froze, listening.
Nothing.
Only the distant crackle of fire.
"Move," he whispered.
They stepped outside.
The heat wrapped around them immediately.
It pressed against Kaelen's skin, thick and suffocating. Ash drifted through the air, settling into his black hair, clinging to the sweat along his brow. The sky had darkened, smoke spreading wide overhead, swallowing the light.
It didn't feel like morning anymore.
Kaelen led them into the narrow alley behind the house, moving slowly, carefully. Every step felt too loud. Every breath too sharp.
They passed behind one house.
Then another.
The sounds of the town had changed. The screaming was farther now, scattered—but it hadn't stopped. It never fully stopped.
Kaelen rounded the corner—
—and froze.
A body lay in the dirt.
For a moment, he didn't recognize it.
Then he did.
Old Maren.
The baker.
Or what was left of him.
His throat had been cut so deep it didn't look real. Blood pooled beneath his body, thick and dark, seeping into the ground. His eyes were still open, staring at nothing.
Flies had already begun to gather.
Finn made a small, broken sound.
Kaelen moved instantly, grabbing him and pulling him close, one hand clamping tightly over his mouth.
"Don't," he whispered, harsh and low. "Don't make a sound."
Finn nodded weakly, tears spilling over again.
Kaelen's eyes lifted.
Footsteps.
Close.
Too close.
He dragged both of them down behind a broken section of fence, forcing them into the dirt. The wood pressed into his side, sharp and splintered, but he didn't react.
Didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
The footsteps grew louder.
Boots against packed earth.
Voices followed—low, careless.
"…check the rest."
"…nothing left here."
Kaelen pressed himself lower, shielding Finn as best he could. He could feel the boy shaking, small and uncontrollable. Elira's grip tightened on his sleeve, her breathing uneven, too fast.
A pair of boots stepped into view.
Dark leather.
Splattered with blood.
Kaelen's heart slammed against his ribs so hard it hurt.
The soldier paused.
For one second—
Kaelen was sure he'd been seen.
His grip tightened around Finn. His breath caught, sharp and painful in his chest.
The soldier shifted.
Turned.
Walked away.
The footsteps faded slowly, stretching into the distance until they were gone.
Kaelen didn't move.
Not right away.
He stayed there, pressed into the dirt, listening for anything—anything that might mean they weren't alone.
Nothing came.
Only fire.
Only distant screams.
Only silence where there shouldn't have been any.
Finally, he let out a slow breath.
"We keep moving," he whispered.
His voice sounded different now.
Harder.
They pulled themselves up carefully, stepping around the body without looking too closely. Kaelen kept his eyes forward.
If he looked again, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop.
They moved deeper into the alleys, away from the main road, away from the noise. The farther they went, the quieter it became—but it wasn't safer.
It felt empty.
Like the town had already been stripped down to nothing.
A door ahead hung open, broken from its hinges.
Kaelen slowed.
"Elira, stay behind me."
He stepped closer, peering inside.
The room was destroyed. Furniture overturned. Blood smeared across the floor and walls in dark streaks. A woman lay crumpled near the corner, unmoving.
Kaelen stepped back immediately.
"Not here," he said.
They kept moving.
Every step carried them farther from home.
Farther from everything they knew.
Kaelen's chest tightened as the truth began to settle in—not all at once, but slowly, creeping in through the cracks.
This wasn't stopping.
This wasn't something they could wait out.
Brennfall was has fell..
And somewhere behind them—
his father still hadn't come back