Kingdom of Fire and Fate

Chapter 17 - Scorched Room, Scorched Heart

The images on the wall melted away, leaving the three of them with their mouths open and eyes wide. Theo started to turn to Elizabeth as she burst into tears, her eyes squeezing shut and her hand covering her mouth.

Warren gently touched her arm, "Liz..." But Elizabeth just let out another sob before running out of the room. Warren immediately bolted after her but Theo turned to look at Anamnesis, "Thank you for your time." He turned on his heel and bolted after Warren and Elizabeth.

When Theo finally caught back up to her, Elizabeth was back in the carriage. Warren stood outside, watching as Theo came out. He whispered to Theo, "She's really upset, she hasn't stopped crying. I tried to console her and she may or may not have thrown her shoe at me with deadly accuracy. She gave me painful flashbacks of the day we first met her, and I am now starting to regret training her as well as I did."

Despite everything, Theo smiled, "She hit you there again?"

Warren scowled, "Yes, but at least this time it was with a shoe so it didn't hurt as bad as when she did it with her foot. It did seem to make her feel a bit better. But she won't stop crying, let's just get into the carriage and make our way home."

Theo smiled and pulled Warren close, "Aw, don't be mad. Do you want me to kiss it and make it feel better?"

Warren huffed and crossed his arms, "Don't torment me, I am in pain. I have been attacked and abused."

Theo smiled and shook his head, "I'm sorry, once we get back I can get some ice for you and some pain medicine. But for right now, Elizabeth needs us."

Warren nodded and opened the carriage door. They climbed inside, each of them sitting on one side of Elizabeth. She was sobbing into her hands, her body trembling. Warren whispered, "I know, I know, just let it all out."

Theo rubbed her back gently as she cried, the two of them holding her as the carriage rattled along the cobblestone streets back to the Nexus. She continued to cry even as they made their way back, her face buried in Warren's shoulder and one of her hands clung to Theo's.

Once the carriage made its way back, Warren whispered to her, "Lizzy, let's go inside, alright?"

She just sobbed harder into his shoulder, her body continuing to tremble. Warren gently scooped her into his arms, whispering, "Theo, grab the door."

Theo jumped to his feet and threw open the door. Warren gently carried Elizabeth out of the door, taking her inside as Theo opened all of the doors for them both. Warren made his way slowly up the steps to the third floor and down the hall to her room. Theo opened the door, keeping the lights off but moving the blankets out of the way.

By the time they laid her in her bed, she was on the brink of exhaustion. She let out a few shaky sobs before slowly falling into a deep sleep, her body still shaking slightly as she slept. The boys slowly left the room, shutting the door behind them to leave Elizabeth to sleep.

The days and weeks after that all blurred together for Elizabeth. She rarely slept, she only ate when she was on the brink of starvation, she locked herself in her bedroom or her training room to train and read. She was going mad from grief and exhaustion, no one in the Nexus knew how to help.

Warren first tried to help her a few weeks ago but Elizabeth screamed until he left, causing her to not leave her room or eat for four days. After that, they all left her alone to grieve and work through her feelings on her own.

Three days to go until the test by the Ruler of Asterfall, three days until Elizabeth would be deemed safe enough to stay or a threat.

Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open, blinking as she looked around. All she could see was black, the smell of smoke filling her nose. She coughed a bit as she sat up, glancing around the room. She was in her training room, the once-white walls were now black from the flames. All of the previous furniture and training dummies were burnt to ash along the floor.