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Condemned To Death
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17th September, 1507
"Argh…"
Elise lay on the floor, her ears ringing, barely conscious, covered in debris and dust from the explosion. With her back against the floor, she slowly sat up straight while the world in her eyes seemed to spin like a dizzying carousel, disorienting her senses. She grunted in pain as she placed a hand on her forehead, feeling a warm, sticky substance. Pulling her hand away, she saw it was covered in blood.
She looked around, blinking rapidly to clear her vision, and to her horror saw a sea of flames engulfing one side of the shed. The backside of the shed had been fully blown out, leaving a gaping hole through which she could see the night sky.
*Cough Cough
She coughed in pain as the thick, black smoke rose from the flames and escaped out of the hole, some of the wooden machinery near the explosion had caught fire and was burning intently. Sweat mingled with blood and grime on her face, creating rivulets that stung her eyes.
Elise couldn't think straight; the ringing in her ears just seemed to worsen by the second, a high-pitched whine that threatened to drive her mad. She grabbed her head to try to alleviate the pain, her fingers tangling in her dust-covered hair.
Just as the thought of getting out of the shed crossed her mind, a flash of white caught her attention from the corner of her eye.
She turned her head and looked over. Instantly, her heart gripped as a cold dread washed over her like ice water. The ringing in her ears and the pain in her head seemed to vanish from her senses but was instead replaced by pure despair as she stared wide-eyed at the motionless body of Seren sprawled on the floor, his white shirt now stained with ash and blood.
Elise couldn't form a single thought, her mind a blank canvas of shock but her body moved instinctively on all fours toward Seren as she held her breath without blinking.
The debris-strewn floor cut into her palms and knees, but she barely noticed.
While crawling, fragmented memories began to surface. She started to remember what had happened before the explosion, recalling the warm feeling of someone hugging her back to shield her from the blast.
When Elise reached Seren, the sight that greeted her was horrific. His upper back was torched black, the fabric of his shirt melted with his skin in some places. The areas that weren't fully black had angry, blistering third-degree burns.
She reached out with her trembling hand and nudged his body, her voice barely a whisper as she said through her cracked and dry lips.
"...Seren".
Seren didn't move. The only sound was the crackling of the flames.
Elise then, with difficulty, turned his body so it was facing up. What she saw sent a shiver down her spine, a cold terror gripping her heart. Seren was barely conscious, his eyes barely open but unfocused, groaning softly in pain. But the skin on the right side of his face had completely melted off, revealing a nightmarish scene of raw muscle and gleaming bone.
...
Dylan and his mom had heard the explosion from the second floor, the thunderous boom shaking the very foundations of their home. Without a word, they exchanged a look of sheer panic before rushing downstairs, their footsteps echoing through the house like a frantic drumbeat.
Elise's mom wore a grave expression, her face ashen with worry as she rushed alongside Dylan. The boy's heart pounded in his chest, each beat a silent prayer.
'Sis, please be safe,' he thought, his mind racing with terrifying possibilities.
Being younger and more agile, Dylan sped past his mother and reached the shed first. His hand trembled as he grasped the door handle, yanking it open with such force that it slammed against the wall. The acrid smell of smoke hit him like a wall as he rushed inside, his eyes stinging and watering instantly.
He looked around frantically, squinting through the haze, desperately searching for any sign of his sister. Finally, he spotted her sitting up straight in the distance, and for a brief moment, relief washed over him like a cool wave.
But as he ran towards her, the scene before him slowly came into focus, and his steps faltered.
Dylan's run slowed to a stop as he stood there, frozen, watching his sister cradling Seren's body in her arms. The sight was surreal, like a nightmare come to life. Elise's face was streaked with tears, dirt, and blood, her usual vibrant demeanor replaced by raw, unbridled anguish.
Tears flowed down Elise's cheeks non-stop with Seren's head placed gently in her lap. Her voice, usually playful, now trembled and broke as she choked on her own tears.
"Seren... it's going to be alright. Please stay with me," she pleaded, her words barely audible over the crackling flames. "I'm sorry, I’m so sorry, please forgive me. I should have been more careful with the gunpowder. Please... why did you do that for me..."
Dylan stood there, his breath coming in ragged gasps, not knowing what to do as he stared at his sister wailing silently. This was the first time he had seen his sister cry in front of him, and it shook him to his core. She had always been the cheerful one, quick with a joke even when things didn't go her way. But now, that image of his strong, unbreakable sister was crumbling before his eyes, replaced by a vulnerable, grief-stricken girl he barely recognized.
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"Don't think too much about it,"
A gentle voice broke through his thoughts. Dylan blinked, coming back to reality as his mother placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
She moved past him, approaching Elise and crouching down beside her. Her experienced eyes quickly assessed Seren's condition, noting with relief that he was still clinging to consciousness, though barely.
*Sob Sob
"Mom... he's going to be fine, right?" Elise asked, her voice small and fragile. Her reddened eyes and quivering lips betrayed her fear and desperation.
Their mother smiled lightly as she placed her hand on Elise's head, her touch gentle and reassuring. "He's going to be just fine, sweetie," she said, her voice steady and sure.
Then, she hovered her hand over Seren. Suddenly, a green drop formed on the tip of her finger, growing larger and larger until it fell from her hand and went straight into Seren's mouth.
Seren, who had been teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, suddenly felt tension in his body at ease, and even the horrific burns on his face seemed less painful. A soft green glow pulsed beneath his skin, spreading outward from his core.
Seren's last conscious thought drifted through his mind: '...That explosion was bigger than I thought.'
...
Seren opened his slowly eyes and was instantly blinded by a white light. He squinted, his eyes slowly adjusting to the brightness. As his vision cleared, he realized he was lying in a fluffy, soft bed with a pink blanket draped over him. The room was unfamiliar, yet comforting, with pastel-colored walls and a gentle, floral scent in the air.
‘...Too close,’
Seren thought, the memory of the explosion flooding back. He felt glad at having taken precautions beforehand.
‘Good thing I placed the other crates full of gunpowder as far away as possible; otherwise, not even my bones would be left if a series of explosions had occurred.’
He lifted his head slightly and saw Elise sitting on a chair right next to him, her hand tightly holding his. Her head rested on the back of his hand, and she was sound asleep. Seren noticed her eyes were still a little puffy from crying.
Seren sat up straight, rubbing his sleepy eyes with his free hand. He then realized he wasn’t wearing anything on his chest, feeling the soft fabric of the bed sheets rub against his back. The sensation was oddly soothing, a stark contrast to the pain he remembered.
His movements stirred Elise from her sleep. She blinked, looking around in confusion, her mind still foggy from the sleep. When her eyes met Seren’s, she saw him looking at her with a light smile on his face.
“Hey–”
Before Seren could even say anything, Elise let go of his hand and lunged towards him, embracing him tightly. Seren was taken aback by her immediate reaction but didn’t say anything, letting her hold him as long as she needed.
“Don’t do something like that again…” she said softly, her voice muffled against his bare chest.
Seren didn’t reply. Instead, he placed a hand on her head softly, his fingers gently threading through her hair. He could feel her trembling slightly, the aftershocks of her fear and relief still coursing through her.
Elise leaned into his touch, her body instinctively seeking more of that reassuring contact.
Both of them didn't speak as they felt each other's body warmth seeping through their clothes. The gentle rise and fall of their chests created a rhythmic silent melody.
After a minute of staying in the same position, Seren spoke gently, “Why don’t we head downstairs? I’m sure your mom and brother are worried.” He tried to push her away gently, but she held on tightly.
“Let me stay like this for a while…” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
“...Okay, let's do that then,” Seren whispered back, his voice low and soothing.
While Seren and Elise were lost in their own world, Dylan and his mother spied in on them secretly through the crack of the door.
“...Dylan, you’re going to lose your sister,” Dylan’s mother teased, a playful glint in her eyes.
“Hmph,” Dylan scoffed softly, crossing his arms as he watched his sister hug another person.
The mother then remembered overhearing the conversation between Dylan and Elise before the explosion. Curiosity piqued, she asked, “Why were you so opposed to your sister being with another person before?”
Dylan didn’t reply immediately, his eyes still fixed on his sister. The memory of her tears and the raw emotion she had shown resurfaced in his mind. Another memory, one that had haunted him for years, also came to the forefront. In it, a woman he cared for deeply, his mother, looked emotionless as she held little Dylan’s hand. She watched a man dressed in all black, a cold glint shining in his eyes walking away from them, leaving them behind.
After a while, Dylan spoke softly, his voice tinged with emotion, “...I was afraid.”
“Afraid?” His mother questioned gently, her eyes searching his face.
“I was afraid she might end up like you someday... I didn’t want her to be left alone,” Dylan replied, his voice distant as he was lost in his memories.
His mother understood immediately what he meant. Her husband, Dylan’s father, had left them when Dylan was very young. She had suffered immensely during that time, but she always put up a strong front for her children. At night, though, Dylan could hear her soft cries coming from her room, a sound that had carved itself into his heart. This went on for almost a year before she started to get better. During that time, Dylan had developed a strong hatred for his father and a deep-seated trauma. His mother knew he didn’t want his sister to experience the same abandonment and loneliness she had.
She had always known the reason behind Dylan’s obsession with protecting his sister. She regretted being weak during those hard times and blamed herself for the way Dylan had turned out, so fiercely protective and wary of anyone getting close to Elise. Just as she was reminiscing about the past, she heard something unexpected from him.
“But after seeing her like this… I think she’s been lonely all along, yearning for someone. And finally, I believe, she found that someone,” Dylan said, his voice filled with deep emotions.
His mother was a bit shocked to hear this. Dylan had always been extremely protective of his sister, even fighting bigger kids to scare them away from her since childhood. Now, seeing his sister in Seren’s arms, he seemed to be finally letting her go.
The mother moved her gaze away from Elise and looked at Dylan, who was still watching his sister. She grabbed his face gently by the cheeks and turned it so he was now looking at her. There was some redness to his eyes and a saddened look on his face.
She then lightly kissed him on the forehead and said with a warm smile, “Let’s go downstairs now. You’re helping me with dinner today.”
Dylan didn’t reply immediately. He looked down, processing everything that had happened. Finally, he nodded silently, a small but significant gesture of acceptance.
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Condemned To Death
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