Chapter Sixty-Five: Emotional Mistakes
Nuri floated in the air, hovering across from Thyrex, his gaze blazing with a fiery resolve. “The mistakes of the past shall not repeat themselves. I was only a young fledgling during the war, witnessing my mother’s death and the ruin it brought upon this realm.” His great sword burned like the sun itself. “Thyrex, you unfortunate soul, you’ve chosen the wrong day and the wrong realm to succumb to Madness.”
Thyrex’s body twitched erratically, still adjusting to the consuming force of Madness Hindo. In a scratchy voice, he sneered, “You don’t understand, young hawk, it is you who has become the prey.” With a violent burst, he maneuvered through the sky, zeroing in on Zephiron and Lyria.
Sirius tapped into Yozora’s frequency, his tone urgent. “Zora, we’ve got a problem. Thyrex has gone insane, using something called Madness Hindo. Apparently, he needs Zephiron and Lyria’s hearts to gain more control over it. He’s heading your way now!”
Yozora responded coldly, “Copy.” He turned to Zephiron and Lyria, expression unreadable. “You both should be grateful, Thyrex is after your hearts, so now I have to protect you from him.”
Zephiron’s face twisted in confusion. “So, Thyrex chose Madness… he must have been desperate,” he muttered, frustrated. He shot a look at Lyria. “Lyria, come out, Thyrex has succumbed to Madness.”
Lyria emerged from an illusion of clouds, her expression defiant. “Well, I…” she started, but her words were cut short as, in a split second, Thyrex appeared before her, pulling her close.
“Sorry, my love,” he hissed, “but I need the heart you never chose to give me.” Without hesitation, he ripped her heart from her chest. “One more beat to go,” he whispered, his tone gleeful and unhinged.
Thyrex bent backward, casting a psychotic look at Zephiron, his finger pointing like a weapon. “Feed me more hearts.”
Yozora watched, disgusted, at the brutal way Thyrex murdered his own comrade without a flicker of remorse. “Zephiron, are these really the kind of Tuners you surround yourself with? I’m sure your leaders knew exactly who would choose Madness.” Yozora’s gaze sharpened with a cold, manic edge as he stepped to the side. “I should just let him rip yours out too.”
Zephiron’s face twisted in horror. “No! You wouldn’t do that, you need my information!” His voice cracked with desperation, the confidence he once exuded now reduced to pure fear.
“You’re heavily mistaken, Zephiron,” Yozora replied coldly, his gaze sharp and unyielding. “I don’t need anything from you but your head. The information? I can get from Thyrex. So maybe I’ll let him collect that beating heart in your chest.”
Sirius, still on Yozora vibration frequency yelled, “Zora! Do not let him get th..” His words were abruptly cut off as Yozora shifted his vibrational frequency, disappearing from view with a flicker of movement.
In an instant, Yozora appeared next to Zephiron, his presence like a blade pressing against the man’s throat. His voice was low, almost a growl. “Tell me who sent you and the location of the ambush set for my parents. If you don’t…” Yozora tilted his head slightly, his tone darkening. “Thyrex will be eating more hearts for dinner. I’ll count to three.”
The tension in the air was suffocating, every word dripping with menace as Thyrex loomed closer, his blood-red Hindo flaring wildly.
“One…” Yozora said calmly, his eyes flicking briefly toward Thyrex, who began closing in on Zephiron like a predator ready to pounce.
“Two…” Thyrex’s corrupted form was now within striking distance, his hand already outstretched toward Zephiron’s chest.
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“Three…” Yozora finished, his voice barely above a whisper, as Thyrex’s claws were mere inches from ripping into Zephiron’s heart.
Zephiron broke, his resolve shattering. “Anything! Anything you want!” he cried out, fear thick in his voice.
“Coward,” Yozora murmured, his tone laced with disgust. With a swift movement, he severed Thyrex’s arm cleanly before it could reach Zephiron, the blade of his katana flashing with an icy-blue brilliance. He followed the attack with a powerful palm strike to Thyrex’s chest, the force sending the berserk Tuner hurtling into the side of a cliff below, the rock face crumbling under the impact.
Yozora didn’t spare Thyrex another glance. Instead, he turned to Zephiron, his katana dripping with remnants of frost and blood. “You’ve got seconds to make yourself useful.”
Sirius flying like a jet finally got closer, his voice cracking with relief and frustration. “¡Hermano! Don’t scare me like that!” He stopped a few feet away, his eyes darting between Yozora, the trembling Zephiron, and the crumpled form of Thyrex. “Nuri and Ignarok told me the story of what happened in the past. If Thyrex gets Zephiron’s heart, we don’t know what kind of monster he’ll become!”
Shrugging off Sirius’s concern, Yozora replied flatly, “I don’t care. Go deal with him while I get what I need from Zephiron.”
Sirius clenched his fists, holding back the urge to argue. He knew this version of Yozora cold, direct, unflinching. It was the Yozora from their past, before the Zeroing process stripped him of his memories and softened him. Sirius had grown accustomed to the Yozora who had learned to laugh, who had discovered a sense of humor and humanity. But now, in the face of this threat to his family, the old Yozora had returned the one who moved like a storm, cutting through obstacles without hesitation or remorse.
Sirius gave a resigned sigh, glancing toward Nuri and Ignarok. “He’s still alive,” he muttered, gesturing toward Thyrex’s crumpled form. “But it won’t be for long.”
Ignarok, his expression grim, nodded. “We’ll handle him. Yozora’s focused on the bigger picture.”
Sirius glanced back at Yozora one last time, his eyes filled with both concern and understanding. “Don’t take too long, Zora. We can’t hold this thing off forever.” With that, he and Ignarok turned their attention to Thyrex, preparing for another round with the deranged Tuner.
Yozora crouched beside Zephiron, his katana resting lightly against the man’s trembling neck. “Start talking,” he commanded, his voice devoid of warmth.
Zephiron gulped, his fear palpable as he began to spill every detail he knew.
“Hermano…” Sirius thought to himself, the weight of worry settling heavily on his chest. “Don’t stay away too long.”
With a forced calm, he turned his attention back to Nuri and Ignarok. “Nuri, Ignarok,” he began, his voice laced with uncharacteristic seriousness. “As much as this hurts my pride, we need to work together on this.” He let out a reluctant sigh. “I don’t have enough information on Madness Hindo to handle Thyrex on my own.”
But Nuri’s patience was thin, his mind clouded by echoes of the past, revenge, redemption, and all that his clan had lost. Without hesitation, he launched himself toward Thyrex, his wings a blur as he dove with ferocity. “I’ll end this here and now!”
Ignarok noticed Nuri’s reckless dive a second too late, his voice rising in desperation. “Nuri, no, don’t—!”
But Nuri was already a hand’s length away from where Thyrex lay in the rubble, poised to strike. Suddenly, Thyrex’s hand shot out, his expression twisted in a cruel smile. “Got you, you ignorant bird.” In a swift, brutal motion, he summoned his power. “Madness Hindo: Collector of Hearts!” His hand glowed an ominous, searing red as it drove through Nuri’s chest.
Nuri looked down, blood dripping from his beak as he processed the mortal blow. The bitter realization settled over him, accompanied by the fading sound of his heartbeat. “Ignarok… Sirius… Yozora… I… messed up, didn’t I?”
Thyrex lifted Nuri into the air, his arm still impaled through Nuri’s chest. His voice was low, mocking. “You were always the prey. I even told you. Now… become a part of me.” He yanked his arm free, letting Nuri’s body fall, his feathers turning ashen as he plummeted toward the ground.
Ignarok’s heart wrenched as he watched, a pang of failure striking him deeply. In a flash, he sped towards Nuri, catching him just before he hit the ground. He held the limp body of his realm’s last Burning Hawk, the weight of responsibility crashing over him. “I failed him… the last of the Burning Hawk Clan,” he whispered, grief twisting his expression. “I have failed as his Lord.”
As he mourned, his guard lowered, Thyrex appeared behind him, his arm piercing through Ignarok’s back. Ignarok stared in disbelief as he saw his own beating heart in front of him, his life force slipping away. Tears streamed down his face, sorrow mingling with a deep, unshakable regret.
With his last breath, he whispered, “As I fade back to ash, ancestors heed my words… by the Eternal Flames, I pass the mantle to thee, Sirius Hawks. King and Lord of Molten Cradle… may the Eternal Flames guide your steps.”