I fought against Fin's arms wrapped around me in a tight hold as I stared at the burning Academy. Fire licked at every surface, and smoke billowed out of broken holes in the walls. As part of the structure fell to the ground, sparks flew into the sky alight with a burning orange glow from the fire. All around me, ashes fell to the ground, covering my body in soot.

"Let go of me!" I yelled as Fin's arms snaked into a tighter grasp.

"Be rational, Navi." Baylen's voice was sharp. "If she's in there, there's no telling where she could be. There's no sense in you going after her."

"I have to try," I choked out, staring at the orange flames as they devoured every surface they touched. Forgive me, Fin, I prayed as I sent out my powers into his arm, and with a sickening crack, the bones in his arm broke. I ignored his cry of pain and fought out of his weak grasp, running toward the open doors to the burning building. Once inside, my skin seared with the heat around me, and my lungs constricted against the lack of air. I ripped a piece of my dress off and tied it around my face. It gave me little protection, but at least it was something.

"Stupid, Twoleg," Naxan growled as he flew circles around the Academy. I could feel his agitation, but underneath, he understood why I would be doing this. He knew I would do the same for him, and he would do the same for me.

I searched the ground full of Kellso bodies, but I couldn't see anything human lying on the floor. I hurriedly rushed over the bodies, stumbling in the process, nothing. I wasn't sure if I should feel pleased or disappointed. Where are you, mom?

I scanned my eyes over the floor once again, just in case. A piece of fabric caught my eye. I ran over toward the body and nearly choked as I saw it was human. I pushed pieces of stone off of the body, all the while hoping this wasn't her. If it were, that would mean she was gone, and I would never see her again.

I felt relief wash over me as it was, in fact, not her. It was someone else, a man. Sorrow washed over my relief as I realized this was someone's family member. Heaving out a shaky breath, I stood to my feet and continued looking for my mother.

"Navi, you idiot!" I whirled around to see Baylen running in through the open doors of the Academy.

"You can't make me leave. Not until I find her." My voice sounded drowned out by the roaring fire around us.

I could hear Baylen's groan through the fabric he had wrapped around the lower half of his face. "Only because I don't want you to snap my bones into pieces." I cringed slightly. I knew what I did was harsh, but I would apologize to Fin later. "You've looked in here?"

"She's not in here. Maybe she's in another room?" I asked hopefully, trying to convince myself more than Baylen.

"We have to be quick. I'm not sure how long this building will hold." Baylen grabbed my arm and led me to different rooms in search of her. We looked in the Library, the multiple offices and the cafeteria, but she wasn't on the ground floor.

"Navi," Baylen started to say, but I didn't want to hear it.

"Maybe she's on another level," I said as I made my way toward the staircase.

"Navi!" Baylen yelled as I climbed the stairs two at a time. I had to find her. I wasn't going to leave her. My heart pounded in my chest as I made it to the second floor. I scanned the hallways but couldn't see anything. Where are you, mom?

Baylen was behind me in an instant, holding onto my arm. "She wouldn't be up here." Baylen's grip tightened around my skin. A piece of burning lumber came crashing down from above us. Jumping out of the way, the two of us narrowly dodged part of the roof caving in. I looked up from where I was on the ground and felt immense pain in my chest when I realized the wreckage had blocked off the stairs. Smaller pieces of the roof were slowly falling around us from the new weak point in the structure.

I was pulled to my feet by Baylen grabbing onto my arm and pulling me toward the balcony. "Nax?" I called out through the bond.

"Here."

I threw open the glass doors and was thankful to see him there like he said he would be. He stretched out his neck for Baylen and me to climb onto. Behind us, the roof caved in completely. Naxan quickly scurried out of the way as the entire Academy fell to the ground with a series of groans and cracks. Heat met my face at the force of the building collapsing. I stared at the pile of burning rubble in shock. Nothing could survive that, nothing.

I slid from Naxan onto the ground below, my knees giving out as I continued to stare at the mess before me. My fingers dug into the soft earth with aggression. I clung to it, seeking stability as pain wracked through my body in pitiful sobs.

Soft, calloused hands wrapped around my shoulders as tears fell from my eyes and onto the grass. My vision was blurry, but I could still see the burning orange glow of the fire. Nothing could survive that.

"Come on. Your family is probably worried about you." Baylen's hands lifted me to my feet, but I could hardly stand. My eyes were still plastered to the sight before me. With the help of Baylen taking on most of my weight, I was able to steady myself enough to walk.

"Navi, thank the gods you're alright!" Ronan and my two brothers came rushing over to me, assessing if I had any injuries.

Chay grabbed me by the arms and roughly shook me. My eyes found his, and I could see distress written all over his face. "Don't you ever pull something like that again, do you hear me?" He was angry.

"I'm fine," I said as I ripped the cloth away from my face. Even though I wasn't trying to look at the crumbled building, I could still see it burning from the corner of my eye. Chay let go of my arms. I could still feel the sting where he grabbed me. I didn't care, all I felt was the pain of losing my mother, and I couldn't do anything about it.

"I think you need some rest. Tonight has been a nightmare," Baylen said softly beside me.

I shook my head, taking a few steps away from everyone. "I just need some space," I said as I walked off into the shadows, the only thing that felt comforting to me right now. I knew Naxan was following me, but I didn't mind. I needed him right now, more than ever. When I reached the treeline, my body collapsed against the wooden bark. I tried containing the sobs racking my body, but they pushed through, demanding to be felt.

Naxan stayed silent as he curled his body around me. He was warm. Even though I've only felt the heat of the fire the entire night, I needed his warmth. I felt my body shiver against the growing cold of the night, or was it because I was crying?

Minutes turned into hours as I curled up against Naxan. We hadn't spoken a single word to each other for the duration of us staying like this. But that was fine. I couldn't muster the energy to talk through the hoarseness in my throat.

Using the back of my hand to wipe away the tears from my eyes, I cringed slightly at the pain it brought me. My skin felt raw underneath my touch. I'm sure my appearance was quite a sight to see. With swollen eyes and puffy cheeks, I tilted my head towards the sky and lay there numb to the cold surrounding Naxan and me. Dawn was approaching; however, I didn't notice due to how bright the flames were. The sky was a mess of orange and red with billowing clouds of thick smoke. I couldn't tell if it would rain or not, for the clouds could be a deception caused by the haze of the fire.

A breathy whisper carried by the breeze met my ears in a soft, calming tone. I thought nothing of it—a trick of the wind. But then I heard my name being called. Sitting up, I looked around at my surroundings but only saw trees and shadows. Odd.

"Navi." I stood to my feet, my knees shaking at the exertion of not standing for however long.

"Hello?" My voice croaked out as I turned in every direction. Behind me was the Academy where people were being tended to and in front of me was a thick forest with tall trees and mountains surrounding us. I couldn't see anyone around me besides Naxan, but he was in a deep slumber from the night's events.

"Navi." The voice sounded feminine and almost recognizable. Goosebumps rose over my skin as chills racked through my body. My hair stood on end on their own accord. I felt like a bristling animal cornered by a predator.

I stepped over Naxan's sleeping form and peered into the thick forest, scouring the area to see if I could make out anything, but my eyesight was horrible. I didn't dare use my powers to seek out what could be in the shadows. That was a bad idea waiting to happen.

"Navi! Help me, please!" My eardrums rang as the voice slammed into me. Mom? I questioned, but I was no fool, especially with everything that happened tonight. Something was out there, trying to lure me away into the darkness using the voice of someone presumed to be dead.

Now would have been an excellent time to wake up Naxan from his sleep, but something stopped me from doing so. He would be the voice of reason right now, telling me I should think this through, walking away from the shadows and towards the safety of my friends and family. I needed to know. Baylen's voice popped into my head as I took my first step into the woods, "Good idea Navi, follow this creepy voice into the woods. That's really smart." I could almost hear his sarcasm within the words.

All rational thoughts left my mind as I picked my way through the thick trees. I was on high alert as I watched every branch sway or bush rustle from the breeze blowing around me. The woods were quiet; all I could hear was the sound of my own thrumming heartbeat in my ears. I wasn't scared of the darkness but of what could be lurking in the shadows. Even though my powers derived from the darkest parts of the world, I was nowhere near enough trained to feel comfortable with my abilities.

My footsteps faltered as I realized my stupidity. Looking back in the direction I came from, I felt the desire to run back to Naxan, who was completely oblivious to what I was doing. But whatever was watching me had different ideas as the desperate pleas of my mother rang through the air.

I cursed out loud as I pushed my way through the trees. Whoever was out there knew how to draw me away.

A small break in the trees gave way to a clearing where the moon shone brightly down upon. I felt like I was in a completely different part of the world and away from the horrors behind me. What my eyes caught next had me staggering back a few steps as my mind tried to work out what it was seeing. I was in disbelief.

"Mom?" My voice shook out as I stared at the woman before me.

"Navi, there you are." Her melodic voice met my ears, and my body sank with relief. I ran toward her, enveloping her in a hug, to which she met me in an equally as strong of a grip. It felt so good to hear her voice, to feel her touch.

"I thought I lost you." Tears fell from my eyes as I pulled away from her. My eyes met hers, and familiar, deep sapphire blue eyes stared back at me.

Her brilliant, white teeth shone through her smile as she squeezed my shoulders. "And I thought I lost you."

I embraced her again as I shivered from the pain leaving my body. My fingers gripped her sooty clothing, holding onto her for dear life. Breathing in, she smelt of fire and grime, but under that, I could smell the sweet perfume she wore every day. It was a gift from Ronan to her, and ever since then, she wore it religiously. It's her, my mom. The woman I cherished most, and the woman I thought had lost. She was here, alive.

"The others will be glad to see you're alright. Everyone thought the fire took you," I said into my mom's shoulder as her hands stroked my hair.

"No," Her voice was soft as she spoke. "The fire didn't kill me." She continued to run her hands over my hair, but her fingers found a knot in my brown curls. Instead of leaving it alone, she roughly pulled on it. I cried out in pain as my head snapped back with the force of her hands deeply embedded into my hair. Her fist tightened as I stared into her eyes with confusion. "It was Alydar." Her voice became dark, and her eyes shifted in colour.

I felt the colour drain from my face as I stared into her foreign eyes. This wasn't my mother; it was something else.

"Hello again, Navi." My mom's voice met my ears, but I now knew it wasn't her. "How easy it was to lure you away." A chuckle rose from my mom's throat. I was roughly pushed to the ground, a chunk of my hair knotted in my mom's fingers. The pain barely registered in my head as I crawled away from the monster before me. I noticed now the blood-stained clothing covering her stomach. It was red. Humans. Not that of the Kellso.

She noticed where my eyes were, and her head dipped down, a smile plastered to her face. Her fingers tugged at the clothing, ripping a bigger hole in her dress for me to see her butchered skin. There was a long, deep slash cutting her stomach open. Parts of her organs were hanging over the barrier of flesh.

"Nax!" I yelled through the bond. My voice was shrill and desperate. "Nax! Wake up!" I screamed as my mom came stomping toward me.

His consciousness shifted slightly as he heard my pleas through the bond. "Twoleg?" I nearly shouted in triumph as he responded, but my head flew sideways as my head snapped to the side. Blood trickled down my lip and into my mouth. I spat onto the ground, threads of bloody saliva mixing into the earth.

Naxan was fully awake at this point as he felt the pain radiating through me. I could feel his panic as he sought out where I was.

A hand roughly gripped my throat. I tried to scream out, but all that came out was a gurgled fit of gasps. I clawed at my mom's hand wrapped around my neck, but whoever was possessing her held on strong. "Go on and call to your dragon," Her voice sounded muffled against my ears. "He'll do you no good."

Within seconds, I heard the sounds of beating wings above and knew who it was immediately. As Naxan landed on the ground behind me, his body took down some trees with a series of sharp cracks that shook through me. Naxan roared viciously as he saw the position I was in. With all this noise, someone would surely come and investigate.

"You're done for," I gasped as the hand around my throat became loose. I sucked in lungfuls of air through wheezing breaths. I looked at my mom's face, which was split in two from an unnaturally wide smile. "Get help, Nax," I said through our bond.

"Tried. Can't. Blocked." Nax shook his head in frustration.

Suddenly, two full-sized dragons came from above and slammed into Naxan's body. Their weight alone was more than twice that of Naxan's. Naxan fought viciously, but even if he didn't show it, he was exhausted. They pinned his struggling body to the ground with claws slicing into his scales. One of them had their large foot on Naxan's snout, keeping his mouth shut. He was immobile.

A sickening feeling washed over me as I stared at the sight of my dragon being pinned down and incapable of doing anything to defend himself. One of his brilliant blue eyes met mine. I didn't need our bond to see the emotions plaguing him.

"Naxan is sorry, Twoleg," He said. It broke my heart to hear how defeated he was."I failed. I failed to protect."

"Hush, Nax." Tears brimmed the edges of my eyes. "This is not your fault."

"I told you I would have you willing or not," My mom's voice met my ears. I cringed, remembering those words clearly. The Kellso King had made a promise to me. Even though it was not consensual, he kept it.

Kellso bodies came streaming out of the trees, surrounding us while softly chanting foreign words. It was known for the Kellso to practice dark magic. I tried to remember my teachings, but with my mind frazzled beyond comprehension, I was left with the frustration of the unknown.

That's when I began to feel dizzy with the echoing foreign language consuming my thoughts. My awareness was shutting down as black shadows thickened at the corner of my eyes. Attempting to blink away the feeling of sleep was futile. My vision only darkened more so.

"I'm sorry, Nax," My voice was tired as I tried to form my words. My tongue felt heavy as my vision turned completely black.

"I told you I would have you, willing or not."