Page 40 of Scarlet Wars
My breath hitched. The air felt thin, like there wasn’t enough oxygen in the room. My heart hammered painfully against my ribs as I squeezed my eyes shut, silently begging sleep to take me before the inevitable agony swallowed me whole.
Air. I needed more air.
Despair. Pain. Grief. Gut wrenching grief.
It all ripped through me, hollowing me out from the inside.
Shit, I am starting to lose it.
A soft hum broke the silence behind me, the distinct crackle of a portal closing. I didn’t turn around. His presence settled over the room like a familiar weight, instantly recognizable even in the dark.
My brother.
The lump in my throat swelled, becoming an unmovable knot. The tightly sealed lid over my endless pit of sadness trembled, threatening to shatter.
He didn’t say anything, didn’t utter a word. The bed dipped as he climbed in behind me, wrapped his arms around me, his warmth seeping into my back.
For a moment, the comfort of his touch almost made it bearable. Almost.
Then it all came crashing down.
The tears started first, slow and silent. I gritted my teeth, trying to hold it back, but it was like trying to stop a dam from breaking. Before I knew it, loud sobs started racking through me, uncontrollably, and all I could do was bury my face in the pillow.
Sean held me tighter, his hand gently rubbing my back, still not saying a word. His presence was steady, an anchor in a storm I had no hope of surviving.
And then. The screaming started.
I didn’t even realize it at first, the raw, guttural sound tearing from my throat, but once it started, I couldn’t stop it. The pain—everything I’d kept locked up inside—came pouring out, a torrent of grief, anger, and terror. I barely felt Sean's grip tightening as he held me down, trying to keep me from thrashing.
Footsteps pounded down the hall, then Caden and James burst into the room. I could barely make them out through the haze, but I knew they were there. They rushed to the bed, their voices blending into the chaos, but I couldn’t focus on any of it.
I didn’t know if they were speaking to me, trying to calm me down, or simply trying to be there. It didn’t matter. The world was a blur of screams and hands gripping me, trying to pull me out of the dark.
At some point, my screams turned back into sobs. Sean never let go, his arms still wrapped tightly around me, his breath steady in my ear. James and Caden hovered nearby, silent now, their expressions heavy with concern but no words spoken. There was nothing they could say to make it better.
Eventually, exhaustion claimed me, dragging me down into a fitful sleep. I barely registered James pulling a chair over, sitting by the bed like a silent sentinel. Caden settled into the corner, his arms crossed, his dark whiskey eyes never leaving me.
When I woke again, the room was bathed in the soft glow of morning. I shifted slightly, feeling Sean’s arms still around me. His breathing was steady, but I could tell he hadn’t slept much.
Jackson was there too. He must’ve slipped in sometime during the night, leaning against the wall, his gaze distant but watchful.
Everyone except Sean stood at the edge of the room, giving me space, but their presence was solid, reassuring.
They didn’t ask questions, didn’t demand explanations.
No one said anything, but their presence filled the room, and with it, an unspoken promise I wasn’t alone.
TEN
JAMES
“The United Chiefs issued a directive to Kanata C Offensives to prioritize the lifting of the US bubble above all else.”
The War Room we found ourselves in wasn’t built for comfort. Stone walls pressed in close, the ceiling low enough to make the space feel like it might collapse under its own weight. A long, scarred table dominated the center, its surface gouged with knife marks and burn scars from translation gone wrong.
Lights floated overhead which were shifting orbs that pulsed faintly, casting the chamber in restless hues of blue and silver. Maps hovered in the air above the table, projected in three dimensions, their borders shimmering.
Too many bodies filled the narrow space, shoulders brushing, and their gazes sharp.
