Alexa's fists whitened, anger coursing through her veins. 'Stupid Olivia, see what you brought upon yourself.' She walked out of the room, not sparing a second glance.
…..
The fire burst out from the ground. Little White's irises widened as they were caught off guard, but he managed to stop a few inches away from it.
Olivia's heart almost leapt out from its cage. "Whew, that was close."
Little White turned, sprinting through the land again, dodging and manoeuvring his way through the fire by inches. He sprinted forward, but then…
Boom.
Another fire shot up towards the sky right in front of them. Little White's steps became slightly disorganised. The frequency of its eruptions increased, becoming faster and more unpredictable.
"Little White!" Olivia called out, her voice cracking with worry.
"Yes, are you okay?" came Little White's hoarse voice.
"It is coming faster, to your left!" she yelled. But it was too late for Little White—his hand slightly brushed past the fire.
A groan escaped from his mouth. Pain surged through his burnt hand—it felt as if thousands of insects were churning on his flesh. He held his arm, his vision became slightly blurred. His feet wobbled.
"Little White, are you okay?" Panic surged through her voice. Her heart fluttered as waves of fear rushed through her when she got no reply from him.
"Answer me! Please," she cried out desperately.
But the only thing she could hear from him was his jagged breath.
Little White shook his head, trying to regain his senses, but the numbness in his legs spread like wildfire.
Thud.
He fell to his knees. He desperately covered his ears, trying to block out the strange voices echoing inside his head, his fingers trembling against his ears. His body was dripping with sweat.
Olivia quickly jumped from his back, falling to the ground. She crawled desperately to his face. Her heart tugged with an unknown feeling, her fingers shakily held his face in her palms.
"What is going on? Talk to me… Anything," she nervously asked, almost begging. Tears of helplessness trickled down her cheeks, her hand trembling from both fear of dying and fear of losing him. Her gaze drifted to his arm, where the fire had burned through his sleeve.
Underneath his skin, red angry veins formed on his arms. Instinctively, she pulled his shirt slightly up. Her hand trembled, her throat burned from the cry she was trying to suppress. The red fiery veins were spreading up his body.
She shook her head in disbelief. He wasn't supposed to be affected by fire as he was a dragon… but this was not just any fire. It had a virus that felt like thousands of insects burrowing through his flesh.
"This is no longer your home. You are hereby banished. Your rebellious and evil acts deserve your death, but since we cannot kill you, we will send you to a place where powers will be greatly restricted. Oh, look how you have fallen."
The taunting words echoed in Little White's head.
He felt a sharp pain in his heart. He whimpered, his face contorted with pain. He felt like his body was being eaten from the inside out.
Olivia held him tightly, ignoring her own pain. She pressed his head against her chest. "It's okay, I'm here with you… I won't go anywhere, okay?" she whispered in his ear.
She raised her head. She saw fire shooting up around them. A sad smile tugged at her lips. For the first time, she accepted her fate. She would rather die with him than leave him behind.
Little White shook violently in her arms. He could feel his consciousness slipping away, his head throbbing as if it were being ripped apart. He wanted to say a word to her badly, but his lips only trembled, with no words coming out.
"You know, since I was little, I always wanted to gain my parents' love, ride a bicycle, eat a lot of chocolate." A tearful laugh vibrated from her throat. "I also wanted to find my prince charming… my own prince, like in Cinderella. Hehehe." She laughed bitterly, as her trembling hand held him tighter.
"I always wanted to know what true love felt like. I only wanted to be happy and carefree. But I guess some wishes were never meant to come true." Her hand clenched at his shirt, her heart overwhelmed by the suffocating pain.
She took a deep breath. "Thank you… for coming into my boring life, Little White. Let's go together," her voice came out in a weak whisper. For the first time, she felt relief washing over her. If this was the end, then she wouldn't struggle like a fish out of the water.
Suddenly, the earth trembled violently. The ground split wide open, revealing a sea of greenish-red flames in its wake. The earthquake raced toward their direction with speed and hunger, as if it had a mind of its own, leaving terror in its wake.
Olivia stared at it, her eyes totally emotionless. Only a small smirk curled onto her lips. She lifted her head up. She gazed at the sky. The setting sun cast a golden haze, filling the sky with a soft, ethereal light. It was a beautiful view.
"Little White, look—the sun is setting. Isn't it beautiful?" she asked, her soft voice almost swallowed by the raging sound of the earthquake.
Hearing her question, Little White forced his eyes slightly open. He wanted to see the sky too. A weak smile formed on his lips. But he was staring at her face, which was covered with cuts and bruises. 'Her green eyes are the most beautiful… I won't let them close forever. I can't,' he thought inwardly.
"Yes… beautiful," he muttered before his eyes fluttered closed again.
'I can't die. Not yet. Not like this. I have to save her.' But his body refused to listen, his vision fading into nothingness.
The ground continued to rumble violently beneath them, chunks of the earth falling away. Its loud rumbling filled the air. They could hear the crackling sound of the fire. Olivia rested her head on his, her hand tightly embracing him. Tears trickled down her eyes as she shut down.
And then, they fell together—swallowed by the abyss.
The last thing Olivia saw was the fire swallowing the sky. The fire roared, burning through her skin. A crushing weight pressed down on her chest, suffocating her.
The air rushed past her ears as she fell, the sound of Little White's heartbeat fading.
'I wish… I had more time.'
The sound of the falling earth drowned her heartbeat.
And then… nothing.
Olivia felt herself sinking deeper into the abyss. Her body was numb, her mind drifting away. She could no longer hear the crackling of the flames, nor feel the earthquake beneath her. Only the faint sensation of warmth remained. Her hands unconsciously tightened around Little White.
Her body felt light—it felt like she was floating between consciousness and oblivion. Then, a sound… no, a voice suddenly echoed in her head.
"You are not meant to die here, Olivia." A soft, calm voice said.