The ground beneath me trembles again, a deep, threatening rumble that sends shivers down my spine. Cracks spread beneath my feet, jagged and sharp, like the chaos tearing through my body. I fight to stay upright, but everything slips out of control. My heart pounds so loudly I can almost hear it, a frantic drum in the silence.
"Hey, look at me," Elric says, his voice soft but firm. He steps into my line of sight, his eyes locking with mine. "I know you're scared. I'm Elric."
His calm tone feels almost too casual, too calm for the panic clawing at my chest. My gaze flickers to the cracks beneath me, the earth groaning under the weight of something unnatural. I try to take a deep breath, to focus, but my thoughts are a jumbled mess of confusion and grief.
"What's your name?" he asks, his expression warm, reassuring, despite the chaos.
I blink, thrown off by the simplicity of the question. The roar of panic still clutches my chest, but somehow, his calm steadies me, if only for a moment. "L… Ly… Lyra," I manage to choke out, my voice trembling. I'm still dizzy from the sensations pulling at me, still unsure of what's happening inside.
Elric's smile widens slightly, his eyes softening. "Lyra. Lovely name. Nice to meet you," he says, as if we aren't standing in the aftermath of an execution.
Behind me, I hear Finn mutter under his breath, his voice dripping with disbelief and irritation. "Elric," he snaps, his words slicing through the air like a whip. "Are you seriously trying to have a conversation right now? We're about to be caught in the middle of this mess, and you're asking her about her name?"
For a split second, I catch the edge of anger and worry in Finn's eyes. I feel torn between the comfort of Elric's calm and the harsh, urgent reality Finn represents.
Elric doesn't seem fazed. He gives a nonchalant shrug, his expression still calm, almost unnervingly so. "Sometimes, a little distraction helps, Finn," he replies, his voice unhurried despite the growing tension. "We're not just going to drag her off without understanding who she is."
Finn's patience snaps. "Well, if you're done having your afternoon tea and exchanging pleasantries," he retorts, eyes darting nervously toward the darkened corners, as if expecting danger to leap out at any moment, "we need to move. Now."
For just a heartbeat, Elric's smile falters. Then he straightens, nodding in agreement as the distant sound of crumbling masonry underscores our urgency. "You're right, Finn," he says, his tone shifting to one of urgency. "We can't stay here. Let's go."
The tremors beneath our feet grow more erratic. I try to steady myself, to make sense of the shifting world around me, but everything is spinning faster than I can grasp. The lingering scent of smoke and dust from the execution pyre mixes with the damp chill of the alley we're about to enter.
Finn moves quickly, his footsteps sharp and deliberate as he leads the way toward a narrow alley. I follow, feeling the rough texture of the cobblestones beneath my trembling feet, catching whiffs of rust and decay from the nearby walls. Elric stays close, his measured pace a quiet promise of safety, his eyes never leaving mine—watchful, almost as if searching for a sign that I won't collapse.
"Stay close," Elric murmurs, his voice low and steady. "And don't look back."
I nod, my legs still unsteady but carrying me forward. I have no idea where we're headed, but any direction away from the wreckage feels like salvation. As we weave through dark alleys and twisting streets, I can hear the distant echoes of chaos—shouts, crumbling stone, and the persistent, unnerving rumble beneath us.
Even as the world seems to close in, Elric's calm presence and Finn's determined urgency anchor me. Despite the swirling fear and confusion inside, a small part of me dares to hope that I might understand what's happening.