Felltree Marsh fireton

faust moved with a deliberate pace, his breathing ragged as the adrenaline waned and the bite of his injuries settled deep into his body. the snow underfoot turned crimson with each staggering step, a trail marking his path as he pressed forward. his mind burned with a single name—not ayovi. no, she would survive. her fate was her own.

asha. asha, asha.

his lips curled faintly, the ghost of a snarl lingering there as the memory of the fight coiled through his mind. fury still smoldered beneath his ribs, simmering down into something cold and bitter as he trudged on. he cursed his weakness, his anger, the fragile thread that had kept him tethered to life through the battle.

he pushed harder, ignoring the sharp protests of his torn shoulder and the aching strain of every movement. but the strength he had left dwindled quickly. his limbs betrayed him at last, buckling beneath the weight of blood loss and exhaustion. with a harsh exhale, faust collapsed into the snow, the cold biting into his fur that relaxed him more than anything.

the world around him blurred, the stark white of the snow merging with the dull gray of the sky. for a moment, his body stilled, his chest heaving with effort as he lay there. his voice was a low rasp, carried on the frozen wind.

@Asha...

his eyes fluttered shut, though his ears strained for any sound that might guide him toward her. the fight was over, but the battle within him raged on