Acornville Island
Blaze stood at the water's edge, his gaze sweeping over the desolate island before him. His heart thudded erratically, each beat a reminder of the relentless journey that had brought him here.
He had faced challenges he'd never imagined, but none of them compared to the overwhelming dread that gripped him now as he surveyed the scene.
The island was broken—its buildings lay in ruin, broken foundations jutting from the ground like exposed bones. The air was thick with the stench of decay, the silence suffocating, the kind of quiet that lingers after everything has been lost. People wandered aimlessly, their faces hollow, worn by grief and a silent suffering that seemed to weigh down the very atmosphere.
And yet, despite the devastation around him, one face was conspicuously absent—Savannah's.
Blaze's pulse quickened.
He scanned the crowd, the faces blurring as anxiety twisted in his chest. Desperation gripped him, and he called out her name, but the wind stole the sound before it could reach anyone's ears. The words felt like an echo, fading before they had a chance to be heard. He approached a cluster of villagers, each movement feeling too loud, too frantic.
An old woman stepped forward, her hands calloused with age, her eyes shadowed with untold sorrow.
"She went to take the child," the woman murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, yet heavy with meaning. "Before the flood came and ruined everything. But the child... the child returned. She did not."
Blaze's heart stuttered in his chest, his breath catching in his throat. The world around him seemed to blur as his mind raced, trying to comprehend her words. Where could she be? he thought, panic swelling inside him. The images of what he had already lost flashed through his mind. Had he come too late? Was she lost to him forever?
From behind him, Alex, a stranger to Blaze, stood talking to the first responders, unaware of the turmoil unraveling before him.
But then, his eyes caught sight of Blaze—his frantic search for Savannah, the fear written all over his face. Alex didn't know this man, yet something about his desperation tugged at him. But just as confusion set in, Alex's eyes fell on the side path, and there she was—Savannah.
Her silhouette stood out against the backdrop of ruin, her hair catching the wind in a graceful dance. As she stepped closer, Alex's heart gave a jolt of recognition, a surge of joy filling him at the sight of her.
But that joy faltered when he saw Blaze's reaction. The man was moving toward her, his tailored suit stark against the chaos around them.
Blaze reached her, and in a moment that seemed to freeze time, he pulled Savannah into his arms.
The hug was tight, fierce, as though he were afraid she might slip away if he let go. His face, etched with a mixture of relief and something darker, was buried in her hair, and Savannah, her eyes glistening, leaned into him, her expression a blend of exhaustion and something more vulnerable—something unspoken that passed between them.
Alex stood frozen, caught between the ache of wanting to comfort her and the crushing realization that someone else already had the hold he longed to possess.
His chest tightened, and he could only watch as Blaze's arms enveloped Savannah, the two of them lost in their own world.
Blaze held her tightly, his heart finally slowing as he felt the solid reality of her presence, the warmth of her body pressing against his.
In that moment, everything else faded. The destruction around them, the wreckage of the island, the chaos—all of it dissolved.
She was safe. He had found her.
But as his mind slowed, another thought pierced through: The journey isn't over.
Pulling back slightly, Blaze cupped Savannah's face in his hands, his eyes searching hers, looking for signs of injury, of pain.
His voice was low, rough with emotion. "Are you okay?"
Savannah blinked, her voice trembling slightly as she whispered, "Yes." But the truth was more complicated. Her heart fluttered beneath his gaze, and she felt the warmth of his touch seep into her skin, so different from the cold she had carried for so long.
It felt almost wrong to lean into him so fully, but in that moment, she craved it more than anything. His presence was the one thing that made the world feel less chaotic.
Blaze's brow furrowed in concern as he scanned her face. "Are you hurt?" he pressed, his hands gentle against her skin.
"No," she lied, though she could feel the rawness of everything she'd endured still lingering in her bones. Yet, in his arms, she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time—safe. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she allowed herself to relax against him, her breath coming slow and deep.
Blaze's heart clenched as he watched her, a deep ache blooming inside him. She was far from unscathed, but in this moment, she was alive, and that was all that mattered. He wrapped his arms around her again, holding her close, as if to shield her from the world and everything it had taken from them.
The wind bit at his skin, but it was nothing compared to the shivers that ran through Savannah.
Blaze noticed immediately, his eyes scanning their surroundings. Without a word, he shrugged off his blazer and draped it over her shoulders, his actions protective, instinctual.
She seemed to relax slightly beneath it, but the tremors didn't subside.
Blaze's eyes swept over the village, his gaze falling on a stack of dry wood at the top of a nearby house.
"Stay here," he instructed, his voice low but firm, before he moved to gather the materials he would need.
Savannah watched silently, too overwhelmed to speak, as he worked quickly. The villagers around them whispered in awe, their eyes following his every move. He gathered dry wood, scraps of paper, and everything he could find, his focus absolute. When he returned, he placed the materials at her feet, and with a soft, determined smile, he said, "Let's get a fire going."
Kneeling beside her, Blaze arranged the wood with precision, his hands sure and steady as he struck a match. The first attempt fizzled out, but he didn't hesitate. With a second try, the flame caught, flickering to life, casting a warm glow across their faces.
The fire crackled as the flames began to rise, bright and fierce, despite the dampness of the wood.
Savannah watched in silence, mesmerized by his determination. The villagers, who had been watching from a distance, exchanged incredulous glances. One woman leaned forward, eyes wide with curiosity.
"Who is this generous man?" she asked, her voice filled with admiration.
Savannah's lips parted to respond, but no words came. Her gaze stayed fixed on the fire, her mind swirling, the weight of what had just been said pressing down on her.
The fire roared to life, and gasps of wonder spread through the crowd. "You got this soaked wood to burn?" one woman exclaimed, disbelief in her voice.
Blaze looked up, his face unreadable, but his next words were a declaration, strong and sure.
"She's my fiancée."
His eyes met Savannah's, a flicker of something unspoken passing between them.
The crowd's reaction was immediate—a chorus of gasps, murmurs of disbelief rippling through the villagers. Savannah's heart skipped a beat as she turned to look at Blaze, her breath catching in her throat. The word "fiancée" felt so foreign on his lips, so heavy, yet there was sincerity in his eyes. Fiancée?
In the distance, Alex stood frozen, his mind racing, trying to make sense of what had just happened. The woman he had admired, the one he had hoped to connect with, was wrapped in another man's embrace. His chest tightened painfully as his gaze flickered from Blaze to Savannah, searching for any sign that this wasn't real.
The villagers, now more intrigued than ever, turned to Savannah, their admiration shining brightly. "All this time... you were hiding him?" one woman asked, her voice filled with awe.
Savannah's mind swirled. She managed a small, half-smile, caught between the unexpected turn of events and the warmth of the moment. Her eyes met Blaze's, and in that brief exchange, something shifted. His presence, his kindness, his strength—everything about him began to form a bond that was undeniable.
Blaze stood, his posture protective as he settled beside her, adjusting the blazer around her shoulders with a tenderness that seemed to belong to no one but her. "It would be nice if you all gave us a moment," he said gently, but with an authority that was impossible to ignore. The villagers exchanged glances and, with a few quiet laughs, began to drift away, giving them a small island of solitude amidst the ruins.
As Blaze returned his focus to Savannah, the fire crackled between them, its warmth a symbol of the growing connection that neither of them had anticipated. "Stay close," he murmured, his voice soft but firm. "Or you'll get cold."
Savannah leaned into him, the weight of her exhaustion settling over her. The fire's warmth enveloped her, but more than that, it was Blaze's presence that soothed the ache inside her.
In the midst of all this chaos, in a place that felt so foreign, she realized—just for a moment—that she wasn't alone anymore. She breathed deeply, resting her head against his shoulder, letting the warmth and the bond between them.
Author's Note :
Take care everyone <3
Good night/morning<3<3