The air shimmered violently.
Lux's pulse of heat blasted outward—not as a roar, not as fire, but as pure, concentrated warmth shaped by fear.
It wasn't enough to burn.
But it was enough to knock people off their feet.
Enough to melt frost on contact.
Enough to force every Frostwalker to their knees as their bodies reacted violently to the sudden temperature shift.
Gavin shielded his face, locking his arms around Lux and pulling him into his chest. The warmth didn't hurt him—Lux subconsciously held back.
But the attackers weren't so lucky.
Bulag staggered backward, skin reddening as if sunburnt. His breath came ragged. He dropped the chain, clutching his head.
"Wait….. that brat is a Sunborne?!" Bulag exclaimed in disbelief.
"Gavin you fool did you know about this all along and you still let him live!"
Bulag laughed as if his sanity left him, "You fool, WERE ALL FUCKED 'CAUSE OF YOU!"
Bulag fell unconscious with a twisted maniacal look in his face.
The wave of heat continued to surge rapidly increasing in temperature.
The sudden shift snapped Varik out of his bloodlusted trance and he prepared himself.
Varik shoved himself to his feet, breathing hard. Parts of his hands and arms were stained in the blood of the Frost walker, but he ignored it entirely and quickly rushed towards Lux, his body still pumping adrenaline.
"Gavin!" he shouted. "He's overheating!"
"I know!" Gavin yelled back. He pulled Lux up. "Lux—look at me! Look at me!"
Lux's eyes were glassy, distant. "It won't stop— it won't stop—"
Gavin shouted at Lux for the first time in a long time, "LUX TRUST ME."
Lux calmed down for a second and listened.
Gavin asserted "When have I ever failed you?" "Trust me and just breathe."
Lux tried.
Failed.
Tried again.
His breath shook, but the heat began to lessen and eventually dissipated.
Gavin pulled Lux to his feet. The warmth dimmed significantly, leaving the boy exhausted and trembling.
"We need to go," Gavin said. "Now."
Varik grabbed their things, shoving them haphazardly into the bag.
They fled fast.
Lux stumbled more than once, and Gavin carried him when he had to. The boy's body was warm—unnaturally warm—like holding someone with a raging fever. But Lux wasn't sick. He was waking up.
Varik glanced at Lux's face as they ran. "Gavin… what do we do now? That outrage was too massive, we won't be able to hide it anymore. They are bound to show up soon."
Gavin didn't answer. His mind raced. Not with fear—but with grim acceptance.
What was happening to Lux was growing. Fast.
And they were running out of time to hide it.
When they finally stopped—deep under a broken transport tunnel—Lux began to shake, his body still experiencing the after effects of what happened
"I didn't want to hurt anyone," he whispered. "I just wanted it to stop."
Gavin kneeling beside him, patted his head and comforted him, " You did nothing wrong."
Varik sat down heavily. "Gavin… this is getting too big. We can't hide him forever."
I know," Gavin said.
Lux stared at Gavin with a question in his eyes before he finally asked, "Gavin, what's a Sunborne?"
Gavin didn't answer immediately.He looked at Varik.
Varik looked back.
Lux repeated softly, "Gavin?"
Gavin finally nodded and sighed, "I'm not completely sure myself but I heard that they were a race of Pioneers who rebelled a couple decades back and killed a lot of people with their powers. Some say the government and noble families ordered for them to be wiped out because they feared the powers they possessed. Others say they are Dyrheim human hybrids or monsters. It's all just rumors anyway don't let it get to you Lux."
"So am I like those monsters then?" Lux asked dejectedly.
Varik yelled loudly, "HA, you a monster? The only thing monstrous about you is your ungodly appetite."
Lux refuted saying, " I'm being serious here, I'm already such a burden to you guys and I don't want to cause more trouble."
Gavin chuckled
"Don't worry Lux, you're no burden, if anything you're our hero you've saved our asses three times now. Dont let those stories and what that idiot said get to you, we'll be fine I promise."
Lux finally seemed to brighten up again.
"Wow so biased, after all that hard work I put into cheering you up that's all it took from Gavin, I'm hurt lux." Varik said theatrically.
The boys settled into the tunnel they were in currently preparing to rest, they had a tiring day ahead tomorrow.
Gavin stood watch first, as usual.
He glanced at Varik and asked, "Can't sleep?"
Varik responded tired, "Nah"
Gavin, still keeping watch with his wide back turned to Varik, said, "It's not easy taking another's life even if they are scum, I get it. But never forget that you did what you did to survive and to protect us. You can feel bad about what you did but never feel bad about why you did it. Murder without reason is a sin not worth forgiving, you understand?"
Varik turned his back towards Gavin then responded responded somberly, "Yeah."