CHAPTER 195: WHAT BURNS, ALSO HEALS

Josie

Fire. That’s the first thing I felt—like something was clawing through my veins, setting my blood on fire from the inside out. It burned so deep, so fiercely, I thought my skin might split open. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t scream. I could only feel the heat, the agony, the way it swallowed me whole.

Tears blurred my vision. I was crying, though I wasn’t sure when it started—if it was from pain or from the weight of everything I’d lost. My chest felt like it was caving in, the air thick and useless in my lungs.

Then suddenly—like someone had cut through a string—the pain snapped. Energy surged back into me with a force that made my spine arch off the bed. My eyes flew open as I gasped, dragging in air like it was the first time I’d ever breathed. Every nerve in my body pulsed, alive and raw.

"Josie!"

Varen’s voice tore through the haze. His hands were on my shoulders in an instant, trying to hold me down, but the power rushing through me was too strong. I couldn’t control it. It spilled from my fingertips, crackling through the air like lightning. The window beside the bed shattered, sending shards flying.

"I’m fine," I gasped, even though I knew I wasn’t. "I need to see Kiel—now. And Thorne."

Varen’s grip tightened. "You’re not going anywhere. You nearly died, Josie!"

"I said I need to see them!" I snapped, my voice trembling from both power and desperation.

The seer stepped forward, her face pinched with concern. "You cannot. You must rest, child. Your body is still weak. The energy within you has not settled."

I turned to her, my chest heaving. "Do you think I care about that?" My voice broke. "They’re dying. I can feel it. I need to see them—now."

"No."

That one word felt like a slap.

"Let her," Varen murmured, but before the seer could argue, I threw the blanket off me. The moment the air touched my skin, dizziness hit me like a hammer.

Everything spun.

My knees buckled, and before I could even take a step, my vision went white.

"Josie!"

The world tilted. I fell forward, crashing into the floor as the sounds of chaos echoed around me. I heard someone shout for water. Another yelled for the doctor. My body convulsed, the energy flickering wildly like a flame running out of air.

Then Varen’s hands were on me again, trying to lift me. "Hey—stay with me, Josie. Come on—"

"Don’t touch me!" I rasped, shoving him away with all the strength I had left. He stumbled back, shock flashing across his face. I didn’t wait to see more. I crawled across the floor, dragging myself toward the faint glow at the far end of the room.

Kiel.

He was pale—too pale. The color had drained from his face, and his chest rose and fell shallowly, each breath a battle. The sight of him made something inside me shatter.

"Kiel," I whispered, my voice breaking as I reached him. I clutched his hand, my tears falling freely now. "Please... don’t leave me. Not after everything. You can’t."

His fingers twitched weakly in mine.

"Josie..." he breathed, the sound barely there.

"Don’t," I said quickly, shaking my head. "Don’t say anything. Just breathe. Please, Kiel. Just—breathe."

For a moment, it felt like the world stilled. The room faded away, leaving only the two of us and the sound of my uneven breathing. I pressed my forehead to his hand and prayed to whatever cruel gods were listening.

A weak, broken laugh escaped him. "Still... stubborn," he murmured.

I choked on a sob. "And you still don’t listen. You promised me you wouldn’t do something reckless again."

He smiled faintly, the corners of his lips twitching. "You should’ve... known better."

I let out a shaky laugh through my tears. "I did. I just hoped you’d surprise me this time."

For a brief moment, I saw something in his eyes—softness, gratitude, maybe even love. But then his gaze began to dim, his breath faltering.

"No, no, no—" I said quickly, grabbing his face. "Kiel, look at me! You hear me? You don’t get to close your eyes right now!"

Behind him, I caught sight of another body—Thorne. My chest tightened painfully. He looked worse. His skin had gone gray, his lips faintly blue.

"Thorne," I whispered.

It was too much. Too much loss. Too much pain.

Something in me broke.

I pushed myself to my feet, wiping the tears from my cheeks. I didn’t even notice the blood dripping from my nose until it hit the floor. The energy was burning again, crawling up my arms like veins of light.

I didn’t care.

I stormed back into the room, ignoring Varen’s protests. The flowers I’d asked for earlier had multiplied—spreading across the walls, the floor, even the windows. Their petals glowed faintly, pulsing in rhythm with my heartbeat.

I could feel their life. Their warmth. Their energy.

Without hesitation, I gathered armfuls of them, my hands trembling, and rushed back to the beds where Kiel and Thorne lay.

"Josie, stop," the doctor said sharply. "You don’t understand what you’re doing!"

"I understand perfectly," I shot back, my voice low and dangerous. "They saved me. Now I’m going to save them."

Varen grabbed my arm. "You can’t keep draining yourself. You’ll—"

"I said let me go!"

He hesitated, then released me.

I spread the flowers across their beds, pressing my palms to their chests. The glow spread instantly—soft light seeping through their bodies, filling the air with warmth and the faint scent of lavender and blood.

"Please," I whispered. "Please work."

The doctor lunged toward me. "Enough! You’re going to kill yourself!"

Varen caught his shoulder, shoving him back. "She knows what she’s doing."

"She’s killing them both!" the doctor shouted, voice shaking. "If you don’t stop her, they’ll all die!"

Kiel stirred weakly, his hand twitching against mine. "Varen..." he rasped. "Tell him... to shut up."

Varen blinked. "Kiel?"

He managed a faint smirk, his voice rough but real. "Told you... she’d save me."

A broken laugh tore from my throat. "You scared me half to death, you idiot."

Kiel’s eyes fluttered open, exhaustion etched across his face. "Wouldn’t be the first time."

But before I could respond, a wet, choking sound filled the air. I turned sharply—Thorne.

His body convulsed, his breathing ragged. The flowers around him turned dark, their petals wilting in seconds.

"No!" I screamed, pressing my hand to his chest. "Not you too! Come on, Thorne, stay with me!"

The doctor rushed forward. "He’s rejecting it! You’re draining his energy faster than his body can heal!"

"I can fix it," I insisted, my voice trembling. "Just—give me a minute—"

"Josie," Varen said softly, stepping closer. "You’re hurting yourself."

"I don’t care!" I cried, tears spilling again. "I can save him!"

"Josie, enough," the doctor said, voice trembling. "You’re doing more harm than good. He needs stability, not more chaos. Please—return to your bed."

Kiel struggled to sit up, his voice hoarse. "Varen... tell him to leave. Now."

The doctor spun on him, furious. "You’re delusional! I won’t let anything happen to Thorne just because you all want to play hero. He’s an experiment—an opportunity we can’t lose!"

That word—experiment—made my blood boil.

I looked at him sharply. "He’s not your experiment," I hissed. "He’s family."

The doctor paled slightly. "Josie, you don’t understand—"

"I understand perfectly," I cut in, my voice low, trembling with fury. "All you care about is your tests. Your research. You think his pain is some kind of study. Well, not anymore."

I reached out, pressing two fingers to my temple. I could feel their voices in my head—the doctor’s panic, Varen’s fear, Kiel’s exhaustion. All of it mixing into unbearable noise.

"Stop," I whispered, shaking my head.

"Josie—"

"Stop!" I screamed, and the room went silent. I shut them out—locked every mind, every thought, every voice out of my head until all I could hear was my own heartbeat.

And then—

A whisper.

Josie...

My breath hitched. I froze, my eyes darting to Thorne’s still body.

That voice—soft, fragile, and familiar—echoed through my mind again.

Josie... don’t cry.

For a moment, I thought I was imagining it. My mind was slipping, my powers were unstable—it had to be another hallucination.

But then it came again, stronger this time.

I’m here.

My knees went weak. I pressed a trembling hand to my mouth, tears streaming freely.

"Thorne?" I whispered shakily.

Don’t stop. Please... keep going.

My heart clenched painfully.

He was alive. He was reaching out to me.

And for the first time since the fire inside me began, I felt something else burning—hope.