shards

Everything was fine... until it wasn't.

It began with silence. Taylor and Caelus had just made their way through the crowd when everything stopped. A stillness hung heavy in the air, like a shrouded sun. A white dove flew overhead, and Caelus gripped her hand in a deathly way.

"No," he whispered, his voice hollow. Taylor turned, but his gaze was fixed on the sky. She quickly realized he wasn't talking to her. Following his gaze, she found herself looking at a flock of white birds. She watched as one stray fell behind, flapping its wings desperately. Her brows twisted in confusion.

"Why is it so desperate to keep up? The bird will make it with time," she murmured.

"He doesn't have time," Caelus replied. She moved away from him as his grip tightened, and just as she was about to ask her question, an arrow whipped through the sky, silent as death. The bird fell to the ground.

She screamed, but before the sound could echo, Caelus clamped a finger over her lips. "Don't," he scolded, his voice firmer than he'd ever used with her before. A shadow moved at his feet, and his eyes glowed a luminescent red. She flinched and flailed her limbs, but his hold was iron, and she wasn't getting away. "You scream, and they scream," he pointed to the crowd ahead of them, "and then panic, and we get trampled." She stopped trembling. He released his palm from her face, satisfied, and cupped her cheek in his hands.

"My brother," she whispered fearfully. She couldn't let him die, or get hurt, or...

"The plan is we get your brother and get the hell out," he whispered to her. "But to do that, we have to get over there before people realize we're under attack." She paused, turning to him, jaw slack.

"What do you mean we're under attack?" she hissed.

He turned to her, eyes grim. "Taylor, we are under attack. Do you think that arrow hit the bird by accident?" He inhaled, using his hand to guide her face towards the sky. "Those are crescent birds. They are the one species that never migrate." His lips were at her ear as he whispered the last part. "I know we're under attack because I know what war looks like. And I know when the crescents run, it's from danger."

Another arrow soared through the sky, and another crescent bird dropped to the ground. He was right. Danger wasn't far off from them. She turned to him, eyes firm.

"Okay, I understand," she nodded. "But when we're all safe again, you're going to tell me who the hell you are," she whispered through gritted teeth. He smirked, taking her loose hand and slipping his fingers back around hers.

"It's a deal," he said.

"A promise," she corrected with a grin.

Running through the mass of people, Caelus and Taylor pushed past women and men, past vendors and children, towards the young boy with brown hair and crystal eyes.

"Soren!" she yelled, shoving past a woman holding shopping bags.

"Hey!" the woman scolded, but Taylor ignored her. Soren's head whipped around, and his face paled as he came face-to-face with a red-flushed, furious Taylor. His lips quivered, and slowly he dropped the bag of doughnuts he had been munching on. It seemed he had been completely unaware of the chaos he had caused and even more oblivious to the crowd of raging people chasing after him.

"You," she growled, pulling Soren into her arms and hugging him tightly. Then she pushed him back and pinched his ears. "How hard is it to buy eggs?" she shouted at him. Soren shrunk into himself, but then his ears perked up upon seeing the boy next to her.

Caelus stepped forward, eyes scanning the area warily. "Taylor, we need to move. Now." His voice was calm, but the urgency was unmistakable.

"What's happening?" Soren asked, his voice trembling as he looked between Taylor and Caelus.

Taylor sighed, trying to keep her composure. "We don't have time for explanations right now, Soren. Just know that we're in danger and we need to leave immediately."

Soren nodded, fear replacing the confusion on his face. Taylor grabbed his hand, and they started moving through the crowd, Caelus leading the way.

As they weaved through the throngs of people, Taylor couldn't help but glance at Caelus. His usually calm demeanor was strained, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. She knew he was right; they needed to get out of there before things got worse.

Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted behind them. Taylor glanced back to see a group of armed figures pushing their way through the crowd. The people began to panic, shoving and screaming as they tried to get away from the danger.

"Caelus!" Taylor yelled, pointing towards the approaching threat.

"I see them," he replied, his voice steady. "Stay close, and don't let go of Soren's hand."

They pushed forward, the sounds of chaos growing louder around them. Taylor tightened her grip on Soren's hand, her heart pounding in her chest. She glanced at Caelus, who met her gaze with a determined nod.

"Almost there," he said, guiding them towards a narrow alleyway. "Once we're out of the crowd, we can find a safer place to hide."

They slipped into the alley, the noise of the crowd fading slightly as they moved further away. Taylor took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She looked down at Soren, who was clutching her hand tightly, his eyes wide with fear.

"You're doing great," she said softly, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Soren nodded, his grip on her hand not loosening. "Are we going to be okay?"

Taylor glanced at Caelus, who was keeping watch at the entrance of the alley. "Yes," she said firmly. "We'll be okay. We just need to stick together and stay smart." She wouldn't let anything happen to Soren. Not after everything they had been through. She glanced at Caelus, wondering who he really was. He had always seemed so composed, so in control. But now, she saw the strain in his eyes.

Caelus turned back to them, his expression grim. "We need to keep moving. There's no telling how far the attack has spread."

They continued down the alley, the sounds of the city now a distant murmur. Taylor stopped in her tracks, her face torn in a look of awe and horror. Shards of blue shattered on the ground. Taylor's heart pounded in her chest. She watched as more shards of blue broke away, tumbling down like deadly rain. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the air seemed to hum.

"Taylor, we need to—" Caelus yelled, but he too paused and stared up at the sky.

"Caelus," Taylor whispered. "Is the sky... falling?"

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