(Side Story) I'll protect them both

Dragging his wounded body across the grimy floor, Drake staggered closer to the wailing boy. His breath came in ragged gasps, each inhalation like fire in his lungs, but he pressed forward. His bloodied hand shot out and gripped the boy's shoulders with a force that was almost desperate. His fingers trembled, not from weakness but from a storm of fury and fear boiling within him. His voice was cold and controlled, but the edge of his anxiety bled through as he demanded.

"Tell me right now… what happened?"

Hirvan shuddered under the icy grip, his eyes wide and panic-stricken.

The chilling touch woke him from his hysteria, forcing his mind to regain its composure. Raising his head, the reddened eyes and face full of despair came into view. Hirvan felt a massive lump in his throat preventing him from speaking. He swallowed hard, the motion painful, before he finally managed to say, in a voice frail and trembling.