Chapter 158 I DON'T KNOW BUT I THINK I HAVEN'T UNDERSTOOD HOW THIS WORLD REALLY WORKS

Chapter 158 I DON'T KNOW BUT I THINK I HAVEN'T UNDERSTOOD HOW THIS WORLD REALLY WORKS
CHAPTER 158

EMBER

The screech sounded again, piercing and familiar. Recognition hit me hard. It was the shadow monster. My stomach dropped with a sick feeling of dread.

Ragnar muttered beside me, his voice low and strained. “Oh no. It’s really happening.”

I whirled around to face him, my heart hammering in my chest. “What?” I asked, my voice sharp with worry.

He got up quickly and snatched my hands, his grip firm and urgent. His face looked tense, brows furrowed deep. “We need to head back to the academy.”

I nodded fast, but concern for the rest of the group twisted inside me. “What about the others?”

He hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes flashing with impatience. “The others are capable of finding their way back to the bus or the academy.”

He pulled me closer, his breath warm against my face. “Feast your hand around my neck and hook your legs around my waist. Hold onto me tight.”

I looked at him frantically, my pulse racing. “What are you going to do?”

He snapped at me angrily, his voice rising. “Ember, you ask too many questions. I’m going to fly us to the academy.”

I bit my lip hard, shuddering from the force of his yell. The sharpness in his tone made my chest tighten with unease.

I wrapped my hands around his neck, feeling the heat of his skin and the rapid thud of his pulse under my fingers. He lifted me up. I fastened my legs around his waist, locking them tight.

Almost immediately, his wings snapped out with a loud rush of air and widened fully. He launched into the sky.

Cold wind whipped across my face as I scanned the ground below, searching desperately, but I couldn’t see the others anywhere.

A screech sounded above us. Something heavy crashed into us with brutal force. I screamed as I was snatched away from Ragnar.

The world tilted wildly and I began falling fast toward the ground, air rushing past me in a deafening roar.

Thick shadows curled around my body, cold and slimy against my skin. A pair of purple eyes glared down at me. Hooded limbed hands grabbed hold.

I gasped sharply as the power of the shadow monster washed through me, dark and draining, pulling at my own energy like icy fingers. Fear surged hot in my veins.

I screamed, grabbed its head with both hands, and reached deep into the well of my fire power. Fire blazed at my hands immediately, hot and fierce. The shadow monster screeched in pain, the sound loud and raw in my ears.

I held onto it tightly, refusing to let go, until it burned completely to ashes. I was left suspended in the air for a moment before I began descending fast toward the ground again.

I took hold of the wind, wielding it to brace my feet as I propelled myself downward with focused bursts. A terrifying roar sounded a moment later. Then I was snatched again.

I was in the air, but I wasn’t falling this time. I was hooked within a large talon. It was a dragon. Kael. Relief flooded through me mixed with fresh fear.

I hooked onto his legs and propelled myself upward toward his body. The scales felt rough and slippery under my palms. I began sliding again. He caught me with his tail, the strong muscle wrapping securely around me.

I started the difficult climb up his legs, grabbing and pulling with all my strength. Finally I reached his neck and held on steadfast. He released a massive blast of fire at a shadow monster below, the heat roaring past me intensely.

I looked around from my position high up. The festival had turned into total chaos. Everyone was running and shouting and screaming.

Pandemonium had broken out everywhere as different portals had opened across the festival grounds. A massive rush of shadow monsters poured through.

How was this happening? My mind spun with confusion and horror. Students scrambled in every direction, shifting into their various forms.

Terrifying screams and cries of terror rang out as the monsters grabbed people and students, feeding on their powers. The sounds of panic and pain filled the air, along with the acrid smell of smoke and burning.

I jabbed Kael with my feet, my voice urgent. “I need to get down at the festival!”

He roared loudly in response. I guessed it was a no. He flew away from the festival and my heart did a flip with frustration. He was taking me back to the academy.

But what about the other students and the people down there? I could save them. We were powerful and we could take on the monsters. We couldn’t just leave them like that. Guilt and anger burned inside me.

I yelled at Kael, my voice cracking with emotion. “Take me down or else I’m going to fall off your back!”

He yanked his head backward and looked at me. His eyes were storm gray, the same as his human eyes. He roared at me and continued flying. Determination surged through me.

I let go of my hands and dived off his back. I created an air shield around myself and concentrated hard on propelling downward with a strong rush of air. The wind howled in my ears.

A thunderous roar sounded behind me. I turned to see Kael racing after me, his huge body terrifying in the night.

I created a massive fire dragon and sent it straight at him. He roared in anger. My shield started cracking from the force of his attack and I tumbled downward suddenly, losing concentration.

I yelped, my heart stuttering as the ground came rushing up fast. Just a moment before my head slammed into the earth, my earth power reacted instinctively and created a cushion of soft dirt and grass.

I fell into it with a heavy groan, the impact jarring my whole body.

I looked up to see Kael driving straight at me without slowing down. Oh shit, he’s going to slam into me. I stood up quickly on shaky legs and began running.

A shadow monster suddenly came at me from the side. I roared and let my hands fall freely. My fire danced at my fingers.

I let it take over me as I wielded a whirlpool of fire that burned the monster completely without it making a sound. I grinned widely, breathing hard, and ran into the crowd of students.

I spotted Liana fighting with a shadow monster and raced up to her. I waved one of my hands, yanking the monster and suspending it with my air magic. With my other hand I sent fire rolling out that slammed into it. It screeched loudly, the sound deafening my ears.

I grasped my hand tighter, holding it suspended in the air while my fire burned into it until it turned to ashes.

“Ember!” Liana yelled. She turned, her eyes widening with relief, and ran toward me.

“Ember, your back,” she shouted, her voice full of emotion.

She whipped her hands out. I turned a second too late. A shadow slammed into me and knocked me off the ground, throwing me hard into a wall.

Stones crashed and tumbled down on me. I groaned as the rough edges bit into my skin. Pain exploded when a heavy stone fell on my body.

“Ember!” Liana yelled, her voice filled with panic.

I groaned and braced myself. I screamed in pain as I wielded my air magic into a huge wind that threw the stone off me. I stood up slowly, bleeding from cuts all over, and coughed out blood that tasted warm and metallic in my mouth.

A hand suddenly wrapped around my neck from behind. My fire reacted, snapping out hot and bright, but shadows wrapped around it and killed the flames effortlessly.

Kael was glaring at me. I could feel his fury radiating off him in waves. His eyes were cold and hard. He was breathing heavily, standing completely naked in front of me and bleeding from several cuts on his body. His muscles were tense, fists clenched at his sides.

He growled low, his voice rough with anger. “Do you naturally enjoy injuring yourself or are you just foolish?”