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Chapter 32
Last Updated:
2022-09-15 22:10:42Related chapters
The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Prologue
The cold winter wind rushed through the broken window of the abandoned house. The girl in the shadows shivered, backing further away from the shattered glass. The breeze blew her hair into her eyes, and she quickly pushed it away. Her red hair was like a fire burning in the darkness, a beacon glowing brightly for her hunter to find.She looked over her shoulder for the millionth time, feeling paranoid. He could be anywhere — lurking in a dark corner, waiting behind a closed door, silently standing behind her — and she wouldn't even know it. He was too quiet. Too good at this horrible game.She stepped into the light cast by the moon, quickly climbed out the window, and landed on the side of the deserted street. The old factory loomed in the distance like a far-off memory of her old life, and she shivered again. This time though, it was not because of the cold night; the tainted memory was what caused goosebumps to form on her pale arms.Something warm then slid over her shoulders and s
Last Updated : 2022-07-25The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 1
Three Months EarlierIt was late in the night as Arder Santiago trudged up the hill to the entrance of the town graveyard. The grass was covered in a film of frost and the trees were all devoid of greenery. The only sounds were that of the frozen grass beneath her feet, her own breathing, and the growing winds causing the branches of the old oak tree in the graveyard to creak back and forth.At the top of the hill was a wrought iron fence surrounding the graves. Arder pushed open the gate and walked towards the back of the yard, just under the tree.Arder pulled off her coat and laid it beside her grandmother's grave and sat down. There was no grass on the ground in front of the grave, just upturned dirt. The tree's branches rustled above her as the wind picked up and Arder pulled the hood of her sweater over her head to block some of the cold. Instead of looking to the stone that bared her grandmother's name, Arder looked to the moon. She looked up at the bright light in the night as
Last Updated : 2022-07-26The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 2
Sophie didn't say a word as she pulled out the red first aid kit she kept under the sink. The room was a small cramped space with old tiled counters and a rusted old sink, the only thing remotely new being the oven. Everything else was at least ten years old. "Are you mad at me?" Arder asked. She jumped up onto the small counter space, careful not to hit her head on the cupboard above. "Of course I'm not mad. I just worry about you," Sophie said, dropping the small kit next to Arder. She reached up and opened the single cupboard, as only one could fit in the small kitchen. Sophie took down one of the mugs and filled it with water from the dispenser."I'm fine Soph. I just can't believe that car almost hit me." She took the mug from Sophie's hands and gulped down the drink. "Thanks," she said, dropping the mug into the basin.Sophie pulled out the rubbing alcohol and a small packet from the first aid kit. She ripped open the small package, revealing mini pieces of tissue. Uncapping th
Last Updated : 2022-07-26The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 3
Forced to go to high school for the first time, Grey had to wake up exceptionally early. He leaned against the brick wall in front of the school, waiting for the girl. The other students laughed and talked as they pushed their ways inside. Wishing he could just go home and give up, he pulled his jacket closer around himself. It was almost winter, and the freshly-cut grass was covered in a sheet of frost. As more time passed, the more the number of people outside began to dwindle. When they had all entered the building, Grey wondered if she was even going to show up. She didn't seem like the type to skip school, he thought, though he knew judging people on their appearances often backfired. The bell signalling the start of classes rang throughout the courtyard, and Grey got up to leave. Taking a final look down the street before he left, he was surprised when he saw someone. A girl was jogging down the street towards him, her red curls bouncing as she ran. Realizing it was her, Grey s
Last Updated : 2022-07-26The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 4
The factory was a mess, papers scattered across the floors and glass shards littered around the rooms. The white paint had almost chipped off completely, and many of the doors had been taken off their hinges. Strangely enough, the main lighting still worked. No one had paid the electricity bills, so Arder didn't understand how this was possible."I haven't been here since my ninth birthday," Arder said."Is this his office?" Grey asked, standing in the now doorless entryway. The room didn't look different inside. It still had Cyrus' tall mahogany bookshelves, all filled to the brim with books and notebooks. His old scratched up desk was left opened with files and pens pouring out of it. The only notable difference was the empty spot where his desktop use to sit.Arder nodded, taking a seat on one of the two oddly coloured sofas. They were both a bright orange colour that didn't match anything else in the room, yet they still seemed to fit in with the atmosphere."My mom use to drop me
Last Updated : 2022-07-26The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 5
She walked up the damp, dark path to the house more cautiously than usual. Arder had a suspicion of what would happen once she entered the mansion. Her mother definitely wasn't known for being understanding, and Arder was more than late. At the top of the stairs, the white double doors that stood at least twice her size loomed over her. She saw the golden handle turn before she had the chance to open it herself."There you are," her mother said, opening the doors. Arder did love her mother. What she didn't love was what she had become. "You missed dinner." The disappointment in her eyes was clear."I know. I'm really sorry," Arder said, stepping inside with her mom. "Sophie asked me to help clean up," she explained. Her mother shook her head."This was important," she argued. Arder slid open the first closet in the hall and hung her dark green jacket on a hanger. She was too tired to deal with this. "Arder, are you listening?""Yeah, Mom. But I had to help Sophie clean up," she repeate
Last Updated : 2022-07-27The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 6
Her history class was one of the largest she had. There were around thirty-five students in it, all of whom had moved the desks into groups to sit with their friends. Arder sat in one at the back of the classroom with Lexie, waiting for the teacher to arrive. The room was on the third floor, with an entire wall made up of six individual windows. Staring out through the glass, Arder watched the trees and bushes shift back and forth in the wind. "Are you sure Cyrus never mentioned that he had a son?" Lexie asked. She sat in the desk next to Arder, her head laying in her arms."No," Arder said. "Isn't that weird?" Turning away from the window, she looked around at all her classmates. It was strange for her to have known them for almost her whole life, yet not know anything about most of them. "Yeah," Lexie agreed, "where was he all this time?" "He said he lived with his mom," Arder replied, pulling her textbook out of her bag. Knowing the teacher would arrive soon, she got out all the
Last Updated : 2022-07-28The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 7
Arder was terrified. She felt like she was going insane every time she thought about the dream. She was the only one who knew how real it all felt though; her throat was still burning from screaming. But she knew no one would believe her if she told them about it, which is why she didn't. She got up from her desk and asked to go to the washroom. She had to know for sure that it wasn't real. Arder had to know if Sophie was okay.~~~~~The school building was silent. The only noise was the sound of her footsteps and the occasional faint voices coming from the classrooms. The hallways were covered in awards and posters for clubs. Arder didn't pay much attention to them, as she had never been the type to join such organizations.She quickly ran out the back entrance next to the gym and headed for Cara's. It was a lot less busy on the streets in the morning, with everyone either at work or school. Turning onto the busy road she had met Grey on, she quickened her pace once she saw the café'
Last Updated : 2022-07-29
Latest chapter
The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 32
There she was. Grey stood at the window to the cafe, looking inside at the girl behind the register. He had been standing there for a few minutes, but still hadn't managed to convince himself to go inside. It had been months since Grey was gifted this second chance where he could continue his life as a human, yet he still didn't know if he should talk to Arder.He was terrified that he would ruin her life more than he had already. Most of all, he was petrified that the girl he knew didn't want to see him again, even though this version of the girl that was inside wouldn't be able to remember him to make that choice. He alone had to decide if it was the right choice to walk back into her life again. He knew who she was and he loved her, and yet she couldn't remember any of it. Was it worth starting over? Grey shook his head. He was being an idiot. Of course it was worth it. His real fear, what terrified him beyond belief, was the possibility that she might not even want to know him.
The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 31
She was still falling.Arder had no idea how long she had been unconscious, maybe seconds, maybe hours, but all she knew was the darkness that surrounded her.Then there was light. Just a circle of brightness, slowly expanding to her right. Then an arm reached from the light and grabbed hold of Arder's wrist. "Hello?" Arder calked out, however nothing could be heard over the howling wind that continued on even as she stopped falling.Arder looked to the light and the hand holding her suspended in the air and made a decision. Whatever was at the end of this fall gave her a dark, terrible feeling. She was going somewhere awful, and this hand and the person it belonged to was her only hope. Arder grabbed on to the wrist of her saviour and they began to pull her into the light. It's going to be okay now, Arder told herself. Whatever it was that gave her such a horrible feeling about what was at the end of this fall, gave her a hopeful feeling about her saviour. Arder finally reached
The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 30
It came quickly and suddenly. One moment Grey was kneeling in front of her, a concerned expression covering his face, the next it was black. The darkness was surrounding her and it was as if it was squeezing the breath out of her lungs. Gasping for breath, Arder fumbled around in the darkness. "Hello?" She called out, "Is anyone there?"Then the all too familiar man emerged from the shadows, and slowly the room began to light up around him. She was lying on a cold, wet stone slab in the middle of a cave. Water dripped off the rock ceiling and landed on her forehead."Cyrus?" She asked, seeing him move towards her."We need to get you out of here," his low voice whispered. The few strands of light shined through the ceiling, revealing his face every time he stepped under one. Everything was happening so quickly, and she didn't even know where she was."Where is here?" she asked, getting off the concrete slab she woke up on. The room reeked of something rotting and it was much too dark
The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 29
Hours had passed, and it was now morning. Grey sat atop a building, staring down at the girl lying dead on the road. Her blood was still pooled around her small figure, and it had just started to stain her already red hair. She looked almost peaceful; she was beautiful even while dead. But Grey couldn't wait a second longer for her to wake up. His mind kept replaying the image of her sitting up off the road and finally becoming who she was meant to be. Except, it still hadn't happened. She was supposed to have woken up hours ago."Grey." His father's voice interrupted his thoughts. Grey merely glanced over his shoulder at the man before turning back, worried he would miss it. He needed to see her get up. It was the only way he would ever forgive himself for what he had done."What?" he growled, still angry at his father. He didn't plan on forgiving him for a long time. After all, he had made him kill someone."We need to get farther away from here," Cyrus said.Instead of turning arou
The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 28
The cold winter wind rushed through the broken window of the abandoned house. Arder shivered, backing further away from the shattered glass. The breeze blew her hair into her eyes, and she quickly pushed it away. Her dark red hair was like a fire burning in the darkness, a beacon glowing brightly for her hunter to find.She looked over her shoulder for the millionth time, feeling paranoid. He could be anywhere-- lurking in a dark corner, waiting behind a closed door, silently standing behind her-- and she wouldn't even know it. He was too quiet. Too good at this horrible game.She stepped into the light cast by the moon, quickly climbed out the window, and landed on the side of the deserted street. The old factory loomed in the distance like a far-off memory of her old life, and she shivered again. This time though, it was not because of the cold night; the tainted memory is what caused goosebumps to form on her pale arms.Something warm slid over her shoulders and she almost screamed
The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 27
The factory door burst open but Arder made no move to go see who it was. She stayed hidden in the sea of boxes for the off case that it wasn't Grey. Her hands started to shake so she clutched onto the crate underneath her. "Arder?" A deep voice called out. That was a voice she knew for sure. She stood up and zigzagged her way out of the room until she was standing in from of him. He was out of breath and almost looked nervous. "What happened?" Arder asked. "Did he follow you?"Her entire body was shaking at the idea of being caught. Arder was terrified of what would happen to her and to her family. What would she tell them?"I'm not sure. I left him at the house," Grey said, looking past her. He shuffled from foot to foot, as if he was nervous about something. "What's wrong?" Arder asked. Something seemed off about him and she wondered what had really happened back at the house. "Nothing," he assured. "I'm just thinking about what we should do now."That was what Arder was thinking
The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 26
They had sat in the abandoned house for hours now. Arder was becoming restless, she couldn't take just waiting any longer. She felt like she was just waiting to be found. The sky had just started to darken, and Grey had fallen asleep on the torn up couch. Sitting in the empty house, there wasn't much else to do. Arder walked down the narrow hallway that had the backdoor at the end, and stopped at the closed door next to it. Out of pure boredom, she decided to look around. Inside the room was a bedroom that seemed to also be an office. There were all the normal things such as a bed and dresser, but then also a desk. It had a layer of dust across it, with papers and pens scattered all around. Arder sat down in the chair that was left with it, and picked up one of the pens. She dragged it across a small ripped paper, for the chance that it still had ink. After drawing a few invisible lines, the ink slowly started to appear. With nothing else to do, she decided to just draw for awhile.
The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 25
Standing up from the couch, Arder backed away from Grey. "You mean I would be like you?" She asked. He looked to the ground, almost ashamedly and nodded. "I need some air, I'm going to go see if they have a backyard," Arder said. She watched as he ran a hand through his hair, before forcing herself to walk out the back door. Arder kept telling herself that he had a part in this too, that he had lied and known who killed Lexie all this time. Still, some part of her cared about him, and that scared her. Outside the house was an old porch with steps leading down to a small backyard. Even though the grass was all dead and brown, it was still fresh air, and exactly what Arder needed. She took deep breaths, trying to calm her racing nerves. She knew what they had told her was true, it was all true. Though she still felt like it was some sick joke. She sat down on the edge of the porch and let her legs dangle down. "Arder?" Grey asked from behind her. He crossed the porch and sat down nex
The Boy with the Fire in his Heart Chapter 24
Arder jumped out of her chair and backed away from Cyrus. She glanced over at Grey, begging him to look at her. Finally when he did look up from his magazine he looked to his father instead. She knew she was the one who had been doubting him, that she had thought he knew who killed Lexie. Maybe he had known, but without him on her side she felt ganged up on. "And how do you plan on doing that?" Arder demanded. Cyrus hesitated before he opened his mouth to speak, "Well in the past, trauma was what had triggered it." He took off his suit jacket and laid it across his desk. "That oddly enough, hasn't worked with you."Arder thought about what he had said, wondering what he meant about how it didn't work. She now understood what he was, and for some unknown reason to herself, she believed it. Knowing the necklace wasn't from her father broke her heart. She had worn it for so long that it now just felt silly. It had been a symbol to her, one to always remind her of her father. Except now
