Chapter 3: The Enigma of Axel Thorne
869 Words
The crackling of flames echoed through Nyx’s mind as she trudged through the forest. Her body ached, exhaustion pulling at her limbs, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t. The soldiers were no longer hot on her trail, but the feeling of being hunted clung to her like a second skin. The night had grown colder, the trees seeming to whisper secrets she couldn’t understand.
“Just keep moving,” Nyx muttered to herself, her voice breaking the oppressive silence.
The forest began to thin, and she caught sight of a clearing up ahead. Relief flickered in her chest. A chance to rest—if only for a moment. Her boots crunched softly against the leaves as she emerged into the open, but her reprieve was short-lived.
“Running from someone, or just lost?”
Nyx froze. The voice was low and smooth, tinged with amusement, but there was a dangerous edge lurking beneath it. She turned toward the source, her body tensing as her gaze landed on a figure lounging atop a fallen tree.
The man was unlike anyone she had ever seen. Lean and powerful, he exuded an air of calculated calm, as though the world itself danced to his tune. Midnight-black hair fell messily over his brow, and his golden eyes gleamed even in the dim light of the clearing. He looked at her with a quiet intensity, a half-smile playing on his lips that was both infuriating and hypnotic.
“Who are you?” Nyx demanded, her hands instinctively heating with a flicker of fire.
The man’s golden gaze dropped to her fingertips, his smile widening. “Easy, little flame. I’m not here to hurt you. If I were, you’d already know it.”
“Answer me,” Nyx said sharply, taking a step back.
He slid off the tree with an almost feline grace, his boots making no sound as they touched the ground. “Name’s Axel Thorne. And you, I assume, are the firestarter causing all the fuss in the city.”
Nyx’s heart skipped a beat. How did he know about her? Her fists tightened, the fire flaring brighter.
“Don’t look so shocked,” Axel continued, tilting his head as though he were studying her. “Word travels fast, especially when it involves a girl who can turn soldiers into cinders.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lied, her voice steady.
Axel chuckled softly, the sound low and rich. “You’re a terrible liar, Nyx Starfire.”
Hearing him say her name sent a shiver down her spine. “How do you know who I am?” she demanded.
“I make it my business to know things,” he replied casually, his golden eyes never leaving hers. “Especially when those things involve power—and trouble.”
Nyx’s instincts screamed at her to run, but her legs refused to move. There was something about Axel Thorne that kept her rooted in place. His presence wasn’t like Asher’s. Where Asher was sharp-edged and reckless, Axel was... composed. Dangerous in a quieter, more deliberate way.
“What do you want from me?” she asked finally.
Axel shrugged, though his gaze remained intense. “For now? Nothing. I just wanted to see you for myself—the girl with fire in her veins and chaos at her heels.”
“I’m not your entertainment,” Nyx snapped.
His smile returned, sharper this time. “Oh, I think you’re much more than that.”
Nyx took a step back, the fire in her palms crackling to life. “Stay away from me, Axel Thorne. I don’t trust you.”
“You shouldn’t,” he agreed easily, his voice soft but deadly. “Trusting someone like me would be a mistake.”
Before she could respond, a distant noise broke the tension—a branch snapping somewhere deep in the forest. Nyx stiffened, her head whipping toward the sound. Axel’s gaze sharpened as well, all traces of amusement vanishing.
“They’re coming,” she murmured, her chest tightening.
“And you’re not ready for them,” Axel said calmly, as if pointing out the weather.
“I can handle myself,” she shot back.
His golden eyes glimmered as he stepped closer, closing the distance between them. “Oh, I don’t doubt that, little flame. But let me give you a piece of advice.” He leaned in, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “Power like yours? It’ll eat you alive if you’re not careful.”
Nyx stared at him, her fire flickering uncertainly as his words sank in. Before she could decide how to respond, Axel stepped back, his demeanor once again impossibly relaxed.
“Good luck, Nyx Starfire,” he said, turning toward the shadows. “You’re going to need it.”
And just like that, he vanished into the darkness, leaving Nyx alone in the clearing, her mind spinning.
She didn’t know who Axel Thorne really was, or what he wanted—but one thing was certain. He was right about one thing.
Her fire was getting harder to control. And if she didn’t figure out how to tame it, it would destroy her.
- Writer
