Chapter 14: The Return of the Spark
For a long moment, there was no sound except the thrumming blades of the helicopters and the distant wind. Then, deep within Toby’s chest, a tiny, faint ember began to glow.
It wasn't his power. It was something else.
Marcus placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder, wishing with all his heart for the child to survive. Cross, still weeping, reached out a trembling finger and touched the boy's boot. Around them, the disarmed operatives—men who had lived by violence for decades—stepped forward and gently placed their hands on one another, creating an unbroken chain of human contact centered on the boy.
The light returned, but this time, it flowed *into* Toby, not out of him.
The collective empathy, sorrow, and love of dozens of people acted as a conduit. The faint ember grew into a steady, rhythmic heartbeat. Toby took a sharp, sudden breath, his eyelashes fluttering open against the glow of the media floodlights.
May you like
He looked up at Evelyn, a faint smile gracing his lips. "It doesn't feel cold anymore," he whispered.
---
