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A bright light flashed across the horizon before a deep rumble rolled over the land, ripping Clive from his deep slumber with a gasp. Heavy rain splattered against the window of his room, another light flashing outside, instantly followed by the sound of lighting.
A thunderstorm was raging outside and Clive couldn't remember that he had experienced one as bad as this one ever before. The wind howled outside like a ferocious beast and the thunder rumbled, almost as if Garuda and Ramuth were fighting each other outside.
A heavy sigh left his lips as he plopped back on his bed, sleepy but fully aware that he won't be able to fall asleep again. It was impossible with the forces of nature causing havoc outside. That left him only with the option to sit the storm out, hoping he would get at least a little bit more sleep before his training would resume in the early morning.
Suddenly, he felt a weight deep inside his chest, the flames of the Phoenix he was blessed with flickering unsteadily. He jolted back into a sitting position at that sensation, clutching his chest in a poor attempt to calm his racing heart. It did little to nothing, the restless feeling growing only stronger with every passing second.
Before he knew what he was doing himself, Clive already stood and pulled on some clothes, leaving his room and walking down the hallway. He called this place his home, but he had to admit it looked like a haunted place from one of the textbooks he liked to read in the scarce free time he was granted.
The noises of rain and thunder constantly echoed throughout the entire castle as he walked to his aim, drawn to the source of the fire resting inside him like a moth to a flame. Eventually, he arrived at a large door and slowly opened it as carefully as he could, trying to make no noise at all.
That intention became meaningless after he had opened it by a mere gap and the first thing he heard was the sound of sobs. Clive pressed harder against the wooden surface, forcing the door to open as he entered the room, his eyes frantically searching for the source of the sobs.
He found it sitting on the bed, the shaking form of his younger brother as he cried. Rivers of tears were running down his face and it felt like a punch to the gut seeing his normally cheery brother in such a state.
“Joshua...” he whispered, his voice gentle and soft
At the sound of his name, Joshua looked upwards, eyes red and puffy from crying so much.
“Clive...”
Joshua's voice sounded so broken, the punch to the gut from earlier morphing into something more sinister, feeling like a knife was thrust into his abdomen. Clive crossed the distance in less than a second, pulling his brother in his arms.
“I'm so scared, Clive,” Joshua said, burying his face in his brother's chest.
“I know, Joshua, but there is no need for that anymore. I'm here now,” he cooed, rubbing soothing circles on his brother's back, rocking their bodies gently from side to side. Joshua cried for a while longer, but his sobs constantly grew weaker, bringing relief to Clive's heart.
Eventually, they stopped altogether, but they stayed in their embrace for a while longer, listening to the still-ongoing thunderstorm outside. At some point, Joshua lifted his head and looked at his brother who in response only smiled softly. He knew that look too well, so there was no need for words.
Clive laid down, pulling Joshua with him before he pulled the comforters over their bodies. Joshua robbed closer to him, burying his face in his chest again while Clive tightened his arms around his brother.
Both brothers were overwhelmed by drowsiness the moment they got comfortable, sleep clawing at them in gentle motions. The last thing Clive heard before sleep took him away was a soft whisper from his brother.
“Thank You Clive.”