The ghost dragon scooped up Aaron and Ishibashi before the Revinir could send another wave of fire. He took off at a velocity rarely seen in ghost dragons, heading south toward Ashguard’s palace. As Thisbe and Rohan disappeared into the thick of the forest, the Revinir sent another ball of fire at the rising ghost dragon, but could do no harm to Quince’s underside.

The rest of the ghost dragons surrounded the Revinir, raising their wings around her to trap her and delay her from going after either party. When Quince had moved out of the Revinir’s fiery range, he used his tail to put the two men gently on his back, one at a time, as he continued flying.

Aaron, scorched and blistering, rolled to his side as the throbbing pain began and grew. “I’m coming, Ishibashi!” he cried, his voice ragged. He pushed himself to his feet and stumbled across the dragon’s back to the scientist. In the distance the Revinir let out a frustrated, bloodcurdling roar.

Aaron stared at Ishibashi’s limp body, then quickly knelt by the old man’s side. He checked the scientist’s vital signs, cursing himself all the while for not bringing medicine with him.

But Ishibashi had no pulse. No heartbeat. Aaron bent his face near the scientist’s but could detect no breath left inside him. The young man tried his best to revive Ishibashi, ignoring his own agonizing pain. But in time, Ishibashi’s neck and chest grew cold beneath Aaron’s hands. After too long, Aaron finally gave up. Heaving and exhausted, he looked at the man’s face. Ishibashi… was dead.

Aaron’s eyes widened as unshed tears burned them. But then a desperate, wretched sob escaped. He took in a sharp breath, and more sobs came. Sick, angry, broken sobs. Sobs that had never come when his own parents had died. But Ishibashi had been more than a parent. “No!” Aaron screamed. “No!”

An overwhelming feeling and an intense realization enveloped Aaron, pressing down like a weight on his chest. The man who’d rescued him. The man who’d taken him in. Who’d shown him love and had taught him discipline. Who’d promised just moments ago to spend the rest of forever with him… Ishibashi was dead. How could it be? He’d died.

As Aaron sat numb on the back of a ghost dragon with the scientist’s body in his arms, his mind spun between sorrow and wonder. He felt the weight on his chest lifting and lightening. The soul of the beautiful old man seemed to leave its burned shell and rise to the air, moving far away to the east, taking bits of Aaron’s sorrows and one of his biggest fears with it.