24. Overwhelmed

The moment the mirror shattered, both Ash and James dove instinctively to the other side of the room. Shards of glass flew through the air like a storm of needles, cutting into their skin. Blood seeped from fresh wounds, but neither of them stopped. Survival drove them forward.

James gritted his teeth as he forced himself to stand, glass shards embedded in his flesh. Pain shot through his body, but his senses screamed a louder warning—three presences were drawing closer. His heart pounded as he turned to face them, his instincts sharpening. The spirits materialized, their ghastly forms swirling in front of him and Ash. Without hesitation, James raised his hand, summoning the Essence Flame. Blue fire roared to life and surged toward the spirits.

The spirits let out piercing, bone-chilling wails that echoed throughout the room. Ash, unable to see the entities, froze at the sound. A shiver ran down his spine. The EMF in his hand which was silent even after the glass shattered, was now going crazy.

"What the hell?" Ash gasped, his voice trembling.

"Run!" James barked, his voice strained with pain and urgency. His eyes stayed locked on the spirits, the blue flames flickering in his hands. He didn't dare show weakness.

Ash hesitated, his wide eyes darting between James and the unnerving scene before him. "What the fu*k is going on? What the fu*k was that fire?" he demanded, already moving toward the door.

"Just go!" James snapped, his voice raw. He could feel them—more than ten spirits—closing in fast. There was no time to explain.

James unleashed another burst of Essence Flame to drive the spirits back. Their screams grew louder, but it bought them a few precious seconds. He turned to Ash, whose face was pale with confusion and fear.

"Move your ass!" James shouted, staggering toward the door, glass grinding against his muscles with every step.

Ash limped behind, panting, his mind racing. He couldn't see the spirits, but James's tone left no room for argument. Still, he couldn't help yelling, "You're insane, you know that?!"

James ignored him, his focus locked on the approaching presences. He could feel them multiplying—twenty, thirty... maybe more. His Essence Flame flared brighter as he summoned another surge to hold them back. Each burst drained him further, his energy running dangerously low.

"We can't keep this up!" Ash shouted, nearly tripping as he reached the main door of the manor.

"You think I don't know that?" James growled, his voice cracking as he pushed through the pain.

At the door, James stopped abruptly, his essence senses screaming at him. The spirits were closing in, far too many to fight. He whirled toward Ash. "Get to the car. Now!"

Ash froze, his breath catching. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'll hold them off," James spat, blue flames licking his hands. "Go! I'll be right behind you!"

Ash hesitated for half a second before bolting toward the Camaro. His mind reeled, but his survival instincts took over. He knew that he couldn't harm the spirits without his gun which he had dropped earlier when he took a dive to dodge the glass shrads.

James didn't wait to see if Ash made it. He turned back to the spirits, summoning the last of his energy. Blue flames erupted in a massive wall, separating him from the spirits. Their screams of pain filled the night as the wall burned brightly, a flickering barrier against the overwhelming tide.

Seizing the moment, James extended his hand and used Essence Absorption on the nearest spirits. Their energy flooded into him, replenishing his reserves and dulling his pain. For a brief second, he felt almost whole again.

"Son of a b*tch!" James muttered, sensing even more presences approaching. He pushed his body to the limit, creating another flaming barrier to buy himself time. Then, without wasting a second, he sprinted after Ash, his legs carrying him faster now that his essence had partially healed him.

The Camaro roared to life just as James reached it. Ash had already slid into the driver's seat, his hands gripping the wheel tightly.

"Get in!" Ash yelled, his voice shaky but determined.

James threw open the door and climbed in, slamming it shut. "Drive!"

Ash didn't need to be told twice. He hit the gas, the tires screeching as the car sped down the road. James slumped back in the seat, his breathing ragged, his body trembling from exertion and blood loss.

"You good?" Ash asked, glancing sideways at him, his voice tight with worry.

James nodded faintly, though his pale, sweat-soaked face told a different story. "Yeah... just need to get... to a hospital."

He had completely emptied his essence energy for that last wall of fire and now he was facing the consequences of abruptly doing it so.

James clenched his jaw, focusing on the road, trying to keep himself conscious.

"You're bleeding...all over my seats, man," he muttered.

Ash let out a weak laugh that turned into a cough. "Shut it."

Ash floored the accelerator, weaving through the dark streets. "How the hell are you even still alive? Those flames... what are you?"

James didn't answer right away. He stared out the window, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

"Long story," he muttered. "Let's just... focus on not crashing while driving right now."

Ash shot him a look but kept his mouth shut. The car tore through the night, the eerie glow of the manor fading behind them.

---

After a few minutes the Camaro screeched to a stop in front of the hospital's emergency entrance, its headlights slicing through the night. Ash groaned as he pushed the door open, his body screaming in pain. Blood seeped from a deep cut on his side, and small shards of glass were embedded in his arms and legs. Despite his own injuries, his concern was for James.

He limped to the passenger side, pulling the door open. "James, come on! We're here!" he urged, his voice trembling with urgency.

James stirred, wincing as he moved. His body was riddled with shards of glass, and blood stained his torn clothes. Every motion sent sharp pain shooting through him, but he forced himself to swing his legs out of the car. He gritted his teeth as he leaned against the door, struggling to stay upright.

"You look worse than I feel," Ash muttered, trying to lighten the mood, though his voice was weak.

James shot him a glare. "Let's just get inside."

Ash nodded and wrapped an arm under James's shoulder, helping him toward the hospital doors. Blood left faint smudges on the ground behind them as they staggered into the bright, sterile lobby.

---

Inside, the receptionist's eyes widened at the sight of the two bloodied men. She quickly grabbed a phone and called for help. Within moments, nurses and orderlies appeared, wheeling gurneys toward them.

"What happened?" one of the nurses asked, her voice laced with concern.

"An accident," Ash lied quickly, his voice hoarse. He gestured toward James. "He needs help more than me."

James shook his head, his jaw tight. "Help him first," he insisted, his tone leaving no room for argument.

The nurse glanced between them, noting the glass embedded in James's arms and chest. "Both of you are coming in," she said firmly.

The nurses quickly guided them onto gurneys and wheeled them into separate rooms.

Inside the hospital room, James lay on the gurney, his body stiff with tension as the doctor prepared to remove the glass shards. He had been given a local anesthetic to numb the area, but he could still feel pressure as each shard was carefully pulled from his skin.

"You've got quite a few deep wounds," the doctor said as he carefully removed the last piece from James's chest. "It's lucky nothing important got hit."

James didn't say much, his body still aching from the glass embedded in his flesh.

"All done," the doctor finally said after finishing the last shard. "You'll be sore for a while, but you'll heal fine."

James let out a breath of relief. "Good," he muttered, closing his eyes for a moment. "I'll live."

The doctor smiled slightly. "You should rest. We'll keep you here overnight for observation, but you're stable now."

James nodded, too tired to say more. His head was heavy, and his body was still recovering from the fight and the blood loss. He closed his eyes, letting himself relax as exhaustion finally overcame him.

---

In the next room, Ash had also been treated. He lay back on his gurney, the nurse finishing up with his bandages.

"You're lucky it wasn't worse," she said. "A few stitches, and you'll be fine. Just get some rest."

Once the nurse left, Ash sat up a little, wincing at the pain in his side. His mind was still racing, wondering what exactly had gone down.

But he was too tired...and in no time he too drifted off to sleep.

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