Howls in the Dark

Aidan's POV:

Wendi was flung back into the cell, the awful sound of his limp body slamming onto the ground, he was unconscious.

I ran towards the edge of my cell, bordering on to his.

"Wendi! Oh my god are you okay?!" I screamed, trying to reach him, putting my hand through the bars. My hand went straight to his throat, there was luckily a pulse, I sighed in relief at the fact that he wasn't dead.

"Please wake up." I said softly, stroking the fur around his neck softly. Even through this seemingly hopeless situation I could still at least be there for this male that I had come to care for so much.

I felt tears arise, that he was treated to badly, just because of his species or whatever other dumbass reasons they used around this place.

I stayed there stroking his fur even though it eventually hurt to keep reaching through the bars.

His eyes suddenly began to open, almost like it was happening in slow motion, the usual fire orange of his eyes looked dull, almost a plain brown like I had.

"Wendi, I am so, so sorry they did that to you," I grimaced.

He took a moment, sitting up, his eyes almost looked empty, as if he had no hope, no purpose to keep on trying. Only sadness in his eyes. He didn't say anything as he just stared down at the floor of his cell, his tail limp.

Finally, "I can't believe I'm just going to die here, just like all before me did." His voice was so quiet, so fragile it was as if a completely different person was saying them. "I thought I could be different, the defiant one and not turn out like they had. I thought I could be the one to survive this awful world, where your kind hate me so much, but... there's nothing I can do."

He didn't even look to me, before sniffling softly, putting his head in his hands as he sobbed softly, barely audible.

I reached out once again through the bars, reaching out for his hand. He paused for a moment, his hopeless eyes bearing into me before he grasped my hand, both of us at the bars between us, just barely apart.

I stroked my hand on his soft muzzle, his antlers which were surprising warm and smooth.

"We are going to get through this." I said after a moment. "You can use your magic, you can do something and get us out of here, I just know you can."

"You already know it's drained." Wendi said in a voice hoarse from sobbing.

"I know, but I know you can push yourself, go beyond what you think you are capable of, I know you can break us free." He looked at me skeptically. "I know you'll be tired as fuck afterward, but you can do this, I believe in you."

Wendi sighed softly. "You know it could give me a magic burnout, that's when my entire body shuts down, it could even kill me if it's severe enough."

"Well, you'll probably die anyway being here if you don't do anything regardless, come on Wendi, you're probably more capable than you think." I tried to give my most encouraging expression. He had to do this, it was true he would probably just be killed anyway by those maniacs if he didn't try.

He sighed. "I'm only doing this for you, you know?" He said reluctantly before facing the locked barred door, the only way to escape.