As soon as the word 'Nell' entered his ears, he pulled her closer and hugged her with desperation. It was the hug of a man who had just watched his universe collapse and miraculously found it whole again.
"What..." Ember started, but she couldn't speak further.
Nellas' grip on her was so fierce that her normal human body, now stripped of the demonic power, couldn't withstand the pressure.
A small "Urk!" left her lips as the air was squeezed from her lungs.
Realizing his own strength, Nellas immediately loosened his grip, though he still refused to let go. He kept his arms wrapped around her as if she might turn into ash and blow away if he broke contact for even a second.
"What happened, Nellas?" she asked, her voice small and trembling. The phantom pain of a sword through her chest was fading, but the confusion was only growing.
"Nothing. Everything is alright now," he replied, his voice was thick with a mixture of relief and lingering horror.
