Ezra tensed the moment he heard it.
"…Dark Ones?" he muttered under his breath, his eyes flicking toward Lior.
Lior was already watching them, small hands gripping the blanket, his earlier fear not fully gone.
"Yes!" Fizzy grabbed Ezra's arm, pulling him forward. His voice shook. "They need you. Prince Helios took most of the knights; there's less than ten of us here. There's… there's a lot of them!"
Ezra's jaw tightened.
'Fuck.'
It came at the worst time.
Fizzy's grip tightened. "I'll look after Lior. They need you!"
Ezra exhaled sharply through his nose, then turned to Lior.
"I have to go," he said. "There are Dark Ones outside. You know what those are, right?"
Lior nodded quickly, though his hands trembled slightly. "Y-Yes…"
"Fizzy will take care of you. They need my help. Okay, Lior?"
He wanted to reach for him. To hold him again. But Fizzy was there, and this wasn't the time.
