[right][h2][color=8493ca]Caught in a Snare[/color][/h2][@DaftJive][@Tlazolteotl][/right]

[color=8493ca]Damien blinked, watching in awe as each sprout delicately unfurled before his eyes. In moments, he was surrounded by greens, oranges, and purples. A tension within him he did not know he was holding had released. The chains around him were gone, as if they had never been there. The remaining thick vines at the barrier were nothing more than a fleeting thought while Damien took in his changing environment.

As he breathed, it felt like the plants were breathing along with him. Damien closed his eyes for a moment and drank in the stillness, then looked up at the moth. He wasn't sure what he was meant to be ready for, but he felt ready just the same.

When he reached out for the moth's hand, that familiar voice broke through the calm.[/color]

[color=000000][b][i]"No."[/i][/b][/color]

[color=8493ca]Damien pulled his hand back and whipped around, searching for the demon. The piercing sound of the ringing phones and frantic typing resurfaced as Viné's claws ripped through the foliage. Damien glanced back momentarily at the moth as his nervous system threatened a prey response. He searched the shadows for the lion's face, but found nothing yet.

He expected the flashbacks, but nothing came. Instead, he felt a desperate urge to protect the garden. [i]His[/i] garden. An urge to protect his peace. A small purple flame danced in his left hand. He didn't remember conjuring it. He thought about distinguishing it. His magic was nothing compared to Viné's. For some reason unbeknownst to him, however, he let it burn.[/color]