CW: Episode contains mention of sexual assault.

The cuffs around his wrists dig into his skin, cutting deeper as his struggles grow in intensity. He feels the blood flowing freely, dripping down his arms. It stains the sheets.

The boy's throat feels raw from screaming, having degraded to sobbing now. The tears spilling down his flesh, just like his blood.

He feels the hands on his midsection, his eyes screwed shut, not wanting to see what he knows is about to happen. The hands are soft. So misleadingly soft and gentle.

The collar is heavy around his neck, his heart pounding at the mere thought of them tugging on it again. He can't help but feel certain it'll burst of terror one of these days.

He again finds the energy to scream.

Jake startles, clutching at his throat as he looks around. He's in one of the lava pools at the foot of the volcano.

Damn it all. Mind goes to such dark places when I'm alone, he thinks.

He shakes his head to rid himself of the vile thoughts, submerging himself in the searing liquid. The pools have been carved so that there's a ridge to sit on. However, the middle is hollowed out, leading to the heart of the volcano itself as well as connecting all the other pools.

Lava to Fire Spirits is much like water to humans. Though thicker, Jake can easily swim around under the surface, moving throughout the caverns freely.

He lets himself float in place once he goes deep enough, eyes closed, trying to calm down after his flashback. They can be triggered by the smallest thing on a bad day. Sometimes, just sitting and staring at nothing can be enough to make his mind float back in time. And suddenly, he's stuck back there. His glowing blue eyes crack open to stare down at his form.

Muscular, tan, covered in freckles. He sighs and touches his chest, feeling where a human's nipple would be. His hands end up on his inner thigh, then his fingers drag across where a human man would have his-

Jake's attention snaps up when he senses another coming his way. He runs his fingers through his hair, not that it does much good as it floats around his head. He smiles when he realizes who it is: Kathleen, one of his favourite lesser Spirits. One of the few other Fire Spirits that doesn't have red eyes, instead having red hair. Her curls spill around her pretty face.

"Heya, Kathy!" Jake grins, looking as upbeat as ever and hoping it doesn't seem too forced "Imagine swimmin' into you here!"

"Almost as if we're the same element or something," Kathleen giggles.

Jake feigns shock, then moves a little closer. "Oh, we both know we got more in common than that, sweetheart!"

Kathleen hardly even reacts. Like most Elementals, she's used to Jake's flirtation. With everyone. It's to the point where if Jake doesn't hit on someone, they get worried he hates them. Without missing a beat, Kathleen replies, "You mean like our appreciation for pretty girls?"

Jake just laughs. "Hey, I think I'm pretty! C'mon, throw me a bone here, Kathy!"

"You're failing on the second half of that statement, Jake."

"Rude! But accurate. You gotta admit I'm hot though."

"We're all hot, Jake. We're Fire Spirits!" Kathleen giggles again. "Still doesn't make you my type."

Jake's cocky grin turns into a soft smile. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Just messin' with that pretty head of yours." He winks and Kathleen rolls her eyes at him, smiling a little herself. He already feels much better just having someone near him, pulling Jake back into reality with a light, meaningless conversation. He really is fond of his lesser Spirits, though... there is someone who always seems to cloud his thoughts. That he always wishes were around instead.

Kathleen must be able to tell Jake's mind has wandered elsewhere again as she gently pokes his arm, amused. Unlike Jake, only in his pants, she's still wearing her red robes, splaying around her.

As Jake gazes at Kathy, he can't help but long to see how his robes would look, floating around his slender form. How his white glow would look in the lava.

The Elemental robes are all slightly different, depending on who's wearing them. Though all are long enough in the back to touch the ground, and all are sleeveless. Some collars are low, like Cyn's and Kathleen's, while others like Ezi's are high and nearly touch their chins. Some have fronts that cover their midriff, others have the stomach exposed. Jake himself has decided to just always have his robes open or discarded completely, showing off his chest. Mother wasn't impressed at first, but eventually relented.

Jake smiles and says a quick goodbye to the other Spirit, swimming back up and feeling anxious for Ezi and Cyn to return. Sure, it's just a patrol but Ezi isn't fully recovered yet. He has Cyn to watch him, but Jake can't help but be wary of her sometimes. She gets too carried away in a fight, never mind that nightmare inducing aura of hers.

Jake emerges from the lava and gets dressed as he thinks this, gazing at the forest. It's already late afternoon. Just how much ground did Mother ask them to cover? What's happening? Is Ezi okay?

Jake himself already finished up his tasks for the day, as they had all been easy. Kamiko. He decides to look for Kamiko in the meantime. Out of all the Elementals he's had the pleasure of meeting, she's the one who can always make him feel better. No matter what. Now, if only she wasn't always so damn hard to find. Jake begins his search, occasionally asking other Spirits if they've seen his friend.

But even with all the distractions, the image of the boy in chains is seared into the back of his mind. A constant reminder. A curse that plagues every centimeter of his immortal being.

Even after all these decades, even with being a Fire Spirit, the images still make him feel frozen to the core.