The cold of the long-forgotten Elysium territory enclosed inside the shallow cave, it's freezing temperature encapsulating Alexandre. He trembled close to the walls, leaning against whatever he could for warmth, only to ignore one vital source. As time passed, he moved closer to the entrance and tired eyes watched as the horizon shifted throughout the days, wearily hoping for his escape. No savior appeared though. Only strangers lingered past, their eyes purposefully avoiding his blood-stained kitten that cried for their help. With his wound closing, infection on the brink, and his body losing weight, the skinny kitten settled in for his eventual fate.

A whispering thought lingered though. The urge raged inside him, but he withheld. His orange gaze persisted towards the corpse left behind occasionally, only to look back out at the territory in dismay, but as time flew and his desperation grew, Alexandre's wanted to lurch forward and indulge. To not only end the misery of the hunger and sickness, but to also give himself time for an escape. To see his family again. Even so, if he happened to let loose, thingswould never be the same. His identity relied on his reluctance. Yet why did he want to give in? Contemplation and choices festered the boy's thoughts, only to settle on the damning option. He would die honorably.

Nights pass. The crescent moon and it's accompanying stars shine down into the cave, gently lighting the ridges of the cave, Alexandre, and the body that laid before him. Alexandre tiredly stares out into the scarce treetops with weary eyes beginning to close and a mocking smile shining back. Defeat. Yet a win. As the moon disappears into the horizon and the sun rises, so does Alex, slowly slipping unconscious. With ragged breaths, he slumps to the floor. Unkempt, lacking vital nutrients, and ready to give up, the boy lets himself go.

But as he unconsciously slips away and the sun begins to reach it's peak, ragged paws begin to stir once again. Alexandre's gaze shot wide open. Narrowed pupils stared around, only to shoot towards the rotting corpse that laid on the far side of the cave. Pangs of hunger taunted him one last time. He miserably lurched forward, his subconcious driving him forward. An outreached claw grasped at the stone, finally pulling him close enough to the dead feline to grab at it's pelt with his other paw. The boy weakly stares down at the unnamed cat. His jaw unhinges. Salt flowed through his sensitive sinuses, lining his tongue and tempting him forward. He wavers tiredly over them, only to lower his head moments later.

Pointed canines slowly break through the feline's insides and gently isolated a chunk of meat. He cautiously swallowed. The world fades to dark as he closes his eyes, relinquished dissatisfaction fading. Satisfaction comes instead. Sweet, succulent flavors dance across his tastebuds and almost instantly his body feels rejuvenated, but it's not enough.

Alexandre leans forward again, taking another dire bite. He slowly rose to his feet as he chewed and chomped the delectable piece of flesh. The vessels popped in his mouth. A rush of blood flooded into his system and the overwhelming feeling of strange delight caused him to swallow quickly, only to take more gulps of meat again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again...

As he sticks in the open chest for one last time, the boy comes up empty. His blood-stained teeth clench around a bone, staring at the remains of his monstrosity. Alexandre's leaned back, pulling away. Orange orbs look down at his white fur and the cracked bones laying before his feet, realization slowly coming to him. He let out a choked whimper. With a conflicted shiver, the boy carefully crawled into the remainder of the feline's pelt and curled up against their ribcage. A soft cry began to leave his throat, knowing what he had done. What he had become. His head lowered down into the soft skin of the feline with ears pinned to the back of his head in defeat.

Blood-stained, tired, and finally given up, Alexandre closed his eyes. He needed time to think. Time to contemplate. Time to... run from this so-called monster that Sojourn proclaimed him to be. With a choking wheeze, the boy began to sob.

Why him?

Diya was tired and pissed. She didn't understand the coalitions need to take children, her children. It was as if they had some sort of death wish, wanting to lose their lives to the angry claws of a raging mother. It hadn't been a hard decision, the one deciding that Diya and Roxanne would rescue their son. Diya had stayed back for Torsten's rescue, needing to stay to watch the other children, but she had enough. She wasn't staying behind anymore, they would feel the fury of her teeth and her claws. She moved through the territory quietly with her fiance, round ears perked as she tried to catch a whiff of Alex's scent.

When she finally did, she hung her head low and slowly cept forward, eyes landing on the opening of a cave. She would nod towards it, quietly whispering "I think I've found him, Roxanne." She moved towards the cave, upper lip curling at the thick metallic scent of blood. Her stomach panged, thirsty, but she stamped it down with a force. Moving with care, she kept ears pricked for the sound of others, for the sounds of her son. "Alexandre...?" she called out softly, steps faltering as she took in the sight in front of her. The sight of a brown pelted carcass sent a shiver up her spine but, at least it wasn't her son's pelt she was spotting.

Feeling ill, she moved towards it, spotting a flash of white fur... in the carcass? She let out a low whine, moving closer. "Mon soleil?", she hums softly, anxiety gripping her chest as she finally reached him. The sound of sobs reached her and she had to hold back her own. At least he was alive to do so, though it was a sound a mother never wants to hear from her child. She needed to hold herself together for him. She would use a paw to gently lift the pelt, frowning as the boy shifted away for a moment, and curled her massive paw around the boy. The polar bear would pull him out and close, murmuring soft consolations as she did so.

She would crouch down, pressing her muzzle gently against his side and murmuring, "you're okay, Mon Soleil, you're okay. I'm here, we're going to get you out of here," she gently hums, worry etched into her face. They needed to get out of there quickly, perhaps Roxanne could carry the boy back by flying over the ocean? The sooner they could get him back, and to Roan, the better.