Bryson Coldwater and Lila Frost stood at a building next to the warehouse. Bryson was staring at the warehouse, brow furrowed. Seemingly trying to figure something out.

“What’s wrong?” Lila asked.

“I can’t hear anything.” Bryson replied.

“Huh?” Lila said confused.

Bryson pointed at the warehouse, “It’s quiet. There’s nothing.”

Lila focused on listening, aside from the ambient noise, she heard nothing from the warehouse, “Why is it quiet?” she asked uneasily.

“I don’t know.” Bryson looked around, did Nico fail? Bryson had no idea. As he was about to climb down and enter the warehouse, Lila tapped him on the shoulder and pointed across the street.

“Look! It’s Petyr!” She said.

Bryson looked over and saw a man hiding in an alley, eyes focused on the warehouse.

“Who’s he?” Bryson asked.

“Petyr!”

“That is still just a random name to me.” Bryson said, looking at Lila cluelessly.

“He’s the one who led them here!” She said exasperated.

“Ah, that.” Bryson said staring back at Petyr who hadn’t moved nor noticed the two. Bryson lifted his hand up, pointed at Petyr and his cards shot out forwards, forming a wave as it flew it way over to him.

Petyr noticed a shadow be cast over him and looking up in confusion. His confusion only increased when he saw a bunch of playing cards falling down on him. Before he could react, the cards fell upon him, flattening him like a pancake.

“Gyarrg!” Petyr cried out as he was crushed. As the cards lifted into the air once more it left an unconscious Petyr on the ground.

“That was easy.” Bryson said in surprise.

“He hasn’t left, so that might mean that they haven’t gotten your siblings yet?” Lila said.

“I hope so.” Bryson said looking back over to the warehouse. It was still annoyingly silent. With a quick flick of his hand the cards formed a small platform for him to step off. Looking back to Lila.

“You stay here.” He ordered.

“No, I’m following you.” She said adamantly.

“You’re not going to be any use.” Bryson said annoyed.

“I’m also going to achieve nothing just by standing here.” She countered.

“You can’t fight.” Bryson argued.

“So you’re telling me to leave a seven-year-old child alone to whoever knows what’s inside.” She asked.

Bryson took a pause and thought for a second, “Fine.” He said finally before wordlessly made it down to the warehouse with Lila following close behind.

Upon reaching the warehouse he pressed his ear against the wall and tried to listen in on the other side. Absolutely nothing. What’s more now that he was right next to the building, he felt a strange amount of mana emanating from it. Was a frustrated exhale Bryson looked around for a place to enter, just when he was about to head over to the main door, Lila grabbed his shoulder.

“What?” He asked.

“The window.” She said pointing to a window that was half open on the second story.

“Right.” Bryson said as he closed his hand and a platform of playing card formed on the ground below the window.

Lila stepped on, “I’ll open the window and see what’s inside.”

“Be careful.” Bryson warned.

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“Don’t worry.” Lila said.

When Lila was risen to the second floor of the warehouse and was able to reach the window. Poking her hand through the gap she was able to fully open the window and slip in. Bryson saw her disappear into the window and almost immediately poked her head out frantically gesturing for him to enter.

Bryson in confusion quickly floated himself up with another card platform. Before he could even get in himself, Lila hurriedly lifted Bryson into the room. As Bryson was about to ask what she was doing, Bryson saw it.

From the second story landing he saw on the opposite landing a downed figure, however what drew his attention was what was in the warehouse floor. He saw Sable kneeling next to an unconscious Gilles and Nico also laying prone just a step away from them. Bryson saw the blade sticking out of Nico’s arm.

What’s more was he saw across from them a man wearing a half-covered black demon mask. Bryson saw the man wielding a staff that was glowing a crimson red. He could feel the power bursting from it.

Then he saw the masked spellcaster launch a massive crashing wave of destructive mana that hurtled its way toward Nico and his siblings. Bryson needed to do something, now. Before it reached them. Before it was to late. But how?

Bryson then recalled what was in his pocket, he quickly pulled out the bracelet he had kept in his jacket pocket. The same bracelet that he had enchanted to absorb mana. But was this going to even do anything with that massive wave of power?

It better be. Bryson thought as he dug out the bracelet and clenched it in his fist. Raising his fist toward the wave of destruction he felt his eyes glow pure white. He felt the mana of the wave of energy, he felt the bracelet activate and change the mana around him. Everything around him became clear.

The wave of red energy then stopped short of the three, it then proceeded to dissipate into the air and then fly toward Bryson and Lila.

As several streaks of hazardous beams now hurtled its way toward the two, Bryson began to question what he was doing. Lila definitely was doing so as she ducked down and tried to cover herself as best she could from the in coming doom.

The moment before any of the energy would hit them however, the energy changed their direction and surged straight into his clenched fist.

Oh. This is going to suck. Bryson thought as he closed his eyes and braced for the pain. Except it never came. Opening his eyes in confusion, he felt his eyes return back to normal. He looked at his hand and realized that all the red energy from the assassin’s attack flowed gently its way into the bracelet as it absorbed the mana.

As the last of the energy disappeared into the bracelet, he examined it in surprise. Bryson felt that the bracelet had stored all the power from the attack inside of it and was nearly full. The two metal L’s gave a small glow indicating the power it now contained.

“It worked.” He said in wonder.

“Is that my bracelet?” Lila said having gotten up and was staring at the bracelet in disbelief.

“Oh, right. Yeah- ” Bryson began before he was cut off.

“What in five hells was that!” The spellcaster assassin screamed out in disbelief staring directly at Bryson. Bryson could feel the venom as the spellcaster yelled, “I don’t know how you got here! But you are dead!”

The assassin then turned his staff toward Bryson and shot out another spell. Bryson in turn raised the bracelet forwards again and once more, the beam was absorbed into the bracelet again.

Bryson looked at the bracelet as it absorbed the second attack, it was full. It wouldn’t protect him from another attack. He then heard the assassin give a frustrated shout and prepare another attack.

Stop the source of the attack. Bryson thought and thrusted the bracelet toward the direction of the spellcaster. Then he simply unleashed some of the energy from the bracelet and sent it back toward the spellcaster.

In a flash a beam of blue energy shot straight out of the bracelet and toward the spellcaster. Before the spellcaster could do anything, the beam hit him and through him. Standing still for a moment the man then fell forward.

“Oh…” Bryson whispered, cringing a bit. That was a bit much.

“Okay. I don’t remember my bracelet being able to do that.” Lila said staring at spellcaster assassin.

As Bryson turned to her and opened his mouth to speak, she tackled him. As the two hit the floor, Bryson lost his grip on his bracelet, he then heard something hit the wall and smash it. Bryson turned his head over toward the other side of the room.

On the other open landing he saw the previously downed assassin get up and point a crossbow at them. As they loaded another bolt in and pointed at it at them. The two of them wouldn’t be able to move out of the way. Fear gripped him as he laid on the ground helplessly.

Then Bryson’s eyes glowed pure white again and to Bryson it seemed that everything was moving in slow motion. Bryson glanced over to the siege car hanging in the air. Concentrating he had the cables on one side of the car snap off.

As the siege car swung toward the assassin, Bryson then gave the swinging machine a bit of an extra push and snapped off the remaining cables and the massive old siege car hurtled straight toward the assassin.

The assassin stared at the now flying siege card in bewilderment.

“What the-” The assassin uttered before it crashed into them.

As Bryson’s eyes returned to normal, he saw Lila staring at him in disbelief and noticed in the corner of his eye Sable looking up at them mouth agape.

“Okay. All Coldwaters are terrifying.” She stated.

Before Bryson could reply to her the main warehouse door burst open. Bryson and Lila saw several armed guards enter the room. Some ran over to the Bryson’s siblings, the others ran over the assassin to apprehend them.

Bryson then saw his parents enter the warehouse with more armed guards. His father stared up at him and with a silent look, Bryson realized that he should get down there quickly.

“Come on let’s get down.” Bryson said and Lila nodded in agreement, almost shrinking back when Duke Coldwater looked over at them. The two very quickly descended down the stairs and went to meet the other Coldwaters.