It hurts...

That was the first and last thought that came to Izumi's mind as the Chaos Beast struck her in the torso. Her ribs cracked under the force of the impact, and she went flying off the bridge, plummeting towards the river below.

She didn't know how much time passed before she hit the icy water, but it felt like an eternity. Her vision blurred, and her limbs felt heavy, almost like they were made of lead. Panic set in as she realized that she was drowning.

Izumi tried to swim to the surface, but her body refused to cooperate. Her lungs burned with the need for air, and her mind screamed in terror as she realized that she was going to die.

Izumi struggled to claw her way back to the surface, gasping for air as she tried to stay awake. Her vision was blurry, and she could feel her strength ebbing away. Panic set in as she realized she was in trouble.

She tried to swim towards the shore, but her movements were sluggish and uncoordinated. The current was too strong, and she began to lose control. The water was icy cold and seemed to sap away her energy.

As she weakened, Izumi's thoughts turned to her brother. What would happen to him if she died here? Would he even know what had happened to her?

Tears filled her eyes as she thought of the pain her death would cause her brother. She felt a deep sense of regret that she had left him alone to face the dangers of this world.

But then, something strange happened. A warm, amber light enveloped her, and she felt a surge of power rush through her body. The water around her seemed to slow down, almost as if time had slowed to a crawl. Izumi's mind was foggy, and she couldn't make sense of what was happening. Was she hallucinating? Was this some kind of dream?

She floated in the depths of the water for a few seconds, feeling something tickle her nose. It was a reminder of how close she was to death, and Izumi's body tensed as she realized just how dire her situation was.

Then, a strange thing happened. Izumi realized that she could breathe underwater. She opened her eyes and saw that the water around her was shimmering with an orange glow. It was as if the ocean had given her a second chance at life, allowing her to survive in its depths.

Izumi took a deep breath, feeling renewed energy course through her veins, followed by a sharp pain in her torso. Her abdomen ached as she slowly moved her hand closer to her torso, and she grit her teeth in pain as she checked her body.

She could feel her broken ribs, and her hand wound up covered in a sticky, warm substance. She was bleeding, and there was no way she could recover from that without some sort of assistance. She needed help.

Izumi's vision was blurry, and her head was spinning, but she gathered what strength she could and swam rapidly towards the surface. The orange aura was like a protective bubble that safeguarded her from the dangers of the water, and she slowly made her way towards the shore.

Her body protested, screaming in pain as she pushed herself to the surface, past the bridge, and into the open air. She emerged at the edge of a pier gasping wildly as she gulped down huge breaths of air.

With a scream, she flared her Lumina and rocketed herself out of the water, pushing herself into the air. Her body protested, screaming in pain as she pushed herself to the surface and into the open air. She emerged on shore at an unfamiliar location, gasping wildly as she gulped down huge breaths of air.

Her head was filled with so many thoughts - images of her brother, countless people she knew, and countless other faces she had forgotten as she grew up. She was dimly aware that she wasn't alone, and the afternoon sky seemed to have been passed through a gray filter. Everything was colorless, save for the hint of red in the distance.

"Oh? What have we here? A spunky young girl, seemingly left for dead. This is quite a fascinating ability you have here."

Izumi wearily raised her head up to see a young, gorgeous woman with black hair and purple eyes. She looked like she was in her mid to late twenties, and was of Eurasian descent. The girl almost had an aristocratic air about her, and she was wearing a leather bomber jacket and jeans.

Izumi's mind was in such a state of confusion that she couldn't focus on anything but the pain in her abdomen.

A menacing red light suddenly filled the woman's pupils, and Izumi gritted her teeth, crawling to stand on her feet.

"I don't... I don't know who you are ... but I just want... protect my brother..." she said weakly, barely able to stand on her feet.

She was in no condition to fight, but she had to do something. Her body was still weak and wounded, but she had to protect herself from this woman. She was dangerous. Izumi knew it.

A dark, evil aura surrounded the woman, and Izumi's fingers shimmered with her Lumina as she got into a fighting stance. Her injuries hurt to move, but she had to protect herself.

"Look at you, you can barely stand!" the woman laughed. "You can't even protect yourself, let alone anyone else! What makes you think you can fight me? You are weak and broken."

"I... refuse to be weak," Izumi hissed, "I refuse to stay broken. I will protect those who need me. I am not broken. I will never give up."

Izumi's body was shaking from exhaustion, but she just gritted her teeth and stepped forward. She was so weak that her body felt like it was made of paper, but she couldn't stop now.

The woman smiled as she crossed her arm "Serendipity is king, I suppose. That is an admirable attitude... it seems fate has brought us together, little broken girl. What is your name?"

"I... I am Izumi," she said with a weak voice.

"Well, little Izumi. Let's get you bandaged up before you bleed out . I can smell your blood from here."

Izumi stepped back in a defensive posture as the woman approached her. Her eyes were dark, and Izumi didn't trust her. She wasn't a normal human. She was dangerous.

"Don't... don't come any closer!" Izumi warned, ready to flare her Lumina at a moment's notice. "I won't let you hurt me... or anyone else."

"Little Izumi. I am not here to hurt you," the woman said with a smile. "I want to help you even."

"I don't want your help," Izumi growled. "I don't trust you. I won't let you near me."

"Tsk, tsk, Izumi. After all of this, I am just trying to help you. Come now, let Jeanne take care of you..."."

Izumi was unconvinced, but her vision was blurry and her body was aching horribly. She was too weak to run, and she didn't want to die here.

Her vision was fading, and despite her best efforts, Izumi's mind began to drift. Her focus shifted to her brother, and Izumi's last thought before she blacked out on her feet was of her father and older brother.

Please... Be safe...