The trio sprinted through the forest, weaving between thick blossom trees, tglowing petals fluttered around them like embers scattered on the wind. The eerie pink light shimmered and dimmed with each movement, casting shifting shadows across their path. Mera took the lead, her eyes locked on the land navigation device in her hands, the screen flickering with a map. They ran in the opposite direction of Ka’lou, desperate to put as much distance between them and the enraged captain as possible.

Ryan noticed the group beginning to veer off course, the direction shifting slightly. Something didn’t feel right. His gut twisted with suspicion.

“Mera! Why are we turning?” Ryan called out, breathless from the sprint. Then it hit him—Vizor.

A cold realization surged through him like a jolt. What if all of our equipment is compromised? His mind flashed back to when Vizor had tampered with his crystalcomm.

“Where’d you get that thing?” Ryan shouted, panic sharpening his voice.

Mera faltered, her mind racing as she struggled to answer—then the truth clicked. “From Vizor!” she yelled back, her voice cracking with dread. Without hesitation, she slammed her thumb on the device’s power button, cutting it off with a sharp click.

Anneli glanced over her shoulder, her face pale with fear. “He’s catching up!” she shouted, her voice strained from both exhaustion and panic.

They ran as fast as their legs could carry them, the forest blurring around them. But then, through the eerie silence, came an unexpected sound—weeping?

The trio skidded to a halt, frozen in place, their breaths ragged. They stood perfectly still, listening, trying to figure out where the crying was coming from.

“Is that... Tom?” Anneli whispered, her eyes scanning the trees, her voice tinged with both confusion and hope. She peered into the strange, glowing woods, but all she could see was Ka’lou—still furious—charging toward them; his Kyyr had sputtered out but his rage was ever present.

Frustration bubbled in Anneli’s chest as she clenched her fists. “He’s not giving up,” she muttered weakly—she wasn’t used to this much running. Then, nudging Ryan’s arm, she leaned in close. “If you can buy me some time, I can use my Kyyr ability.”

Ryan hesitated for a second, forcing himself to push down the fear. Then, with a nod, he mustered a determined expression. “Alright,” he said, his voice steadier than he felt. “I’ll hold him off.”

He turned to Mera, who looked uneasy, her hands fidgeting over her gear. “Mera, I need you to make sure Ka’lou doesn’t hit Anneli with anything. Got it?”

Mera swallowed hard but gave a quick, determined nod.

Ryan turned back to Ka’lou, who was now closing the distance between them; his wild grin twisted with rage. Ryan’s pulse raced, but he steadied himself, black Kyyr energy already flickering weakly around his hands. Just a little time. That’s all we need.

Anneli closed her eyes, drawing a steady breath as she began to focus her Kyyr. The energy stirred within her like a restless tide, waiting to be shaped. She whispered a chant under her breath, her words soft and deliberate:

“Past all enduring, frost and gold. Light asunder, silver flame.”

A flicker of blue flame sparked to life, swirling around her arm. The glow danced along her skin, cold and radiant, wrapping around her like ethereal ribbons. With each whispered word, the flame grew brighter, surging and twisting in elegant, dangerous spirals.

The heat wasn’t oppressive—it was sharp, biting, like the edge of winter’s breath. The energy hummed with unstable power, barely contained as Anneli poured every drop of Kyyr she could summon into her fist. Her muscles tensed under the strain, her arm trembling as the weight of the energy threatened to overwhelm her.

"Pierce the hide…" she struggled to say anymore, the flame coalescing into an icey spear in her hands. The ice hissed as Anneli focused all her Kyyr into stabilizing the attack.

Mera glanced back at Anneli, her breath catching when she saw the strain etched across her friend’s face. Instinctively, her Kyyr ability flared to life, and a crystalline mask shimmered over her features like a frozen veil, forming with glassy precision. Through the mask, the world sharpened—she could now see past the surface, into the raw energy swirling within Anneli.

Through shattered glass, she saw Anneli’s soul flickering like a candle amidst a vile storm. Oh no… she realized as she tried to aid her with her own Kyyr.

"A-Anneli, this technique!” Mera shouted in surprise, recognizing the technique. Waving away the surprise, she reached out with her own Kyyr, trying to weave her energy into Anneli’s to stabilize it.

Anneli didn’t flinch. Her gaze remained locked ahead, her voice low and determined. “I just...need one shot.” She whispered through gritted teeth, beads of sweat sliding down her temple.

Mera nodded in support, biting her lip, forcing her to focus.

Ryan threw a glance over his shoulder, gauging the situation before locking eyes with Ka’lou. A slow breath steadied him as he rolled his shoulders, the dark miasma of his Kyyr swirling around his fists like coiled smoke. The oily energy hissed softly, dripping from his hands and staining the ground beneath him.

Without hesitation, Ryan launched himself forward, rushing at Ka’lou with all the force he could muster. He let his right hand trail slightly behind, the black Kyyr gathering into his palm, thick and heavy. It pulsed like a heartbeat.

Ka’lou flashed a smile before his wild silver eyes flashed ablaze as he boosted his limbs with fiery Kyyr. The energy surged through his limbs, azure flames licking at his arms and legs as his movements became a blur.

In an instant, Ka’lou closed the distance—far faster than Ryan expected. The air crackled with heat as Ka’lou blitzed toward him, his hand streaking out in a fiery arc. Before Ryan could react, Ka’lou’s clawed swipe tore across his midsection, the searing heat burning through fabric and skim, causing Ryan to flinch.

Ryan gritted his teeth, driving his elbow down toward Ka’lou—but the strike missed, cutting through empty air. Ka’lou ducked low with inhuman speed, sweeping Ryan’s legs out from under him in one fluid motion.

Ryan hit the ground hard; the breath knocked from his lungs. Before he could recover, Ka’lou used the momentum to slide backward, catching himself on his hands with uncanny precision. In a seamless motion, he flipped his body upward, twisting into a vertical stomp.

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The heel of Ka’lou’s boot crashed into Ryan’s chest, a fiery explosion of Kyyr bursting on impact. Ryan’s body jerked violently, the flames licking at his skin as he let out a sharp, painful gasp.

Ryan slid effortlessly out of Ka’lou’s range, the black energy hissing and bubbling as it ate into his uniform. The acrid scent of burning fabric filled the air, but Ryan gritted his teeth and stayed focused. Ka’lou slammed his foot into the pink grass, frustration flickering across his face.

He crouched low, lunging forward, his hands coiling into fists cast in fire as he went in for another attack. With a sharp lunge, Ka’lou shot forward, his fists blazing as he charged Ryan again.

But mid-stride, his silver eyes widened in shock—his footing slipped on a slick trail of Ryan’s oily black Kyyr.

With a grunt of surprise, Ka’lou lost control and crashed hard into the ground, the fiery Kyyr around his fists sputtering upon impact.

Ryan’s instincts kicked in immediately. Seizing the brief opening, he darted forward and grabbed Ka’lou by the scruff of his uniform. The black Kyyr surged from Ryan’s hands, slithering over Ka’lou’s skin with a toxic hiss. Ka’lou let out a guttural, furious scream as the corrosive sludge clung to his flesh, burning into him.

Ryan didn’t let up. He pinned Ka’lou beneath him, driving his knee into his back with brutal force to keep him down. Ka’lou thrashed wildly, flames flaring around his limbs as he fought back, but the sticky black ooze continued to spread across his body, eating away at his uniform and skin.

Enraged, Ka’lou ignited himself in a blazing inferno, the flames roaring to life around him. The sudden burst of heat forced Ryan back, the pressure making him stumble.

The forest seemed to react as the grass seemed to snake away from the fire. Emerging from a plume of flames, Ka’lou charged in, slamming Ryan in the face with a flaming fist that sent him flying back.

The impact cracked like thunder, sending Ryan flying backward through the air. He hit the ground hard, rolling across the pink grass before skidding to a halt. Smoke curled from the edges of his uniform, and a dull ache throbbed across his skull as blood poured from a gash on his head.

Ka’lou’s grin widened momentarily—victory glinting in his silver eyes—until a vile sting crawled across his scalp. His smirk twisted into a grimace as he reached up to touch his hair, only to feel the sting of Ryan’s Kyyr eating away at it. The black ooze had burned into the strands, scorching his once-pristine white hair.

Ka’lou’s eye twitched as he pushed past the pain and rushed Ryan again. Clenching his fists tighter, he pushed past the pain, flames still swirling wildly around him. With a furious snarl, Ka’lou charged at Ryan once more, determined to crush him beneath the blaze.

Ryan smirked, deliberately letting Ka’lou rush him, as black seeped down his uniform, hissing as it met the pink grass below pooling under his boots.

Matching Ka’lou’s relentless tempo, Ryan barely dodged the incoming strike, sliding beneath it with the aid of his slick Kyyr. The oily energy hissed beneath him as he skidded across the pink grass. With a sharp breath, Ryan dissipated his Kyyr, planting his feet firmly on the ground.

In one swift motion, he sidestepped Ka’lou’s follow-up and drove his knee upward, smashing it into Ka’lou’s lower jaw. The impact landed with a loud, satisfying thud, snapping Ka’lou’s head back. Blood sprayed from his nose.

Ka’lou’s crazed silver eyes ignited with a flash of azure Kyyr. With a guttural roar, he slammed his fist into the ground, blue energy rippling outward like a shockwave. Using the momentum, he swung his body upsidedown, twisting his legs with a violent burst of Kyyr that exploded from his right foot. His legs swept into Ryan like a blazing wheel of fire.

Ryan raised his arms to block, but the impact was overwhelming. Ka’lou’s crushing blow tore through his defense, the sheer force blasting Ryan off his feet and sending him flying backward. Smashing into the coarse, dark bark of an abyssal blossom with a bone-crushing snap.

Pain shot through his ribs as he gasped for breath, blood trickling from his lips. Each inhale felt like breathing through shards of glass, sharp and shallow. He coughed violently, trying to pull in enough air to stand.

Through his blurred vision, Ryan looked up—and there it was: Ka’lou’s looming shadow. The captain’s twisted grin flashed as his leg whipped around in a flaming Mawashi Geri.

The fiery kick connected with brutal precision, slamming into Ryan’s head. The force sent him tumbling across the soft pink grass, his body skidding and rolling limply.

Mera’s stomach twisted as Ka’lou lumbered toward Ryan’s crumpled body, the twisted remains of his uniform charred black from the battle. Her breath came in ragged gasps, fingers twitching at her sides. A sharp click pierced the air as Ka’lou stabbed a Kyyr Booster into his arm. The hiss of the injector was drowned beneath the roar of flames that exploded from his body, doubling in size.

The heat hit Mera and Anneli like a wave, making them recoil as the blaze consumed everything in its path. The pink grass shriveled, curling into blackened ash beneath his feet, each step leaving a scorched trail in his wake.

“You lazy little rats just couldn’t obey me?! I was as kind as can be~! So why?!” Ka’lou screamed at the beatdown Ryan.

The battered Ryan convulsed on the ground, his body jerking in uneven spasms as the concussion tore through his senses. He tried to move, but his limbs refused to cooperate and every attempt to rise ended with him slumping back down. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth, staining the blackened grass beneath him.

Ka’lou took another slow step, flames licking at his boots, the ground scorched black in his wake. “Why couldn’t you just obey?” he shouted, tapping his head violently.

Mera’s heart hammered against her ribs, panic clawing up her throat. She turned sharply to Anneli, grabbing her arm.

“Anneli—are you ready?!”

Anneli gave a weak nod, her hands trembling slightly as she refined the swirling Kyyr around her, forcing it into a sharp, focused edge. The flickering energy steadied under her concentration, but doubt still lingered in her eyes.

Ka’lou slowly turned to face them, his expression twisting into a grin that stretched far too wide. “You two bitches better not pull shit?” he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. “Or I’m blasting his dick off while he’s still alive~!”

He cackled and smiled at them with deranged glare. His once-pristine features were now marred with jagged, blackened lines from Ryan’s Kyyr.

Mera was overcome with rage as she began charging Kyyr into her hand.

“Wait!” Anneli hissed as she relaxed her body, allowing the blue flame to expand and form an icey glaive. “I’ve got this,” she muttered as she focused on the flames that burst from Ka’lou.

Ka’lou’s silver eyes flicked toward Anneli, noticing the sudden surge of her Kyyr. He let out a derisive scoff, the flames around him crackling in rhythm with his sneer. “I’ve watched you, Anneli Strand. You Wickedbloods are all the same—just third-rate Vileblood trash,” he spat, his tone dripping with contempt. “Without a proper Kyyr source, you can’t do anything~!”

Mockingly, he kicked the convulsing Ryan onto his back. Ka’lou’s grin widened as he looked down, relishing the sight of Ryan’s battered face, eyes half-lidded, and blood trickling down his chin.

“Orders are absolute!” Ka’lou roared, his voice booming through the forest. He raised his blazing foot above Ryan’s crotch.

“I’m your captain, damn it!”

Both Anneli’s and Ka’lou’s Kyyr surged, the clashing energies swirling violently around them, stirring the forest like a brewing storm. The air thickened with tension as the vibrant pink blossoms trembled, and the grass hissed beneath the weight of the conflicting forces.

Mera’s crystalline mask flickered to life, revealing the currents of energy swimming through the air—chaotic streams of raw power colliding and folding into one another like waves in a stormy sea. She glanced at her condensation parameters and watched the numbers spike—far beyond what should be possible.

Her eyes darted between Anneli, who steadied the icy glaive in her grip, and Ka’lou, whose foot hovered above Ryan, blazing with deadly intent. In the frozen moment between Anneli’s throw and Ka’lou’s stomp, Mera felt it—a subtle shift, something stirring beneath the surface.

Her gaze snapped downward, panic gripping her chest. The energy patterns twisted, spiraling in a way that shouldn’t be possible.

From below?!