Adrian and Kael dropped low, pressing their backs against the rough bark of a gnarled tree. The world around Adrian blurred with the pounding in his ears. We can’t keep running forever.

Kael slumped back, breath ragged and chest heaving, sweat streaking his dirt-streaked face. “We should be safe here."

Adrian’s jaw tightened as he shook his head. “No, he’s still—”

A blood-curdling scream cut through the air, slicing off his words. The sound pierced the forest, shaking the branches and sending flocks of startled birds into the darkening sky. Cold dread seeped into Adrian’s bones, weighing him down. He’s still out there.

Kael swallowed hard. “Do you… have any idea how we’re getting out of this mess?”

Adrian nodded. “I do, but I need you to catch Galtier’s attention and keep him busy for a minute or two.”

Kael’s brows knitted together, and irritation flashed across his features. “You want me to distract him so you can slip away? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Listen, I’m not running. But if we don’t do this, we’re both dead.”

For a long moment, Kael was silent. Then, with a resigned breath, he pushed himself to his feet. “You owe me for this."

"Thanks, I promise things will work out."

Adrian closed his eyes, chest tightening as he forced himself to focus. Seems like I have to kill Galtier. What a shame, I had wanted to see more of what he was capable of.

But suddenly, a sharp sting on his nose pulled him from his thoughts. Adrian’s eyes flew open, and he instinctively rubbed his nose, wincing.

Peeking out from within Adrian’s cloak, Mimi chirped insistently. Huh?

“Mimi? What’s wrong?”

The fox shook her head rapidly, flames sparking from within the folds of the fabric.

Adrian furrowed his brow. “You’re saying... I shouldn’t try to kill him?” he guessed, reading her body language. This prompted Mimi to nod vigorously.

Adrian let out a shaky breath. “What am I supposed to do, then? Galtier is going to kill Kael, and then us.”

Mimi’s paw lifted, pointing to the back of her head. Adrian’s eyes widened, and a chill raced down his spine. Is she trying to show me something?

He crept to the edge of the tree and peered out. Galtier was barely recognizable at this point. His armor writhed as if alive, jagged edges and spikes erupting from its once-solid surface. Blood-red veins pulsed along the metal, and his gauntlets had warped into monstrous claws.

The former knight lunged at Kael like a deranged beast. The boy, meanwhile, dodged and weaved, narrowly avoiding each strike.

Yet, Adrian's eyes caught something: a dark symbol etched into the back of Galtier’s head, almost hidden by the twisting metal. It was the shape of an eye, weeping bloody tears. That symbol could be the thing that triggered Galtier's rampage, maybe if I get rid of it…

“Mimi, am I supposed to destroy that mark?” Adrian glanced at her, and she nodded again.

Adrian exhaled, feeling the weight of the moment press down on him. “Thank you."

He looked into Mimi’s bright eyes one last time. “Hide now, okay?”

With a gentle trill, Mimi’s form dissipated, vanishing into a swirl of green embers that melded back into his cloak. Adrian felt the warmth of her presence recede, leaving him to face the cold dread ahead.

Adrian steadied his breath, then stretched out a hand to conjure a bow of pure blue flame. As he drew back the fiery string, an arrow materialized, crackling and bright. He aimed at Galtier, focusing on the mark etched on the back of the knight’s head. Easy does it.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

With a deep breath, Adrian released the arrow. It cut through the air with a fierce whistle, striking Galtier squarely between the shoulders.

The impact detonated in a burst of blue fire, flames wrapping around the knight’s warped armor. Galtier let out a piercing, otherworldly scream filled with agony. Adrian’s heart clenched as he watched, noting how the flames clung to him, burning deeper. Is it because of my flames? Is it tearing through whatever’s corrupted him?

“Nice shot!” Kael called out. He was covered in sweat, breaths ragged but steady.

But before he could say more, Adrian’s eyes widened in alarm. “Kael, dodge!”

A burning Galtier lunged toward Kael, massive claws carving furious arcs through the air. Kael twisted and rolled to the side just in time, leaving the ground where he had stood to crack and splinter beneath the monstrous force of Galtier’s strike.

Flames devoured the edges of Galtier’s form, dancing hungrily over his armored frame, yet he drove forward, relentless. His smoldering gaze shifted, locking onto Adrian. Here he comes.

He stood his ground as Galtier surged toward him, metal claws ripping up the earth, leaving a trail of scorched furrows in their wake. Adrian sucked in a deep breath, the weight of the moment bearing down on him. Now.

As Galtier closed the distance, Adrian exhaled a torrent of bluish flames that enveloped the knight in a blinding surge of heat and light. The fire lashed out with raw fury, searing even the corrupted metal of Galtier’s armor.

Galtier’s scream cut through the roar of the flames. He's distracted, now to remove that mark.

As the flames roared, Adrian sprinted around Galtier, eyes locked on the mark at the back of his helmet. The twisted symbol glowed, pulsing with a malevolent light. Adrian raised his hand and conjured a fireball before hurling it at the mark.

The fireball struck true, and the mark erupted in a burst of energy, dissipating into nothingness. Immediately after, Galtier’s body went rigid, the corrupted metal shifting one last time before his entire form collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Adrian released the breath he’d been holding, legs buckling as he dispelled his flames. He dropped to the ground, sweat mixing with soot on his skin. It’s over. At least for now.

Kael dragged a hand across his forehead, wiping away the sweat and grime that clung to his skin. With a heavy exhale, he dropped to the ground beside Adrian. For a moment, neither spoke; they simply sat there, catching their breath.

“So… how’d you figure it out? Hitting the back of Galtier’s head like that?” Kael asked.

Adrian’s lips curled into a tired smile. “It wasn’t exactly my idea."

He turned his head and called softly, “Mimi, it’s safe now. You can come out.”

At his words, a soft glow emanated from his cloak. Tiny green embers flickered and danced, swirling into the shape of the fox. Mimi materialized in front of them, her emerald eyes bright against the fading light. She let out a small trill and padded closer, her flames casting a gentle warmth.

Kael leaned back, a smile spreading across his face. “So it was her?”

Adrian nodded, feeling a deep wave of gratitude as he watched Mimi. “Yeah. She pointed it out when I couldn’t see it.” Mimi purred softly as she nuzzled against Adrian’s hand.

Kael chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re full of surprises, you know that? What is Mimi exactly anyway?"

"She's uh… a fox."

"Right, and what kind of fox exactly?"

"To be completely honest with you, I'm not sure. I sort of just stumbled into her one day, and here we are."

Kael reached out slowly, fingers hovering just above Mimi’s flickering form. “Hey there,” he murmured.

He extended his hand a bit closer, but in a swift motion, Mimi’s tiny jaw snapped shut around his finger, not hard enough to burn, but enough to make a point.

“Ow!” Kael yelped, pulling his hand back. “Okay, okay, I get it. No touching.”

“Mimi! That wasn’t necessary.” Adrian scolded.

Mimi, however, only huffed. She spun around in a flash of green flame and disappeared into the folds of Adrian’s cloak, her small tail flicking out once before fading away entirely.

Kael burst out laughing, shaking his head. “Oh, she’s got some serious attitude, doesn’t she? I think she likes me.”

Adrian sighed, shaking his head with a faint smile. “I just hope she’ll be more open… eventually."

“Eh, I don’t know,” Kael shrugged casually, still grinning. “The cloak thing is kind of her style. Speaking of hiding, though…” He pointed to the crumpled, burned figure of Galtier in the distance. “What are we going to do about him?”

Adrian pushed himself to his feet. “We should probably take a look."

When the two approached the fallen knight, they were surprised to see that Galtier’s armor was mostly back to normal. Where the metal had twisted and pulsed with malevolence, it now shone with a pristine, almost unnatural gleam. Adrian leaned in, hesitating only a moment before placing a hand on the knight’s helmet.

Galtier’s body shuddered beneath his touch. The knight’s chest heaved, and his hands clenched into fists. He sat up with a groan, the motion stiff and unsteady. His head turned slowly as he asked, "what… what happened?”

Kael crossed his arms. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, bucket-head."