Missy stood on the rooftop, her eyes scanning the chaos below. The skeletal creatures swarmed the streets in a grotesque display of unnatural magic, and she could feel the panic of the people, their fear thick in the air like a suffocating fog. She couldn't just sit here, watching, powerless to act. But a gnawing uncertainty held her back—the fear that if she intervened, she might bring too much attention to herself, and her past might come crashing down on her.

Her mind flashed back to her imprisonment, the memories as vivid as if they had happened yesterday. She had only ever tried to help the people who had, in the end, betrayed her. The fear and distrust of her power had led them to seal her away, and the memory of that betrayal still stung like an open wound. Would this city, this new life she had begun to build, do the same if they knew who she really was?

But as she looked at the crowd below, watching them flee in terror, their faces contorted in panic, another thought gnawed at her: regret. She still harbored for not doing more during the earthquake. She had stayed hidden then, unsure of her place in this world, a silent observer to the suffering.

"I can't sit back and not help," Missy said, turning to Jezel, her voice filled with a steely determination. "I'll take you somewhere safe, and then I'll come back to deal with this."

Jezel's face twisted in frustration, her brow furrowing deeply. "I don't want to run away either, but I don't know how I can help," she said, her hands sliding into her hair as she made a strangled sound of frustration that echoed her inner turmoil. Her voice trembled with a mixture of irritation and helplessness, raw emotions bubbling to the surface. "I don't want to be useless, standing on the sidelines."

Missy understood all too well, the feeling resonating deep within her. She had spent so long locked away, powerless to act, watching the world change without her. And now, she couldn't bear to let Jezel feel that same helplessness, that same crushing weight of inaction. Jezel, Arc, Aspen—they had all given Missy something precious beyond measure: the chance to experience life in a way she never had before. They gave her freedom. Now, she wanted to return that gift.

As Missy thought, her ears twitched in consideration, the gears of her mind turning rapidly. Jezel's hands fell to her sides in defeat, her shoulders slumping.

"I can't think of any way I can help," Jezel muttered, resignation thick in her voice. "Fine, I'll let you get me out of the way. You don't need dead weight."

Missy frowned, the memory of Jezel crumpled on the ground after Razuroc's attack flashing through her mind. She never wanted to see Jezel hurt like that again, the image haunting her. But she also didn't want Jezel to feel like she was a burden, a liability. Maybe there was a way for them to face this together.

"Actually," Missy began, her voice starting soft but growing firmer with each word, "I think I have an idea. It's not without risk."

Jezel's eyes snapped up, her frustration quickly turning into cautious excitement, a spark of hope igniting in her gaze. "Is that really possible?" she asked, her voice brimming with eagerness.

Missy shrugged lightly, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Sure, but it won't be as safe as getting you out of here. If you're with me, it's going to be dangerous. There's no guarantee of what might happen."

Jezel scoffed, waving her hand dismissively as if brushing away Missy's concerns. "Whatever. There's no way I'm passing up this chance to actually do something. What are we waiting for? Let's go!" She bounced on the balls of her feet, her excitement palpable, practically vibrating with energy.

Missy couldn't help but smile at Jezel's enthusiasm, feeling her own spirits lift in response. She reached out, bracing herself for the discomfort that always came with physical contact, and scooped Jezel into her arms. With one powerful leap, she bounded from rooftop to rooftop, her steps light and swift as they made their way toward the edge of the crowd where the skeletal creatures swarmed like a nightmare made flesh.

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They landed gracefully on the outskirts of the chaos, and Missy gently set Jezel down on her feet. Around them, Missy's fiery aura flickered to life, wrapping them in a protective cocoon of warmth and light that pushed back the encroaching darkness. Jezel stared in awe at the flames that seemed to ripple and dance around them, her excitement growing by the second, her eyes wide with wonder.

Missy turned her focus inward, drawing on the immense well of power within her, a vast ocean of energy that had lain dormant for so long. When she had fought Razuroc, she had acted on pure rage, her emotions overwhelming her control like a dam bursting. But now, she was calm, steady, her mind sharp as a razor's edge.

She could feel the magic animating the skeletal creatures, pulsing through the air like a sickly heartbeat. Missy reached out to it with ease, her power extending like tendrils. One by one, she began to rip the magic from the skeletal rats and birds, absorbing it into herself.

She could only manage dropping one or two at a time, their bones collapsing into lifeless heaps as the magic left them. Missy pulled the magic from the creatures and fed it in a steady stream into Jezel, careful not to overwhelm her friend with too much power at once.

Jezel gasped as she felt the power flowing into her, her eyes wide with disbelief and wonder. "This… this is incredible!" she exclaimed, a giddy smile spreading across her face, lighting up her features. "Is this what magic feels like? It's like electricity running through my veins!"

Missy smiled, her expression a mixture of affection and caution. "Yes, but please focus. You can use it to defend yourself and others. I'll keep pulling the magic from them, but you can help me keep the people safe. We're in this together now."

Jezel's excitement was contagious, and Missy couldn't help but feel a surge of affection. "Now, it's pretty simple. Picture or think what you want to happen and push the magic into the thought. You'll get a feel for it, I promise. Trust your instincts."

The skeletal creatures continued to swarm around them, their bones clattering ominously. Jezel held up her hand, her face a mask of concentration. Fire began to gather in her palm, growing from a spark to a roaring flame. Jezel looked away as the flames burst from her hand, the heat intense. The burst of flame missed completely, striking the road and burning briefly before going out, leaving a scorch mark on the asphalt.

Missy grinned, unable to contain her amusement. "I recommend keeping your eyes on your target. It helps with aim," she teased gently. Jezel stuck her tongue out playfully before turning back to the swarm and trying again, her determination evident in the set of her jaw.

Missy snuffed out any creatures that got too close, her own power flaring around them protectively. They began to move in the direction the swarm was coming from, pushing back against the tide of bone. Jezel's confidence grew with every step, and soon she was moving with determination, helping Missy clear the street with increasingly accurate bursts of flame.

"I never thought I'd get to do something like this," Jezel said breathlessly between bursts of magic, her voice filled with exhilaration. "This is… this is amazing! I feel like I can take on the world!"

Missy smiled, feeling a warmth that had nothing to do with her flames spread through her chest. "You're doing great, Jezel. Just stay close, and we'll get through."

Together, they pressed on, pushing back the skeletal creatures, creating a path through the chaos. The street around them was littered with the remains of their vanquished foes, a testament to their progress. Eventually, they reached a power station, the source of the widespread blackout that had plunged the city into darkness. The swarm of skeletons grew more dense, clearly defending the location with a fervor that spoke of purpose rather than mindless aggression.

Electricity sparked and sprayed from damaged wires and machinery, casting an eerie, flickering light over the scene. The air crackled with energy, both magical and electrical, raising the hair on the back of their necks. At the center of everything stood a being radiating power, its presence a palpable force that seemed to distort the very air around it.

The delicate bones of its structure were stark against the darkness, each unnaturally pristine, untouched by decay or the ravages of time. The creature's head was a chilling yet captivating blend of predator and prey, with an elongated skull that tapered into a narrow snout, reminiscent of ancient, long-extinct beasts. Its antlers, tall and intricately curved, resembled the twisted branches of an ancient tree, reaching towards the heavens like a crown of bone.

Flowing from the back of its skull was a mane of ghostly, silver-white tendrils, not quite hair and not quite mist, that fluttered and wavered as though caught in an ethereal breeze that only it could feel. The mane continued down its spine, merging seamlessly with a long, sinuous tail that trailed behind it, leaving wisps of mist in its wake like a comet's tail.

Its eye sockets were hollow voids, but within those empty depths glowed an unsettling, pale light that seemed to pierce through the darkness. This eerie illumination pulsed faintly, suggesting a semblance of life, of consciousness.