The forest was silent. Lirae, one knee on the ground, kept her head bowed in front of her master. He watched the horizon between the trees, impassive, his overwhelming aura bending the air itself.
— What's the news from Nox? asked the master in a cold voice.
"He… failed again," Lirae replied without raising her head. But he says he can make up for it.
The master clicked his tongue, annoyed.
—Apologies again. Tell me what's stopping me from killing him now.
Lirae inhaled slowly.
"If you allow me, master… I think we should give him one last chance. The problem with Nox is that he never failed before them. He underestimated them. And me too. But after seeing what they are capable of... attacking them lightly would be unwise.
A silence. Then a slight smile stretched the master's lips.
—What I like about you, Lirae... is your wisdom. Alright. Let's give him this very last chance.
Several days later, Caden, Bella, Zetch and Aletha were walking along a small cliff. The sun was setting.
Caden and Bella walked in front, laughing at a joke. Aletha, behind them, sometimes lowered her eyes to hide the pain that gripped her heart. Seeing Caden smile like that alongside someone else... broke her a little more every day.
Zetch, who was silently observing him, frowned but said nothing.
Then, suddenly, the earth vibrated.
Black silhouettes emerged from the rocks, suddenly standing out from the shadows. Their bodies were made of solid smoke, their eyes dark red, and each manipulated some form of dark energy: blades, claws, projectiles.
— In position! Caden shouted.
The shadows attacked.
Caden threw a circular spray of flames which repelled the first three. Bella swirled the air around her, creating a tornado that caused two creatures to burst into wisps of smoke. Zetch hit the ground: a wall of rock appeared, blocking a line of shadows that tried to take them by surprise.
Aletha deployed blades of water which swirled around her like liquid snakes, lighting her with a blue halo.
The fight became more and more intense.
A shadow leapt behind Bella; Aletha released a jet of pressurized water which pierced her. Caden, surrounded, burst his aura into flames, clearing the area. Zetch launched into a body clash: earth-enhanced punches, blocks, sweeps, each movement hitting like a mass of stone.
Bella used a gust to throw herself into the air, spinning like a spin; she landed on a shadow and pulverized it with a compressed breath.
But the shadows were numerous, too numerous.
A creature larger than the others snuck up behind Caden's back. Its dark claw stretched out, ready to slash him.
— Caden!! Aletha yelled.
Without thinking, she threw herself in front of him.
The claw struck Aletha square in the chest and sent her flying over the cliff.
— ALETHAAAA!!
Caden turned, horrified, just in time to see her fall into the raging river below and disappear beneath the current.
A silence tore through his mind.
Then something broke inside him.
His pupils dilated. A wave of heat erupted from his body, shaking the ground.
—...You...have it...
It exploded.
— KILLED!!!
A column of flames rose up, incinerating the shadows in an instant. The battlefield became a sea of black ashes.
When the fire died down, Caden fell to his knees at the edge of the cliff, staring out at the river below.
Bella put her hand to her mouth, trembling. Zetch stepped forward, placing a hand on Caden's shoulder.
"Caden… look at me. We don't know if she is dead. Aletha is strong. She probably survived. So don't lose hope.
Caden gritted his teeth. Tears blurred his vision.
Then he took a deep breath.
He wiped his cheeks.
— You're right... She survived. I feel it. I have to… I have to find her.
He stood up, determined. Zetch and Bella followed suit.
"Then let's go get her," Zetch said.