Kova sat within his endless Void. Beside him lay a bound figure with three missing fingers. It was a silent testament to failure. Kova ignored the captives in stasis and the girl fighting demons in the dark. His mind was focused entirely on his meditation. He was the untouched master. His consciousness was tethered to the physical world as he watched the hunt through the shadows of existence.
The darkness here wasn't empty. It was a pressurized chamber of Kova's own making. He monitored every breath taken by his prisoners. He could feel the girl's pulse quickening as she tore through another wave of manifestations.
Her pink flames flickered against the oppressive black. She's becoming what I need her to be. A weapon forged in isolation. His primary focus remained on the effigies rising from the sand at his feet. The sudden spike in Hykee's aggression and Lokee's fear echoed through the Void like a bell.
Kova opened his obsidian eyes as black sand rose to form the heavy, suffocating shapes of the siblings. He watched the trio move toward the apothecary shop.
Their internal rhythm was fractured by the blow Hykee had dealt. Kaola was walking with a rigid stiffness.
She was desperate to reclaim an authority that was rapidly slipping away. Kova watched the way her shadow wavered in the sand. She was overcompensating. Her pride blinded her to the subtle clues the environment was screaming at her.
She wanted a quick end to the hunt. She wanted a clean victory to present to Koma but the boy they followed wasn't a creature of clean victories.
He was a walking disaster. "They're breaking," Kova whispered into the dark. He watched Kaola lead them toward a small shuttered shop at the end of a sparse lane. "We go to the apothecary," Kaola commanded.
Her voice was strained. "If he was that sick he would've looked for medicine. The boy is struggling to contain the Yen and he needs suppressants to keep the flare ups from exposing them further."
Kova watched from the Void. His expression was unreadable. They all knew the girl was with him. Koma had made it clear he believed she was alive back when this hunt began but Kaola had underestimated the girl's caution.
The girl was practical. She knew that stepping into a shop in a town full of eyes was a death sentence. Under her direction they'd never have stopped for pre made medicine. They'd have kept moving. They'd have used the herbs and leaves found along the path to mask his scent and dull the pain of the Yen.
Kaola reached the shop and kicked the door open. The force spoke more of her wounded pride than tactical necessity.
The interior was cramped and filled with the overwhelming scent of dried lavender and bitter roots. An old man with glasses jumped back from a counter.
His hands were covered in a green paste. He looked terrified as Kaola stepped into the light. "The boy," Kaola said. Her voice was a low growl.
"How much medicine did he buy?" The apothecary trembled. His eyes darted to the twins who now stood in the doorway. He swallowed hard. He looked at the aggressive set of Kaola's jaw and the ominous pressure coming from the two figures behind her.
"I... I haven't sold suppressants in over a week," the old man stammered. "I saw them from the window but they didn't stop! They were moving too fast toward the tree line! I only saw a pair of them and they didn't even look at the door!"
The man stopped. His heart hammered against his ribs as he realized he'd confirmed seeing a pair of travelers without Kaola mentioning a second person.
Kaola stepped forward.She grabbed the man by his collar and slammed him against the shelves. "You saw them," she hissed.
"and you knew they were fleeing. Why are you shaking so hard if they were just regular travelers?"
"I was scared!" the man shrieked. "Anyone who looks that sick and moves that fast through a quiet town brings trouble! I didn't want to be involved! They didn't stop here! I swear it on my life! They just kept going toward the woods!"
Kaola released the man. Her hand was trembling.She turned to look at Hykee and Lokee. The silence in the shop was deafening. By assuming the target would take the easy path she'd wasted precious minutes.
The lead the boy had was growing wider. Kova shifted his position in the Void. His brow furrowed as he analyzed the failure. She outsmarted you, Kaola. The girl's critical thinking saved them. She chose the harder path. He watched as Kaola walked out of the shop without another word.
She stood in the center of the dirt road looking toward the dark woods. She noticed the way the grass at the edge of the path was beginning to wilt. The leaves on the nearest bushes were turning a sickly grey.
The Yen was leaking from the boy. The flare ups were already poisoning the environment. The town's animals were skittish. The very trees seemed to lean away from the path the two had taken. "He's in the woods," Kaola finally said. Her voice was small. "We missed them."
Hykee stepped up beside her. His shadow loomed over her. "You missed them," he corrected. His voice was a low rasp that made Kaola flinch. "We followed your lead and you led us to an empty shop. If we lose him because you wanted to play god Koma won't be the one you have to worry about."
Kaola turned on him. Her eyes flashed with a defensive fire even as she leaned away from his reach. "Play god? Hykee how could I play god? I was told to lead for a mission by a god and if Kova was here neither one of you would be acting out like this.''
''If I fail this mission I'll either answer to Koma or Kova. If you want to keep hitting me go ahead but it won't find Kota. If you want to actually finish this then let me do my job as the scout and leader of this mission please."
Lokee stepped forward.Her voice cut through the tension with a cold clarity.
"Do your job as the scout and as the lead because without us this mission is impossible. You alone won't be able to finish the mission and Koma isn't a god. Stop this silly idolization you have for Koma."
Hykee let out a low guttural growl. It seemed to vibrate the very air. He turned his gaze toward Lokee. His expression darkened. "Be quiet," he snapped. He shifted his eyes back to Kaola. "Do your job. It's time to move on."
Kova watched the interaction from the Void. His lips curled into a thin, dangerous smile. He could feel the threads of their cooperation fraying.
Hykee is starting to lose patience. I sense him doing something that neither one of the girls can control. I may actually have to step in.
He turned his gaze toward the far corner of the Void where the girl remained. She was panting. Her body was covered in the soot of the demons she'd slain. "You've been in solitary for some time," Kova said to himself." I think it's time for you to show me your resolve. It's time to show me if you're actually usable."
Kova reached out.
His hand hovered over the missing digits of the boy's hand beside him. The woods wouldn't be kind to the hunters. They didn't care about birth order or the desperation of a scout. They only care about who survives the night.
Kova closed his eyes once more. He sank back into the depths of his own power. The hunt was entering a new phase. The decay of the world was only just beginning.