Nick ran back through the streets, scanning every shop and alley once again.
Jewelry stores.
Bookstores.
Food stalls.
Everywhere.
But there was still no sign of the blonde-haired girl.
Eventually, he reached the center of town where all the main streets connected.
The busy square was crowded with merchants, travelers, and townsfolk.
A few moments later, Darven arrived.
His breathing was heavy.
Nick looked at him.
"Did you find her?"
Darven shook his head.
"No."
Soon after, Eyrx appeared from the library district.
His exhausted face gave the answer before he even spoke.
Nick sighed.
"You didn't find her either."
Eyrx dropped onto the same café bench they had used earlier.
"I'm exhausted."
Darven sat beside him and grabbed a water bottle.
He took a few large gulps.
For a brief moment, everything seemed peaceful.
Then it happened.
Darven froze.
His eyes widened.
The bottle slipped slightly from his hand.
Behind eyrx...
A shadowy figure stood silently.
Its dark hand slowly reached toward Eyrx's neck.
Darven's heart skipped a beat.
Without thinking, he jumped forward and shoved Eyrx away.
Eyrx nearly fell off the bench.
"What happened?!"
Darven didn't answer.
He quickly stood up and looked around.
Left.
Right.
Behind him.
Above him.
The shadows was everywhere.
Dozens of them.
Watching.
Waiting.
His breathing became uneven.
"No..."
The shadows moved closer.
"No... leave me alone..."
People nearby stopped walking and stared.
Darven suddenly swung his fists.
Again.
And again.
Fighting enemies nobody else could see.
Nick immediately understood.
His illness.
It was happening again.
"Darven!"
Nick grabbed his shoulder.
"Come back!"
"There's nobody there!"
But Darven couldn't hear him.
The shadows continued surrounding him.
Nick's mind flashed back to an old memory.
A dinner table.
A six-year-old Nick sitting beside his family.
His little sister laughing while eating.
Then suddenly—
She screamed.
The smile vanished from her face.
Tears filled her eyes.
At only four years old, she began throwing plates and utensils around the room.
His mother immediately rushed to calm her.
Nick still remembered the fear in her eyes.
The same fear he saw in Darven now.
The memory disappeared.
Nick returned to the present.
The crowd was growing.
People whispered among themselves.
Darven continued fighting invisible enemies.
Nick knew there was only one way to stop him.
"I'm sorry."
He stepped forward.
Then delivered a precise strike to Darven's neck.
Darven's body instantly went limp.
Nick caught him before he hit the ground.
The square fell silent.
A few people stared in shock.
Nick lifted Darven onto his shoulder.
Then he turned toward Eyrx.
But Eyrx wasn't there.
Nick frowned.
"Eyrx?"
No answer.
His eyes searched the crowd.
Then suddenly—
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed from the food district.
People screamed.
A pillar of smoke rose into the sky.
Orange flames spread above the rooftops.
Nick's eyes widened.
Fire.
And it was coming from the direction where Eyrx had gone.
Without wasting another second, Nick carried Darven to the café.
"Take care of him," he told the owner.
"We'll back soon."
The owner nodded nervously.
Nick immediately turned around and sprinted toward the rising flames.
The crowd parted before him.
Smoke continued climbing into the evening sky.
And somewhere inside that fire...
Eyrx was missing.
Eyrx pushed through the crowded street, his eyes searching every face around him.
The blonde-haired girl.
He was sure she had the pendant.
People suddenly began closing their shops.
Wooden shutters slammed shut one after another.
Merchants hurriedly gathered their goods.
The atmosphere changed.
Something was wrong.
Ahead of him, the girl in the blue-and-white gown walked quickly through the street.
"Blue-and-white gown lady!" Eyrx shouted.
"Stop!"
But the crowd drowned out his voice.
She continued walking.
Then—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the street.
Eyrx instinctively stepped back.
A bright orange glow reflected across the girl's face.
Several buildings had caught fire.
Smoke rose into the sky.
At the center of the chaos stood a group of armed men.
The townspeople watched from windows and doorways, too afraid to interfere.
The men had come to collect money from the shop owners.
When they didn't receive enough, they started smashing stalls, signs, benches, and storefronts.
Now they were setting the entire street ablaze.
The girl stared at the destruction.
An old shopkeeper had fallen to his knees in front of his ruined store.
Years of hard work lay shattered around him.
Tears streamed down his face.
The girl slowly placed her books and jewelry on a nearby table.
Then she stepped forward.
"Hey!"
Her voice echoed through the burning street.
The gang leader turned.
The girl pointed directly at him.
"What gives you the right to do this?"
"You destroyed these people's livelihood!"
"You cheap robbers!"
Several gang members burst into laughter.
The leader's face darkened.
He walked toward her and grabbed her arm.
"You should stay out of our business, little girl."
The girl yanked her arm back.
"It is my business."
"If innocent people are suffering, then it's everyone's business."
"And someone needs to teach people like you a lesson."
The gang erupted with laughter again.
The leader smirked.
"You think you're some kind of hero?"
Without warning, he shoved her backward.
The girl stumbled but quickly regained her footing.
Her eyes burned with anger.
She grabbed a broken wooden bench and hurled it straight at him.
CRACK!
The bench smashed across his face.
Blood trickled down his cheek.
The smile vanished from his face.
The leader's expression twisted with rage.
He stormed toward her, grabbed her hair, and dragged her into the middle of the street.
The girl clenched her fists.
She was ready to fight.
But before she could move—
BANG!
A powerful kick struck the leader's back.
His body flew across the street.
The leader crashed through a wooden stall.
Everyone froze.
Eyrx lowered his leg and stepped forward.
The girl frowned.
"Hey! That was my fight."
Eyrx ignored her.
His cold gaze remained fixed on the leader.
"Respect women."
The street fell silent.
The leader wiped blood from his mouth and stood.
"Are you her boyfriend or something?"
"I'm not."
Eyrx took another step forward.
"But she isn't your slave."
The leader's expression darkened.
"Kill him."
Several men rushed forward at once.
Eyrx immediately shifted into a fighting stance.
The first kick came toward his face.
He dodged.
A punch followed.
He blocked it.
Then countered with a strike to the ribs.
CRACK!
The attacker collapsed.
Another rushed him.
Eyrx ducked beneath a swing and drove his elbow into the man's stomach.
Months of training showed themselves in every movement.
Nick's lessons.
Darven's sparring.
Countless hours of practice.
Every drop of effort paid off now.
Meanwhile, the girl grabbed a pipe connected to a nearby water tank.
Water burst through the hose.
She immediately began extinguishing the burning shops.
More gang members joined the fight.
Eyrx found himself surrounded.
Even so, he continued fighting.
One after another.
They fell.
Across the street, Nick finally arrived.
Smoke and fire blocked part of his vision.
He could only see fragments of the battle.
Bodies scattered across the ground.
Eyrx standing in the center.
Then suddenly—
A man appeared behind Eyrx.
His hands gripped an iron rod.
The girl noticed first.
Her eyes widened.
"Watch out!"
Too late.
The rod pierced into Eyrx's chest, stopping just short of his heart.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
The world froze.
The gang leader stepped backward.
A grin spread across his face.
Eyrx looked down at the rod.
For a moment, he felt nothing.
Then the pain arrived.
His knees hit the ground.
Darkness slowly crept into his vision.
And suddenly—
A memory returned.
A forgotten memory.
Bullets.
Blood.
Pain.
A dark void.
A voice.
"You are special."
The same voice.
The voice he had heard after death.
"You have two choices."
Images flashed before his eyes.
Power.
Memories.
Family.
Grace.
The people he loved.
"If you choose power and memories, you may keep everything."
"But fail to control it..."
"And the power will consume you."
The memory shattered.
Eyrx returned to the present.
Smoke filled the air.
The gang leader laughed.
The girl rushed toward him.
"Stay still! I can heal—"
Before she could finish—
The voice returned.
"Open your power."
"Use your strength."
"Control it before it controls you."
The voice vanished.
Eyrx's breathing became heavier.
The girl reached for him again.
"Please don't move—"
"Run."
His voice was low.
The girl froze.
"What?"
"Run."
She refused.
Eyrx gritted his teeth.
"RUN!"
The force in his voice finally made her step back.
Then it happened.
BOOM!
A massive wave of green energy erupted from Eyrx's body.
The ground cracked.
Windows shattered.
The air itself trembled.
Everyone nearby fled in terror.
The remaining gang members collapsed unconscious.
Even the leader fell to his knees.
Only one person remained standing.
The girl.
Her eyes reflected the brilliant green light.
Shock appeared on her face.
Then curiosity.
Then a small smile.
Across the street, Nick arrived just in time to witness everything.
The pressure pouring from Eyrx's body was overwhelming.
For a brief moment, even Nick struggled to breathe.
Eyrx screamed.
Green energy exploded outward once more.
Then silence.
His body collapsed onto the street.
The flames continued burning.
Smoke drifted into the sky.
The girl quickly slipped into a nearby building before Nick noticed her.
Nick stared at Eyrx for several seconds.
Then he rushed forward.
"Eyrx!"
That night.
The castle stood silent beneath the moonlight.
Darven remained unconscious on his bed.
Eyrx sat upright, exhaustion visible in his eyes.
His wounds had already begun healing.
Nick sat nearby.
For a while, neither spoke.
Then Eyrx lowered his head.
"Sorry."
Nick sighed.
"Eyrx—"
"I lost the pendant."
"I'm sorry."
"Eyrx."
"I should've protected it."
Nick rubbed his forehead.
"You've apologized for thirty minutes."
"That's enough."
"We'll find it later."
The room finally became quiet.
Then—
"Hehehe..."
A strange laugh echoed through the room.
Both Eyrx and Nick froze.
Slowly, they turned toward the balcony.
A figure sat casually on the railing.
Long hair danced in the night wind.
Brilliant blue eyes shone beneath the moonlight.
The figure laughed again.
"Hehehe..."
Silence filled the room.
Eyrx and Nick stared at the unexpected visitor.
Their eyes widened.