The fire had long died down.
Kai, Leon, and Crimson sat beneath the stars, bellies full of pizza and memories. The joy of reunion was still fresh, but something cold stirred in Kai's chest. That feeling from earlier—when he sensed he was being watched—it hadn't gone away.
Leon noticed the shift in Kai's posture. "What is it?"
Kai's eyes narrowed. "Someone… or something… has been tracking us."
Crimson blinked. "Like a pizza delivery guy who gets the wrong address?"
"Worse," Kai muttered. "Way worse."
Before anyone could speak further, a howl echoed through the trees.
Not a beast.
Not human.
Something… in between.
The mist rolled in unnaturally fast, swallowing trees and snuffing out the moonlight. Kai immediately stood, elemental aura flaring softly in his hands.
Leon drew a short blade made from a strange glowing metal—Oryndorite, a local mineral he'd discovered that resonated with his copied skills.
Crimson… held out a slice of pizza like a sacred talisman.
"Demons fear grease," he said seriously.
"Focus," Kai and Leon said in unison.
Ambush in the Fog
The mist suddenly burst with motion.
Four figures emerged—cloaked, faceless, and fast.
Shadowy assassins wearing pale white masks. Their blades flickered with corrupted elemental energy.
Kai twisted and launched a gust of wind that flung one back, slamming it into a tree. Leon surged forward, copying Kai's technique and adding a flaming edge to his strike.
But one of the attackers got close to Crimson.
He didn't flinch.
Instead, he ducked under the blade, spun on one foot, and flung his pizza slice directly into the assassin's eye holes.
"BLINDING FLAVOR!" he yelled.
The attacker staggered. Crimson then uppercut him with the pizza box.
Kai barely dodged a second attacker, countering with a Time Ripple, slowing the air just enough to redirect a lethal blade mid-swing.
Leon took on two at once, using his copied abilities: a hardened stone skin and electric fists. He moved with smooth confidence now, like someone remembering who they used to be.
Together, the three boys fought with rhythm and synergy. The mist broke apart under the light of their combined powers.
But then—
The air grew heavy.
All three felt it.
And from deeper in the woods… he arrived.
The Watcher Revealed
A tall man, white robes, silver hair, and pale silver eyes. He walked as if the world bent for him.
The assassins froze instantly and knelt.
He raised a hand.
All motion stopped. The wind, the mist, the trees — even sound seemed frozen.
Kai recognized it.
Time Manipulation.
But stronger than his.
The man looked at them — specifically at Kai and Leon — with a gaze that pierced through every wall in their souls.
"Two Forsaken souls… reborn… hiding in a land not meant to carry such weight."
Kai tensed. "Who are you?"
The man ignored the question and turned his palm toward Crimson.
"And the anomaly… you are interesting."
Crimson blinked. "Anomaly? I'm just a guy with good taste."
The man let out a soft chuckle.
"You three will do well to remember this moment. The next time we meet... I won't just be watching."
He raised his hand, and in an instant, he and the assassins vanished — as if they'd been rewound out of existence.
The forest returned to its natural state.
The mist was gone.
Silence reigned.
Aftermath
The three stood quietly, hearts still pounding.
Kai's mind was racing.
Who was that man?
He hadn't just used time magic — he had mastered it.
Leon wiped a bit of ash from his arm. "So… I guess we're not as hidden as we thought."
"Nope," Kai said, breathing heavily. "But now we know."
Crimson walked over, holding a scorched piece of crust. "Y'all ever think maybe we should just run a bakery?"
Kai and Leon laughed — loud and real.
But beneath it all, a shared understanding formed.
They were not safe.
They never would be.
But at least… they had each other.
The Next Morning
The sun peeked over the hills of the training institute.
A bell rang.
Their instructor's voice bellowed from the main tower:
"All first-year initiates! Report to Classroom A-1 for elemental evaluations!"
Kai stretched and looked at Leon and Crimson.
"Let's try to be normal students for at least one day."
Leon smirked. "Define 'normal.'"
Crimson pulled a fresh slice from somewhere inside his cloak.
"I brought breakfast."
And with that, the three headed into their new life at the academy.
The storm was on pause—but the clouds never truly went away.