The forest was dark, silent except for Dune's rapid footsteps and the occasional rustle of leaves. He pushed harder, his legs burning as he used another Nebastep.
"You can run, Dune, but it's pointless!" Elijah's voice echoed through the trees, sharp and playful. "Don't you get tired of this? Or do you just enjoy making me chase you?"
Dune didn't answer. He vaulted over a fallen tree, another platform erupting under his foot to push him higher. He had to keep moving. Elijah was faster, stronger, and worse, he was enjoying this.
Suddenly, a black blur shot past him.
"Too slow."
Elijah appeared in front of him, floating just above the ground. His long black jacket flared out. He tilted his head, grinning like a predator that had cornered its prey.
Dune's eyes narrowed. "You're insane."
"Maybe." Elijah shrugged. Then, faster than Dune could react, he vanished, just a flicker in the air.
Dune barely had time to think. He used a Nebastep beneath him, launching himself sideways just as Elijah reappeared where he'd been standing, sword slashing through empty air.
"Nice dodge!" Elijah said, clapping mockingly as he turned to face him. "You really are a clever little rabbit, aren't you?"
"Stop talking and fight," Dune snapped, his voice low.
"Oh, I am fighting," Elijah said, his grin widening. "This is the fun part."
Dune didn't wait for him to move again. He dashed forward, his sword flashing as he swung for Elijah's chest. Elijah blocked it effortlessly, their blades ringing out in the silent forest.
"You're quick," Elijah said, pressing down on Dune's blade with his own. "But not quick enough."
Dune's eyes flicked to Elijah's feet, no, not his feet. His blurred shadow. He realized too late what was coming.
Elijah blinked again, disappearing in a haze of motion. Dune spun, throwing up another Nebastep to launch himself backward.
The explosion propelled him just far enough to avoid Elijah's next strike, but not the wind it generated. The force sent him spinning through the air.
"Run, rabbit, run!" Elijah shouted, laughing as he blurred forward again, chasing him down.
Dune landed hard, rolling to his feet. He was outmatched. He knew that. But if there was one thing he was good at, it was surviving.
He planted his foot on a Nebastep, the explosion rocketing him straight up into the canopy. From above, he could see Elijah darting between the trees, looking for him.
"Where are you, little rabbit?" Elijah called, his voice sing-song. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
Dune gritted his teeth, gripping his sword tightly. "Think, Dune. Think." He whispered to himself.
Dune shot through the canopy, his legs a blur as he used Nebastep to climb higher and higher into the cold night air. Each platform exploded beneath his feet, propelling him forward in a rhythm that almost felt like running on invisible stairs.
"I can do this… I can do this," he muttered, glancing behind him.
Elijah's laughter echoed, chilling and sharp. "Oh, you've got tricks, Dune! I'll give you that!"
Dune cursed under his breath as he saw the figure in black rising through the air, wings of speed trailing behind him like smoke. Elijah wasn't climbing, he was flying. Effortless.
"Are you kidding me?" Dune shouted, frustration spilling out as he kicked off another Nebastep and shot higher. His muscles screamed from the constant strain, and his chest felt like it was on fire.
Elijah, meanwhile, floated closer, grinning like a devil. "What's wrong, rabbit? Tired already? You gotta be much more fun than this!" He tilted his head mockingly. "Oh wait, I forgot, I can fly. This must be so depressing for you."
Dune didn't respond. He focused on moving, his Nebasteps coming faster and closer together now. Each explosion rattled his legs, but it kept him ahead.
He zipped left, then right, zigzagging through the air to throw Elijah off.
But Elijah just laughed again, closing the gap with ease. "You can't outrun me, Dune. You're just delaying the inevitable. You know that, don't you?"
Dune gritted his teeth. He had no choice. If he couldn't outrun Elijah, then he'd have to outsmart him.
When Elijah blurred closer, his sword raised high for a killing blow, Dune planted a Nebastep beneath his feet, but this time, he didn't stop there. He used a platform under both arms and both legs simultaneously, activating four Nebasteps at once.
The explosions sent him spinning like a tornado, his body whipping around faster than Elijah could react.
"What the—?!" Elijah started, but it was too late.
Dune's spinning sword lashed out like a wild storm, the force catching Elijah across the chest. Elijah blurred backward in a desperate blink, but at that moment Dune used another nebastep on the sword, changing its trajectory. Sword shot toward Elijah's face. He tried to dodge but the blade still grazed his neck.
He reappeared far away, one hand clamped over his throat. He rubbed the small scratch there, staring at the blood on his fingers. "Well, well…" he said, his grin slipping for the first time. "That was something."
Dune landed hard, crashing through the branches and hitting the forest floor with a heavy thud. His sword slipped from his hand, clattering uselessly to the ground. He crawled to the base of a tree, leaning against it, his body trembling with exhaustion.
He looked up as Elijah descended slowly, his sword gleaming in the moonlight. Dune let out a shaky breath, his head dropping back against the bark. "Just kill me," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm done."
Elijah touched the scratch on his neck again, smirking as he walked closer.
Elijah stepped closer, his boots crunching against the leaves. Dune's head lolled back against the tree, his breaths shallow and uneven. He blinked up at Elijah, his vision fading in and out.
Elijah's lips curled into a smirk as he tightened his grip on his own weapon. "Looks like this is it for you."
Dune didn't answer. Instead, he reached out, barely brushing the back of his sword's hilt with a single finger...
"come on Dune.. you're still trying to take that?"
But Dune had other plans, In an instant, he activated a small Nebastep, a concentrated burst of force exploding between his fingertip and the metal.
The sword shot off the ground like a bolt of lightning, slicing through the air toward Elijah with insane speed. But it veered just slightly off course, missing its mark, only severing a few strands of his hair.
Elijah's eyes widened. He froze for a moment, then let out a breathless chuckle, both amused and impressed. "Damn." What the hell is wrong with this guy?
Dune stared at him, then at his empty hand. His body slumped slightly as realization set in. He had missed.
"Shit," he muttered, exhaling sharply. He let his arms hang loosely at his sides. There was nothing left to do. No tricks, no second chances. He was ready to accept his fate.
"Before I kill you…" Elijah crouched in front of him, resting his sword casually over his knee. His cold eyes studied Dune like he was some strange creature.
"Tell me something, rabbit. If you survive this, if, by some miracle, you make it through tonight, what exactly are you going to do with your pathetic little life?"
Dune let out a bitter laugh, his lips cracked and dry. "Why does it matter?"
"It matters to me." Elijah smirked, leaning forward. "You've been running this whole time, fighting just to stay alive. I want to know what all that effort is for. What's the grand prize you're chasing, Dune?"
Dune closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, staring directly at Elijah. His voice was weak but steady. "I'm going to kill the gods."
Elijah raised an eyebrow, genuinely amused. "Kill the gods? Really? That's bold, even for someone as stubborn as you."
"They deserve it," Dune rasped. His hand weakly clenched the dirt beside him. "It just pisses me off you know, they sit above us, using us like chess pieces while we're unable to fight back against them… they think they're untouchable. But they're not. And i will prove that."
Elijah watched him carefully, silent for a moment. Then he chuckled softly. "You're serious. I can see it in your eyes." He stood, towering over Dune. "You've got fire, I'll give you that. But fire burns out eventually."
Dune didn't respond. His head slumped forward as exhaustion finally claimed him.
When Dune woke, he was lying on a rough bed of furs and moss. The air was damp and cool, the faint crackle of a fire filling the silence. He groaned, sitting up slowly, his muscles aching with every movement.
Across the fire, Elijah sat with his back against the cave wall, casually wrapping a blue scarf around his neck. His black coat was folded neatly beside him, his sword resting on top of it.
Dune stared at him for a long moment, confused. "Why… am I still alive?"
Elijah didn't look up as he adjusted the scarf. "You were more entertaining than I expected," he said simply. "And you've got ambition. I like that."
"That's it?" Dune's voice was hoarse.
Elijah glanced at him, smirking. "Don't get me wrong, I still plan to kill you one day. But not yet. You've got a scar to earn, rabbit. Just like me."
Dune's eyes flicked to the blue scarf. "That scratch on your neck… Why didn't you use Neba to heal it?"
Elijah's smirk faded slightly. He tightened the scarf with a slow, deliberate motion. "I want it to stay. A reminder."
"Of what?"
"That even someone as perfect as me can bleed." Elijah leaned back, closing his eyes. "It keeps things… interesting."
Dune sighed, shaking his head. "You're insane you know."
"Maybe." Elijah grinned without opening his eyes. "But you're alive because of it, so I'd be a little more grateful if I were you."
Dune leaned back against the cave wall, staring at the flickering fire. His body still ached, and his mind was spinning, but he said nothing. There was no point in arguing with someone like Elijah.