Lyra moved through the trees, her steps careful but quick. Kai had told her he'd be resting, but something felt off. The air was too still, the usual night sounds absent. As she neared the lake, she spotted him—not asleep, but standing alert, eyes locked on something unseen.
A flicker of movement in the trees. A sudden shift in the air.
Then—a fireball came hurtling towards him.
The moment the fireball came, Kai had already moved.
His senses had warned him long before the heat kissed the air. A flicker of malice, a shift in the wind—small signs he had learned to trust. By the time the scorching sphere reached where he had stood, he was already to the side, feet silent against the damp earth. The ground behind him hissed, blackening from the heat.
A voice followed. "Huh... didn't expect to run into someone here who could dodge that." A figure stepped forward, illuminated by the soft glow of dying embers. "Guess I wouldn't mind taking you on before I finish my job."
A job? Kai's grip tightened around his sword. He was used to being hunted—there were plenty of people who wanted him dead. But this time something felt different.
Before the thought could settle, he moved. A flick of his wrist sent three crescent-shaped wind slices screaming through the night. The air whistled as they carved toward their mark, invisible yet deadly.
The attacker barely reacted in time. His body twisted, dodging two, but the third cut clean across his shoulder.
A sharp inhale. Blood welled from the fresh wound, dark against the dim moonlight. The man's expression shifted—from confidence to wariness. ''This guy... he's dangerous!''
Without hesitation, flames burst around his body, swirling in a defensive dance. A barrier.
''Is he using his flames as armor?'' He tested it immediately, sending a single, direct slice toward him. This time, the spinning fire absorbed the attack.
The attacker had no intention of waiting around either. With his flames still circling, he thrust his hands forward, launching a rapid volley of fireballs.
Kai's eyes flicked past the incoming barrage to the trees, the lake, the quiet village beyond. Dodging would be easy—but the destruction wouldn't stop with him.
Tch. He moved forward instead.
Wind surged around his blade, slicing through the fireballs with ruthless precision. Embers scattered like dying fireflies, but Kai didn't stop. Step after step, he closed in—relentless, inevitable.
The attacker stiffened. Fear crept into his expression. He knew. He can't beat him.
Desperation took hold. In a single, frantic motion, the flame user leaped high, positioning himself above the lake. His arms stretched wide, fingers curling as he roared, "Phoenix Talon!"
The fire answered.
A monstrous hawk, wings ablaze, formed above him, the air itself trembling with heat. The lake's surface shimmered, reflecting the massive inferno poised to descend. The sheer intensity made it clear—this was a final move. If it landed, the damage would be critical.
''That size… that heat… this is bad.'' Kai sighed. ''This is why I don't give them time.''
His sword left his hand. The moment it hit the earth, he was gone.
Before the sound of rustling leaves even reached the attacker's ears, Kai was already behind him. A whisper of air was all the warning given.
Then—impact.
Kai's kick connected, a blur of force that sent the flame user hurtling downward. The hawk, no longer controlled, veered mid-flight—straight toward the lake.
A second later, the world exploded.
Steam erupted into the air, a white wall swallowing everything. The lake hissed violently, its very existence erased in an instant. Heat rushed out in all directions, blinding, suffocating.
Kai landed smoothly, unaffected. Wind surged from his body, scattering the steam in a single motion. The battlefield cleared.
His gaze swept forward.
The attacker was gone.
"Tch… so that was his plan all along. I was too reckless.''
Bloodstains marked the ground, leading away into the forest. A retreat, but not a clean one.
Kai exhaled, retrieving his sword. He could chase him. Finish this properly.
But he didn't.
This fight was never his. He was never the target.
Footsteps approached. Kai turned, already sensing who it was.
Lyra stepped out from the trees, eyes locked on the battlefield. Her brows knit together, her expression unreadable. "What happened?"
"Someone attacked. He wasn't after me. He was after something else."
Lyra hesitated, then nodded. Her gaze drifted toward the scorched remains of the lake, the lingering embers dying out. "What can someone possibly look for in this small isolated village?"
Her thoughts raced. What made this quiet village worth attacking? What was here that someone would risk a fight for? The answer came like a cold weight in her chest. It wasn't the village. It was her.
Kai met her eyes, noticing the change in her expression.
''You realized something didn't you?''
She took a breath. "I need to tell you about something."
Lyra told Kai everything—every single word she had exchanged with Amara, every warning sign that had unsettled her.
Kai exhaled slowly. He had never been the type to chase after trouble. He preferred to walk away. But turning his back now? Knowing something was coming and doing nothing? That wasn't who he was.
''Tomorrow, we will deal with this.''
Lyra looked at Kai with determination and nodded, for her there was no question.
The night stretched around them, the remnants of battle still thick in the air. But now, something heavier settled between them.
A truth waiting to be unraveled.