The cliff loomed over them like a silent judge, indifferent to the carnage spread across the sand below. Blood soaked into the beach, dark stains marking where four lives had ended in seconds.

Angelo stood motionless among the bodies, his evolved form dissolving piece by piece—robes fading to mist, scythe crumbling to nothing, halo winking out. His orange aura lingered around him like dying embers as he stared down at his work, expression unreadable as stone.

Neiva pressed closer to Blue, who remained perfectly composed despite the massacre. Her eyes were wide, fixed on Angelo's silhouette against the crimson sand.

Red materialized beside Angelo with a satisfied grin, the pocket Red figurine rising from the ground to settle in his palm. His wild eyes swept the beach before stopping on something the others had missed.

"Well, well," Red drawled, his voice dripping with dark amusement. "Looks like you left one breathing."

Angelo's gaze followed Red's gesturing with the pocket Red to where a young Cliffhanger cowered against the cliff face, chest heaving with terror.

"He never raised a hand against us," Angelo said flatly, brushing sand from his shirt. "Not a target."

Red's grin stretched wider as he turned toward the trembling gang member. "You catch that, kid?" His tone was mockingly cheerful. "You get to keep breathing!"

The young Cliffhanger stumbled to his feet and bolted, but Red shot overhead like a crimson comet, landing directly in his path with a theatrical thud.

"Hold up there, sport." Red's flying gear dissolved around him as he stepped closer. "Before you run home to daddy, we need to have a little chat about what you saw here today." He drew a finger across his throat in a slow, deliberate motion. "Keep your mouth shut, or I'll find you. And trust me—I'm very good at finding people. Crystal clear?"

The boy nodded frantically before scrambling away across the rocks.

"Red, get over here," Angelo called out, already moving toward the bodies. "I need your help."

Neiva finally found her voice, though it came out as barely a whisper. "Help with what?"

Red rejoined them, bouncing on his heels with barely contained excitement. "Cleaning up our mess, obviously." His casual tone made Neiva's stomach lurch.

Footsteps pounded across the sand as Sol appeared, face pale as morning mist. His eyes locked onto the pile of corpses, then snapped to Angelo with undisguised horror.

"What the hell have you done?" Sol's voice climbed with each word, panic bleeding through his usual confidence.

"They threatened to harm my student," Angelo replied, voice calm as still water. He crouched beside the bodies, already positioning himself for what came next.

"Couldn't you have just knocked them out?" Sol snarled, silver hair whipping in the ocean breeze.

Angelo glanced up at him without expression. "I could have."

Sol stared at him, mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. "Then why didn't you?!"

Angelo's eyes hardened as he turned back to the bodies. "Because when they stared death in the face, their hearts never wavered." Orange energy began forming overhead when he raised his arm, solidifying into a massive shovel. "There was no point letting them continue."

He drove the shovel deep into the sand with methodical precision, each scoop bringing them closer to a solution Sol didn't want to think about.

Sol pressed his palms against his temples, fingers digging into his skull. "Even if they deserved it, Hugo's going to declare war when he finds out."

"Relax, pretty boy." Red snickered, examining his fingernails with exaggerated nonchalance. "I made sure our little witness understands the consequences of loose lips."

Sol's jaw dropped. "One of them already knows?" He threw his hands up in despair. "That's it—we're completely screwed!"

Angelo paused in his digging, sand cascading from his shovel. "Hugo will ask questions before he attacks. I'll tell him the truth—they started the fight."

"'They started it?'" Sol's voice cracked with disbelief. "What are you, six years old? And how can you guarantee he won't come aura blazing?"

Angelo considered this, then shrugged. "I can't guarantee anything. But he doesn't strike me as the type to act without thinking."

"And what exactly is your brilliant plan for..." Sol gestured weakly at the pile of limbs, "...this horror show? Bury them and hope nobody notices four missing gang members?"

"No." Angelo finished digging and stepped back, surveying his work. The hole yawned before them like an open mouth. "Red, with me."

"Aye, aye, captain," Red sang, moving to Angelo's side with disturbing enthusiasm.

Sol's eyes widened as both duplicates stretched their arms back, palms hovering over the same point in space. Orange and crimson light began swirling between their hands, forming a dark sphere that pulsed with contained violence.

"You're not seriously going to—" Sol spun toward Blue, desperation in his voice. "Blue! Cover her eyes—now!"

Blue's scholarly gaze shifted from Sol to Neiva, but before he could move, her quiet voice cut through the tension.

"No." The single word carried a weight that made everyone freeze. Her tone was flat, emotionless, as if something vital had drained out of her. "I'll be fine."

The temperature around them seemed to drop ten degrees.

Sol stared at her in shock. "What are you saying? You're too young to see this—it'll mess you up even worse than you already are."

Neiva's eyes slowly found his, glazed and distant like she was sleepwalking. "You're only one year older than me, Sol." Her voice took on a dreamlike quality that made his skin crawl. "I want to see what happens to those with unwavering hearts."

Angelo's lips curved in what might have been approval.

"Right then." Angelo and Red turned toward the hole, their energy sphere crackling with barely contained power.

"How can you say that?" Sol's voice broke as he stared at Neiva. "Can't you see how completely insane this whole situation is?"

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She looked down at the corpses, her expression matching Angelo's cold indifference. "I trust Angelo's judgment completely. He delivered justice to my parents' killer when that man was beyond redemption." Her gaze never wavered from the bodies. "If he's judged these the same way, then that's the end of it."

Angelo nodded once, satisfaction flickering across his features. "Everyone step back."

The group retreated as Angelo and Red aimed their combined attack at the hole. "Sub-Trinergy Burst..." Angelo muttered.

Red's grin stretched impossibly wide as a beam of white-hot energy mixed with dark orange flame erupted from their hands. The blast hit the bodies with the force of a miniature star, sand spraying in all directions as their energy disintegrated flesh and bone alike.

Within seconds, nothing remained but a deeper, wider hole in the beach.

The scent of blood and sand hung in the air as the ocean waves continued their eternal rhythm, indifferent to the violence that had just erased four lives from existence.

Angelo's orange glow finally faded, his eyes returning to their normal brown as he let out a slow breath. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly as he surveyed their handiwork.

"Red, fill in that hole," he said, wiping sand from his hands.

"And why would I want to do that?" Red whined, crossing his arms like a child.

Angelo shrugged, already walking away. "Because you probably enjoy digging around in dirt like some kind of overgrown puppy."

A lightbulb made of crimson energy popped into existence above Red's head. "That's actually not a bad idea!"

Before anyone could react, Red sprouted, with his forged energy, dog ears, a long nose, and a tail that wagged with disturbing enthusiasm. He dropped to all fours and began frantically shoveling sand into the hole with his bare hands, tongue lolling out like he was having the time of his life.

"Wait, wait!" Red paused mid-dig to create a massive bone made of glowing red energy, which he tossed into the bottom of the hole. "Can't bury treasure without proper treasure!" He resumed his manic digging with renewed vigor.

Angelo, Sol, and Blue exchanged looks of pure exasperation as they walked away from the bizarre spectacle.

Sol fell into step beside Angelo, lowering his voice. "I really, really hope Hugo never finds out about this."

"To be completely honest?" Angelo glanced toward the town in the distance. "I think it's only a matter of time before he does. We'd better master that Trinergy technique before then."

Blue adjusted his non-existent tie with precise movements. "In that case, I should mention that I only have a few more hours available." He pulled back his sleeve, revealing spider-web cracks of blue light spreading across his arm. "Actually, perhaps less than that. I need to recharge soon."

Angelo stopped walking, genuine surprise flickering across his face. "Where are you going?"

"Ten bucks says he's got a hot date with some nerdy girl!" Red called out from his hole, still in full dog mode.

Blue rolled his eyes so hard it was almost audible. "Honestly, the fact that we share a mental connection makes your ignorance truly astounding." He shook his head in disappointment. "I had to reschedule my meeting with Brian yesterday because of Sol's request, remember?"

Angelo had the grace to look sheepish. "I was... distracted." His gaze drifted briefly toward where Neiva stood staring out at the ocean.

"And I spend most of my time actively trying to tune you out!" Red added cheerfully, popping his head up from the hole like an excited dog.

Blue's scholarly composure cracked just enough to show his frustration. "Regardless, I'm meeting with Brian this evening—before we reconvene with Sam tonight."

Sol placed a gentle hand on Neiva's shoulder, drawing her attention away from the waves. "I think Neiva and I need to take a break from all this chaos." He searched her face with concern. "That sound okay to you?"

She nodded, her red hair bouncing with the movement, though her expression remained distant.

"Fine by me." Angelo nodded curtly. "We'll get in a bit more training and meet you back at the inn later." He turned toward the water, then paused. "Red, give them a lift back to town."

Red let out an irritated growl that sounded disturbingly authentic. "Stop bossing me around."

Angelo's jaw tightened. "Please."

"Now that's more like it," Red huffed, but his grin returned as the pocket Red figurine drifted through the air to land in Neiva's open palm. "All aboard the Red Express!"

Crimson smoke poured from the tiny figure, forming wings and boosters that attached themselves to Sol's shoulders and back. He scooped Neiva up in his arms, and they shot into the sky with a whoosh of displaced air.

The three remaining duplicates watched them disappear over the cliff before turning back toward the ocean to resume their impossible task of mastering Trinergy.

Hours later, as evening painted the sky in shades of orange and purple, Blue made his way to the inn's lobby. Brian was already there, nose buried in a thick book, wire-rimmed glasses perched on the end of his nose.

Blue settled into the chair across from him with perfect posture, hands folded precisely in his lap. "Good evening, Brian. I must apologize once again for yesterday's delay."

Brian looked up with a warm smile, closing his book with care. "Good evening, Blue. Please, don't worry about it—I'm in no hurry whatsoever."

"Your understanding is greatly appreciated." Blue inclined his head slightly. "Now then, shall we proceed with the assessment?"

"Absolutely," Brian said, his excitement evident. But then his smile faltered, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Though I must ask—and please don't take offense—but despite the facial hair, you three appear rather young. I wouldn't presume to say you need university degrees, but how exactly do you plan to assess my qualifications?"

"A reasonable concern," Blue acknowledged with a nod. "I simply wish to discuss a topic of my choosing. Having spent considerable time with Professor Albert Goldstein, I believe I can determine whether your knowledge meets our requirements."

Brian's eyes lit up behind his glasses. "Ah, brilliant approach! What topic did you have in mind?"

"Professor Goldstein is, as you know, a leading expert in Auron studies." Blue leaned forward slightly, his scholarly enthusiasm showing through his formal demeanor. "I'd like to discuss a breakthrough in the field that one of my companions recently achieved. I'll base my assessment on your reaction and insights."

"A breakthrough you say?" Brian adjusted his glasses, practically vibrating with curiosity. "What kind of breakthrough?"

"You may find this difficult to believe," Blue said, allowing a hint of his own excitement to creep into his voice, "but my companion has discovered a method for us to see and hear through the energy we create."

Brian blinked rapidly, as if he hadn't heard correctly. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"Exactly what I said." Blue's eyes gleamed. "For instance, if I were to create an energy sphere behind you right now, I could see through it from any point on that sphere's surface."

Brian's mouth fell open. "But that's... that's impossible." He looked around the room as if searching for hidden cameras. "I mean, theoretically I can't find a contradiction. We know that Auron creations maintain a connection to their creator—an earth Auron can manipulate any earth around them, whether natural or self-created, but not earth made by other Aurons..."

His fingers began drumming against his thigh in an increasingly rapid rhythm. Blue watched him carefully, noting every reaction.

"There have been documented cases of Aurons using their abilities for information gathering," Brian continued, his academic mind racing. "A water Auron can sense objects within bodies of water, whether natural or created... but to enable actual sight and hearing? That would require light and sound waves to somehow travel through the created object directly to the Auron's sensory organs..."

He trailed off, stroking his chin as he stared at the floor. "No, that's not possible. Unless..." His head snapped up. "Perhaps the information is transmitted directly to the brain for processing? But that would be incredibly difficult to achieve without specific instructions, given how unprecedented this is..." His gaze locked onto Blue's. "How did your companion figure it out?"

Blue glanced around the lobby, then leaned closer and lowered his voice. "It's thanks to our unique existence. When Red and I emerge from Angelo, we do so as..." He paused, checking to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "As clouds of energy particles."

"Astonishing," Brian breathed. "You three truly are remarkable specimens. I read Professor Goldstein's paper and heard the stories from Joe, but the more I learn, the more amazed I become." He leaned forward eagerly. "What can you do in this particle form?"

Back in their room, Angelo muttered to himself through their shared connection, "It's called smoke form, not particle form..."

Blue adjusted his non-existent glasses, ignoring Angelo's correction. "We can move freely in any direction, squeeze through the tiniest openings, and travel without being detected." His eyes locked with Brian's. "We cannot interact with physical objects or speak aloud, but we retain our ability to see and hear everything around us."

"Of course!" Brian's face lit up with understanding. "That's the key! As energy particles, you naturally retain sensory capabilities, so your companion applied that same principle to his created energy..." He shook his head in wonder. "Absolutely brilliant! You three must be genuine geniuses!"

The comment made both Angelo and Blue wince internally. An image of Red in his ridiculous dog costume flashed through their shared consciousness.

Blue looked away, clearing his throat. "Something like that."

The two settled in for a longer discussion, diving deep into various aspects of Auron theory and application. Both men leaned forward with equal passion as they explored the intricate mysteries of their extraordinary world.

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