After a while, Mira and Jelo were done resting, and Jelo says they should continue this journey to look for the portal. His voice carried a forced optimism, though exhaustion still weighed heavily on him. He pushed himself to his feet, wincing slightly as his muscles protested. The brief rest had helped, but not nearly enough. Still, staying put wasn't an option. They had to keep moving.

Mira stood as well, brushing dust from her clothes. She looked at him, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. The weight of their situation hung between them like a physical thing. But there was nothing to be gained from dwelling on it. They had made their choice to come here, and now they had to deal with the consequences.

So they got up and started walking once again.

The city stretched endlessly before them, an endless maze of crumbling stone and abandoned structures. The sun beat down mercilessly, and the air was thick and stifling. His throat was parched, and his legs felt like lead, but he forced himself to keep moving. One foot in front of the other. That was all he could do.

Mira walked beside him, her eyes scanning their surroundings constantly. She was on edge, alert for any sign of danger. Every shadow seemed suspicious. Every distant sound made her tense. But nothing appeared. The city remained as silent and empty as it had been for hours.

⸻

Meanwhile with Ken and Atlas, Ken had just finished killing the Dabba, and Atlas was a little bit surprised that Ken was able to kill a mutated Dabba so quickly and without stress. He had seen Ken fight before, of course, but this had been different. The creature had been powerful, its body reinforced with mutation, and yet Ken had dispatched it with almost casual efficiency.

Atlas began to wonder what kind of—like what was the level of Ken's ability really. He knew Ken was skilled, that much was obvious. But there was something about the way he moved, the way the shadows responded to him, that suggested his power ran deeper than Atlas had initially thought. Ken wasn't just skilled. He was dangerous.

But he decided to say nothing. Now wasn't the time to ask questions. They had a mission to focus on.

Ken then turned to Atlas and smiled, saying that this one wasn't too bad, thankfully. His tone was light, almost dismissive, as if he hadn't just killed a creature that could have torn most students apart. "Could've been worse," he added, wiping a trace of shadow energy from his hand.

Atlas nodded, and then they continued walking. The street stretched ahead of them, lined with broken buildings and scattered debris. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the crunch of their footsteps against sand and stone.

After a while of walking, they were beginning to grow tired. The heat was relentless, and the constant vigilance was draining. Atlas could feel sweat soaking through his shirt, and his breathing had grown heavier. Even Ken, who had seemed unbothered at first, was showing signs of fatigue.

Ken then formed a sort of canopy for them with his shadows while they kept walking. The darkness spread above them like a living umbrella, blocking out the harsh sunlight and providing blessed relief. The temperature dropped immediately, and Atlas let out a small sigh of gratitude. It wasn't much, but it made the walk more bearable.

They continued in silence, their footsteps echoing softly in the empty streets. The shadow canopy moved with them, adjusting automatically as Ken maintained his focus. It was an impressive display of control, Atlas thought. Most ability users would struggle to maintain something like this while walking and staying alert for threats. But Ken made it look effortless.

Then soon, Atlas suddenly felt like something was wrong. It wasn't anything he could see or hear. It was more like a shift in the air, a change in pressure that set his instincts screaming. His steps slowed, and his eyes darted around, searching for the source of his unease.

He then stopped.

Ken asked him why he stopped, his tone curious but tinged with concern. The shadow canopy above them flickered slightly as Ken's attention shifted.

Atlas said he didn't know, but it felt like there was something wrong around. His voice was quiet, cautious. "I can't explain it. It's just… something doesn't feel right."

Ken's expression grew more serious. He trusted Atlas's instincts. If something felt off, then it probably was. He let the shadow canopy dissolve, pooling the darkness around his body instead, ready to move at a moment's notice.

They stood there, tense and alert, waiting.

Just then, they heard a low vibration. It was not like a shout or a roar. It was more like a low rumble that when they heard it, it made them feel so much fear and they were unable to even move their body. The sound resonated in their chests, in their bones, like the growl of some ancient predator. It was primal. Overwhelming. It bypassed their conscious minds and spoke directly to the part of them that understood danger on an instinctual level.

Atlas's breath caught in his throat. His legs felt frozen. His heart pounded so hard it hurt.

Ken's shadows flickered unsteadily around him, responding to his sudden surge of adrenaline and fear.

Just then, the ihe appeared in the distance, walking slowly but purposefully. It emerged from between two buildings, its massive frame moving with a deliberate grace that was almost hypnotic. The creature was enormous, easily seven feet tall, with smooth, scaled skin that gleamed faintly in the harsh sunlight. Its thick tail swayed behind it, moving in perfect rhythm with its steps.

When it spotted Ken and Atlas, it paused and looked at them.

Ken and Atlas also stared at it.

For a moment, no one moved. The world seemed to hold its breath. The ihe's eyes—glowing faintly with an inner light—locked onto them with an intensity that was almost physical. It was sizing them up. Evaluating them. Deciding whether they were prey or threat.

Then, for the first time, Atlas saw Ken's confident, cocky attitude change to one of fear and uncertainty. Ken's usual smirk was gone, replaced by a tight, pale expression. His hands trembled slightly, and the shadows around him coiled tighter, as if trying to protect him from what was coming.

Ken whispered, "Oh shit, dude."

It was barely audible, but Atlas heard it clearly. And in that moment, he understood just how much danger they were in. If Ken—Ken, who had faced down mutated Dabbas without breaking a sweat—was scared, then they were in serious trouble.

The ihe tilted its head slightly, as if amused.

Then it moved.

The ihe moved first. It vanished in a blur and the ground exploded where Atlas had been standing a heartbeat earlier. Chunks of stone and dust erupted into the air, and Atlas barely had time to register that he'd moved before he realized Ken had yanked him backward with a tendril of shadow.

Ken reacted instantly, shadows snapping up like walls as the creature's tail slams into them with crushing force. The impact was thunderous. The shadows held for a fraction of a second before shattering like glass, and Ken was forced to create another layer, then another. The impact sent shockwaves through the street, cracking stone and forcing Ken back despite his footing.

His feet dug trenches into the ground as he slid backward, teeth gritted, arms raised as more shadows poured from his body to reinforce the defense. Sweat beaded on his forehead. The sheer power behind that single strike was terrifying.

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