The distant shout carries on the wind, sharp and strained. It was faint at first, almost lost in the oppressive silence of the city, but unmistakable once it reached them. A human voice, raw with pain and desperation, echoing through the empty streets.

Jelo and Mira picked up the sound, faces lighting with recognition and urgency. They stopped in their tracks, heads turning sharply toward the source. For hours they'd wandered through this desolate place without seeing another soul, and now, suddenly, there were people here. People who sounded like they were in serious trouble.

"Did you hear that?" Mira asked, her voice tight.

Jelo nodded, already moving. "Someone's fighting."

They quickened their pace, moving faster through the ruins, anticipation pushing them forward. Jelo's exhaustion fell away, replaced by a surge of adrenaline. The mirror still weighed heavy in his arms, but he barely noticed it now. His mind was focused entirely on that voice, on whoever was out there, on what they might be facing.

The streets blurred past them as they ran. Mira kept pace beside him, her expression grim and determined. They turned a corner, then another, following the sound of combat—the crash of stone, the hiss of energy, the low rumble of something massive moving.

And then they saw it.

Ahead, Jelo spotted the ihe, its massive form tense and ready. The creature stood in the middle of a wide street, its tail swaying slowly behind it, muscles coiled beneath its smooth, scaled skin. It was enormous, easily seven feet tall, its body radiating power and menace. The air around it seemed to shimmer with heat and tension.

On the ground near it lay two humans, barely moving. One was sprawled face-down in the dirt, blood pooling beneath him, his body twisted at an unnatural angle. The other was on his hands and knees, struggling to rise, shadows flickering weakly around his form like dying embers.

Horror bloomed in Jelo as he realized who they were. Atlas, battered and sprawled across the dirt, his face pale and streaked with blood. And Ken, struggling to rise, shadows flickering around him, his entire body trembling with the effort of staying conscious.

"No," Jelo whispered, the word barely audible.

They were his friends. His classmates. People he'd trained with, fought beside, laughed with. And now they were here, broken and bleeding, about to die at the hands of this monster.

Jelo broke into a run toward them. He didn't think. Didn't hesitate. He just moved, his legs pumping, his heart pounding in his chest. The mirror slipped from his grip, clattering to the ground behind him, forgotten. All that mattered was reaching them. Saving them.

"Jelo, wait!" Mira shouted, but he was already too far ahead.

The ihe pivoted instantly, sensing the new threat. Its glowing eyes locked onto Jelo, and in that moment, the creature's focus shifted entirely. Ken and Atlas were forgotten. This new arrival was faster, stronger, more interesting.

It lashed out with blinding speed. Its claws tore through the air, aimed directly at Jelo's chest. The strike came so fast that Jelo barely had time to register it, let alone react.

Jelo barely dodged, the attack missing by inches, the force tearing through the air around him. He felt the wind of the blow, felt the raw power behind it. If that had connected, it would have torn him in half. His heart hammered in his chest, and his instincts screamed at him to run, to get away, but he couldn't. Not with Ken and Atlas lying there.

He countered with a flurry of punches, fire erupting from his fists. Flames roared to life around his hands, blazing bright and hot, and he launched himself at the creature. His fists connected—once, twice, three times—each strike accompanied by an explosion of fire energy. The impacts echoed through the street, and for a moment, Jelo thought he had the advantage.

But the ihe pressed relentlessly, forcing him backward with each strike, exploiting its speed and strength. It moved like liquid, flowing around his attacks, its body impossibly fast. For every punch Jelo threw, the creature countered with two. Its claws slashed at him, its tail whipped around, and its sheer presence was overwhelming.

Jelo felt himself being driven back, step by step. His arms ached from blocking. His legs burned from the constant movement. The fire around his fists flickered and dimmed as his energy drained. He was strong—far stronger than he'd been months ago—but this thing was on another level entirely.

The ihe's claws raked across his shoulder, tearing through his shirt and drawing blood. Jelo hissed in pain but didn't stop moving. He couldn't afford to. Stopping meant dying.

Behind him, Ken watched through blurred vision, his body still trembling from exhaustion and pain. He could barely stand, let alone fight, but seeing Jelo here—seeing him take on the creature that had just demolished both him and Atlas—stirred something inside him. A spark of hope. A flicker of defiance.

Ken gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet. His legs wobbled, threatening to give out, but he locked his knees and stayed upright. Shadows coiled weakly around his hands, barely more than wisps. He didn't have much left. Maybe one good strike. Maybe less. But it would have to be enough.

The ihe finally created an opening and wanted to press the advantage on Jelo. It feinted left, drawing Jelo's guard in that direction, then struck from the right with brutal efficiency. Its claws came in fast, aimed at Jelo's exposed side, ready to tear through flesh and bone.

But Ken, still recovering, joined the fight, catching the ihe off guard with a swift shadow strike. The darkness shot forward like a spear, slamming into the creature's outstretched arm and knocking it off course. The strike wasn't powerful—Ken didn't have the strength for that—but it was unexpected, and it was enough.

The ihe stumbled backward, forced to reposition. Its glowing eyes widened slightly in surprise. It hadn't sensed Ken moving. Hadn't expected him to have anything left.

Ken stood there, breathing hard, shadows flickering weakly around him. His legs shook, and blood dripped from his mouth, but he was upright. He was fighting.

"Thought… I was done?" Ken rasped, his voice barely more than a whisper. He tried to smirk, but it came out more like a grimace.

The creature quickly regrouped, eyes narrowing. Its initial surprise faded, replaced by cold calculation. It assessed the situation—two opponents now, both injured, both exhausted, but still standing. Still fighting.

Its jaws snapped as it snarled at both of them, ready to retaliate. The sound was low and guttural, more felt than heard, vibrating through the air like a warning. The ihe's tail lashed behind it, cracking against the ground with enough force to split stone.

Jelo took the moment to catch his breath, positioning himself between the creature and his fallen friends. His shoulder throbbed where the claws had caught him, and his entire body ached, but he forced himself to focus. Ken was beside him now, barely standing, but alive. Atlas was still on the ground, unmoving but breathing. They were still alive. That meant there was still a chance.

"Can you fight?" Jelo asked, not taking his eyes off the ihe.

Ken laughed weakly, the sound more like a cough. "Not… really. But I'm not sitting this one out."

Jelo nodded grimly. "Let's just try to survive"

The ihe's snarl deepened, and it began to advance again, slower this time, more deliberate. It wasn't underestimating them anymore. It was done playing.

Jelo's fists ignited once more, flames burning brighter than before, fueled by desperation and determination. Ken's shadows coiled tighter around his arms, gathering what little strength he had left.

The creature lunged.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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