The thing's wings tore at the air, scattering dirt and sparks from the glowing circle. Every instinct in my body screamed run. Muscles coiled, breath locked—
"Kael…"
My blood turned to ice.
That voice. Strained. Familiar in a way that hit somewhere deep and ugly.
"…Aria?"
The creature thrashed again, shadows rippling across its warped body. But the voice didn't come from the wings.
It came from inside it.
"It's me," she said, rough but steady. "Listen carefully. I don't have much time. Break the formation—before they come."
I swallowed. "Formation? Aria, what the hell is this?"
"Please," she snapped, desperation cracking through the word. "Kael—now!"
Light flared violently. The runes burned brighter, searing my eyes. Whatever was holding her was tightening.
I didn't think.
I lunged for the nearest crystal and slammed my palms against it. Cold bit into my skin, followed by heat—sharp, electric. My arms shook as if the thing were welded to the earth itself.
The smart move would've been to stop.
I pushed harder.
The crystal screamed.
Cracks spiderwebbed through it, light thrashing like something alive behind glass—
Then it shattered.
The circle collapsed in a thunderous snap, the glow snuffing out all at once. Shadow exploded outward, knocking me back.
The creature tore free—and then it was gone.
Light swallowed the clearing.
When it faded, Aria stumbled forward, human again, collapsing to one knee. She looked the same—but wrong. Like something behind her eyes had sharpened.
"What the hell is going on?" The words tore out of me.
"I'll explain later," she said quickly, already scanning the treeline. "Right now, we move."
"Move where? Who's they?"
"You broke the formation and saved their enemy," she said. "That makes you a problem in their eyes."
"Great," I muttered. "Story of my life."
She grabbed my wrist. "To the shore."
We didn't talk as we moved. She leaned on me harder than she should've had to, her weight heavy with something that wasn't just exhaustion.
Then I saw it.
A bridge.
Mist curled around it, edges shimmering faintly like moonlight trapped in glass. My stomach dropped.
"I would've remembered this," I said slowly.
"You couldn't see it before," Aria replied. "Now you can."
That didn't make me feel better.
We crossed—and time folded in on itself. One step, then another, and suddenly we were somewhere else entirely.
Stone houses. Forest paths. Air thick with something old and watching.
"This is Anakoa," Aria said. "I need to warn the elders. Follow the road to the mountains. There's a hut—wait for me there."
"And you're just—what—leaving me?"
Her eyes lingered on me. "Be careful."
Then she was gone.
I exhaled slowly and started down the path.
I didn't make it far.
"Oh."
The voice was light. Almost amused.
I stopped.
A boy stepped out onto the road—about my age. Slim build. Loose stance. A dagger spun lazily between his fingers, blade curved and narrow, catching the light.
"Well," he said brightly, tilting his head. "Quite fortunate you showed up now."
My eyes tracked the knife. "I'm not here to cause trouble."
"Pity," he replied. "I'm here to stop you."
He moved without warning.
The dagger flashed toward my throat. I jerked back, barely avoiding it, shoes skidding against stone.
He laughed softly, spinning past me, blade carving air where my ribs had been.
Fast. Trained.
I grabbed a broken pole from the roadside and swung. He ducked under it effortlessly, dagger kissing my arm in passing—not deep, but deliberate. Heat flared along my skin a heartbeat later.
"Sloppy," he said cheerfully.
I growled and rushed him.
This wasn't a duel. I fought low, ugly—kicks, elbows, anything that landed. He danced around it, flashy and precise, until I baited him into overcommitting.
When he lunged, I smashed the pole into his wrist.
Bone cracked.
The dagger flew.
I slammed him into the ground, knee driving into his chest. He wheezed, eyes wide with surprise.
"Well," he coughed. "That's unfortunate."
I raised the pole—
But I couldn't bring it down.
A hand caught it mid-swing.
Effortless.
I looked up.
The man standing there was older. Calm. Eyes unreadable. He hadn't drawn a weapon.
"Enough," he said.
I yanked the pole back and swung again.
He stepped inside my range and struck.
Once.
Pain detonated through my ribs. My breath vanished. I staggered, barely keeping my feet as he flowed around me—blocks, counters, pressure. Every movement was clean. Efficient.
I swung wildly. He disarmed me without breaking stride.
I backed up, breath ragged.
He advanced.
Then his fist stopped inches from my face.
Frozen.
Like it had hit invisible glass.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
I didn't wait.
I ran.
Stone blurred beneath my feet as I tore through the streets.
Then—
Shhhk.
A man stepped into my path, blade curved forward like a scythe. Calm. Deliberate.
"You will not leave this island," he said.
I didn't argue.
I turned and sprinted.
The ground shook.
Something massive intercepted me—skin like stone, veins glowing faintly beneath it.
The first punch crushed the air.
I crossed my arms just in time.
BOOM.
Pain ripped through my body. I hit the ground hard, breath gone, vision swimming. The world rang like a struck bell.
"Soft," the giant rumbled, raising his fist again.
I couldn't move.
"Stop."
The word cut through the air like steel.
Aria.
She stood between us, catching his fist without effort.
"He's my responsibility," she said coldly. "Stand down."
Silence followed.
I lay there, staring up at the unfamiliar sky, chest burning.
"…You could've mentioned this place was hostile," I muttered.
She didn't smile.
"This is Anakoa," she said. "An island that values strength."
Her eyes met mine.
"And I am its champion."
My head was full of questions but no answers..
Nothing about my life had just gotten simpler.