"You shouldn't run so fast, Maia. You'll fall. Come hold your brother's hand."
Little Maia spun barefoot across the grass, giggling as she bounced toward him. Her tiny hands reached up, trying to catch Zarek's, her voice full of joy.
"Big brother, if I fall you'll protect me, right?"
A faint smile spread across Zarek's face. He extended his hand, though his voice remained serious, as always.
"Maia, your brother won't always be there. You need to learn how to protect yourself."Maia's lips trembled; the shine in her eyes dimmed for a moment.
"But I want to go to school with you, brother… I don't want to be separated from you."
Zarek shook his head gently.
"You're only five, Maia. You have to be eight before you can attend school like me."
"That's not fair! I want to go too! You can't just leave me!"
Her voice cracked, and then the sobs came. Her tiny shoulders shook as tears streamed down her cheeks.
With a long sigh, Zarek crouched down. He lifted her with a smooth motion and pulled her into a tight embrace. Her cries softened as she buried her face into her brother's chest. Zarek's hand rested on her small back, trying to soothe her.
"Kids, dinner is ready! Wash your hands and come!"
Their mother's voice broke the moment.
Zarek looked down at Maia's tear-streaked face; seeing how fragile she looked made something inside him soften. He picked her up fully, holding her close as he carried her inside.
Her small fingers clung tightly to his shirt. Her expression was peaceful—happy.
And all she wished was: I wish this moment would never end… I wish we could stay like this forever.
The day Zarek was to leave for school finally arrived.
Maia dreaded it more than anything. She was angry, miserable, and absolutely refused to say goodbye.
In her tiny mind, she'd crafted countless plans to stop him from going. She even tried to sneak out of the house to block the road.
Every plan ended the same way: failure. And now… the moment had come.
"Big brother… can't I come to school with you too? Please don't leave me alone…"
"I'm not leaving you alone, Maia. Mom and Dad will be here with you. And in three years, you'll be able to join me. Three years isn't so long."
Their mother Alena eked in gently:
"He won't be gone the whole year, sweetheart. He'll come home during holidays, and you can play with him again."
Her father, Eron, added with a smile:
"And while he's away, I'll play with you. Come on, let him go. We'll even visit him sometimes."
Maia reluctantly let go of her brother's hand.
"Big brother… write to me all the time, okay? I'm going to miss you so much."
Zarek leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
"I'll miss you too, Maia. We'll see each other soon."
After saying goodbye to everyone, Zarek climbed into the carriage.
Maia stood there, watching through tears as the carriage disappeared down the road.
The memory shattered and the present came crashing back.
***
Zarek spoke with a mocking curl of his lip:
"My little sister has grown so much… how many years has it been? Did you not miss your dear brother at all?"
He yanked her hair even harder. Maia whimpered in pain, her head snapping backward.
"B-brother… I… I missed you…"
Her voice cracked between sobs; she could barely speak through the fear and agony. Tears soaked her cheeks as she cried uncontrollably.
"S… so why… why were you with them, brother?"
Even through the pain, her voice carried a trembling flicker of hope.She had already seen the truth yet some part of her desperately wanted to believe it was all a coincidence.
Zarek's expression hardened instantly.
"After all these years, the first thing you ask me is… why I was with them?"
He tilted his head, cold mockery glinting in his eyes.
"Oh Maia… I really thought I raised you to be smarter than this."
He yanked her hair again, forcing her face upward. The motion was harsh; Maia's breath hitched.
"B-brother… p-please… let go of my hair. Let's just talk… it really hurts."
Zarek suddenly laughed. His laughter ricocheted through the forest like a blade.
"Can't even endure this much pain? And you call yourself a protector?"
Maia gasped as she fought for air, a barely audible sob slipping out. Zarek leaned down, his voice cutting like ice.
"And while you can't even use your powers properly… who exactly did you rely on to come all the way here?"
"You're still that five-year-old crying baby, Maia. Always hiding behind someone. Never once realizing what kind of power you carry."
"You never deserved those powers."
Zarek's voice turned glacial. He wasn't talking to a sister anymore. He was talking to prey.
Maia lifted her trembling eyes to him in desperation. But in Zarek's gaze now, there was only one thing: cold, unwavering hunger.
"Those powers will be mine, Maia."
"If I have to kill you to claim them… then so be it. I won't allow time magic to remain in someone like you."
Just then, Zarek abruptly released her hair, switching into a defensive stance. Blades shot past him so close they nearly sliced his cheek. He jerked back just in time.
"And who might this be now? They just keep coming…"
Maia seized the moment. Stumbling, she tried to run toward the direction the blades had come from.
"N… Nathan! Don't come here! He'll hurt you too!"
But her legs buckled beneath her. She was about to collapse when Nathan darted forward and caught her by the arm.
"Maia, what happened to you? Are you alright?"
Maia was panting, her voice thin and broken:
"I'm fine… p-please run, Nathan. You can't fight him…"
Her gaze was empty, unfocused.
"M-my brother wasn't like this. Nathan… he used to be so gentle…"
At the word "my brother," shock spread across Nathan's face. He dropped his guard for half a heartbeat and in that instant, a shadow snake slipped through his weakened barrier.
A blast of wind slammed into it, sending it flying back.
"Careful! The fight isn't over yet!" Vega yelled.
Meanwhile, Zarek's breathing had grown ragged; his magic was clearly draining.
"I need to get out of here… quickly." he muttered to himself.
Just as he attempted to retreat, Nathan lunged forward again. His daggers cut through the air with rapid, lethal precision. Zarek countered each strike by shaping his dark energy into body-like shields. His movements were sharp, allowing no openings.
But the difference in experience was stark.
Nathan was fast yet Zarek had years of brutal training behind him. He adjusted instantly, sealing gaps before they could be exploited.
Suddenly, Zarek emitted a sharp whistle-like sound. In response, the mutated creatures turned toward Nathan, their twisted instincts ignited.
Kael and Lucien were still fighting the largest, most conscious creature. Both were nearly spent; breaths ragged, bodies bruised.
Lucien shouted with the last of his strength:
"Vega! Aryel's unconscious! Get her out of here, now!"
Vega's head whipped around he spotted Aryel lying limp on the ground.
With a sharp burst of wind, he propelled himself toward her, lifting her into his arms and carrying her to safety.
Farther off, Griffine and Erin were locked in combat with the horde headed toward the city.
Every clash stretched the battle longer; the forest echoed with the chaotic blend of magic and screams.
Nathan hated using magic. Hurting nature—hurting the living—felt wrong to him.
But now was not the time for hesitation.
Vines burst from the ground, wrapping around Zarek's ankles and wrists. For a few precious seconds, he was immobilized.
Nathan struggled to protect Maia and fend off the advancing creatures at the same time. He was covered in cuts and bruises; his breath came in painful gasps.
Each step felt heavier. Seeing him like this made Maia's heart clench. She felt useless… And Zarek's words echoed in her head:
"You never deserved those powers."
"Maybe… maybe I should just go with him… maybe that's best for everyone…" she whispered.
So quietly that even the wind wouldn't hear it. But Nathan did.
He turned on her instantly, fury and fear mixed on his face.
"Maia! I'm going to protect you. You're not going anywhere with that psychopath! Do you want to die?!"
Maia looked away, her voice trembling.
"Nathan… maybe letting me go is the only way to save everyone. I can't do anything. Why did I even come here…"
Nathan's jaw clenched.
He knocked away a lunging creature with his dagger and spun toward her again.
"Maia, NONE of us learned to use our powers instantly!"
"I still avoid using my magic.Aryel only just awakened her light.Lucien can barely control his darkness."
His eyes locked with hers.
"It's not time to give up. There's no better moment to discover how to use your power than in the middle of a crisis."
Zarek shattered the vines with a single motion.
He inhaled sharply, fury simmering in his gaze as he watched them closely.
Then at the exact moment he caught their weakness he gathered a dense cluster of dark magic into his palm, shaped it into a projectile, and hurled it straight toward Nathan's heart.
The dark bolt cut through the air and stabbed Nathan in the chest.
Nathan screamed as pain tore through him, collapsing instantly.
For Maia, the world stopped. Right in front of her eyes… the person she loved was dying. And she hadn't done anything.
"NATHANNNNN!"
She ran to him, screaming.
Blood leaked from Nathan's lips; his breaths were faint, almost nonexistent.
Maia sobbed uncontrollably, her voice both trembling and broken.
"I have to use it… I can do it… I finally found someone who loves me… I can't lose him…"
Muttering to herself, she pressed her hands to Nathan's chest and tried to summon her magic.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Nothing flowed. Nothing happened.
Zarek approached with a mocking smile.
"I told you. You're useless. The best thing you can do is come with me before I kill the rest of your little friends. Then we take that white-haired boy and leave."
Maia slowly lifted her head. And maybe for the first time in her life she looked at her brother with hatred.
The fear in her eyes vanished instantly. What replaced it was sharp, burning fury.
"No. I'm going to save him."
She placed her hands on Nathan again, this time with absolute determination. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"Please… please… just once more… let me save him."
Her heart was breaking but she would not let Nathan die. Maia thought quickly.
How many minutes? How far back did she need to rewind?
She pictured the exact moment Nathan was struck she didn't have a second to spare.
Suddenly, a yellow light flared around her.
The glow trembled in the air, and the world began to rewind like a reversed film reel.
The shadows of the trees slid backward, the movements of the shadow serpents reversed,Nathan's fall rewound. And just like that, he was standing again. She had to stop now.
"Nathan! Move away!"
At Maia's shout, Nathan reflexively jumped back. At that exact moment, the dark projectile Zarek had thrown this time missed him entirely and stabbed into a mutated creature instead.
Zarek's eyes widened for a fraction of a second. Shock flashed across his face
then morphed into a dark, hungry rage.
"Well, well… you finally did it."
His eyes gleamed with a dangerous fire.
"Now I want that power even more."
A terrifying smile spread across his lips.
Just then Vega sprinted toward Nathan and Maia.
"You rewound time?! What is going on? Are you two okay?!"
His voice was a mix of shock and panic.
Maia was completely exhausted. Her legs trembled, her breathing uneven.
She had only rewound a few minutes, but even that was enough to drain her completely.
Her vision blurred, her shoulders sagged but she refused to collapse.
***
Aryel blinked as she opened her eyes among the bushes.The pressure and throbbing in her head made it hard to remember where she even was.
As she slowly pushed herself up, fragmented images flashed through her mind.
"Ugh… did I faint again? Is everyone okay? I have to get back…"
Using the bushes for support, she pulled herself to her feet and started moving toward the battlefield.
Every step sent sharp pain through her body, reminding her of the blow she'd taken—
but she had no choice except to return.
Just then, something caught Aryel's eye.
In the shadows of the trees, the two men who had been with Zarek earlier were moving.
Her brows knitted instantly. How… were they still alive?
She was certain Lucien had killed them both with his sword. And she had frozen them completely.
But now… something about them was different.
Their stance was unstable, their movements unnaturally fast.
Their skin had turned pale; dark veins pulsed beneath the surface, and their eyes glowed with a violent red shine.
Just as Aryel tried to make sense of what she was seeing, the men lifted their heads and spotted her.
A single second of stillness then they lunged at her with terrifying speed.
Aryel knew one thing for certain:
They were no longer human. They were exactly like the mutated villagers from Kelm.The red glow in their eyes, the dark trembling of their veins… These two men had already become monsters that could never be brought back.
Aryel clenched her teeth and gripped her sword. Every movement sent sharp pain ripping through her body.
There was a burning sting near one of her ribs but none of it mattered.
If she stopped these two, she could keep them from reaching her friends.
As the mutated men lunged forward, Aryel charged to meet them head-on.
The force of impact made her feet slide, but she didn't lose balance.
Her sword cut through the air in a firm, decisive arc.
Meanwhile, Kael and Lucien finally landed the killing blow on the last fully conscious mutated beast.
Both of them were breathless—drained, shaking, barely standing.
But stopping wasn't an option.
Kael inhaled sharply, trying to steady his breath.
"Check on Aryel. I'll go support the others."
Lucien nodded once. He turned sharply and headed toward Aryel, each step tinged with rising dread.
When he pushed through the bushes and reached the clearing his eyes widened.
Aryel was on her feet bloodied, swaying, struggling to breathe yet somehow still fighting two mutated humans alone.
Lucien called out in disbelief:
"Here I was thinking you were unconscious, but looks like you're having your own private party out here."
Aryel parried a blow and stepped back, panting.
"I would've sent you an invitation, but… well, things escalated rather fast."
"Then you don't mind if I crash the party, right?" Lucien said with a crooked grin.
"On the contrary—please do."
Aryel returned his smile but it vanished almost instantly.
"Are the others okay? What happened?"
Blocking one of the monsters, Lucien quickly explained everything he'd seen.
The moment he finished, he raised his sword and sliced clean through the core of the first mutated man, ending him instantly.
Noticing the worry on Aryel's face, Lucien placed a hand on her shoulder.
"This party's over. But trust me there's a much bigger one happening up ahead."
He laughed, adding:
"Will you join me… as my partner?"
Aryel froze her cheeks flushed a soft red.
"S-sure… let's go." she said with a faint smile.
"But you'll have to let me hold onto your shoulder… everything hurts."
Lucien stepped closer silently.
Aryel wrapped her hand around his shoulder, and he supported her without a word.
When they reached the battlefield, Aryel's breath caught in her throat.
Everyone was scattered, exhausted, barely standing.
The ground was littered with mangled remains of mutated creatures.
After a single stunned moment, Aryel raised her voice:
"HEY! Why is everyone so spread out?! The party's still going!"
Then her gaze snapped to Zarek.
"And that psycho over there is almost done! Hit him with everything you've got!"
The moment Aryel returned, it was as if energy surged back into the entire team.
Eyes sharpened, stances straightened everyone regained their fire.
Vega, channeling the winds, shouted:
"Without you, the party was soooo boring!"
Just then, two sets of footsteps broke through the bushes. Branches snapped, leaves rustled.
"I'd say we arrived just in time."
Griffine's voice was calm and steady, his confident smile unmistakable.
Erin appeared right behind him, the two stepping into the clearing side by side.
The moment Zarek saw Griffine he froze.
His eyes widened slightly; a brief flash of shock crossed his face. His dark aura flickered as if recoiling.