The dry sound echoed in the air as Hazau's decapitated body plummeted from the sky. The trio remained up high, on the immense trunk serving as their suspended arena, watching in silence as the figure fell.
The seconds stretched long until the final noise, the brutal impact against the concrete below. A sixty-meter drop. The sound reverberated like a momentary relief—but no one dared to celebrate.
The silence was broken by Tekio. He took a deep breath and looked at Stella, a half-smile on his face:
— Your control has improved a lot… your power too. — His voice carried sincerity. — I'm happy to see that.
Stella lowered her head and smiled, a contained gleam in her eyes. Dan, beside them, simply nodded. For a moment, the tension dissolved, and the three remembered something greater than the fight: how good it was to be together again. They had faced battles alone, bore individual scars that molded them… but now, together, they felt inseparable. Invincible.
The sound of footsteps echoed behind them, light but decisive. Amara was approaching.
— You are incredible… — she said, her voice laden with emotion. — Your coordination, your strength… it's impeccable.
She stopped before them, and a memory flashed through her: Yara's phrase, the last advice left to her. "You have new companions now."
Only now did those words make sense. There, before those three, Amara felt something she had never experienced: a desire to fight for someone, not just for survival.
— Don't worry — said Tekio, firm, looking at her. — We'll hold the front line. Discover your new abilities in your own time.
Amara's eyes widened, surprised by the confidence. Before she could respond, Stella refocused on the real danger.
— We'd better get down — she said, serious. — Hazau isn't dead. Not even after all that. I'm sure of it.
Dan added, crossing his arms, white flames flickering in the wind:
— He'll feed on the roots. That bastard uses the Abyssal nature as an extension of his own body. He's strong, but not invincible.
His eyes narrowed, calculating:
— With the three of us, our attack options increase. We need to launch him upwards, Stella can do that, and in the air, Tekio and I will finish him. If we maintain pressure until his spirit shatters, there's no coming back.
This time, I'll incinerate him to dust.
No Abyss, no return.
It was a bold plan. Difficult. Almost impossible for ordinary warriors. But not for them. Trained by the weight of wars, honed by losses and missions, together they were like a perfect gear.
Amara watched in silence, overcome by a mix of admiration and melancholy. They laughed, exchanged glances, like soul-siblings. To her, it was like watching something unattainable—like an orphan watching a child embraced by its parents.
Vernasha and the curse had stolen everything from her: moments, bonds, the chance to feel simple things… and, at the same time, fundamental things. The pain inside her stirred, silent.
When they decided to descend, Tekio looked at her with firmness:
— Just observe and do what you think is best. We'll be here if you need us.
Stella and Dan nodded, their gazes conveying trust, as if Amara were already part of their closed circle.
She felt something explode inside her. Happiness. Genuine. A sweet, almost childlike smile illuminated her face. Amara, for the first time, seemed to be tasting feelings that had been denied to her forever.
— Let's go! — shouted Tekio, animated, punching his fist into his palm. And the three prepared to descend.
But before the first step could be taken, the sound of twisting wood cut through the air. A dry crack, followed by a muffled woman's cry.
— A…hhnn!
Everyone turned in shock.
Amara.
Beams emerged from the ground and coiled around her body like wooden serpents, crushing her. The trunk beneath her feet gave way, rotten and corrupted, and before she could react, she was swallowed by the void.
Plummeting.
The happy smile from seconds ago was replaced by a look of pure desperation.
— AMARA! — Tekio shouted, running toward the edge.
Stella and Dan froze for an instant, eyes wide, their faces marked by nervousness.
The echo of her scream was swallowed by the wind, and the Abyssal darkness below welcomed them.
Amara was falling.
The darkness below swallowed her as beams and roots held her fast, preventing any attempt to escape. The wind tore at her body, and desperation was stamped on her wide eyes. She tried to scream, but her throat was choked, stifled by terror. It was a fatal fall—and she knew it.
— Amara! — Tekio shouted, his eyes panicked. His clenched fists trembled, and sparks of electricity ran over his skin. The lightning around him danced, grew, pulsed as if responding to his rage and fear. He was ready to jump, even without thinking about what would happen next.
But before he could act, Stella rushed to the edge. Her golden-light eyes shone intensely, and ethereal chains sprang from her hands, tearing through the air like sacred serpents toward the falling figure.
The chains reached Amara, latching onto her body and holding her just a few meters from the ground—ten, at most. The force of the impact was brutal, but Stella held firm, her feet planted on the wood. The weight nearly dragged her down.
— I've got you! — Stella shouted, straining every muscle.
Dan ran to her and held her by the shoulders, reinforcing the chain of light with flames that stabilized it. The fall was contained. Amara was alive.
Tekio was already moving to help pull when a laugh cut through the air, cold and malevolent.
— You're not saving her. —
It was Hazau. His voice came from below, accompanied by the nauseating sound of bones and flesh regenerating. He was rising again, deformed, but laughing. His burned skin was recomposing, his twisted limbs taking new shape.
Suddenly, a brutal blast of wood shot toward the golden chains. The impact was devastating.
— No! — Stella screamed.
The chains shattered like glass under pressure. Amara plummeted the last ten meters, her body smashing against the stone ground. The beam wrapped around her broke on impact, but the damage was already done.
Amara groaned, wounded, trying to gather her strength. But before she could even think of getting up, a shadow fell over her. Hazau.
He appeared suddenly before her, crouched, his red eyes fixed on hers. The putrid smell of his regenerated flesh made her recoil.
— I said I'd kill you, you fucking traitor. —
His hand, deformed into a club of thorns, slammed into Amara's stomach, throwing her against the wall with violence. The air escaped her lungs in a single gasp.
Hazau didn't stop. He advanced, punch after punch, crushing her against the wood and concrete. Amara even tried to fight back—her fists still rose in defense, remembering the training she had. But she was wounded, dazed by the fall and the blow to her stomach. Pain took over.
— Aghhh! — she screamed, as roots sprouted from the ground and pierced her feet, pinning her in place. The pain was excruciating.
Hazau rose before her, his right hand already transformed into a grotesque mass of thorns. He raised it slowly, ready to crush her for good.
Amara breathed with difficulty, tears of pain and rage in her eyes. Still, she gathered what little she had: her body glowed, enveloped in a thin layer of energy. It wouldn't be enough to survive, but it was enough to resist. To try.
If this is where I die… I'll die fighting. For those who need me now.
But before the blow could land, a shout echoed from above:
— HAZAU!
Hazau lifted his face and barely had time to react. From the sky, golden chains swung, and hanging from them, Tekio descended like a lightning bolt. He let go, and like a comet, he came in free fall, his feet wreathed in spiritual energy and electricity.
Hazau tried to raise his arm to block, but the impact was brutal.
— Haaaa! —
Tekio's double kick exploded against Hazau's body, hurling him away like a projectile. The creature crashed through roots, wooden walls, and was lost in the darkness with a thunderous crash.
Tekio landed in front of Amara, panting, his body still glowing with electricity. He turned to her, his eyes firm.
— Stay there and heal. I'll take it from here.
Amara's eyes widened, surprised, but also relieved. Tekio had no doubts, he didn't hesitate. He was there for her.
Further away, Hazau rose slowly, coughing up blood and regenerating his bones. His expression was pure hatred.
"That boy… I hate that brat. The other two, I can handle. But him… he gets on my nerves."
From above, Stella and Dan watched. They saw Tekio's blow work and knew it was time.
Without hesitation, Stella leaped, golden light enveloping her body like ethereal wings cushioning her fall. Beside her, Dan dove through the air, white flames enveloping him, turning him into a living shooting star.
Hazau raised his head, grinding his teeth.
— And here we go again…
To be continued…