The fire burned low, its orange light flickering against the hollow curve of the forest. The night air carried a damp chill; every whisper of wind made the flames shudder.
Elira sat closest to the fire, her sword across her knees, eyes scanning the treeline. Kael leaned back on his pack, arms folded, while Mira drew small circles of frost and flame above her palm—little distractions to keep her hands busy.
Haco had gone off earlier, saying only, "I'll scout ahead." That had been nearly an hour ago.
"Shouldn't he be back by now?" Mira asked, glancing at the shadows.
Kael shrugged but didn't sound convinced. "He's Haco. If something found him, it's already dead."
Elira didn't answer. The quiet had weight. Even the insects had stopped singing.
Then the fire trembled. A cold wind slid between them, thinning the smoke. When Elira looked up, she saw her—standing at the edge of the light like a memory that had chosen to bleed back into the world.
Nakea.
Her black-and-crimson hair caught the glow, and her eyes—crimson, cruel, and calm—met Elira's without hesitation.
"You've improved," she said, her voice smooth as glass. "Much better than that pathetic show the last time we met. Stronger. Steadier."
Elira's fingers tightened on her hilt. "Nakea…"
"But—" Nakea smiled, slow and cold. "You're still nowhere near your parents."
The words struck like a blade through bone. Mira froze; Kael's jaw clenched. Elira felt her chest tighten until breathing hurt.
Kael rose, drawing his weapon. "We're not the same as before. You'll see that."
"You will fall," Nakea said simply, "because I will make you."
She moved. The air split before sound could follow. Elira's instincts screamed—she barely raised her sword in time to block. The clash rang like thunder, the impact numbing her arms.
"Fast—!" Mira gasped, slamming her rings together. "Crimson Deluge!"
Water and fire burst outward in a whirling surge, drenching the clearing in steam and light. For a moment, Nakea vanished within the torrent—
and then reappeared behind Mira.
"Too slow." Her whisper brushed Mira's ear before she struck. A single sweep of her arm sent the mage flying backward, crashing into the dirt.
Kael roared, his gauntlets flaring with light. "Seismic Snare!"
The ground erupted, jagged stone spears forming a cage around the demon. Dust and lightning surged—
and fell apart as Nakea stepped through, the stone crumbling like sand.
"Creative," she said, "but still weak."
Elira darted in. Wind gathered around her blade, her voice cutting through the noise. "Wind Slice!"
The air snapped. A thin scar opened across Nakea's cheek.
For the first time, the demon's eyes narrowed. "Better."
Elira struck again, her movements sharper, each attack punctuated by breath and sound. The clash of steel and claw filled the clearing. Sparks danced in the night.
Still, Nakea flowed around every strike—graceful, precise, untouchable. She caught Elira's last blow on one hand, pivoted, and drove a kick into her chest. Elira crashed to the ground, gasping.
"Stronger," Nakea murmured. "But not enough. Not for what's coming."
Mira crawled toward her, blood on her lip. Kael struggled to stand, one knee sinking into the dirt. Desperation pressed against them like a weight.
Then—
"That's enough."
The voice cut through the night like a bell.
Haco stepped into the circle of firelight, cloak rippling behind him. His presence pressed against the air—steady, immovable. The flames leaned toward him.
Nakea turned, the cruel smile softening. "Haco." Her tone was a breath between disbelief and something else—almost fond. "You haven't changed."
He met her gaze evenly. "Neither have you. Still making dramatic entrances."
Her eyes gleamed. "You're hiding them, aren't you? These children. You've grown attached."
"Walk away, Nakea."
She tilted her head, a shadow of laughter in her eyes. "And miss seeing you bleed again?"
Before anyone could blink, they collided.
The forest exploded with sound. Firelight vanished, snuffed out by their clash. Silver blade met burning claw—shockwaves tearing through trees, scattering leaves like shards of glass.
Kael stared, speechless. "They're—"
"Monsters," Mira whispered.
Every movement was too fast to follow, yet neither fought to kill. It was an old rhythm—familiar, bitter. Haco's blade cut arcs of light; Nakea's claws trailed dark ribbons through the air.
Their weapons locked.
"You still hold back," she said, her breath brushing his face. "Afraid you'll hurt me?"
"Maybe," Haco replied, voice low, steady. "Or maybe I'm afraid of what happens if I don't."
She laughed softly. "That's the same excuse you used to give me. Back then."
The words struck deeper than the blows. For a moment, the battle stilled. They stepped apart, each breathing hard.
Then Nakea's gaze shifted—to Elira.
"She looks so much like her," she murmured.
Elira froze. "What?"
The demon's expression softened, the cruel amusement fading. "You want to know if Vaelis lied."
Elira's pulse hammered. "Was it true? What he said about my parents? Did he lie?"
Nakea looked at Haco. Something wordless passed between them—years of silence compressed into a glance.
Finally, she spoke. "No."
The clearing seemed to stop breathing.
Elira's sword slipped from her hand. The sound it made on the stones was small, final.
Haco's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
Nakea paused at the edge of the firelight, half-turned, the crimson in her eyes cooling to embers.
"Stop hiding, Haco," she said, voice smooth and mercilessly calm. "Reveal your true self. They won't survive the road if you keep lying to them."
The forest swallowed her footsteps. Silence rushed in behind.
Nakea stepped back, her form fading into the dark. "Grow stronger," she said quietly. "If you want the whole truth… survive long enough to claim it."
And then she was gone, swallowed by the forest.
The fire struggled back to life, flickering weakly. Mira knelt beside Elira; Kael stood guard, eyes still on the shadows.
Elira didn't move. Her chest rose and fell too fast, her eyes staring at nothing.
Mira reached for her shoulder. "Elira… it's okay—"
"It's not," Elira whispered. Her hands trembled. "It's never been."
The words broke in her throat.
They stayed like that until the forest began to breathe again, the night pretending nothing had happened.
Above the dying fire, the smoke curled upward—
and in the fading glow, only one word echoed in Elira's mind.
No.