The clearing was ruptured and torn apart.
Broken trees lay scattered, vegetation ripped from the ground, the campfire completely destroyed.
Above them, the sky faded between soft blue and yellow as the sun began to rise.
The kids stood still in the wreckage.
In front of them, the staff hovered.
"Well… shit." Damian muttered, dropping Thomas
.
"It shows up whenever it feels like it."
"Then how do we keep it?" Scott asked.
"Beats me, but…"
Damian started walking toward the staff.
Slowly, he reached out his hand.
Just as his fingers were about to touch it—
Dezmond leapt into the clearing.
Damian immediately stepped back, startled.
Dezmond stood there.
Completely healed.
His posture was straight. Not a single wound in sight.
He walked toward Damian, the key in his hand.
"W–what…" Leo tensed. "How?" he muttered.
His eyes darted to the spot where he knew he had sent Dezmond flying.
But here he was.
Perfectly fine.
Not even a bruise.
"You sure took your time," Damian said.
"I was planning a get-back," Dezmond replied, his eyes locking onto Leo.
Leo didn't look away. His teeth clenched tighter.
"How are you still alive?" he asked.
Dezmond tilted his head slightly.
"Oh? You really are clueless."
Scott walked past them quietly, Lydia slung over his back.
Damian grabbed the hovering staff.
He hummed in satisfaction.
Scott stepped up beside Dezmond.
"Why did you stop me earlier?" he whispered.
"Like I said… I was planning my get back," Dezmond said, still eyeing Leo.
"Or…"
Scott side-eyed him, waiting.
"…Or?"
"…I could get it right now."
A faint flicker of electricity ran along Dezmond's arms—
fading… then sparking back again.
"Don't," Scott said shortly. "You're underestimating your opponent. Again."
"…Huh?"
Dezmond glanced at Leo.
His hands were trembling slightly. Blood had dried into his hair, stuck to his face.
Dezmond looked back at Scott.
"Plus… we got what we came for," Scott finished.
In front of them, Leo stood there watching them whisper.
His fists clenched tight.
His eyes never left them.
A few groans broke the silence.
Thomas.
He was on his knees, holding his head.
One eye shut—
the other staring straight at Leo.
Then he looked over at the others.
His eyes widened instantly.
"Damn it…" he muttered.
He watched Damian waving the key around, swinging it wildly—like some idiot waiting for magic to happen.
"I—I failed," Leo said. "Again."
His fists tightened, teeth grinding.
"What?" Thomas pushed himself up.
"How the hell is this your fault?"
"Who knows what that key can do,"
Leo said, glancing back at him. "I keep fucking up."
"What?!" Thomas stared at him. "That makes no—"
Leo cut him off.
"Don't worry. I'll fix this."
He turned back to the other group.
Completely silent.
Suddenly—
Lydia, who had been hanging limp on Scott's back, stood up.
Still hunched.
Eyes droopy.
Her arm hung weirdly low—long enough to almost touch the ground.
But her body…
Was completely fine.
No bruises. No marks. Nothing.
"O…kay…" Thomas breathed, stepping back.
"That bitch looked like absolute shit a while ago…"
…
Silence.
Just the faint wind blowing through what little grass wasn't destroyed.
The sun slowly pushed out the shadows, light hitting the morning dew.
And in the middle of all that—
Lydia straightened.
Her arm snapped back to normal.
Her back adjusted.
Her eyes lifted.
Thomas watched, mouth slightly open.
Okay… this is getting dangerous.
Damian looked at Lydia.
He gave a small nod.
Then swung the staff.
A burst of purple energy exploded around them—
Swirling wildly like a mini storm.
Wind kicked up. Energy twisted around their bodies.
Everyone looked around, confused as hell.
"What did you do!?" Scott shouted.
"Don't worry!" Damian smirked. "I figured it out."
Scott narrowed his eyes—
Then they widened immediately.
"Lydia?"
She looked at him.
"Your hand…"
She looked down—
And screamed.
Her hand was disappearing.
Pixel by pixel.
"Damian!! I'm going to fucking kill you!!"
Her arm kept going—wrist, forearm—slowly vanishing up toward her elbow.
Damian looked at her—
But his mouth was already gone.
He couldn't respond.
Just his eyes—
And somehow, he still looked like he was talking shit.
Thomas stared as they all started disappearing.
Piece by piece.
"…Oh hell no."
He looked down.
It reminded him of something.
His mind flashed back—to the hooded figure.
Back in Lenon.
"T–Teleportation?"
He looked up—and saw Leo had the same realization.
"Leo, wait!!" he shouted.
…
"Fuckers! Hahaha!" Dezmond yelled.
He was cursing at the trio as he disappeared from the feet up.
It had already reached his neck.
Everyone else was already gone.
"Just so you know—you're getting the finger!!" he shouted again.
"Leo, wait!!" Thomas yelled.
Huh?
Before Dezmond could react—
Leo rushed him.
Grabbed his face—
—and pulled.
"Argh!!" Dezmond shouted.
Leo pulled.
But suddenly, the purple storm swallowed Leo too.
The arm that touched Dezmond—gone.
Leo stared at it.
"Heheh…" Dezmond chuckled. "I'm going to kill y—"
His mouth disappeared.
He just stared into Leo's eyes.
Didn't even blink.
Then—he was gone.
Even the ground beneath them started disappearing.
…
Leo faded slowly.
He looked back at Thomas.
"Leo, you dumbass!" Thomas ran toward him.
The purple storm whipped around him.
Leo turned.
"I'll fix this…" he muttered.
"It's suicide—can't you see that!?" Thomas shouted.
"It's my fault… don't worry. I'll get the key."
"What!?" Thomas turned away in disbelief.
"You're talking shit right now!"
"You don't get it—we are—"
Thomas turned back—
Leo was gone.
"…a fucking team," he exhaled.
…
The storm vanished.
The atmosphere returned to normal.
A soft breeze pushed his spiky hair back.
The sun hit his forehead.
He stood there for a moment.
Then clenched his fist—
—and slammed it into the ground.
"Dammit!!"
A small crater formed.
He stood up slowly.
Sighed.
Am I the only one with sense here?
He turned and walked back.
Autumn lay there—flat on her back, unconscious.
The sun was fully up now.
Something glinted at the edge of the clearing.
Right where Dezmond got knocked out.
Thomas walked over.
A small vial lay there.
Green liquid inside—just under half full.
"What the…?"
He swirled it, thinking.
Then glanced back at Autumn.
Then at the bottle.
LEO'S POV
His stomach twisted violently.
"Oh—oh f—"
He threw up.
Twice.
Kneeling, eyes shut tight.
He wiped his mouth, breathing hard.
"That was a bad idea…" he groaned.
Then—
A crackling sound.
He looked up.
The other team stood in front of him.
Dezmond at the front—smirking—his body engulfed in electricity, arms spread wide.
To his right, slightly behind—Damian.
A massive, earth-crusted hammer
rested on his shoulder.
Also smirking.
On the left—Scott.
Goggles on. Face straight.
Disappointed.
And beside him—Lydia.
Her arms wrapped into his.
Leo stayed on his knees.
Watching.
Then—
Words appeared in his mind.
Dripping red with blood.
KILL THE PLAYERS
"W-what?"
End