The forest ended abruptly, and Abell & Keeko stumbled into hell.

  Fire. Screaming and the sharp smell of blood mixing with smoke thick enough to choke on. Buildings burned along the western edge of town, flames clawing at the night sky and casting everything in harsh orange light. People ran in every direction, some toward the farmlands, some just running, trying to find a moment to rest.

  Bodies lay scattered in the streets.

  Abell gritted his teeth. He recognized some of the bodies. Gilford, the man who’d ran the food stall, and two town guards who used to patrol the eastern gate. A couple of kids who couldn't have been older than ten.

  Damn this—it’s real

  Abell, let’s keep moving.” Keeko said. “We’ll pay respects later.”

  After some time, they spotted malignants prowling through the chaos. Some grade-Ds, these types were mostly low-tier creatures spawned from regular animals with twisted limbs and white pupils. But all had the same magenta glow in their chest from the orb. There were some Grade-C's too—bigger, stronger, with white masks covering their faces. A sign that they were no longer regular creatures.

  "Abell."

  Keeko's voice cut through the noise. She stood beside him, her Lux already active, that shimmering white aura wrapping around her like armor. Her eyes scanned the destruction and malignants.

  "I don’t want you fighting at all," she said. "You're in no condition to—"

  "I can still fight."

  She turned to look at him. His shirt was torn and bloodstained from their sparring match, bruises already darkening along his ribs. His palms were scorched from his lux, and he could barely keep up with her.

  "You’d just get in my way," she said. “I’m serious.”

  He didn't answer, but his face said it all. Extreme disappointment

  Keeko's gaze shifted across town, taking in the scattered fights happening all at once.

  “It’s been so long, hopefully I still got it.”

  To the west, Hugo moved through the districts like a force of nature, taking down every Malignant he saw. When he made it to the eastern block of town, he saw Mira, the tavern owner. She had a sword in her hand, defending a group of fleeing townspeople.

  But a malignant was closing in on her flank.

  Hugo threw a golden chain that expanded mid-air, binding it immediately.

  “You should be more careful,” he said.

  "Tch, I can handle myself!" Mira shouted, cutting down another Malignant that got too close.

  "I’m not sure you can.” He said, crushing the creature he'd caught with a flick of his wrist. The chain tightened until the Malignant imploded. "You let your guard down."

  She sighed.” No, I was letting it get close, ya idiōta.”

  “idiōta? You speak the native tongue?”

  “Not the time to ask me questions. Save that for a date or something.”

  “Yes, of course.”He gestured toward the farmlands. "Get them to safety. I'll cover you."

  Mira hesitated for only a second, then nodded. "And you shouldn’t look at a lady like this, ya know?"

  "Damn, I was that obvious..."

  Near the market, Freed's voice boomed over the chaos. "Get to the fields! Move!" He rallied a group of guards and armed townspeople, organizing them into a defensive line while Torrin helped evacuate families toward the farmlands.

  At the farmlands evacuation site, Mary and Astrid had set up a makeshift medical station. Wounded flooded in—people bleeding, limping, carried by others. Mary worked frantically, barking orders while Astrid moved between patients with quick efficiency. Misha carried supplies, but his usual energetic self was gone.

  Keeko's jaw tightened. "The remaining ones seem to be at the town’s center."

  Abell followed her gaze. The center of Iridius was usually peaceful, but the heart of the community was pure chaos. As the statue of the liberator loomed above, there were more Malignants than he could count.

  "Let's go," Keeko said.

  She didn't wait for him to agree. She merely took off running, her Lux flaring brighter as she moved.

  Abell followed, ignoring the pain in his ribs, the exhaustion dragging at his limbs.

  I—No, I can keep up. This is nothing.

  They cut through the streets, weaving past burning buildings and fleeing townspeople. The screams defeaned as they approached the center.

  A Grade-D, wolf-type Malignant with matted black fur and purple veins lunged from an alley, trying to ambush them.

  Keeko's fist caught it mid-leap. The creature dissolved before it hit the ground. She didn't break stride.

  They rounded the corner into the town square.

  Abell stopped.

  The heart of Iridius. The place where people gathered, where merchants set up stalls, and where kids played was in complete ruin.

  Three Grade-C Malignants tore through the wreckage.

  The largest stood seven feet tall, its body covered in thick armor plating and a white mask, fitted tight to its face. Another moved on all fours with a panther-like grace, lean and fast with elongated arms ending in wicked claws. Its mask was smooth with no openings. Behind them prowled a third with six arms jutting from its torso and a cracked mask that leaked purple light like an exposed heartbeat.

  Scattered between them were dozens of Grade-Ds—corrupted wolves, panthers moving like shadows, and bear-like creatures with claws as long as knives.

  All of them had those same burning magenta cores pulsing beneath their corrupted flesh. All of them are hungry.

  Keeko's Lux flared even brighter, the white aura intensifying around her form.

  "Abell. Stay back."

  "What? Again?" Frustration bled into his voice. "But I'm rested now, I can—"

  "No, you'll hold me back." Her voice was cold. "Stay. Back."

  Abell's jaw clenched. Dammit, sidelined again—

  He tried to protest, but she was already moving.

  The tall Grade C raised its arms, ready to face Keeko head-on.

  Keeko closed the distance in a blink.

  Her fist drove straight through its chest.

  The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward. Stone cracked beneath them. The creature's purple orb shattered within its body, instantly exploding into black mist.

  Keeko pulled her arm free and kept moving.

  Two Grade-D Malignant wolves lunged from opposite sides—

  Keeko spun. Her heel caught the first one mid-leap, snapping its head sideways with a wet crack. It dissolved before hitting the ground. She completed the spin into an axe kick. Her leg came down like a hammer, crushing straight through the second wolf's spine and driving it into the dirt. Leaving the ground beneath destroyed.

  Abell watched from where he stood, completely frozen. What—is this really my mom?

  The other two Grade-C's emerged from the smoke and charged together. The lean one on all fours struck first, its claws tearing through the air in rapid slashes.

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  Keeko sidestepped each attack, then vanished and reappeared behind it. Her double-spinning elbow strike caught its smooth mask from both sides—the crack echoed across the square as it shattered, and the creature dissolved.

  The six-armed one lunged immediately, one massive fist glowing purple. The punch came down and clipped Keeko's shoulder, spinning her slightly.

  "Mom!" Abell shouted, his blade raising.

  "STAY BACK!"

  The creature pulled back for another strike. Keeko jumped over it, grabbed one of its arms mid-air, and drove it straight into the ground. The impact shattered stone. She landed and stomped down on its cracked mask with her full weight. It shattered completely, and the creature dissolved into mist.

  Keeko straightened, breathing harder now. The white glow of her Lux flickered for a second.

  She winced, moving her hands to her ribs

  Behind her, a Grade-D skittered across the rubble. Insect-type, six-legged, with white eyes locked onto her back. It raised its claws and lunged.

  Abell's blade cut clean through its body mid-leap. The creature split in half and dissolved before hitting the ground.

  He landed between Keeko and where it had been, his blade still glowing faintly.

  "Don't underestimate me," he said without looking back.

  Keeko's expression shifted. The corner of her mouth tugged upward. "Not bad."

  Her Lux flickered again and dimmed. She took a breath, trying to steady it, but the cost was catching up.

  Abell noticed. "You okay?"

  "I'm fine. Just need a—"

  Movement at the far end of the square cut her off. From the smoke and shadow, something emerged.

  It walked upright on two legs with arms swinging naturally at its sides like a human, but everything else was wrong. Its skin was mottled white instead of the usual black, with purple veins glowing brighter than any other Malignant, pulsing beneath the surface like an exposed heartbeat. Its face was almost featureless except for two large eyes that burned with blue light.

  The creature stopped at the edge of the carnage and looked down at the dark stains where its kin had fallen. It bent down and picked up the remains of one of the cracked masks, turning the broken pieces over in its hands as if examining them.

  Then its head tilted back.

  SCREEEEEEEEEE—

  The sound wasn't like the mindless shrieks of the other Malignants. This carried intelligence. Purpose. Something that might have been grief.

  When the screech ended, those blue eyes locked onto Keeko first, then shifted to Abell. But it didn't charge. It just stood there, watching them both.

  Keeko's stance shifted, but her Lux flickered violently. Abell steadied his blade with hands that wouldn't stop shaking.

  "What is that thing...?" he whispered.

  "Abell. Stand back."

  "But—"

  "NOW."

  Keeko took a deep breath. Her Lux flared brighter as she forced it, pushing through the pain. Then she exploded forward.

  She closed the distance in seconds, dropping low. Her leg swept out, aiming to take its legs. The creature jumped with perfect timing. It came down fast with its foot aimed at her head like a hammer.

  Keeko kicked off the ground and used the momentum to flip backward. Mid-air, she twisted, extending her leg for an axe kick with full power.

  Her heel came down.

  The Malignant raised one hand and caught her heel. The impact echoed across the square, but the creature didn't flinch. Its palm absorbed the force.

  Then it shoved her.

  Keeko was launched backward, tumbling through the air. She hit the ground hard, rolled, and slid to a stop in a crouch.

  Her Lux flickered violently, the white glow sputtering like a dying flame.

  The Malignant lowered its hand slowly and tilted its head.

  Abell's grip tightened on his blade. "Mom—"

  "I said stay back." But her voice was strained now.

  The creature's eyes shifted from Keeko to Abell and his blade. Then it moved toward him.

  "Abell!" Keeko's voice cut through the air as she launched forward, but her body was slower now, each step costing her.

  The Malignant closed the distance in three strides.

  Abell raised his blade, but his arms were shaking. His ribs hurt. Everything hurt.

  I need to time this...

  The creature's hand came down, and Abell barely got his blade up in time.

  Clang.

  The impact drove him to one knee. His blade flickered, nearly dissolving from the shock.

  The creature pulled back for another strike—

  Keeko crashed into it from the side, her shoulder driving into its ribs with the full force of her Lux. The creature stumbled, its strike missing Abell by inches.

  Keeko stood between them now, breathing hard, her Lux pulsing weakly.

  "You want him?" Her voice was ice. "You go through me first."

  The Malignant straightened and looked at her, then at Abell behind her. Calculating.

  It rose slowly, blue eyes flicking between them both.

  Then its head tilted back.

  SCREEEEEEE—

  But this time it was higher-pitched.

  Near the residential area, Freed swung his hammer and crushed a Grade-D into the dirt. "Keep them back!" he shouted.

  But the Malignants weren't attacking anymore. They scattered, fleeing toward the forest.

  Freed lowered his weapon, confused. "What's happening?"

  Back in the town center, the intelligent Malignant's screech faded as it looked at them one last time. Then it turned and ran.

  Keeko took a step forward, but her leg buckled. She fell to her knees.

  I can't chase it. Not like this.

  "It's getting away!" Abell shouted.

  No. Not after everything.

  Abell pushed off and sprinted after the creature despite his ribs screaming and his side bleeding. His legs barely responded, but he ran anyway.

  "ABELL! STOP!" Keeko's voice was hoarse. "You can't—"

  He didn't listen.

  The Malignant was fast, but Abell pushed harder, blade raised—

  The creature stopped and turned.

  Abell's eyes widened. Wait, what's it doing—

  Its arm extended, the limb stretching unnaturally like a spear.

  Thud.

  The blow caught Abell square in the gut. All the air left his lungs. His blade dissolved. He tumbled backward, hitting the ground hard, rolling through dirt and rubble before sliding to a stop.

  Can't... move...

  The Malignant stood over him, its blue eyes staring down.

  It raised its hand.

  The fist came down.

  CRACK.

  Keeko's fist collided with the creature's wrist, deflecting the strike as she stood between it and Abell, swaying on her feet. Her Lux was barely visible now, just faint white outlines. Blood dripped from her nose.

  "I told you," she said, voice raw, "you go through me first."

  The Malignant stared at her, tilting its head. She could barely stand. Her Lux was failing. One more hit and she'd collapse.

  It raised both hands, preparing to strike—

  Keeko's Lux flared one last time as she forced every ounce of remaining strength into her fist and pulled her arm back.

  "Abell—" she gasped. "When I hit it—GO FOR THE CORE!"

  The creature lunged.

  Keeko's fist drove forward.

  "Prismatic Impact!"

  The punch connected with its chest. A shockwave of white luminous energy exploded outward, rippling through the air. The force sent the Malignant staggering backward, arms flailing as it tried to recover.

  Its chest cracked open. Purple light spilled from the fissure, leaving its core exposed.

  "NOW!" Keeko shouted, dropping to one knee.

  Abell forced himself up despite the pain screaming through every nerve. But he moved.

  Golden light sparked in his hand as his blade materialized, unstable but ready.

  The Malignant's eyes snapped toward him. It tried to turn, tried to dodge—.

  Abell drove the blade straight into the exposed core. The golden edge pierced deep. Purple and gold light exploded at the point of contact.

  The creature's mouth opened in a silent screech as black ichor sprayed from the wound.

  Abell twisted the blade, then ripped it out.

  The Malignant staggered back, clutching its chest. The core pulsed erratically, cracked, leaking energy. It fell to one knee.

  Abell collapsed beside it, his blade dissolving as he struggled to breathe.

  We got it.

  The Malignant's body convulsed. Its screech turned static, vibrating through the ground. Purple energy erupted from the crack in its core, spreading across its body like wildfire. Its veins glowed brighter as its skin began splitting apart, light pouring from every hole.

  It stood with arms spread wide. The air around it warped.

  Keeko's eyes widened. "No—"

  The energy intensified, building, expanding outward in waves.

  Abell tried to move. Couldn't. His body wouldn't respond.

  "Abell! It's going to explode!" she yelled.

  The creature's form swelled, engulfed in purple light.

  Three seconds.

  Keeko reached for Abell, trying to shield him.

  Two seconds.

  The light reached every part of its body.

  One—

  A chain shot through the air and wrapped around the Malignant's torso once, twice, three times, binding it completely.

  The creature froze, struggling.

  Hugo landed between them and the creature with one hand extended, palm open. The chain glowed faintly with his energy.

  "Found you," he said coldly.

  The Malignant thrashed, trying to detonate.

  Hugo's hand slowly closed into a fist.

  The chain tightened.

  Crack. Crack. Crack.

  The creature's body compressed. Its joints and bones broke. The purple light sputtered out.

  Hugo's fist clenched completely. The chain collapsed inward. The Malignant imploded in a burst of black mist and fading purple light. Nothing was left but the chain, coiled on the ground where the creature had been.

  Hugo lowered his hand, breathing heavier than usual.

  He turned, looking down at Abell. The kid was sprawled on the ground, covered in blood and dirt, barely conscious.

  Hugo smiled.

  "Just in time," he said. "Can't have my protégé dying on me now."

  Abell's eyes met his for a moment, then he fell back completely, his head hitting the dirt. A long, exhausted sigh escaped his lips.

  I did nothing today.