Flames roared in the distance, and the air was thick with smoke and the sound of clashing powers. Robert had left to face Michael, leaving the rest of the team to deal with the Reapers. Joel was locked in a brutal fight with Rook, their punches shaking the ground, while Freddie was trading blows with Dexter, his telekinesis clashing against Dexter’s. That left Sophia and Emma to face Mara and Sylas.

  Mara materialized from the shadows, her cloaking shimmering faintly as she stepped into view. Her voice was soft but chilling. “You two really think you can take us on?”

  Sylas stood beside her, her hands glowing faintly as she manipulated the nearby technology. A small drone hovered above her, its weapons trained on Sophia and Emma. “Let’s make this quick,” Sylas said, her tone cold.

  Sophia stepped forward, her telepathy already probing their minds. “We’ll see about that.”

  Emma’s hands glowed faintly as she adjusted her density, her body becoming as hard as rock. “Let’s do this.”

  Mara was the first to move. She vanished into thin air; her cloaking, rendering her invisible. Sophia’s eyes narrowed as she focused on her telepathy, sensing Mara’s presence. “Left!” she shouted, dodging just as Mara reappeared, her fist aimed at Sophia’s head.

  Emma lunged at Sylas, her body phasing through a pile of rubble as she closed the distance. Sylas raised her hand, and the drone fired a burst of energy. Emma shifted her density, becoming intangible as the blast passed through her harmlessly. She solidified mid-air, landing a solid punch that sent Sylas stumbling back.

  “Ugh,” Sylas groaned, her voice tight. The drone blasted the ground beneath Emma, the asphalt cracking, sending debris flying. Emma grunted, her hands glowing as she manipulated the matter of the debris, turning it into dust.

  Meanwhile, Sophia was locked in a deadly dance with Mara. The Reaper’s illusions twisted Sophia’s perception, the world around her shifting and warping. One moment, Mara was in front of her; the next, she was behind. Sophia closed her eyes, relying on her telepathy to sense Mara’s movements. She ducked just as Mara’s blade sliced through the air where her head had been.

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  “Huh?” Mara said, her voice a whisper.

  Sophia focused her telepathy, sending a mental blast that disrupted Mara’s cloaking. she flickered into view, her expression one of surprise. Sophia didn’t waste the opportunity. She lunged forward, her fist connecting with Mara’s jaw and sending her crashing into a nearby car.

  Emma turned her attention back to Sylas, who was already summoning more drones from her belt. The small machines hovered in the air, their weapons charging. Emma’s turning a chunk of rubble into a makeshift shield. The drones fired, their energy blasts slamming into the shield and sending sparks flying.

  Sylas smirked. “You can’t keep this up forever.”

  Emma didn’t respond. She shifted her density, becoming intangible again as she phased through the shield and closed the distance between them. Sylas’s eyes widened as Emma solidified mid-swing, her fist slamming into Sylas’s stomach. The force of the impact sent Sylas flying into a lamppost, the metal bending under the impact.

  But Sylas wasn’t done. She raised her hand, and the drones shifted their focus, firing a concentrated beam of energy at the towering monument nearby, making it collapse on Emma. Emma extended her hands, shifting the monument into the water. The force of the water pushed her back, but she held her ground, she slam her hands on the ground as she manipulated the ground beneath Sylas.

  The asphalt shifted, rising to trap Sylas’s legs. Sylas growled, her eyes glowing as she tried to stop her, but it was too late. Emma landed a solid punch, the impact sending Sylas sprawling to the ground.

  Mara recovered quickly, her cloaking flickering back to life. She vanished again, her movements a blur as she circled Sophia. But Sophia was at the ready. She focused her seances, sensing Mara’s presence even through the illusions.

  “You can’t hide from me,” Sophia said, her voice calm.

  Mara reappeared behind her, her blade aimed at Sophia’s back. But Sophia spun around, her telepathy giving her the edge she needed. She grabbed Mara’s wrist, twisting it until the blade clattered to the ground. Mara growled, her free hand swinging at Sophia’s face, but Sophia ducked and countered with a punch to Mara’s ribs.

  Mara staggered back, her expression one of frustration. “You brat!”

  Sophia focused her telepathy, sending a mental blast that disrupted Mara’s cloaking again. Mara flickered into view, and Sophia didn’t hesitate. She lunged forward, her movements precise. Mara tried to dodge, but Sophia had an edge on her. She landed a series of rapid strikes, each one pushing Mara further back.

  Finally, Sophia landed a devastating kick, the force sending Mara crashing into a tree. The impact knocked the wind out of her, and she slumped to the ground.