The violet darkness was closing in, thick and suffocating. The Snake Man’s "Deep Nest" was turning the clearing into a tomb.

  "I’m gonna... burn it all..." Izuna gasped, his hands trembling as he tried to ignite his fire again.

  "Don't! You'll exhaust your core!" Kale shouted, grabbing Izuna’s shoulder.

  Just as the Snake Man raised his hands to unleash his final strike, the sky didn't just brighten—it screamed. A Silver-Blue light erupted in the far distance, tearing through the clouds like a falling star. Seconds later, a shockwave hit.

  BOOM!

  The ground buckled. The trees groaned, and the "Deep Nest" shadows shattered like glass under the sheer pressure of the distant energy. The Snake Man was thrown off balance, his purple eyes widening in genuine terror.

  "That light... no... He’s here already?!" the Snake Man hissed, looking toward the horizon instead of his prey.

  "Now!" Kale seized the moment. "Izuna, grab Kevin! Run!"

  "I can still take him!" Izuna argued, even as he stumbled.

  "Run, you idiot! That shockwave just leveled a mountain miles away! We're ants in a landslide right now!" Kale grabbed Izuna’s collar and forced him toward the dense brush.

  Izuna scooped up a crying Kevin, and the three of them vanished into the dark thicket, sprinting away from the clearing as fast as their legs would carry them.

  Ten Minutes Later... Deep in the Forest

  They were blocks away from the clearing, hiding in a hollowed-out log near a small stream. All three were covered in dirt and breathing like they’d run a marathon.

  "We... we should go back," Izuna panted, leaning his head against the wood. "I almost had him, Kale! One more Fire Fist to the face and—"

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  "And you would have been a charcoal briquette," Kale interrupted, wiping mud off his forehead. "Izuna, he swallowed your fire like it was a snack. If that light hadn't distracted him, we'd be dead."

  "Hey! I’m the senior soldier here!" Izuna pouted, crossing his arms. "I’m way stronger than you! You can barely do ten pushups without wheezing!"

  "And yet," Kale said calmly, "whose 'weak' brain just saved your 'strong' life for the third time tonight?"

  Izuna opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. He looked at Kevin, then back at Kale. "Fine. But I’m only running because the kid needs to be safe. Not because I’m scared of a guy with a neck tattoo."

  "Sure," Kale rolled his eyes. "And I'm the king of Indevena."

  "I knew it!" Izuna grinned through his exhaustion. "You always did have a royal attitude, Big Bro."

  Kale couldn't help but let out a small, tired laugh. But his eyes quickly turned back to the direction of the silver-blue light. His heart was racing in a way it hadn't in this life. That energy... it felt familiar. Like a memory of a cold wind.

  They eventually found a small, hidden cave behind a waterfall. It was damp, smelled like wet moss, and was barely big enough for two grown men and a child—which meant Izuna was currently having a full-blown crisis.

  "Ow! Watch the hair, Kale! This is premium red mane, not a floor mat!" Izuna yelped as he tried to squeeze his broad shoulders into the narrow space.

  "If you'd stop flexing your muscles for five seconds, you’d fit," Kale muttered, pushing Izuna’s elbow out of his ribs. He was busy trying to lay out a dry jacket for Kevin to sleep on.

  "I’m not flexing! This is my natural resting state!" Izuna protested. He finally plopped down, but the cave was so small that his knees were practically touching his chin. He looked like a giant, grumpy toddler folded into a box. "My back is killing me. How are you so comfortable? You’re like a twig!"

  "It’s called being efficient," Kale said, leaning against the cold stone. "Maybe if you spent less time at the military gym and more time practicing flexibility, you wouldn't be stuck like a sardine."

  "Flexibility?! I’m a Fire Fist user! I’m built for impact!" Izuna leaned back, forgetting the low ceiling, and accidentally hit the back of his head on a jagged rock. Thunk. "Ow! See? Even the rocks are picking on me tonight! And don't think I didn't notice you laughing when I tripped over that tree root during the escape."

  "I wasn't laughing," Kale said, his face a mask of stone.

  "Your shoulders were shaking! I saw it! You’re the older brother—you’re supposed to be my protector, not my biggest critic!" Izuna hissed.

  "I was... shivering. From the waterfall spray," Kale lied.

  "Liar! You were definitely enjoying the sight of the 'Great Izuna' eating a face-full of mud." Izuna sighed, trying to find a comfortable position but only succeeding in kicking the cave wall. "Just wait. Next time, I’m picking the hiding spot. And it’s going to have ceilings high enough for a man of my stature."

  Kale shook his head, finally letting a small, tired laugh escape. "Just sleep, Izuna. Your 'stature' needs the rest."