I'm stretched out on the slanted roof of a three-story house about five blocks from the castle. The shingles are slick under me, soaked through. Cold water seeps into my clothes, but I keep still and focused, my mind quiet. Imara has the opening move, so all I have to do is wait.
Lucian lies beside me, arms folded under his head with a look of pure annoyance on it. He cracks his neck with a soft pop and mutters, "I wish they didn't make the city so fucking wet and rainy."
I turn my head just enough to look at him. His hair's sticking to his forehead, and his robes probably as drenched as mine. "You're not special," I whisper back. "My pants feel like I went swimming in them."
He snorts and gives a small shake of his head. "I'm just saying. Feels like an intentional fuck you"
I don't bother responding to that. My attention shifts back to the horizon. The castle towers over the fake city, tall and arrogant, windows glowing.
Lucian breaks the silence again. "You really think your plan's gonna work?"
I've already heard him ask that five times. Maybe six now. I feel the urge to roll my eyes and sigh. "For the love of the gods, my good man, yes," I whisper through clenched teeth. "Stop asking me."
He exhales, overdramatic. "Fine, fine."
I ignore him completely this time and keep my gaze on the exact spot where the first sign should appear. My fingers drum once against the wet shingles, then go still. The voices in my head don't speak, but I feel their anticipation like a grin curling inside me. We know what's coming.
Then it begins.
A house in the center of town shudders, groans, and tears upward as if the earth has decided it no longer belongs there. The entire structure rips apart in seconds wood, stone, and metal splitting like kindling in the grip of something unstoppable. Imara's density mark at work. She doesn't just move things she warps the rules that keep weight where it is.
The shredded mass whips through the sky with brutal force. As it flies, the remains ignite, flames licking across splintered beams. Zaria's molten rock bleeds through the debris, turning pieces into glowing shrapnel. The projectile slams into the castle walls with a boom that echoes through the streets.
I push myself into a crouch, leaning forward, and let the satisfaction move through me. Imara and Zaria are executing their roles perfectly. I love watching people listen to me.
Lucian lets out a low whistle. "Gods above."
I don't answer. A second house tears free, filled with molten stone, launched with extreme prejudice. The castle absorbs the impact, the sound louder this time, flames flickering against the sky.
Lucian chuckles under his breath. "Well, I'll be damned. Didn't think it would start off this well."
I glance at him, then back at the castle, ignoring the comment. My eyes stay fixed. There's always a response, and these year fives aren't the type to leave it unanswered.
Three more houses follow. Imara's power makes the ground buckle with every structure she lifts. Zaria moves along the ruins like a spark, saturating debris with molten stone. Each projectile hits with brutal precision, shaking walls and spiderwebbing cracks into stone.
Then I see them: a blur of bodies sprinting across rooftops and shattered streets, heading toward Imara and Zaria. I grin without warmth. At least two of them have abandoned the castle.
All right, Vihaan. Your group is up. Don't fuck this up, I think, letting the voices in me stir with anticipation.
I rise fluidly, water rolling off the hem of my robe. "Let's go, my good man."
Lucian pushes himself up with a grunt. "Right behind you."
We don't bother with ladders or stairs. We just jump. My boots hit the wet stone, the shock rolling up my legs and fading quick. Lucian lands beside me with a quieter impact, cloak snapping behind him as he straightens. We start to run through the narrow streets the wind whistling with rain flows between the buildings of mismatched architecture. The rain slicks everything, making the stone glisten. Flames in the distance flicker along shattered rooftops where Zaria and Imara's work burns.
We start running through narrow streets, the wind whistling rain between mismatched buildings. Every step splashes in puddles, water soaking through boots and robes. Flames flicker from burning rooftops, smoke curling into the rain.
I keep my pace steady. Lucian keeps up, boots slapping wet cobblestone as we cut through alleys that smell of smoke and damp wood. My vision drains of color; everything is shades of black and white except the fire burning on the castle walls, bright and sharp against the gray.
My enhanced senses pick up distant shouting and I smile seems like Vihaan and his group have engaged the two year fives who left the nest. Good. I just hope they do their jobs and hold out.
The city stretches around us, wide and chaotic, but five blocks is nothing when speed and precision are on your side. We run across rooftops, through buildings smashing into the walls, cutting lines that no ordinary human could traverse without going around or stopping.
Ahead, the castle looms. Its outer wall has been pounded by Imara and Zaria's attacks. Stone is cracked, gates warped, the structure trembling from the relentless bombardment. Looking as if it was about to topple completely.
"Ready?" I ask Lucian.
He nods, sudden seriousness in his expression. "I'm ready. Lead away."
Explosions echo behind us. Imara and Zaria keep up the assault perfectly, drawing the year fives' attention, keeping them off balance. Good, good I think. Just keep them distracted. Fighting four year fives is a little much even for me I think especially when I have no idea what their marks are.
I smile faintly as we reach the half-destroyed castle. The rain hisses against molten debris, puddles reflecting flickering firelight. Now me and Lucian just need to find the flag and dispatch the two remaining enemies before the rest of my cohort is defeated and we become out numbered.
I chuckle in amusement. It's a race