Ari freezes at the sight of Tanya's broken body sprawled on the floor.
Tlen hooks Hazu's arm over his shoulder, Monita clutches Dori Dori against her chest, eyes down, refusing to look at anyone.
"Jane! Stop! We need to know what she did to Prince!" Mari shouts, forcing herself between Jane and Tanya.
Zodiak kneels by Prince, tending to his wounds. Skai hovers nearby, scanning the scene. Ari takes a step backward in fear,
Monita notices him. Slowly, she lifts her head. Her eyes widen as she stares straight at Mari, Zodiak, Skai, and Mela.
"Ari… are they scaring you?" She asks quietly,
Ari looks at Monita with wide eyes,
Tlen frowns, his jaw tightening.
Mari's instincts scream, Jane stiffens for a moment, Zodiak's gaze sharpens. Everyone feels Monita's mana powering up,
The air vibrates, Yellow mana bursts from Monita's body, cracking through the walls,
"I won't let you hurt Dori Dori."
Mari spreads her stance, Zodiak plants his feet at her side.
"Monita no!-" Ari blurts, reaching for her, but he's cut short,
A sharp blow lands on the back of his head. His vision fades as Tlen knocks him out cold, catching his limp body. Without hesitation, Tlen hoists Ari over his other shoulder, dragging Hazu along too.
"They're leaving her?!" Mela says, eyes wide.
The warehouse trembles. Nails splinter the ground.
"What's with that power?" Mari mutters under her breath.
"She has potential…" Zodiak shields his eyes with an arm, his skin already torn by the violent nails.
The air stills. Monita's mana disperses,
"Voodoo Style: Nail Dance."
The walls explode. Thousands of glowing nails rip across the warehouse, shredding everything.
"Nails?" Zodiak's eyes snap wide. He braces, arms raised, but the nails tear through his flesh, pinning him down in a storm of pain.
Mari grabs Jane and Tanya, dragging them both into her shadow dimension before the nails can hit them.
Mela reacts instantly, summoning her domain. A glowing sphere snaps into place around her, Skai, and Prince.
"YOU SCARED MY FRIEND!!!" Monita screams. Nails shoot faster, sharper, splitting wood, steel, and stone.
"Zodiak!!!" Skai yells.
Zodiak's body jerks under the assault, skin pierced again and again. Blood streaks his arms, but he doesn't falter.
"This is nothing…" he grits out, straining against the storm.
Mela's domain flickers, barely holding against the chaos. "I can't summon my domain on him!" She struggles to keep the shield around Skai, Prince, and herself intact.
The warehouse groans. Its steel skeleton bends. The ceiling crashes down in waves. Dust chokes the air, a wall of sound drowning everything.
Zodiak digs his heels in, teeth clenched as nails rip deeper into his body.
Monita doesn't move. She keeps firing, sweat streaking down her temple, her breath ragged.
The roof finally collapses. A part of the roof crashes onto her, burying her beneath stone and steel.
The warehouse falls, collapsing into ruin.
…
Far off, in the hills, Tlen lowers Ari and Hazu beneath the trees. His breath is heavy. He looks back as the warehouse collapses across the land.
"Monita…" He stares long and hard, then breathes deep.
He starts stretching. Rolling his shoulders,
"Huracán… are you there?"
…
Eleven years ago. Nerudal. A country in the South East region.
A harsh voice speaks up harshly, "What was that? Speak up louder, kid!"
A boy clings to a counter shaking.
"C-can I work here?"
The man sneers. "Work here? Get the fuck out of here with that shit!" His boot crashes into Tlen's ribs, sending him falling onto the dusty street.
The boy coughs, dirt in his mouth. A stranger shoves past, not even looking. "Get out the way, kid!"
Tlen stumbles back to his feet, his bruised knees trembling as he walks home.
The house is small, old brick, crumbling, in the middle of the city. His father waits for him inside.
"Did you get a job?"
Tlen shakes his head and bows shyly. "No…"
Tlen's father instantly slaps him across his face.
"You fucking idiot!"
His father grips his wrist, dragging him across the room.
"No! Please! Don't lock me inside again! Please!!" Tlen pleads, his father didn't care.
He throws Tlen inside the bathroom and locks it from the outside,
"Fucking piece of shit kid can't do anything right." He says, grabbing a beer and plastering himself in a couch.
Tlen curls up in the bathroom, holding his knees, he starts tearing up and cries himself to sleep.
The next morning, his father lets him out.
"Get a job today, or you're sleeping outside. Understand?"
Tlen nods quickly, head low.
"I said, UNDERSTAND?" His father yanks his hair back, forcing his eyes up.
"Y-yes…"
"And bring me beer. Don't you dare get caught."
…
The streets burn hot. The sun is burning his back intensely, his stomach growls from hunger. He keeps walking until his legs suddenly buckle.
Tlen finally collapses,
When his eyes open again, He finds himself in blood-red water and a quiet desert that surrounds him, silent.
A voice speaks up from a tunnel ahead. "You…"
Tlen freezes, his feet move on their own, step by step toward the voice.
"Come closer…"
"Hello?" His voice cracks.
The figure emerges from the darkness, A skeletal shape, green fire in its eyes. Chains rattle against the bars of a cage.
"It's about time we meet, little one. I am Huracán. I have been watching you suffer. I can grant any wish you'd like… if you give me control."
The boy trembles. "I-I want friends…"
"Friends?" His voice sharpens, "Not revenge on your father? Not punishment?"
Tlen looks up with wide eyes, innocently. "Revenge? N-no… I want lots of friends… so we can play and have fun…"
Huracán chuckles, "Weak people don't have friends. That's why you don't."
Tlen lowers his gaze. "O-oh…"
"I can change you. Let's make a deal."
…
Present Time,
Tlen drags Monita's unconscious body from the ruins, laying her on the dirt. He presses his fingers against her neck, he feels a pulse and breathes out in relief.
"Monita? Are you okay?"
Her chest rises faintly. She breathes, but she doesn't answer.
From the ruins some distance away, Zodiak emerges, arms shredded, blood dripping down his frame. Mela limps behind him, supporting Prince. Skai follows, eyes sharp, scanning immediately.
He spots Tlen.
"Mela. Call Mari. I'll stay."
"Skai? Let's just go." Her voice trembles, tending to Zodiak's bleeding arms.
Skai smirks. "Since when do we run? I messed up earlier. Let me handle this. I'll catch up."
Mela clenches her jaw, she starts talking into the brain link,
"Mari… drag us down. Skai is gonna fight."
On the other side, Mari hears, she straightens up,
"Jane, heal that girl. I don't want to hear anything. We need to know what she did to Prince."
Jane wipes a tear. Her voice steadies. "Okay."
Just then, Mari's shadows swallow Mela, Zodiak, and Prince.
"What did he say?" Mari asks casually,
Mela's lip trembles. "He just wants to play hero… you know how he is."
Mari frowns. "Are you worried about Skai? It's just some kids. Give him some credit."
Mela avoids eye contact, "I don't know, Mari. The air felt different…"
…
Tlen stands straight, Monita's body behind him, his eyes locked on the figure across him.
Skai.
Tlen starts walking toward him,
"Huracán, take 15 years." Tlen's voice is steady, his fists clenching,
Huracánchuckles in his mind. 'Are you sure?'
"Just do it."
His left eye starts burning green. His power surging,
Skai grins, crouching low, hands ready.
"Let's do this, Huracán." Tlen gets in position,
…