Four years ago, in Entoria.
The streets are empty, the neon signs buzzing faintly, Skai keeps his hood pulled low, hands stuffed into his pockets, eyes on the ground. His steps are quiet.
'Vida's waiting for me back home… I don't know what to tell her… how can I tell her I kill for money now…'
He turns to his street, then his body freezes. Four shadows stand outside his small home, their presence is calm, but something tells him to run. He straightens up and raises his guard,
One of them steps forward. Speaking with a calm tone,
"We are equity," Jovi says.
Behind him, Mari yawns with disinterest. Prince grins wide, while Mela stands straight, her eyes locked forward.
"Who are you!?" Skai shouts, dropping into position.
"I have been watching you, Skai," Jovi replies calmly,
"What the government is doing is unethical. It's not fair."
Skai frowns,
"What!? What do you know about my sister!"
He lunges forward in a burst of speed, but before his strike can land, Prince casually catches his wrist, stopping him cold. Skai tries pulling away, but the grip doesn't budge.
"Join us. We will take care of your sister. I'm assembling a team to fight the corruption,"
Jovi continues, his calm expression unchanging.
Panic surges through Skai's chest. He twists harder, trying to tear free,
"Fight the corruption? What are you even talking about?!" His voice cracks,
Prince finally lets go, Skai stumbles back, putting distance between them. He stares back at them all.
"Jovi… is this guy really that competent?" Mari says bored,
Skai gives Mari an annoyed look.
"Are you questioning his judgment, Mari?" Mela asks,
Skai lowers his guard. His voice shaking,
"You guys really can help my sister?"
Prince steps up and puts his arm around Jovi,
"This guy right here can do anything, if you roll with us, we'll help your sister." He says, flashing a charming smile,
Jovi chuckles,
"You're too much, Prince. But yeah, we don't exactly abide by the rules…"
"What would I have to do if I join?" Skai asks hesitantly.
Jovi's expression hardens slightly.
"It's not going to be pretty, and I won't lie to you. People who deserve to die, will die. We are going to make enemies worldwide, and I can't assure you'll be safe at all times."
Skai frowns deeply. "How are you gonna assure my sister's safety if you can't assure mine?"
Jovi tilts his head back, looking up at the night sky,
"I have my eyes set on a healer. One of the most talented I've ever seen. It's too early for her to recruit, but I can guarantee you that she can heal your sister."
"I don't have time to wait! My sister is slowly dying! Don't you get that!?" Skai steps up and gets in Jovi's face, Prince tenses, ready to intervene, but Jovi raises a hand, commanding him to stand down.
"You have my word. If you join us, nothing will happen to your sister." He reaches for a handshake, staring deeply into Skai's eyes.
…
Present Time.
'Thank you, Jovi,' Skai thinks.
His body erupts with neon blue light, the glow blinding in the air. Just as Tlen lunges in for his tackle, Skai spreads his arms and legs wide.
"Flash Style: Brilliant Mosh Pit."
The explosion detonates instantly, a massive sphere of light blue explodes into an entire crater. The shockwave tears through rubble, leveling what's left of the warehouse walls.
Tlen's body is thrown back, His skin burning up under the skeletal armor. He crashes through debris,
…
Tlen wakes up in Huracán's realm once again.
"Huracán!?" He walks to the tunnel where Huracán is chained,
"Did I die!?" He asks in a panic,
Huracán sits there, with his back turned to him, he starts laughing darkly.
Tlen's eyes widen, he steps back, "No… I couldn't… no…"
Tlen falls to his knees, his hands, and knees covered in the blood-colored water,
"I couldn't protect my friends…"
Tlen starts tearing up, flashes of when he first met Ari, Hazu, Tanya and Monita appear in his mind.
"I wanted more… more time…" He whispers,
Huracán looks back at him, with an unreadable expression on his face.
…
Skai falls to the ground, every muscle screaming. His chest heaves.
"I… I did it…"
He gets up slowly and limps forward, barely able to stand.
He taps weakly into Mela's brain link, his mana cutting in and out.
"Mela? I won… pick me up, pretty please…" He says sarcastically, despite his injuries.
Static cuts across the line. Mela gasps out of relief,
"Skai? Are you okay? Oh, thank god…"
"I told you he'd be fine." Mari says, while Jane heals Tanya's injuries in silence,
Skai lets out a faint, broken chuckle.
Suddenly,
Tlen claws his way up from the ruins. Injured, shirtless, breathing heavy, his eyes still burning green.
Skai's heart slams in his chest. His body wobbles as he forces himself upright.
'How did he survive?!'
"Skai…? Skai? Are you there?" Mela's voice spikes with panic as the signal falters.
Tlen plants his feet, green aura flooding around him, voice cold.
"Enough."
Skai can feel Tlen building another tackle, the suffocating pressure from Tlen's aura in the air,
Skai grits his teeth,
'Crap! Another one of those tackles! How much energy does he have?!'
His battered body lowers into position. He screams, voice tearing out of him raw.
"COME ON!!!"
Tlen exhales once calmly,
"Fuck you."
He says coldly. He lunges, faster than before, the skeletal armor glistening.
Skai's arms rise to block, but the impact is absolute,
The tackle rips through him, splitting his chest in half. In an instant, there's only silence, then Skai's body is erased, torn apart in a single devastating strike.
Tlen skids across the dirt, his momentum dragging him down. His vision blurs, ears ringing. He collapses onto his back, staring at the sky.
Through the blurriness, he sees shapes. Hazu, standing at the rim of the crater. Ari, carrying Monita,
"Hazu…?" Tlen coughs, blood streaking his lips. His heart pounding slower and slower. "Ari…?"
They rush down, dropping beside him. Ari kneels, cradling Tlen's head. Hazu grabs his hand tight.
"You did it, Tlen. You're insane, man!" Hazu's voice cracks proudly,
Ari smiles faintly, "We would be dead if it weren't for you…"
Tlen's vision darkens, his breathing weakening.
"You guys… are okay…"
…
Inside Mari's shadow dimension, silence hangs heavy,
Mela stands frozen, her body stiff, eyes wide in shock.
"What's going on, Mela?" Mari asks carefully,
Mela finally looks at her. Panic floods her face. Her lips tremble.
"Skai… he's… he's dead…"
The words land heavy, leaving the air colder than before,
…