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9:06 AM — Abandoned Temple Courtyard
The blast still hummed in the broken walls. Smoke rose in lazy tendrils from scorched stones. Cracked statues of forgotten gods looked on — eyes blank, limbs shattered.
Aadiv staggered out of the cloud first — hair wild, shirt torn at the shoulder. His katana hissed in his grip, dark flame flickering down its length. His chest heaved, but his eyes still burned.
From the haze, boots crunched on gravel. The stranger emerged — scarf pulled lower now, revealing the bottom half of a crooked grin. Lightning still sparked along his long sword's edge, each spark crackling like a caged storm.
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9:07 AM — Words in the Ashes
They stood ten feet apart. Rain drizzled down, steam rising off Aadiv's shoulders where the drops kissed his heat.
> Aadiv spat blood to the side.
"You're persistent. Still not going to tell me your damn name?"
The stranger twirled his blade once, lightning dancing off the wet stone.
> "Name doesn't matter."
He pointed the tip at Aadiv's chest.
"Your fire's grown… but your heart's still weak. You still cry for ghosts you couldn't save."
A muscle twitched at Aadiv's jaw. His grip on the katana tightened.
> "You know nothing about me."
> "I know enough." The stranger's tone turned cold — thunder rumbled overhead as if echoing his breath.
"You're still that boy in the dark, hoping flames will bring back the light."
Aadiv's eyes flared — flame surged from his katana, swirling around his legs like burning chains.
> "Keep talking, storm. Let's see how long your thunder lasts before my fire eats it alive."
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9:09 AM — The Clash Resumes
They charged — blades crashing again with a blinding flash of sparks. Aadiv feinted low, then twisted up, driving his katana's spine against the stranger's ribs.
The stranger winced — but didn't back down. His free fist, crackling with lightning, slammed into Aadiv's jaw, sending him skidding across the courtyard.
Aadiv spat blood, grinned like a demon, and lunged again.
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9:11 AM — Fire and Thunder, Bare Hands
Their swords clanged — locked at the hilts. But it wasn't enough. Both fighters let go in the same breath — blades clattering to the stone.
Bare fists. No distance left.
Aadiv's knuckles burned with ember trails as he landed a savage hook to the stranger's ribs. The stranger coughed — then slammed his forehead into Aadiv's brow, both men staggering back, eyes wild.
They moved like beasts — fists, elbows, knees, sparks, and cinders dancing around them.
Aadiv's mind flickered — flashes of a car, his mother's voice, the plane, the bodies. Rage drowned it all. His flames roared brighter.
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9:13 AM — A Glimpse of Darkness
The stranger caught Aadiv's wrist mid-punch. Their eyes locked — for a heartbeat, the stranger's eyes flickered with something almost human. A grief. A memory.
> "You think your fire makes you strong?" the stranger growled.
"It makes you blind. This world doesn't need your mercy — it needs monsters."
Aadiv wrenched free, shadows coiling at his feet.
> "Then let's see which monster survives the dawn."
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9:15 AM — Final Surge
Their blades flew back into their hands — the stranger's long sword humming with stormlight, Aadiv's katana hissing like a serpent of flame.
They clashed one final time — the sheer force shattering what remained of the courtyard's pillars. Sparks of lightning and fire scattered across the rain-soaked stones.
The air crackled with ozone. A single crow, perched on the broken temple gate, took flight as a final shockwave split the courtyard apart.
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9:17 AM — Stalemate
Both men stood, weapons lowered, chests heaving. Blood dripped from a gash over Aadiv's eyebrow; the stranger's knuckles were raw, sparks flickering between his fingers.
Neither moved to strike again.
> The stranger's voice was softer, but still mocking.
"You're not ready yet."
> Aadiv barked a rough laugh, spitting red into the dirt.
"Then stay alive long enough to see how ready I get."
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9:19 AM — The Storm Pulls Back
Thunder rolled overhead, the rain now falling harder — steam hissing off Aadiv's shoulders. The stranger sheathed his blade, the stormlight fading from its edge.
He stepped back into the shadows of the ruined archway, voice drifting like an echo.
> "I'll find you again. Burn brighter, Aadiv. Or be eaten alive."
And then he was gone — swallowed by the ancient stone, the rain, the roar of the storm.
Aadiv stood alone in the courtyard, katana buried in the stone, flames flickering around his boots.
> "I'll burn everything if I have to…" he whispered to the dark.
> "I won't lose again."
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