"We did it!" Kymani shouted, throwing both arms in the air. His voice rang with pure joy as he turned toward Rowynn, who mirrored his excitement. She ran into his arms, and he caught her, spinning her around in circles while her laughter echoed through the open air.
A few steps away, Zara, Orea, and Valtor celebrated in their own quieter way, sharing smiles and heartfelt hugs. Their calm was quickly interrupted as Rowynn and Kymani stumbled into them, still laughing.
"Last to the water is a member of the council!" Kymani teased before darting ahead.
Rowynn gasped. "Oh, you're on!" she yelled, chasing after him.
"Are they serious?" Valtor asked, amused.
Before he could say more, Zara broke into a playful run.
"And she's gone," he chuckled, glancing at Orea.
"Well, I'm not getting there last," Orea said, flashing him a grin before sprinting off.
Valtor stifled a laugh as he finally joined the chase.
Moments later, they splashed through the crystal-clear water, laughter and waves mingling as they let out unrestrained joy.
Then, as the noise softened, Rowynn suddenly paused. "Where's Lynx?"
"I'm right here," came his calm reply from behind. They turned to see him standing a few feet away, his expression quieter than theirs.
Zara frowned. "Aren't you happy we're finally here?"
"Oh, don't worry about Lynx," Rowynn said with a smile, walking toward him. "This is his happy face. Trust me."
She leaned in, resting her head against his chest. He returned the embrace, his hand gently brushing over her hair.
"It's happening, Lynx," she murmured. "We'll be free soon—just like we always wanted."
Lynx only held her a little tighter, eyes drifting toward the water.
..................
Valtor walked out of the woods, balancing a heap of bamboo on his shoulder. Kymani followed close behind, both of them adding their loads to an existing pile that the girls were arranging near the water's edge.
Rowynn counted under her breath, eyes narrowing slightly. "Is this all of them?" she asked.
"Lynx is bringing some more," Kymani replied.
Almost on cue, Lynx appeared from the trees with another bundle in his arms.
Shielding his face from the sun, Valtor glanced at the sky — noontime. "We should get going before sunset," he said, crouching beside the pile.
"These should be enough to build at least two rafts, right?" he asked, facing Rowynn.
"I think so." She nodded. "Now I just need something to hold them together."
"We'll go find some materials," Valtor offered, starting to rise.
"It's okay. I got it," she insisted.
Her eyes shimmered green as she extended both arms toward the woods. A faint vibration rippled through the ground, followed by the distant rustle of shifting leaves. Moments later, long green tendrils began to snake across the forest floor, dragging towards them with a low, rhythmic rattle.
They reached the shoreline and coiled neatly before her. With a twist of her wrist, the tendrils snapped cleanly, severing their connection to the trees.
Once they had arranged the base for two rafts, the crew stepped aside, watching in quiet fascination as Rowynn worked. The stems obeyed her gestures, weaving and tightening along the bamboo.
"That's really cool," Kymani muttered, beaming.
Valtor's gaze shifted to the younger boy, a faint smile tugging at his lips—then his attention flicked to the woods.
He froze, listening. "Someone's here," he said, his tone sharp enough to make everyone turn.
"Someone… or something?" Orea asked.
From the shadows, figures began to emerge — Vatican soldiers, armored and armed, their weapons pointed at the team.
"What… the… hell," Zara whispered, her pulse quickening. The others exchanged tense looks.
Without hesitation, Valtor thrust out his arm, eyes flashing yellow. But before he could release his attack, a soldier fired — a brilliant wave of light surged toward them.
The world tilted. Valtor dropped to his knees, grimacing as a strange energy crawled beneath his skin. Around him, the others bent over too, gasping as the light faded.
Forcing himself up, eyes narrowing, Valtor tried to attack again..
- No flame. Nothing.
He glanced at his palms, shocked.
The rest of the team tried to fight too but experienced the same result.
Utterly confused, they gathered together.
"We're screwed," Zara breathed. "That device—whatever it was—killed our powers."
"How'd they even know we were about to escape?" Kymani asked.
"Forget that!, How do we get out of this?, "we're about to be dragged back to the barracks!", Zara's voice wavered.
Orea glanced around anxiously. "We're powerless, they're armed and we're stuck between them and the water,". I don't know how we can get out...
"We can," Valtor cut in. "On my signal, we'll run east, into the woods. Then split up."
The lead officer stepped forward. "Stand down peacefully," he ordered. "You're surrounded. Don't make this worse than it needs to be.
"Now!" Valtor hissed.
The team bolted, sprinting past the stunned soldiers—who didn't move.
They only watched, silent and still, as the crew dashed east, towards the trees.
"Why aren't they attacking?" Valtor thought, but before he could take another step, his right leg refused to move. Glancing down, his eyes widened — an icy cage had crept up around his ankle, locking him firmly to the ground.
No... A shudder ran through him. It can't be.
"Lynx!" Kymani's voice rang out behind him, sharp with alarm. His legs were frozen too, trapped in the same creeping frost.
Zara also struggled against the icy glue, panic rising in her voice. "What are you doing!?"
From behind them, Lynx appeared — face cold, unreadable. He stopped a few paces away, eyes flicking over his teammates before dropping to the ground.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
Zara gasped in disbelief while the soldiers began to circle them like wolves.
"Round them up," the leading officer ordered, eyes cold.
"No!" Rowynn cried, shaking her head. Tears welled in her eyes as she strained against the frost. "How could you!?"
Her voice rose, trembling with fury. "Lynx how could you!!"
Lynx's gaze fell, his silence louder than any defense. He walked away as the others glared at him, disbelief and betrayal burning in their eyes.
Kymani's chest heaved, rage evident in his voice. "You're a coward, you know that!?"
As an officer cuffed her arms, Orea glanced toward Valtor. His back was turned to them, head bowed — not in defeat, but in something far heavier.