The bat's wings snapped against the air, scattering dirt and sparks from the glowing circle. Every nerve in my body screamed run. My chest tightened, legs tensed, but then—
"Kael…"
My blood froze. That tone. That softness under the strain
It was her. Aria.
"Aria?" My voice cracked, disbelief bleeding into the clearing.
"What the hell is—what are you?"
The creature's eyes glowed faintly, but I swear I saw her behind them—the same look she gave me when she laughed at lunch, or when she smirked in the sparring ring.
"It's me," she rasped. Her voice was broken but steady enough to sting me with truth.
"It's my spirit. I don't have time—break the formation, before they come."
Spirit? Formation? My head spun. None of this made sense, but the desperation in her tone nailed me in place.
"Kael! Hurry!" she shouted, wings thrashing against the glowing circle. "If they come, we won't—"
Her voice cut off in a violent flare of light. The runes seared brighter, burning into my eyes.
It was her—the same girl I'd known most of my life—and I couldn't turn away. Not when she was begging. No matter what form she wore. Not when my gut screamed that if I hesitated, I'd lose her forever.
I lunged to one of the crystals and pressed my palms against its cold, humming surface. Heat prickled through my skin. My arms shook, teeth clenched, sweat dripping into my eyes. The damn thing felt fused to the earth itself, like it wanted to stay buried here until the end of time.
But I pushed anyway. Harder.
With a grinding crack, the crystal shifted. Light spiderwebbed through its surface like lightning trapped in glass. Then—
Shatter.
The circle burst apart in a thunderous crack, as though chains were breaking. The glow died, leaving only shards scattered at my feet, dull and harmless.
The bat—Aria—was free. She swooped once, wings slicing the air, then collapsed to the ground in a burst of shadow and blinding light.
When it cleared, she stood there—no, stumbled there—the girl I'd grown up with. Except now… nothing about her felt the same.
"What the hell is going on?" The words tore out of me, nowhere near enough to cage the storm in my chest.
"I'll explain," she said, voice low, clipped, nothing like the carefree Aria I knew. "But first, we move."
"Move? Where? Who's coming? And how the hell did you just—"
"Kael." Her voice snapped sharp as glass. Her eyes scanned the treeline, shoulders tense.
"You broke the formation and saved me. Now they'll come for you too. We have to move if we want to survive."
"They? Who the hell are they?"
Her jaw tightened. "In. Due. Time. Now help me—we get to the island, or we don't survive the night."
"What island? There is no—"
Her glare sliced me into silence. "Just shut up and move."
My gut churned. Every rational part of me screamed to stop, to demand answers. But some instinct deeper than reason whispered otherwise. This wasn't something I could walk away from.
"…Fine. Where to?" Maybe at least a "Thank you." but nooo.
"To the shore."
I slipped under her arm, letting her lean against me. Her weight felt wrong, heavy with something more than exhaustion. We moved in silence, the crash of waves and sting of salt in the air filling the gaps between us.
Then I saw it.
A bridge.
Not too long, not too short, stretching into a thick curtain of mist. Its edges shimmered faintly, like moonlight caught on glass. My stomach lurched.
How have I never seen this before?I've lived here my entire life.
"We're going to cross it," Aria said.
I blinked at her. "Since when was there a bridge? I would've remembered this."
"That's because you couldn't see it before," she murmured, her voice steadier now. "It's one of the island's secrets."
Her expression softened for the first time all night—relief flickering across her face. Maybe we'd lost whoever was chasing us.
We stepped onto the bridge—
—and time bent.
I couldn't tell when we started walking or when we arrived. One heartbeat, two, and suddenly we were standing on the other side.
The air smelled different here. Thicker. Wilder. The street ahead curved into forest and stone houses I'd never seen before, their windows glowing with faint, eerie light.
I turned back, but the way was gone. The bridge had melted back into mist.
"I need to warn the elders," Aria said quickly. "Follow this road to the mountain range. You'll find an old hut there. Wait for me. And… be careful."
The way she said it sent a cold weight down my spine—like she already knew something would happen.
Before I could argue, she slipped away into the mist.
I jogged forward along the mossy path, irritation gnawing at me. Careful of what, exactly? Nothing seemed off—
Until two figures stepped into my path.
Machetes gleamed faintly in their hands, their stances low, sharp.
"Stop right there!" one barked, his voice edged with suspicion.
"You're not from here," the other added, eyes narrowing.
I raised my hands slightly. "I don't want trouble. Just passing through."
They didn't budge.
Great.
The first lunged. His blade hissed past my ear. I ducked. The second slashed down at my shoulder, and I barely slipped back, boots scraping dirt.
"I said I'm not here to fight!"
"You will not deceive us," the first spat. "You won't leave this island alive."
"Forget talking—cut him down!" the other growled.
I exhaled sharply. So much for being careful.
Steel flashed. Instinct screamed. I snatched up two broken iron rods lying near a wall and crossed them just in time—CLANG! Sparks showered between us.
The guard's eyes widened.
"How you like them apples?" I smirked despite the adrenaline flooding my veins.
I shoved his blade aside, drove a strike into his ribs, then twisted to parry the other's slash. My rods rang against his machete, and I rammed my knee into his chest. Both men dropped with groans.
For a moment, I thought it was over.
Then—
Shhhk.
A new figure emerged. Calm. Deliberate.
His blade curved forward like a scythe, broad and cruel. He rested it on his shoulder, his eyes never leaving mine.
"It is the first time you've set foot on our island," he said evenly, voice sharp as steel. "You will not report its location to your boss."
My gut iced over. If he swung that thing, I wouldn't just be cut—I'd be split in half.
He charged.
I didn't wait. I sprinted, leaping onto the wall, stone scraping my palms. His blade slashed where I'd stood a heartbeat ago. My lungs burned as I dashed across the narrow ledge, leaping from stone to stone until he couldn't follow.
But then he appeared.
A huge, muscular man. Skin like stone, veins glowing faintly beneath. His fist pulsed with light as he raised it.
"Shit—"
His strike came down like a meteor. I crossed my rods just in time.
BOOM!
The impact rattled through my bones, shockwaves tearing pain up my arms.
He grinned, teeth sharp under the sun. "That's all, outsider? You can't even block properly."
I struck back, swinging into his side. The rods bounced off uselessly, like I'd hit solid rock.
His grin widened. "Soft. Pathetic."
Then the second blow came.
BAM!
I skidded across the ground, lungs empty, arms trembling violently around the rods.
"Not good… not good…"
The man raised his fist again, and I knew if it landed, I was done.
"Stop!"
A familiar voice cut through the clash.
Aria.
She stepped between us, her presence slicing the tension as clean as steel. Her hand met his massive fist—and held it still. Effortless.
The giant froze, glaring at her, then me. "He's not one of us. Why protect him?"
I lowered my rods, breath ragged. "…About time you showed up."
"He's my friend," Aria said firmly. "He saved me from their trap and I guided him here."
"Saved you? You expect me to believe you needed his help? He couldn't even scratch me."
The words stung, but I couldn't deny it.
Aria's eyes narrowed. "Are you calling me a liar?"
The man fell silent instantly. Her voice carried authority I'd never heard before, cold and commanding.
I swallowed hard, staring at her. "…Aria, what the hell is this place?"
She met my eyes. For the first time tonight, she didn't look away.
"This is Anakoa," she said, her voice heavy. "The land of strength. An island whose mysteries must remain hidden from the world."
She paused, then added, "And I am its champion."
"Champion..?"
The word hung between us, heavier than stone.