After running for four hours without stopping, the heroes are nearing the mountain and notice some kind of entrance, so they decide to stay there.
Nashw, out of breath: UUHH, FINALLY...
*Zo was carried by Nashw most of the way*
Zo sarcastic: The 10 years of training were useful, right, Nashw?
Huna irritated: How can you be so calm??? We just left the village and we almost died if it weren't for Nashw doing... I don't even know what he did! I'm exhausted, wake me up when there's food...
*Huna lay down on the ground and covered herself with the closed tent to cover herself*
Zo: Now that you've mentioned it, what was that, Nashw?
Nashw: Honestly... I also wanted to know, Zanny took me into my soul and told me to-
Zo extremely confused: WHAT? WHAT DID YOUR PET GHOST DO?
Angry Zanny: SPEAK PROPERLY, IDIOT!!
Nashw: Calm down, calm down, calm down, don't fight now, please.
*Zo looks at Nashw and around blankly*
Angry Zo: FIGHTING WITH WHO? WHAT THE HELL?
Zanny: Is this the prodigy? He doesn't even see me and calls himself a prodigy.
*Zo notices Nashw standing there staring into space, paying attention, so he assumes "Zanny" is there*
Zo: I hope they're not talking about me...
Intimidated Nashw: What? N-n-no...
Laughing Zanny: HAHAHAHAH! Tell that idiot I'm not afraid of him.
*Nashw just ignores Zanny*
Zo: Anyway, can you explain what those powers were?
Zanny: Ah... I'm being ignored... Anyway, see you soon.
Nashw: I already told you, I don't know what I can or can't do, I just felt like I could do it and I did.
Zo: Well, whatever... what matters is that we're all okay, hero...
Nashw, embarrassed: Oh, come on... Huna helped, and it only worked because you-
Zo interrupting: Let's not talk about my near-death, I was a punching bag.
Nashw: But a great punching bag.
The two laughed and decided to sleep a bit with Huna, as they had been running all night.
*At the top of the mountain, two people talking*
Voice #1: So, did you like them?
Voice #2: They look good.
Voice #1: Oh, stop being annoying, they were amazing! They just left the village and survived their first encounter, they could join us.
Voice #2: It'll depend on him, not me.
Voice #1: Yeah, I know... but anyway, which of the three would be best?
Voice #2: I liked the little girl the most. She'd make a great partner with me. If she trained hard, she might be able to hit me and raise my level even further.
Voice #1: I agree. Although the black-haired one (Nashw) managed to paralyze and knock out the freak, for a rookie, that was incredible!
Voice #2: His promising future is undeniable, but without a doubt, their leader is the blond one (Zo). Even without being marked, he went toe-to-toe with the freak, pushing his body to the limit.
Voice #1: Let's wait and see what happens and what he tells us...
*8 hours later*
Nashw wakes up but sees that Zo is awake training alone.
Zo: Good morning, sleeping beauty.
Nashw: Good morning... huh? Training? Already?
Zo, out of breath from training: We almost died in the first one... IN THE FIRST ONE!!!
Nashw: Okay, okay...
Nashw sees that Huna is still sleeping and decides to leave her alone. At that moment, he feels a tightness in his chest and faints.
*Inside Nashw's soul*
Zanny: I could have called you in here while you were sleeping, but since you ignored me, I preferred it this way...
Nashw looks around confused but realizes it's the same place as before, this time calmer.
Nashw angrily: If we could have come here while i was sleeping, WHY MAKE ME FAINT!
Zanny: Are you deaf? I told you, you shouldn't have ignored me...
Nashw and Zanny hear Zo and Huna's screams outside. Time just slows down inside his souls, it doesn't stop completely.
Zanny: They look so beautiful screaming in slow motion.... NAAAAAAAASHHHHHWWW!
Nashw, irritated: TELL ME WHY I'M HERE!!
Zanny: Okay, okay, so, about the powers...
*Zanny was silent*
Nashw: Yeah?
Zanny: OK, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEY ARE AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM.
Nashw, completely irritated: THEN WHY AM I HERE, IDIOT!!!
Zanny, nervous: IT WAS JUST MEANT TO TALK, BUT IT'S LOST THE FUN NOW, JUST USE YOUR IMAGINATION ON YOUR NEXT FIGHT.
*Nashw wakes up*
Nashw, sleepy: Bastard...
Huna: What happened, little brother? Are you hungry?
*Huna offers Nashw an apple*
Zo: Was it exhaustion from the fight?
Nashw: No, it's okay, Zanny pulled me into my soul again—
Zo, impatient: Not again...
Huna, worried: Enough! Let's go back to the village, at least everything was fine there.
Huna had a panic attack. She wasn't ready for all this. She's only 13, and it was a lot in less than a day. She grabbed her backpack and ran in the direction she believed was the village.
Zo: HUNA, WAIT!
Everyone ran frantically after her but couldn't find her anymore...
It was then that they heard a scream!
???: AHHHHHHH!!!
Nasw: HUNA!?! ZO I HEARD A SCREAM OVER HERE
When they got there, they found Huna unconscious on the ground.
Zo: HUNA TALK TO ME-
At that moment, Zo grabbed Huna and threw himself to the side, perfectly dodging the jump of the same aberration that had followed them. He was perched on a giant rock, hiding just waiting for the rest of them to arrive, as if he knew they were coming.
Zo: Damn it! Nashw, I'm going to need your help. Without Huna, my strength drops by half...
Nashw: SURE!
Nashw raised his hands and shouted, summoning all sorts of animals around him and activating his "imagination" of all the life around him.
Nashw: PLANTS, GRAB HIM!
Plants: LET'S GO!
Just like before, the plants formed a kind of chain around the aberration, but this time it didn't work, as he wasn't tired anymore.
Nashw: Huh??
Zo: What the hell... I'll need to fight anyway.
Zo equips his brass knuckles and prepares to attack, but is interrupted by something as fast as lightning that hits the freak and throws him against the rock.
Confused Zo: What? I didn't do this!
Voice #2: Of course not, I did.
*She's behind Zo*
Zo: What?
When Zo looks, there's no one behind him anymore; she's on top of the rock, where the freak is passed out below. Meanwhile, someone else appears from behind the tree.
Voice #1: WOWWWW, what a beautiful entrance, Braxie... AMAZING!
Braxie: Quiet, Brodka, let's get this over with and report everything to Kayha.
Pensive Zo: Braxie??
*Zo seems to know that name*
At that moment, both Braxie and Brodka take off their hoods.
Braxie: Yeah... Braxie, why?
Brodka: Oh, come on, I'm sure you're a fan.
Zo, embarrassed: Oh, well, I-
Braxie: That Braxie is dead, the old world is dead...
Zo: Sorry...
Brodka: What's the point, guys? We're all fine, so everything's fine!
*Brodka appears to be drunk*
Braxie: Sorry, I'm not over it all yet...
Zo: But how can you walk? The career of the greatest runner in the world! I saw it on TV when I was a kid, I remember you had a near-fatal accident.
*Zo seems to have really fond memories of watching Braxie on TV*
Braxie: Well, it's the energy, if I stop using it, I'll be unable to walk again, so I can't abuse it-
At that very moment, the freak wakes up again and stands up, furious at what they did.
Braxie: Oh shit, I can't do anything else right now, Brodka!!
Brodka: Righ-
Before Brodka can even finish speaking, the freak's head explodes, and a huge noise echoes through the forest.
Nashw Zo and Huna are completely startled, not understanding anything, but Braxie and Brodka remain calm.
Brodka: Yeah... It makes sense.
Braxie: He loves to exaggerate.
Nashw: Guys, what are we talking about here?
At the same moment, a bullet passes by Nashw's ear and explodes the tree in front of him, and then they see a shadow running through the trees and jumping ahead.
Brodka excitedly: Finally, Kayha!!!
Braxie laughing: And I'm the one who made an exaggerated entrance!
Kayha: Sorry everyone, you three, we need to talk.
Both Kayha, Braxie, and Brodka appear to be marked too. What do they want?