Aevrin tried to force the light to stay.
But the more mana he poured into it,
the faster it withered.
Like something unseen was devouring it.
Kael noticed.
If it were just him and Aevrin, he wouldn't hesitate.
No matter what came — beast, spirit, or worse — they could handle it.
Together.
But Elior was here.
Unconscious.
Weak.
Defenseless.
A burden — not in worth, but in vulnerability.
Aevrin was strong. Kael trusted that much.
But Elior wasn't like them.
No combat strength.
No endurance.
And now, not even awake long enough to stand on his own.
If a fight broke out—
Kael would need stable ground.
A safe position.
A place where nothing could reach Elior.
Because even the thought of harm reaching him—
Was unbearable.
He had already lost Elior once.
He would not survive that pain again.
Not this time.
As that thought tightened in his chest—
Aevrin's light died.
Not dimmed.
Not flickered.
Gone.
Darkness swallowed everything.
So thick it felt physical.
Front, back, sky, earth — all erased.
"Aevrin. Stay close," Kael said quietly. "Nothing must touch Elior."
Aevrin's voice came firm from the dark.
"You don't need to tell me. I'll protect him — even without your words."
"This isn't the time to argue," Kael replied. "Stay sharp."
"…Okay."
Silence returned.
Kael's mind raced.
The shadow they saw before…
The footsteps they heard…
Different.
Separate.
Then where had that shadow come from?
And why did this presence arrive after it?
What was happening?
No.
Not now.
Thinking could wait.
Survival couldn't.
Stay alert.
Protect Elior.
Move if needed.
Then—
A memory surfaced.
The dream.
A warning he didn't understand before.
Don't tell me…
Was that a sign of this?
A chill ran through him.
His instincts screamed.
They were in danger.
All three of them.
Suddenly—
A dark shape burst forward.
Fast.
Violent.
A thunderous crack split the air.
Their ears rang.
The sound alone felt like a physical blow.
Elior stirred awake. "W-What was that?!"
"Stay still," Kael said calmly. "I don't know what it is… but it's hostile."
The words drained color from Elior's face.
Fear took over.
He clutched Kael tightly, fingers twisting into fabric.
Kael felt the tremble.
"It's okay," he said softly. "We'll be safe. I won't let anything happen to you. Alright?"
Elior nodded.
But the fear didn't leave.
Then—
CRACK.
Wood tore from earth.
A massive tree ripped free and hurled toward them.
Elior froze.
Before impact—
Aevrin raised his hand.
A surge of force caught the trunk midair and flung it aside.
Kael moved instantly, shifting position.
"Kael— put me down!" Elior protested. "You can't fight while carrying me!"
Kael didn't answer.
Instead—
He rose.
Floating.
Silent.
His eyes closed.
For a breath—
Nothing.
Then they opened.
Golden-red light burned within them like living embers.
He spoke a single word:
"Arboris Conduit."
A wooden staff formed in the air — spiraling fibers weaving into solid shape — and dropped into his grasp.
Kael landed smoothly.
Elior opened his mouth—
But stopped.
One look at Kael's expression silenced him.
The dark figure launched an explosive fire mass.
A blast like a falling star.
Kael moved the staff with his gaze alone.
It stretched wide.
Flattened.
Thickened into a broad barrier.
The fire struck—
And rebounded.
Hurled back toward the attacker.
The figure slipped aside.
Then the assault began.
Ten firebolts erupted from different directions.
Chaotic. Precise.
Kael spun the staff outward.
It expanded into a circular guard around the three of them.
Each firebolt struck—
And snapped back like stones hitting a tightened sling.
Some returned to the attacker.
Some blasted into the forest.
The battle escalated.
Then—
The figure changed tactics.
No more projectiles.
Instead—
All flames merged.
A ring of fire ignited around them, sealing every escape.
The staff shielded the heat.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
It knows direct attacks won't work.
So why this?
A distraction? A setup?
Or…
Is it pretending to waste power?
Elior's voice trembled. "Kael… are you okay? You can put me down now…"
Kael held him tighter.
Not yet.
Something wasn't right.
He could feel it.
Aevrin watched the flames carefully.
His thoughts mirrored Kael's.
Why use a useless move… unless it isn't useless?
The fire roared higher.
Shadows twisted within it.
And the real danger—
Still hadn't shown itself.
The figure wrenched trees from the earth and hurled them into the flames.
Fire surged upward, roaring louder, burning hotter, swallowing the air around them.
Kael couldn't understand.
What is it trying to do?
Burn them alive?
Suffocate them in smoke?
Or something worse—
Before the thought could settle, the figure raised its arm.
A cluster of swords formed midair.
They were strange.
Each blade burned with restless fire.
Projectile weapons, Kael assumed. Like the fireballs.
He steadied his breath.
He could manage that.
But the shadow moved again.
The burning swords fused into one massive blade.
The flames vanished.
In their place—
a dense, radiant golden light flooded the weapon's surface.
Kael froze.
That wasn't ordinary magic.
Then the figure poured something over the blade—
a deep crimson glow that flowed like liquid.
For a heartbeat, Kael thought it was blood.
It wasn't.
Golden-red flames bloomed across the metal.
His chest tightened.
He knew that color.
He had seen it before.
In his dream.
At the waterfall.
The strange flower that burned without heat—
its petals glowing with the same golden-red fire.
How does it have that power?
Does it know the mountain… the waterfall?
No.
Not now.
This wasn't the time to think.
The massive blade split cleanly into twin swords
and shot toward them.
Kael summoned his mana weapon—
Astrael — the Willbound Sword.
Light condensed from his core, shaping into a sleek silver blade that hummed with restrained force.
Beside him, Aevrin was already ready, gripping his weapon—
Lunareth — the Oathlight Saber.
Kael didn't move.
His eyes glowed.
Astrael rose on its own, floating, turning, answering only to his will.
That was his gift.
Elior stirred weakly.
"Kael… put me down. You can't fight while carrying me—"
Kael tightened his hold.
"Don't talk. Stay still."
Elior fell silent.
Steel clashed.
Kael and Aevrin moved in sync, their blades colliding against the twin golden swords. Sparks scattered through smoke-thick air.
The figure controlled both weapons effortlessly, striking from impossible angles.
The battle turned fierce.
Relentless.
Around them, the ring of fire swelled, feeding on fallen timber. Heat pressed in from every side.
Aevrin parried. Stepped. Turned—
Then his vision blurred.
One battlefield became two.
His focus slipped.
Just for a second.
It was enough.
A golden blade slid past his guard—
And tore across his back.
Aevrin staggered.
The strike burned more than it cut.
Heat spread through his spine like molten threads weaving beneath his skin.
His grip faltered—just for a breath.
"Aevrin!" Kael's voice broke through the roar of the flames.
The figure gave no pause.
One blade drove forward, forcing Aevrin back.
The other pivoted—
Past him.
Toward Kael.
Toward Elior.
Kael's gaze sharpened.
The floating staff reacted instantly—splitting, twisting, reforging midair like living metal. It intercepted the strike inches away, sparks bursting into the smoke-choked air.
But Kael felt it.
Something had shifted.
Aevrin wasn't just wounded—
his magic was unraveling.
The flickering light.
The blurred vision.
The half-second delays.
This wasn't simple exhaustion.
"Something's interfering…" Kael muttered.
The ring of fire constricted.
Smoke thickened.
Breathing turned heavy.
The enemy wasn't trying to burn them.
It was shaping the battlefield—
sight, air, movement—
A cage disguised as chaos.
Another strike came. Faster.
Aevrin forced himself upright, pain tearing across his back as he tightened his grip on his blade.
"I'm not done…" he breathed.
Kael adjusted his stance without loosening his hold on Elior.
"I know."
Their eyes met for a fleeting second.
No rivalry.
No friction.
Only understanding.
Then—
The golden-red blade pulsed in the figure's grasp.
And the ground beneath them cracked.
Steel clashed. Fire roared.
The battle raged in violent bursts of light and shadow.
Then—
The figure suddenly stopped.
Its blades lowered.
Its presence remained.
Aevrin swayed.
His sword slipped from his grasp as he dropped to one knee. Dark stains spread across his back, soaking through fabric.
Kael saw it first.
Elior felt it next.
They rushed to him.
"Aevrin!" Elior's voice trembled. "How are you? Are you okay?"
Aevrin looked up—and smiled.
Soft. Quiet. Genuine.
It had been a long time since Elior looked at him like that.
Not guarded.
Not distant.
Just… concerned.
"I'm okay," Aevrin said gently. "Don't worry."
"But you're bleeding—"
"It's fine. I can manage. It doesn't hurt that much."
"Still—"
Kael stepped in.
"Enough."
His eyes shifted—blue light blooming within them.
A faint shimmer formed in the air, like crushed stardust dissolving into mist. The particles settled over Aevrin's wound. A cool gel-like layer followed, sealing the injury.
The bleeding slowed.
Not healed—
but held back.
Silence fell.
All three of them looked up.
The figure stood beyond the firelight.
Watching.
Then it laughed.
Low. Hollow. Echoing.
Not a word spoken.
Kael's voice cut through the dark.
"Who are you?"
No response.
"Why are you attacking us?"
Only the sound of distant crackling flames.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"Are you the same shadow from before…
or something that came with it?"
The figure laughed again.
But said nothing.
Then—
Its gaze shifted.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Falling upon Elior—
Still held in Kael's arms.
—by Aurea;"Not all bonds are made in peace.
Some are forged where fear burns hottest."