Girston forced open the cabin door. He stumbled inside, groaning loudly as steam sizzled and rose from his pores. His eyes looked tired, and a couple of his front teeth were missing. Carlos and Hailey looked at him, jumping to their feet and helping him to the table.
"What happened," They asked loudly.
"My son." He said, holding his side. "I underestimated what he was capable of."
"Wait, are they actually a threat now," Carlos asked him.
"No." He said. "I simply didn't release the Mana needed to protect myself. It won't happen again." Girston grit his teeth, the searing pain slowly fading. He would heal, but he needed time. Time was something, he was sure, that they did not have.
Kairas was coming, and if he was still out of control, neither Carlos nor Hailey could stop his rampage. They simply weren't strong enough. Not yet.
"I shall be in the healing chamber. If they arrive, buy me time until I am ready." He stood, wobbling into the back rooms. Hailey watched him with glazed over eyes until Carlos shook her back to reality.
"Hey. You good?"
"Yeah. Yeah. Just tired."
He tilted his head and nodded. "Well, get some rest. I'll be on the lookout."
"Thank you, Takabi." She walked by him in silence, not catching what she said until he grabbed her arm, and squeezed tightly. "Ow! Stop it!"
"What… Did you call me?"
"Carlos!" She cried. "Stop! That hurts!"
"Never confuse me and him. Ever! Why are you even thinking about him!?"
Hailey wimped, prying her arm away. She didn't respond to him, because the truth was that she didn't know herself. In her head, for the past few days, she's had memories that she knows are not her own.
Memories of them dancing in a school.
Memories of dates that have never happened, kisses never shared and hugs never given.
She'd no idea where they were coming from, but they were coming, and fast. "I'm sorry," She choked up. "It won't happen again."
Carlos scoffed at her and turned away. As he did, he noticed trees falling down in the distance. Closer and closer they fell. Something was knocking them over, and quickly. "I'm gonna go look at that." Hailey didn't respond to him as he walked out.
The cold hit him fast, but it didn't bother him. In fact, he welcomed it so he could cool his mind off.
He squinted his eyes through the blizzard.
Something black was charging at them through the snow. He stepped off the porch, exhaling a small orange flame. Narrowing his eyes, he took a quick hop forward, extending his arms, and clapping his palms. Heat rushed ahead, which quickly erupted in a wave of fire. The creature froze the flames midair, much to Carlos' shock.
"What the fuck?"
The beast struck Carlos hard, knocking him aside and watching him slam into a tree. Picking himself up, he wiped his bleeding lip and blinked.
Kairas glared at him with white eyes, quickly releasing a strained howl into the air. Carlos stood up, blinking. He couldn't find any words to address the boy, not like he'd respond anyway.
Kairas charged at Carlos. The boy leapt into the air, releasing fire from his throat. Each ball struck, but left no visible burn. Instead, Kairas' body looked to grow in height and muscle mass. Mana was pouring out from within him, like a deep, black well with no end in sight.
It was truly horrifying to Carlos.
"How am I gonna fight this thing," Carlos questioned as Kairas charged him again. He pulled his arms back, throwing them forward in a constant barrage of fire. The Fallen Angel knocked each one aside, countering with a blast of pure green Mana. Carlos ducked and dodged as Kairas closed the distance between them. He threw a fist up, striking Kairas' face. That only angered him more, and he grabbed Carlos' hand and snapped it like a twig.
The boy cried out, throwing punch after punch in a pained response. Laughing at him, Kairas gripped his other hand and raised him, throwing him and impaling a branch through his stomach. Carlos coughed blood, shocked at the sheer brutality of the situation. Trying to pry himself off the tree, he only screamed in pain at his wrist.
Hailey stepped out of the cabin then. Her eyes went wide, but she focused on the air. With a cry, she tossed blade after blade of wind at Kairas. His response was to look at it, and freeze it into pure, dull ice. It lost traction, and quickly dropped to the snow. Hailey stepped back, blinking.
She had no clue what to do.
Just looking at him reminded her of Takabi. She felt weak kneed for some reason, stomach churning. Was it fear? The fear of a face twisted by uncontrolled rage?
Footsteps in the snow. The blizzard died down just enough for The Father to appear, his ponytail wrapped hair dancing in the breeze, and sleeves rolled to let his massive hands hang low on the ground. "Where is Girston," He yelled loudly.
Hailey kept her lips closed.
Carlos spat blood, speaking, "Fuck you! He ain't here!"
"That's a lie." He shook his head. "Whatever, I'll just have Kairas here destroy everything. See, this boy, he's a special one." The Father crawled on top of Kairas' shoulders, massive hands hanging behind them. "He can kill. He's a pure beast, and you'd best get out of our way."
"What? You take control of someone else because you're too weak to fight on your own?!" Carlos broke into a painful, choked laugh. "Rich. Just rich. Fuck off, you ugly freak! Before the Kult skins you alive!"
"Tough talk coming from a guy like you." He leaned forward. "Jealous of your own friend. So you stab him in the back because you're simply insecure."
"Not anymore." Carlos admitted. "I could kill him, and you in a flash!"
"Please, spare me the bad jokes." He looked towards the house and raised an eyebrow. "Oh. He's healing now, isn't he? Makes sense. Kairas, attack."
The collar sent a jolt through his body.
Kairas roared, charging towards the house. Hailey built up her magic, sending wave after wave of air at him. Kairas swiped each one aside, leaping into the air. The Father fell off him and into the snow.
Hailey leapt aside, narrowly dodging Kairas as he smashed through the front of the cabin. Wasting no time, he snapped his head at the girl, ripping the wood from under him and throwing it at her. She ducked down, listening to it crunch against a tree.
Hailey took a deep breath. Kairas was a pure monster right now.
She could do it. She could outsmart him and kill him that way.
Somehow.
She reached deep down as Kairas moved towards her. His steps echoing, shaking and quaking the ground they stood on. Deeper and deeper she reached into her well of Mana, hair rising wildly and eyes glowing brightly.
"Fuck off, you freak!" She cried, throwing her palms forward. A twister of air swallowed Kairas whole, blowing past him and down the mountain side. A loud explosion disturbed the silence of the blizzard. The Father picked his head up, blinking, astonished, that Kairas remained where he was, unphased by Hailey's all out attack.
"That was…" She staggered. "Everything I had…. And it did… Nothing…"
She dropped to her knees, and the Father laughed madly. "Now, together! Crush these fools together!" Kairas grabbed Hailey by her hair, body limp from magical exhaustion. He threw her almost as hard as he could, as if she were weightless.
Hailey slammed into Carlos, the two smashing through tree after tree until they tumbled in a pile of snow. Hailey's leg had a deep cut, blood oozing into the snow and staining the white a bright red. Pain soared through her mind, making her head swim and vomit violently rush from her mouth.
Carlos picked himself up, crying out in pain at his open wound and broken legs. "Fuck! Fuck! They're not healing fast enough!" He looked at Kairas, the boy building up an intense amount of mana in his throat. "No way. He's really gonna kill us both…"
Carlos took a deep breath, using his mana to speed up his recovery. It did just the trick, but a moment too late. Kairas already released the magic roar.
His life flashed before his eyes and every memory of him and Takabi came rushing to the surface. He held nothing but disdain for the boy, yet he was all he remembered at the moment. His eyes snapped to Hailey, and he stood up. He could only save one.
Him or her.
Him or her.
Him….
He chose himself.
He leapt out of the way of the blast as Hailey looked up. All that caught her field of view was green. Pure, untouched, green light. If this was truly her end, she accepted it.
Yet the end never came. The magic had stopped, but she could still feel the force of it rushing towards her. "Kairas, get a hold of yourself!"
That voice.
His voice.
She snapped her eyes open, catching a glimpse of flowing white hair. The figure raised his palms, throwing the blast of magic into the air, letting it erupt in the sky. His hands sizzled, but he ignored it and exhaled.
Carlos was shocked.
Hailey was stunned. He had come. He had saved her.
"Why… Why are you here… Why did you save me?"
Takabi exhaled, looking back at her. The White Gem's markings faded from his face, and he replied, "Because you remind me of someone I care about."
The Father grit his teeth. Shine landed behind Takabi, kneeling next to Hailey. She didn't like her, but Takabi made a point to save her life at least. "Are you alright?"
"Mhm. Thank you," She said softly.
"Takabi Yamishito. What brings you here?"
"Simple," He replied to the Father, cracking his knuckles and neck. "I want my brother back, and I'm gonna fuck you up until you release him."