The air around them crackled with tension as the attackers circled, their dark cloaks fluttering in the wind like shadows given form. Kairon's pulse raced, his hands still tingling from the unexpected release of power. His breath came in ragged gasps, and despite the surge of energy coursing through him, fear gnawed at the edges of his resolve.
"Elia," Kairon began, his voice shaking. "I don't know if I can control this."
Elia spared him a glance, her expression hard but not unkind. "You'll learn. For now, just don't die."
She sprang into action again, her movements swift and lethal. One of the attackers lunged at her with a curved blade, but she twisted out of the way, her dagger flashing in a deadly arc. Her blade found its mark, slicing across the attacker's arm. He cried out, falling back, but two more rushed forward to take his place.
Kairon stood frozen for a moment, watching Elia fight with a mixture of awe and terror. He had never seen anyone move like that—so precise, so deadly. But then one of the attackers broke away from the fight, his eyes locked on Kairon. There was a cold, calculating look in those eyes, and Kairon knew without a doubt that this man intended to kill him.
His heart pounded in his chest as the man advanced, his blade gleaming in the low light. Kairon's grip tightened on his knife, but he knew it wouldn't be enough. He had to use the power again, but how? He didn't understand it, couldn't control it.
The attacker struck, and Kairon barely managed to sidestep the blow, his body moving on instinct alone. His hand shot out, and again, the golden light surged from his palm. This time, he was ready for it, but it still caught him by surprise—how effortlessly it responded, how easily it poured out of him. The blast of energy slammed into the attacker, sending him crashing into a tree.
Kairon stumbled back, panting. He could feel the power ebbing and flowing within him, like a river just beneath the surface of his skin. It was both exhilarating and terrifying.
Another attacker rushed him, but before Kairon could react, Elia was there, her blade slicing through the air. The man fell to the ground, clutching his side, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Focus!" Elia snapped, her voice sharp. "I can't protect you and fight them all at once!"
Kairon nodded, his heart still racing. He couldn't afford to be afraid—not now. Not when his life depended on it. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. The golden light flickered at the edges of his vision, waiting for him to call it forth.
The remaining attackers circled warily, their movements cautious. They had underestimated him, and now they were regrouping, trying to figure out how to strike again. Kairon could see it in their eyes—the fear, the uncertainty.
For the first time, he realized they weren't invincible. They were just people—just like him. And they could be defeated.
With a sudden burst of confidence, Kairon stepped forward, raising his hand. The golden light surged once more, brighter and more controlled than before. He could feel it responding to his will, bending to his command.
One of the attackers hesitated, his eyes widening in fear. That was all the opening Elia needed. She moved like lightning, her dagger plunging into his chest before he even had a chance to react.
The last attacker, seeing his comrades fall, turned and fled into the trees, disappearing into the shadows as quickly as he had come.
Kairon stood there, breathing heavily, the golden light slowly fading from his hand. The forest was quiet again, the only sound the crackle of the dying campfire and the distant rustle of leaves in the wind.
Elia wiped her blade on the grass, then looked up at Kairon, her expression unreadable. "Not bad," she said after a long pause.
Kairon swallowed, his throat dry. "What... what was that?"
"That," Elia replied, sheathing her dagger, "was your first real fight."
Kairon nodded, still trying to process everything. His first real fight—and his first real taste of the power inside him. A power that, until now, he hadn't understood. But tonight had shown him something important.
He wasn't helpless. Not anymore.
And whoever was hunting him, they would soon learn that too.