After some time, Joshua returned to the forest, his heart sinking at the sight of the rumble and the burning landscape. He dropped his coat and belongings on the ground, his focus shifting to finding Asher and Elara. As he searched through the devastation, he stumbled upon one of the nobleman's men lying on the ground in terrible condition.
Without hesitation, Joshua grabbed the man by the collar and demanded, "Where are they?"
The man, on the verge of death, gasped out, "Monster… that boy is a monster!" Before Joshua could respond, the man's eyes glazed over, and he fell silent.
Letting go of the body, Joshua knelt down and began repairing the damage to the forest with his magic. He focused intently, exhausting the flames and restoring the greenery around him. As he worked, he caught sight of Asher's necklace, which was cracked—an unmistakable sign that the seal had broken and Asher's true power was leaking out.
Meanwhile, back at Squad Zero headquarters, Asher slowly regained consciousness. His mind was foggy as he tried to comprehend his surroundings. After a few moments of adjusting his focus, he noticed a figure sitting casually in front of him. It was Kael, leisurely eating another piece of cake.
Asher attempted to stand, but found himself firmly bound to the chair. Panic rose in his chest. "Let me go! My mom is injured; I need to see her!" he shouted.
Kael looked up, unbothered by Asher's distress. "No need to struggle. Those bonds will only get tighter," he replied nonchalantly.
Asher paused, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Who are you? Where am I?"
Kael leaned back in his chair, a playful grin on his face. "Well, you're in the basement of Squad Zero HQ. I'm Captain Kael Arcturus. And your mom is in the medical wing with the vice captain treating her."
Asher felt a rush of relief at the mention of his mother but quickly pushed it aside as a new wave of anxiety washed over him. "What do you mean? Who are you, or rather, what are you?"
"Interesting question," Kael said, his voice taking on a serious tone. "But let me first clarify something: you aren't just any boy. You've got something unique about you."
Asher shook his head, confused. "I don't understand. My name is Asher. What are you talking about?"
Kael smirked, pulling out a tablet. "So my hunch was right." He tapped a few buttons, and a video began to play. Asher's eyes widened in shock as he watched scenes of his rampage unfold on the screen—fire erupting from his hands, his face twisted with rage, and the destruction he had caused to the forest.
"I… I don't remember any of this!" Asher stammered, his heart racing.
Kael sighed, leaning forward with an intrigued expression. "It's going to be a long night, Asher. Sighing I knew should have brought liora here.
Asher stared at the screen, overwhelmed by the chaos he had caused and the confusion about his identity. He felt as if he were standing at the edge of a vast abyss, unsure of what lay beyond, but he knew he had to face it.