"Kael! Get down!"
Alden shouted as he and Remy shielded Kael, protecting him from the shockwave and the debris falling their way.
Fortunately, they had returned just in time after sensing the anomaly. They dragged Kael to safety, punching, scratching, and deflecting any incoming projectiles. The task was daunting as the figures above continued to clash, with the ground shaking beneath them and shockwaves frequently hitting them.
"We need to find cover," Alden said, his voice strained as he blocked another shockwave.
Kael scanned their surroundings, spotting a burrow large enough to fit them all.
"Over there!" he pointed.
Without hesitation, Alden picked up Kael and sprinted toward the burrow. Remy followed closely behind. Once inside, they lay flat as Kael covered his head, while Alden and Remy remained on high alert, ready to defend.
From within their hiding place, Kael overheard the eerie conversation of the two combatants.
"Tree demon! It's no use running away from me! Hand over your origin crystal, and I'll make your death as painless as possible," boomed an elderly voice. The speaker was a mysterious figure with blonde hair and blue eyes, his voice sharp and cold.
"Maxwell! You dare betray the contract? The alliance will not tolerate this!" responded the other figure, a beautiful yet fierce woman with a commanding presence.
"Alliance? You think I care about those lap dogs? You beasts are nothing but our origin crystal reserves. My grandson is undergoing a breakthrough and requires a Grandmaster-ranked origin crystal. You should feel honored," Maxwell retorted, his tone dripping with arrogance.
"You—" The woman, the so-called tree demon, furiously attacked Maxwell. She conjured large vines, towering even the largest trees, with sharp tips and hurled magical seeds that exploded on command.
"Futile," Maxwell scoffed, drawing his sword. He made a stance and then charged forward at an inconceivable speed, slashing through the vines and seeds with ease. In a blink, he was in front of the tree demon, his hand thrust into her body, seemingly aiming for something vital.
"No—" The tree demon's body began to shine in a desperate final attempt, blinding everyone for a brief moment. But the glow quickly dimmed, fading until it disappeared completely.
Maxwell withdrew his hand, holding a glowing origin crystal. With a smirk, he turned toward Kael's direction, making a swift thrusting motion, aiming to silence any witnesses.
But another voice echoed from the shadows. "Maxwell Lionheart! I dare you to make another move!"
Suddenly, multiple figures in cloaks appeared, their presence imposing. "You have broken your contract. You will come with us to the council, where your verdict will be decided," the lead figure declared.
"Tsk," Maxwell clicked his tongue but said nothing more. He disappeared with the cloaked figures, leaving the battlefield in silence.
Moments later, Kael, Alden, and Remy cautiously emerged from the burrow.
They stood in stunned silence, gazing at the devastation before them. The once familiar landscape was now unrecognizable—trees lay uprooted, and the land was split by jagged cracks that stretched as far as the eye could see. Everything Kael was familiar with had been obliterated—it was all gone, destroyed in an instant.
"This... this is too much..." Kael muttered, his voice trembling as tears welled in his eyes.
"Who were those people? Why did they do this?"
Before anyone could answer, a rumble echoed from the direction of their cave. Kael's eyes widened in horror as he turned to see the rocky outcrop where their shelter had been. The sound of cracking stones filled the air.
Kael's face paled.
"No... the cave!"
Kael wheeled himself towards the cave frantically, Alden and Remy quickly followed suit.
As they arrived, they saw it—the cave's foundation had cracked, and it was on the verge of collapsing.
Kael's heart pounded.
"No...!"
His voice rose in panic.
"Remy, Alden! Help me set up the logs inside the cave! It'll hold the pressure, it'll keep it from crumbling down!"
Kael rushed towards the entrance, but Alden grabbed him by the shoulders and Remy blocked his path.
"Kael, stop! It's too dangerous!" Alden said, trying to reason with him.
"No! Our house! Remy, our house is going to be destroyed—we have to save it!"
Kael shouted desperately, still trying to push forward. But Alden and Remy didn't budge, refusing to let him get closer.
"Let me go! Remy, what are you doing—?"
Kael's voice broke off as the cave collapsed before his eyes, the rocks caving in and burying everything beneath them.
Kael froze, his face draining of all color as he stared at the pile of rubble. His hands trembled, the weight of the loss crashing down on him.
"No... no..."
His voice was barely a whisper. He collapsed to the ground, his wheelchair tipping slightly as he fell, his expression blank as despair consumed him.
"Kael—" Alden reached out to comfort him, but Kael slapped his hand away with force.
"Why did you stop me!? If you weren't going to help, you should've just let me be!" Kael shouted, his voice shaking with rage and anguish.
Alden stood there, stunned, unsure of what to say. Remy stepped forward, concern written on his face, but Kael threw a handful of dirt and pebbles at him, his frustration boiling over.
"Remy! Why didn't you help me? That was our house—our home! Did it mean nothing to you?!" Kael's words were filled with bitterness, tears now flowing freely.
Kael clenched his fists and began to smack his head in self-loathing.
"Of course it didn't. It was just me... I was the only one who cared. I'm such an idiot, so stupid! Stupid!"
"What did I expect? Why did I even think that I'll ever find a home? In the end I'm still the same, some damaged, homeless, and worthless orp—"
Before he could finish, a sharp impact stopped him mid-sentence. Remy had smacked him.
"Remy?..."