The forest was eerily silent, the only sound the crunch of dry leaves beneath Kai's boots as he ran through the dense underbrush. His heart hammered in his chest, each beat a reminder of the urgency driving him. The illusion had worked—he'd managed to distract the shadow member long enough to buy himself some time—but now, with Mei still missing and his friends vulnerable, every second mattered.
His thoughts raced as he pushed forward, praying he wasn't too late.
It wasn't long before he spotted her.
Mei lay slumped against a tree, her fiery aura flickering weakly around her like a dying ember. Her once-brilliant flames were dim, shadows of their former strength. Blood pooled beneath her, dark against the forest floor, and her face was pale, streaked with dirt and exhaustion.
Kai's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't believe his eyes. Mei, always so strong, was barely conscious, her body ravaged by both physical and magical wounds. The arrow that had pierced her stomach had been deadly—she was still bleeding, though the wound had clotted somewhat. But it wasn't just the blood that worried him. It was the way her flames—her power—seemed to flicker so faintly, like they were on the verge of dying completely.
"No..." Kai whispered, kneeling beside her. "Mei, stay with me. I'm getting you out of here."
His hands shook as he carefully scooped her up, cradling her limp body against him. She was so light in his arms, as if the fight had been drained out of her entirely. Her breath came in shallow, labored gasps, but she was still alive, still holding on.
With every step he took, the weight of the situation pressed harder on his chest. He wasn't sure if they could keep running, if they could keep fighting—Ryu was injured, and Mei... Mei needed more than just his strength to get her through this.
But he couldn't stop. Not now.
As Kai stumbled through the forest, every rustle of leaves, every distant creak of a branch, made his heart race. The shadows weren't far behind. And though Mei had managed to land the blow that pushed them back, he knew it wouldn't be long before they regrouped. If they were smart—and they were—they'd be coming for them, stronger than ever.
The sanctuary was their only hope.
---
The air inside the sanctuary was cool, the faint scent of incense and herbs filling the space. Kai moved through the entrance, his body aching with the effort of carrying Mei, but the sight of the warm, dimly lit chamber ahead gave him a sliver of hope. He crossed the threshold, his legs threatening to give way, but he pushed forward. He had to get Mei to safety.
A soft voice greeted him before he could reach the inner chamber. "Kai?"
It was Jin, his voice hoarse with worry. The moment he saw the state of Mei, his face went pale. "What happened to her?" He moved quickly, helping Kai guide her to a cot.
"She was... ambushed. I couldn't stop them. They were too strong, and... Ava—" Kai paused, his throat tightening. "Ava's been turned. We need to get Mei stable first, or—"
Jin nodded grimly. "We'll figure this out. You're not alone."
In a flurry of motion, the sanctuary's healers rushed to Mei's side, one of them immediately working on her wounds while another focused on stabilizing her magic. Kai backed away, his hands trembling as he watched the healers work.
His mind flashed to Ava—his heart twisted in agony. The Ava he knew, the one they'd all fought alongside, was no more. The shadows had taken her. They had turned her, and she was now an enemy. A weapon.
Kai clenched his fists, staring at the ground as a deep sense of helplessness settled over him. The fight had changed, and they weren't ready for it.
"Ryu's in bad shape too," Jin murmured, as if reading his mind. "We can't keep fighting like this, Kai. Not with both of them down."
Kai's gaze drifted to his friend, who was lying on a nearby cot, his face pale and contorted in pain. The injury to Ryu's leg had been severe—his wounds were deep, and though they had done their best to patch him up, the recovery would be long and difficult.
"Ryu's tough. He'll pull through," Kai said, though the words felt hollow. "We just need time."
"Time," Jin repeated, bitterness creeping into his voice. "How much time do we have? We both know what the shadows will do now that they have Ava. They won't stop. They'll get stronger, and—"
"I know," Kai interrupted, his voice low. "But we don't have a choice. If we go after them now, with Mei and Ryu like this..." He shook his head. "We won't make it. We need to regroup, to heal, to figure out a real plan. It's not over yet."
Jin didn't respond immediately. He just stared at the ground, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. The silence stretched between them, heavy with the weight of their losses.
Kai turned to Mei, his heart aching as the healers continued their work. Her breathing had steadied, but she was still unconscious, her flame barely a flicker. He could see the toll that the fight had taken on her—physically, emotionally. What had they done to her?
He wouldn't let the shadows win. Not like this.
"I'll get her back," Kai muttered to himself, more to the room than to anyone in particular. "I promise."
The dark shadow of doubt hung over him as the weight of what lay ahead settled in his chest. Ava had been turned, and the shadows were only going to grow stronger. This was no longer just a battle—it was a war, and they were fighting an enemy who had already taken too much from them.
Kai took a deep breath, his eyes hardening with resolve. "We'll get through this. We have to."
And somehow, in the quiet of the sanctuary, as the first light of dawn began to filter through the windows, he allowed himself one last moment of hope.
But the darkness was coming. And this time, they wouldn't be able to escape it so easily.