A powerful wind swept through the forest, rustling the trees as it rushed past me and my opponent. We stood locked in a tense standoff, staring each other down.
"You're working for the man in the suit, huh?" I asked, a scowl twisting my face.
The man said nothing. He silently began circling me, reaching into his front pocket and pulling something out.
I tensed, my eyes darting to his movements. Without hesitation, I summoned Spera. My body froze in place as my radiant companion shot toward the man at sonic speed. His eyes widened in shock as Spera closed the gap in an instant. There was a loud, muffled thud, like a pillow slammed against a wall.
I unsummoned Spera, my gaze narrowing at the sight before me: a black, shapeless blob standing between us.
"What the hell?" I muttered, confused.
The blob vanished, revealing my opponent behind it. He stumbled back, clutching his stomach, and vomited onto the ground. At least Spera's attack had connected.
"Now I understand… I underest…imated you…" he panted, his voice weak. He backed away, leaning against a tree to steady himself.
"Backing up to catch your breath?" I growled, stepping forward. "Or backing up because I'm too fast?"
His eyes narrowed into a hateful glare, but he didn't respond.
"Why are you after me and my dad? What's your business?" I demanded, advancing on him.
Before I could get close, he slumped to the ground and vanished into thin air.
I gasped, rushing to where he had been. "Where did he go? He was just—"
My words caught in my throat as a silver gleam flickered from the shadows. A machete flew toward my face. I summoned Spera just in time; his swift intervention deflected the blade, embedding it into a nearby tree.
Unsummoning Spera, I stepped back. "Sneaky, huh?" I taunted, my eyes darting toward the shadowy figure.
The man emerged from the darkness, his expression twisted with annoyance. He walked to the tree, gripping the machete lodged in its trunk.
"You're a speed-type Bornstill. This will be… challenging," he muttered.
"A Bornstill? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I snapped.
He sighed in exasperation. "You don't know? Everyone figures it out after unlocking their power!"
"Well, I've had this ability since birth, so maybe I forgot," I said flatly.
"What?! Don't mess with me! When did you really unlock your Bornstill power?!" he roared.
"When. I. Was. Born."
His eyes widened in shock as he stared at me. "No wonder you're so wanted… I've met young Bornstills before, but you're the first to be born with it. My name is Vicsen, and I'll take you in—dead or alive."
"BRING IT!" I roared back.
Vicsen yanked the machete free, but before he could act, Spera shot toward him, forcing him to disappear again. This time, he reappeared behind a tree, a black fox perched on his shoulders.
"VixsNixs!" he bellowed.
The fox leapt into the shadows, vanishing, only to reappear mid-air, jaws wide and sharp black teeth gleaming. At the same time, Vicsen charged at me with his machete raised.
I pivoted toward the fox, gripping its neck with all my strength as it lunged. Summoning Spera once more, my body froze, locking the fox in place as it struggled in my grasp. Spera struck Vicsen with a radiant attack, sending him flying. The fox thrashed weakly, a machete materializing from its mouth and grazing my cheek before shattering.
As the fox faded away, Vicsen collapsed to the ground, coughing and wheezing.
I ran to him, summoning Spera. "Are you okay? I didn't hit you too hard—you'll live, I promise," Spera said softly.
Vicsen turned his bloodied face toward me, his eyes dull and distant. He gasped one final breath, and the life left his body and his shadow grows more darker.
Unsummoning Spera, I stumbled to a fallen tree. Grabbing a broken laptop and a plastic bag of supplies, I stuffed everything I could carry into it.
As I turned to leave, I glanced at Vicsen's motionless form one last time as his shadow surround him. Then, without looking back, I ran into the forest not looking back once with tears streaking down my face.
"City… city… city! I have to go to the city and find answers," I muttered softly to myself, my voice barely above a whisper.