Keiran
I arrived at the battlefield, shocked by the chaos before me. People were running away, screaming for their lives. Amid the confusion, I saw Lumina being hugged by a strange woman. Before I could process what was happening, a deafening roar shook the ground beneath me. Struggling to stay on my feet, I turned and steadied myself, then dashed toward Lumina.
"I knew it—I knew you'd be here!" I called out to him.
The strange woman turned, and I froze in disbelief. It was Verena.
"Keiran!" she exclaimed, running toward me and pulling me into a hug.
A flood of emotions overwhelmed me—sadness, joy, and confusion. Tears streamed down my face as an image flashed through my mind, one from years ago in Soweto. Lumina was crying over the death of our dog, and I was getting scolded by Verena.
"Don't blame your brother for what happened," she'd said. "It's not his fault." Then she'd placed her hand on my head, her voice soft and kind. "I hope that someday you'll understand why you were blessed with these amazing gifts."
The memory faded as I wept in her arms, but I failed to notice the fear etched on Lumina's face. From a distance, Malar watched us with suspicion.
"Who is that woman?" he muttered to himself, his brow furrowed. "Wait... why is Keiran here? He's supposed to be at the shop!"
Malar turned back toward the monster just as its massive tail lashed out, snatching Asvlumina from the sky. She fell, returning to her human form, while Jack landed on his feet nearby.
"Asvlumina!" Malar shouted, rushing to her side. Kneeling beside her, he asked, "Are you alright?"
Asvlumina groaned but nodded, struggling to stand. Jack, meanwhile, looked at Malar curiously.
"Have I seen you before?" Jack asked, tilting his head.
At that moment, Lyrie and her dragon soared above, carrying the Arcainet into the sky. But the monster let out a piercing roar, forcing Lyrie's dragon to release its grip.
"My eardrums!" Lyrie shouted as the Arcainet crashed to the ground, demolishing half the town.
The beast stood and roared again, the vibrations shaking the ground.
"Jack, get your ass back here!" Lyrie yelled.
Before Jack could move, Asvlumina stopped him. "Wait, I can still fight," she said, her voice determined. She attempted to stand, but her legs gave out. Malar caught her and helped her back to her feet.
"You're injured. You can't fight in your condition," he said firmly.
But Asvlumina's gaze was resolute. "I can fight," she insisted.
Malar sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing. She was the type of person who, if she said the sky was pink, then it was pink, no matter what anyone else said. He slapped his own cheeks lightly, steeling himself for what was to come.
"Alright," he said with a smirk. "If you're going to fight, then we need a plan."
Malar gathered everyone around and began. "Here's what we know about the Arcainet: it's a mixture of lion and insect, with a lion's face and an insect's body. It stands 15 feet tall, has six legs, and armor-like skin. It's immune to fire..."
Jack interrupted, "How do you know all this?"
Before Malar could respond, Asvlumina answered, "He encountered one during his journey through the deserts of Safa."
Malar muttered, "Three to four..."
Asvlumina caught his words but said nothing, a faint smile on her lips.
"As I was saying," Malar continued, "the Arcainet's only weakness is water. But water alone won't kill it—it's only phase one. The water will soften its skin, making it vulnerable to physical attacks. However—"
"However what?" Jack pressed.
Malar hesitated, then turned to Asvlumina, taking her hand. "Are you absolutely sure you want to fight?"
She nodded firmly, and he sighed.
Lyrie, meanwhile, was engaged in a desperate battle with the monster. Her dragon breathed fire, but it had no effect. The Arcainet shot a sticky web from its mouth, trapping both Lyrie and her dragon.
"Help!" she screamed as the monster advanced, ready to devour them.
On the other side of the battlefield, Keiran held Verena tightly.
"I'm never going to leave you again," Verena whispered.
Keiran pulled back, his voice trembling. "How are you alive? It shouldn't be possible."
"It's a long story," she replied, her expression soft. "I don't even know how I got here. I'll explain later, but for now, we need to leave—it's dangerous here."
The sound of the monster's roar interrupted their conversation. Keiran noticed the frightened look on Lumina's face and rushed to him.
"You had a vision, didn't you?" Keiran asked, concern etched on his face.
"How did you know?" Lumina asked, his voice trembling.
"I always know. You get that scared expression every time," Keiran said with a soft laugh, trying to ease the tension.
Lumina's shoulders relaxed slightly, but his voice was still heavy. "I saw Malar dead."
Keiran froze. "What? What do you mean you saw him dead?"
"In my vision... his body was lying on the ground. Asvlumina was crying over him..."
Before Keiran could respond, a loud explosion echoed through the battlefield. Everyone turned to see a figure with blue hair and piercing green eyes appear, his presence commanding. It was Marlic Dyrelis, the first son of the Dyrelis family
The Dyrelis family one of the ten great family.
Marlic leaped into the air and snapped his fingers. The Arcainet exploded instantly, leaving only silence in its wake.
Malar, stunned, heard Jack whisper the name "Dyrelis," and a memory resurfaced—a memory of being beaten by three shadowy figures as a child.
The sound of the monster's destruction brought him back to the present. Asvlumina held his hand tightly, her touch grounding him.
At the same time, Keiran and Lumina sprinted toward the others, ignoring Verena's calls to stop. She followed after them, determined not to lose her sons again so soon after their reunion.
To be continued