Evan moved swiftly, taking advantage of the trio's lack of combat positioning. His nucleus pulsed as he channeled the subproducts of the Ember Engine into his hands, focusing on elements designed to produce smoke and ash. A dense, swirling ball of ash formed in his palm, the dark particles shifting with latent energy as he sprinted forward, his rune-inscribed boots propelling him at an incredible speed.
Within moments, he closed the gap between himself and the group. As he reached striking distance, he infused the ash sphere with a burst of quick-burning subproducts and scattering elements, releasing it with a controlled explosion. The blast filled the clearing with thick, choking smoke, and ash swirled in the air like a storm cloud. The apprentices coughed and stumbled, disoriented and caught off guard.
"Evan!" Lareth growled, his voice muffled in the haze. A sudden gust of wind surged through the smoke as Lareth activated his wind magic, propelling himself backward and clearing a small area around him. Another apprentice, panicked, slammed his palms to the ground, triggering a concussive burst beneath his feet. The explosion launched him high into the air, the force scattering the ash in his immediate vicinity.
The third apprentice, however, was slower to react. He raised his arms to shield his chest as he began chanting a spell. That was when Evan's nucleus pulsed again, feeding him precise positioning through simulate. The apprentice's posture was clear—his defense was weak, and his focus was on preparing his magic.
Evan wasted no time. He channeled the primary flow of his Ember Engine, activating Flame Spark. A dense, fiery sphere coalesced in his hand, its color a vivid orange-red, pulsing with concentrated heat and energy. Without hesitation, Evan closed the distance, thrusting the ball of fire toward the apprentice's raised arms.
The impact was immediate and visceral. The fiery sphere met the apprentice's arms, and for a brief moment, it was as if his limbs offered no resistance at all. The fire burned through them like paper, reducing flesh and bone to ash and charred fragments in an instant.
But the attack didn't stop there.
The sphere, now unobstructed, surged forward, heading straight for the apprentice's chest. Time seemed to slow for Evan as he realized what was about to happen. The spell, fueled by his refined engine, carried enough power to obliterate the apprentice entirely. His breath caught, panic surging through him.
"No!" Evan shouted, his voice trembling with desperation as he willed the spell to dissipate.
The fiery sphere dissolved just as it was about to strike the apprentice's chest, the sudden release of energy creating a small but forceful wave of heat and force. The explosion sent the apprentice flying backward, his body hurtling through the smoke and landing with a heavy thud outside the haze.
Evan froze, his breathing shallow and erratic as he stood alone in the swirling ash. His hands trembled, the remnants of heat from the spell still clinging to his skin. The smoke around him swirled chaotically, but he barely noticed it. His mind was consumed with the memory of what had just happened—the ease with which the apprentice's arms had disintegrated, the almost-catastrophic momentum of the attack.
"He could have died," Evan whispered to himself, his voice barely audible amidst the crackling remnants of the dissipated magic. "I could've killed him…"
The clearing was silent except for the distant coughs of the remaining apprentices and the faint crackle of settling ash. Evan stood alone within the smoke, his nucleus pulsing faintly as it continued feeding him information he no longer cared to process. His chest felt tight, the weight of what he'd done settling heavily over him.
Evan had meant to defend himself, to show them that he wasn't someone to be trifled with. But he hadn't understood the sheer power of what he wielded. He had assumed that, at most, the attack would push the apprentice away, disorient him. Instead, the condensed flame had gone far beyond his expectations.
These apprentices had come to pick a fight, sure—but they were just young men, driven by jealousy and immaturity. They didn't deserve to die. That was never Evan's intention. The sight of the fallen apprentice, his arms obliterated, burned into Evan's mind, a vivid reminder of what his magic was capable of.
With a knot forming in his stomach, Evan made a mental note to never again test his powers on people. He couldn't afford another mistake like this.
Outside the swirling ash and smoke, the remaining apprentices were panicking. The sight of their companion, blown out of the haze and writhing on the ground in agony, sent waves of fear through them. They hesitated, torn between two options: flee with their injured comrade, or confront the figure shrouded in smoke who had reduced one of them to this state.
"Damn you, Evan!" Lareth shouted, his voice trembling with both anger and fear. The other apprentice's face twisted with indecision as he landed clumsily from his latest explosive jump, his movements betraying his nervousness.
Evan, still hidden within the smoke, activated the Ember Engine again. He focused the output into smoke generation, directing the cloud toward Lareth, intending to shroud him completely. But Lareth's wind magic made him too agile. With bursts of air, he darted backward, keeping the encroaching smoke at bay. The second apprentice, still on the ground, proved equally difficult to corner, using explosive bursts beneath his feet to traverse the clearing in long, diagonal leaps.
Evan's nucleus pulsed as he tracked their movements, searching for an opening. Then an idea formed.
Evan adjusted his approach, funneling the smoke toward the fallen apprentice instead. He began advancing toward the downed figure, his movements deliberate. Groups like Lareth's were common in the camp, and Evan understood the dynamics at play. If he threatened the injured member, the others wouldn't abandon him—not in a place where loyalty within a group could determine survival.
The moment Evan shifted his focus, Lareth's expression changed. His eyes widened in realization as he saw Evan advancing on his incapacitated comrade.
"No! Stop!" Lareth shouted, his voice breaking with desperation. "He's already down! You monster, leave him alone!"
Without hesitation, Lareth dashed toward the smoke. The loyalty in his actions caught Evan off guard. Lareth didn't hesitate, throwing himself into the swirling ash to reach his fallen friend, disregarding his own safety.
Evan paused briefly, his respect for Lareth growing despite the circumstances. "He's not just a coward," Evan thought. "He has honor. He's willing to risk everything for his group."
Through simulate, Evan tracked Lareth's position within the smoke. He could see Lareth crouching to lift his companion, gripping him tightly before activating his wind magic. With a surge of air, Lareth sprinted toward the edge of the clearing, carrying the injured apprentice in his arms.
But Evan wasn't done yet.
He formed another sphere of flame, this one intentionally weaker. The fire burned with a pale orange-yellow hue, reflecting only 20% of the raw power distributed by the Ember Engine. With precision granted by his nucleus, Evan closed the gap, pushing the sphere into Lareth's back as he ran.
The impact was immediate. The flame erupted in a small, controlled explosion, launching Lareth and the injured apprentice out of the smoke. They tumbled across the ground, landing in a heap several meters away. Both groaned in pain, Lareth struggling to push himself upright as his chest heaved from exertion.
Before he could fully rise, Evan was already standing in front of him, another sphere of fire forming in his hand. The glow of the flames illuminated Evan's face, casting sharp shadows that made his expression unreadable. Lareth froze, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at the burning orb.
"This time, I'm letting you go," Evan said, his voice cold and steady. "But there won't be a next time. If you or your group try to corner me again, you'd better say your goodbyes to your families beforehand—because you won't be coming back."
Lareth nodded frantically, his bravado completely gone. "We won't! I swear! You'll never see us again."
Evan held his gaze for a moment longer before extinguishing the flame. He stepped back, letting Lareth collapse in relief. The remaining apprentice, the one who had leapt into the air earlier, rushed over, his face pale with fear as he helped Lareth to his feet. Together, they hoisted the injured member of their group and began hobbling toward the tower, Lareth limping heavily and gasping for air.
Evan stayed where he was, watching silently as they disappeared into the distance. The clearing grew quiet once more, save for the faint crackle of dying embers. He stood amidst the lingering smoke, his mind racing as he replayed the events in his head. For all the power he had worked so hard to refine, Evan felt its weight more than ever. The responsibility, the danger—it was a burden he couldn't ignore.