The air was thick with the scent of rust and smoke, the ruins of the old world stretching in all directions like a graveyard of forgotten history. Kael and Rion moved through the shattered streets, their boots crunching over broken stone as they scanned their surroundings.
"This doesn't feel right," Rion muttered, gripping the hilt of his blade. The ruins were too quiet, the usual distant howls of scavengers absent.
Kael exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening around the handle of his weapon. His Essence Shard pulsed within him, an unsteady rhythm that had yet to settle since his last battle. He was getting stronger, but not fast enough. The Ethereal Gates loomed ahead, and every step toward them only reminded him how far he had to go.
Then, movement. A blur of shadows darting between the broken walls.
"Ambush!" Kael snapped, just as the first attacker lunged from the debris.
A curved blade whistled through the air. Kael twisted, barely avoiding the strike as he retaliated with a forceful swing. Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal, and then chaos erupted around them.
More figures emerged from the ruins—bandits, scavengers, or something worse. They wore mismatched armor, their faces hidden behind cloth masks, eyes gleaming with the promise of violence.
Kael parried another strike, his muscles straining against the force. Rion moved beside him, his blade dancing through the air with practiced ease.
"They were waiting for us," Rion growled, driving his sword into an enemy's chest before kicking the body aside.
Kael didn't respond. He focused, his Essence flaring as fire licked at the edges of his blade. Another enemy lunged, and this time, he met them head-on. His movements were sharper, more precise—he wasn't the same reckless fighter from before.
But there were too many. For every enemy they cut down, another took their place.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
Then, the sky cracked with lightning.
The battlefield was bathed in white-blue light as arcs of electricity surged through the ruins, striking down the ambushers with ruthless efficiency. The scent of ozone filled Kael's nostrils as bodies convulsed and collapsed.
The remaining enemies hesitated, fear flickering in their eyes.
And then she stepped forward.
A figure in dark, reinforced clothing, her stance poised, effortless. She was younger than Kael remembered, yet somehow more composed, more dangerous.
Miya.
Her golden eyes flickered over the battlefield before landing on him.
"Took you long enough," she said, her voice calm despite the chaos.
Kael's grip on his weapon tightened. "You've changed."
Miya tilted her head. "So have you."
Lightning crackled at her fingertips. The remaining enemies, realizing they stood no chance, turned to flee. But Miya moved faster, vanishing in a blur of speed. The air split with thunder as she struck, dismantling their ranks with calculated precision.
Kael barely had time to process it before the fight was over.
Silence followed, broken only by the hum of dissipating energy.
Miya turned back to him, arms crossed. "We need to talk."
Kael exhaled, his mind racing. This wasn't the reunion he expected.
And he had a feeling this was only the beginning.
Kael exhaled sharply, lowering his blade as the last of the bodies hit the ground. The air still crackled with the remnants of Miya's lightning, the energy buzzing faintly in his bones.
Rion, still catching his breath, wiped the blood off his sword and shot a wary glance at Miya. "That was… dramatic."
Miya flicked a strand of dark hair from her face, her golden eyes calm yet piercing. "I had to make sure you weren't too rusty."
Kael frowned. "We didn't need saving."
Miya arched an eyebrow. "Could've fooled me."
Rion cleared his throat, sensing the tension rising between the two siblings. "So… you're Miya?"
She turned to him, her sharp gaze studying him for a moment before she nodded. "And you're Rion."
"Right. Kael mentioned you, but—" Rion gestured to the aftermath of the battle. "He left out the part where you could do that."
Miya smirked. "A lot's changed."
Kael clenched his jaw, his mind racing. He hadn't seen her in years, and now she was here, wielding power he never knew she had. The Lightning Shard—it made sense. She was always the smarter one, the one who thought things through before jumping in.
"So, where have you been?" Kael finally asked, his voice controlled but laced with curiosity.
Miya's expression didn't shift, but there was a pause before she answered. "Surviving. Training." She took a step closer, her eyes scanning him critically. "You're stronger than before, but you're still reckless."
Kael's temper flared. "And you think you've got it all figured out?"
"I think I've learned enough to know charging headfirst into every fight isn't a winning strategy." Miya crossed her arms. "If you keep fighting like this, you won't make it to the end."
Kael scoffed, but Rion cut in before the argument escalated. "Okay, hold up. Maybe we should all get on the same page before we start bickering?"
Miya sighed and nodded. "Fine. I didn't come here to fight you." She turned her gaze back to Kael. "I came because I heard about the Ethereal Gates. You're planning to go there, aren't you?"
Kael's fists tightened. "Yes."
Miya exhaled through her nose. "Then we need to talk. Somewhere safe."
Rion glanced around at the ruined battlefield. "She's got a point. We've been out in the open for too long."
Kael wanted to argue, but he knew they were right. With a last glance at the bodies littering the ground, he turned and gestured for them to move. "There's an old shelter nearby. We'll talk there."
Miya didn't hesitate. She simply nodded and followed.
The Shelter
The abandoned hideout was little more than a crumbling structure buried beneath layers of dust and decay. But it was stable, hidden, and more importantly—safe.
The fire crackled softly in the center of the room, casting flickering shadows on the walls. Miya sat across from Kael, her arms resting on her knees, her golden eyes unreadable.
Rion leaned against the wall, keeping quiet as he watched the two siblings.
"So," Miya finally said, breaking the silence. "What's your plan?"
Kael met her gaze. "To reach the Ethereal Gates and uncover the truth about the Shards."
Miya nodded slowly. "And after that?"
Kael hesitated. That was the part he didn't have an answer to yet.
Miya sighed. "Typical."
Rion frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Miya looked at him, then back at Kael. "I mean he's always been like this. Strong, but never thinking far enough ahead. Charging into danger because he thinks he can power through everything."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "I'm doing what needs to be done."
Miya leaned forward slightly. "Are you? Or are you just chasing after something because you don't know what else to do?"
The words stung more than Kael expected.
Rion shifted uncomfortably. "Okay, not to get in the middle of sibling drama, but we're kind of running out of time. If we're gonna get to the Gates, we need to move soon. The Sentinels won't sit back and wait."
Miya's expression darkened slightly. "I know."
Kael studied her. "You know something, don't you?"
Miya hesitated for just a moment—just long enough for Kael to notice.
Then, she exhaled. "There's been movement near the Gates. A Sentinel is stationed there."
The air grew heavier.
Kael's grip on his knee tightened. "Which one?"
Miya's eyes met his. "The one that killed our mother."
A silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken emotions.
Kael felt his breath slow, his heartbeat steady but cold. His vision tunneled, memories flashing behind his eyes. The screams. The blood. The helplessness.
He thought he had prepared himself for this moment. But hearing it confirmed was different.
Rion glanced between them, realizing the weight of what was just said. "So that's why you came back."
Miya nodded. "I came to warn you. And to make sure you don't get yourself killed."
Kael exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay grounded. He wasn't the same weak child who watched his mother die.
And when he faced that Sentinel—
He would prove it.