Helaine came rushing at Evryn at incredible speed. Evryn readied himself, prepared to dodge any incoming attack.
But… she ran past him?
Evryn turned his head, visibly confused as he tried to figure out where she was going—only to realize in horror that she'd stepped her left foot out and suddenly pivoted, turning her direction straight back toward him.
What was the point of that?!
Helaine cocked back her right hand, red sparks flaring from her fist—then she launched a powerful punch straight at Evryn's chest.
As the blow landed, red sparks exploded from the impact.
He managed to block the punch with both arms, but the sheer force and shockwave that coursed through his body sent him flying back, crashing onto the ground.
Evryn gagged from the hit, coughing hard as he rolled to his side.
Helaine looked down at her hand, checking it out with a satisfied grin.
Evryn weakly looked up at her. "What the hell was that?"
"Remember what I told you earlier? About focusing Aether into certain parts of your body to enhance your attacks or movements? That's what I did."
She walked over and extended her hand to him, smiling. "That was fun, but I think that's enough for now."
Evryn grabbed her hand, letting her help him to his feet. "Yeah… I think I got the gist of it."
He coughed again and patted himself down. "That was one powerful punch."
Helaine smirked. "Yeah, it was. I can give you another one if you liked it."
"No, I think I'm good."
"Oh right," her eyes darted to the corner of the room, where Evryn's sword leaned against the wall. "Once you improve, you'll be able to transfer Aether into your sword for a way stronger strike."
Evryn followed her gaze. "Really now?"
"To be honest with you… I'm really not that strong."
"Huh?" Evryn looked back at her. "Where's this coming from?"
"Nothing really. Just letting you know—there are people out there way more powerful than me. So just… be careful, okay?"
Is this her way of telling me not to get myself killed?
"Yeah. I understand."
There was a short pause. Helaine hesitated, deciding whether or not to say more.
"Well… this pisses me off when I think about it, but… Razek's stronger than me."
"What?" Evryn blinked.
"Yeah." She fidgeted with her fingers, clearly embarrassed. "I sparred with him once, and he really did a number on me… without even using his abilities or powers."
Evryn was stunned and confused. You're telling me that lunatic—who can summon some girl to fight alongside him—is more powerful than Helaine? The whole idea felt wrong. He wasn't even sure how to process it.
"Yeah…" Helaine adjusted herself, brushing off the moment. "Forget I said anything. Go rest for a bit while we still have time."
She turned toward the door but glanced back at him with a smirk. "And maybe clean up that mess you made."
With that, she walked out, leaving the room behind.
Evryn looked over at the scattered crates he'd pulled toward himself earlier—and sighed. His gaze dropped to the floor.
Great, more work for me to do…
He dragged himself toward the crates, ready to start cleaning up the mess.
***
The sun slowly dipped beneath the desert dunes, like a falling light vanishing from the sky. Shadows of the coming night crept across the city, wrapping the skyline in darkness.
Evryn sat on the edge of the building, overlooking the desert city that had once been so full of life. Now, it was growing quiet.
His left leg was propped up, elbow resting on his knee, while his right leg dangled over the edge. The wind brushed gently through his brown hair as he closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.
Finally, he was alone—finally able to breathe and reflect. But with that quiet came something else. Loneliness. It slowly crept into his mind like a shadow.
Most of my life… I never really had friends. I talked to people, sure, but none of it ever felt real. The only ones who ever really mattered were my mom—and her.
Living on the outskirts of NoxHaven, just scraping by, I used to dream about something changing. Then Razek showed up, and suddenly everything did.
Getting chased by the police force, hunted by a giant wolf, fighting criminals, nearly dying more times than I can count—am I really meant for this?
Everything's changed so fast, I haven't had time to catch up. Even after meeting them, I still feel… empty.
And those dreams I had… people dying, others cheering, then—her. Eira.
Her name echoed through his mind, bringing with it a strange warmth. Comfort. As if just thinking of her brought him closer to something he'd lost—a feeling of home.
But even then… I want to make sure everyone I care about stays safe. I don't want to lose anyone else—not again, not anymore. But sometimes it's just too much. I don't know if I can handle all of this.
Evryn slowly lifted his right hand and stared at his fingers.
"Do I really want to keep going?"
"Evryn."
He turned his head slightly, spotting Helaine standing by the door that led to the rooftop.
"What are you doing up here?" she asked.
"Just admiring the view," Evryn replied, his gaze returning to the city below.
Helaine placed a hand on her hip. "Well, take it all in while you can. It's almost time to go. Hope you're good at jumping—we'll be sticking to the rooftops."
Evryn let out a faint exhale, still watching the city. "Yeah… I've had my fair share of that."
"Good." Helaine opened the door behind her. "I'll be back in five minutes. Be ready."
He gave a small nod. "Alright."
Before long, the five minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Luckily for Evryn, he was already up, sword strapped to his side, ready to go.
A soft hiss echoed behind him—Helaine stepping onto the rooftop again, a small smirk creeping across her lips as if she were excited for the night ahead.
Evryn turned slightly to glance at her. "Why'd you even need five minutes?"
Helaine walked forward, casually stretching her arms. "Nothing you need to worry about," she said, stepping up to the edge of the building. "Besides, it looks like you're ready."
"Yeah, I've been ready," Evryn said, resting his left hand on the hilt of his sword.
Her red eye caught the faint light from the sky, glowing faintly under the night sky as she glanced sideways at him. "So, what should we call this little mission of ours? Go-Getter, maybe?"
Evryn blinked, caught a bit off guard. Naming their mission wasn't something he'd expected… but strangely, he didn't hate the idea.
"Yeah," he said after a moment, a small grin tugging at the edge of his lips.