Chapter 38: Rift

The morning light poured gently through the glass walls of the Krutone Suites Diner. Sen and Yerah sat across from each other in a corner booth, their plates half-filled with warm rolls, seasoned eggs, and sliced fruit. A small pot of steaming herbal tea rested between them, its aroma calming but bittersweet. The quiet hum of the city outside filtered through the glass, distant and polite. Yerah stirred her tea absentmindedly, eyes fixed on Sen. Sen, still half-lost in thought, picked at his toast with one hand, the other curled loosely around his cup.

Yerah: So, Dain must be having a good time with Esako.

Sen: Yeah.

Yerah: Did he say he was going to be with Esako the whole day?

Sen: I think so.

Yerah: That’s cool. So, we have the full day to just us two then, huh?

Sen: Yeah.

Yerah took another sip of her tea.

Yerah: Anything you’d like to do today, or see?

Sen: Nothing in particular.

Yerah: Hmmm, how about we take a walk around the park and then maybe see another Intergy showcase? I really enjoy those shows, and the music, and the dancers. It’s all so great.

Sen: Sure.

Sen takes another bite.

Yerah: And there’s this restaurant I’d like to try out. Maybe we can go there for both lunch and dinner?

Sen: Yeah, that’s fine with me.

Yerah looked at Sen slightly frustrated.

Yerah: Did you sleep alright?

Sen: Oh, yeah. I slept ok. Sorry, I’m just a bit lost in thought.

Yerah: It’s ok.

Sen: Just so many things happening, you know?

Yerah: Yeah, I get it.

Sen: So many things going on, but nothing has happened yet. It’s weird.

Yerah: True. It has been quiet since Luria.

Sen: For quite a long time too. I’m just nervous about everything, I guess.

Yerah: Same here.

Yerah was trying to come up with more things to keep the conversation going, but she was lost and resumed finishing her meal.

In the chamber of Prism Tower, the sterile white glow of surveillance panels bathed the chamber in an almost clinical stillness. The room was cold, humming softly with unseen electricity. Cayten leaned over a sleek control console, one hand gliding along the edge of the screen. President Kyto stood beside him, posture rigid, his eyes locked onto the footage playing in slow, silent clarity.

Cayten: We lost him for almost an hour.

Kyto: I’m aware.

Cayten tapped the timeline, dragging the sequence back to the key window. A flatline pulse flickered across a biometric chart.

Cayten: No heartbeat. Not even slowed. Just… nothing.

Kyto (quietly): There wasn’t a trace of thermal, respiratory, or Intergy activity. That room went void.

Cayten: But he never took off the wristband.

Kyto’s eyes narrowed. He spoke with clinical certainty.

Kyto: Which is why I know it wasn’t him. Aku is here in Krutone.

Cayten: Could be. I mean, Sen's Intergy has already shown signs of complexity. If he’s getting stronger—

Kyto (cutting in): He wouldn’t risk using it. Not like this. Not now. He wouldn’t stage a blackout for no reason.

Cayten folded his arms, lips tightening as he studied the screen again.

Cayten: So, you think it was Aku?

Kyto: Only one person alive can suppress Intergy signatures from both man and machine. There is only one we know who can erase his presence completely… even from our systems.

Cayten: Damn. So Aku came straight to him. We’ve been able to hear him before. Why couldn’t we this time?

Kyto: Aku wanted us to hear them the first time. He wanted his presence to be known most likely. This time around, he was surely making a deal with Sen.

Cayten: And Sen didn’t report it?

Kyto: No. Which means he’s thinking.

Cayten glanced sideways at him.

Cayten: Thinking about what?

Kyto doesn’t answer. Cayten turned back to the feed, watching as Sen stirred ever so slightly in the footage. He returned to his bed like nothing had happened.

Cayten: Surveillance shows he went to his room around midnight. Never left.

Kyto: I know. I reviewed the footage twice.

Cayten: So… what do we do?

Kyto stepped closer to the console, eyes scanning Sen’s frozen image.

Kyto: Let him have his day with Yerah.

Cayten: That’s it?

Kyto: For now.

Cayten: You sure about that? We just sit back?

Kyto: If we move too soon, he’ll run. If we pressure him, he’ll crack the wrong way. He already agreed to our terms.

Cayten shook his head slowly.

Cayten: You really think he’ll own up to his words?

Kyto’s voice lowered like a blade sliding free of its sheath.

Kyto: I think he’s on the edge. And people on the edge… they only need one push.

A long pause. The screen dimmed slightly as the playback ended.

Kyto (flatly): We will still get to use him… or remove him.

The screen blinked off. The room went quiet.

The Void was dim and restless, lit only by the distant shimmer of moons. Aku stood, leaning against a large bouder. Sicrus, Mayzen, Zan and Scray were assembled in a wide arc around him. No one sat. No one relaxed.

Aku: So, Josar too?

Sicrus: He left as soon as you went to see Sen.

Aku: Did he say anything about what he was going to do?

Sicrus: No. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do.

From the side, Zan scoffed with a tilt of his head, crouched low on a broken pillar. Acid mist hissed from his fingertips, curling against the stone.

Zan: That baby boy never knows what he’s going to do.

Aku: Do you know where in Krutone he went?

Sicrus: No.

Mayzen’s head tilted slightly.

Mayzen: He must be hiding in one of the areas that Krutone has no surveillance in. There’s only so many, so it would be easy to find him.

Aku: I see.

Mayzen: Shall we capture him?

Aku: No.

That single word made Sicrus’s shoulders rise. He stepped forward, almost involuntarily.

Sicrus: Why not? We need to bring him back.

Zan chuckled darkly and stood, arms wide, as if mocking their concern.

Zan: Eh, let the baby boy go.

Sicrus: Shut the hell up.

Zan: Ok, ok. So serious, you.

Mayzen’s eyes didn’t blink.

Mayzen (to Aku): You don’t wish to seek out Josar?

Aku: I do… but I want him to make his choices.

Zan clicked his tongue in disbelief, but Mayzen pressed forward.

Mayzen: He may interfere.

Aku: He won’t.

Mayzen: How are you so sure?

Aku: Because Josar is still family. He’s just upset. He probably only wants to watch things unfold from afar rather than being involved… and I understand that.

Zan spun a small coin of acid between his fingers, then flicked it into the dirt where it sizzled.

Zan: The guy isn’t a fighter anyways. The most he might do is tattle on us to Kyto.

Mayzen’s head turned slowly, almost robotic.

Mayzen (to Aku): Do you think Josar would report our plans to Kyto?

Aku: I don’t think he would.

Mayzen: And if he does?

Aku: Then we still proceed with our plans. So what if Kyto knows what we’re doing? We’re still going to take them all down. They aren’t stopping us.

Mayzen: And if Josar fights alongside them?

Aku’s eyes shifted, but he said nothing.

Mayzen: Do you give us permission to kill him?

The words dropped like a blade on stone.

Sicrus: No. We don’t kill Josar.

Mayzen (ignoring Sicrus): Do you give us permission to kill him?

Aku’s lips parted slightly, but no sound came. Sicrus stepped forward fully now, his fists trembling.

Sicrus: We do not kill Josar!

Zan laughed out loud, the sound jagged and too loud for the silence.

Zan: This is interesting. Do we get to kill Josar?

Sicrus: Damn it, no we don’t!

Zan: The question is to Aku. Not you, Sicrus.

Sicrus: Aku, tell them no!

The tension knotted tightly. A long pause.

Aku: No.

Sicrus exhaled.

Mayzen: You intend on keeping the traitor alive? What do we do after we remove the world leaders? Josar still stays alive?

Aku: I already said Josar isn’t going to turn his back on us. He’ll go to them, realize how corrupt everything is, and then return back to us.

Mayzen: We welcome back traitors with open arms?

Aku: Josar doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s trying to find answers.

Aku’s gaze slid toward Scray, who had remained unnervingly quiet near the far edge of the group.

Aku: Did Josar say anything to you?

Scray shifted, the edge of his boot scraping against stone.

Scray: He only mentioned that he was going to break one day.

Zan leaned back, eyes flashing with mirth.

Zan: Oh, so you knew this whole time it was coming?

Scray said nothing.

Sicrus: How long ago was this?

Scray: After our attack on Luria. After he got us into Krutone.

Mayzen’s voice sliced in.

Mayzen: And you didn’t want to mention anything to us?

Zan: Ooo, another traitor. Since Josar is off the table for killing, can I call dibs on Scray?

Scray’s eyes narrowed as his body tensed.

Zan: Chill out, bro! I was just kidding.

Scray: I don’t understand why anyone here is surprised by Josar’s actions. Was I the only one who saw it? Am I the only one here that isn’t an idiot? Josar never wanted to participate with any of us. He’d always complain. He’d always show signs of weakness every single time he had a mission to follow. The only thing he did for us was channel a way into Krutone. Aside from that, he was always going to backstab us.

Sicrus (to Aku): But if you think he’s not going to fight alongside them, then we can always bring him back.

Aku nodded slowly.

Aku: We will continue our plans, with or without Josar. We wait for Penim to deal with his issues, and once he’s out of the way, we go in.

Mayzen: Sen agreed to your plans?

Aku: He didn’t say yes or no. He needs time.

Mayzen: We need Sen’s answer as soon as Penim is done with.

Zan: Krutone’s going to slay the shit out of Penim! I really wish I could see it.

Aku: I’ll be sure to revisit Sen. I told him I would.

The wind in the Void moved then, a low sweep across stone and shadow. They all stood still, fractured but still aligned.

Krutone Military Station. Dain slumped onto the bench, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths. His fitted black tank top clung to his body, soaked with sweat, muscles twitching beneath the fabric as the last traces of adrenaline faded from his limbs. His arms, dusted in soot, rested on his knees while droplets of sweat trailed down the side of his jaw. Across from him, Esako dropped beside him with a heavy grunt, his loose crimson shirt darkened around the collar and back, clinging to his shoulders. The heat in the room still pulsed, thick and heavy, a remnant of the firestorm they had just unleashed against each other.

The arena around them bore the scars of their spar—blackened tiles, cracks still glowing faintly with embers, a flickering line of flame curling along the far wall before finally dying. The air shimmered faintly, warped by residual heat. Dain reached for his water bottle and took a long drink, letting the coolness spread down his throat. Esako took water of his own downing half in one go.

Dain: Damn, that was heavy.

Esako: You’re not doing too bad. Different than what I’m used to here in Krutone.

Dain: Is that a good thing?

Esako: I suppose. You see, as fire users, we’re trained to be explosive. You on the other hand, you tame it. You concentrate it as if it was water and aim it like lightning. I on the other hand let it burst through my skin, through my entire being.

Dain: Which would you say is better?

Esako: Neither. I can see use for yours. If anything, I might want to try out your methods for fun.

Dain: But if you had to pick, which is better?

Esako chuckled.

Esako: Mine, obviously.

Dain let out a small laugh and rolled his eyes.

Esako: How was it like being trained by Zarnem?

Dain thought for a moment.

Dain: To be honest, I wasn’t really trained by him. We sparred once back in Clyden.

Esako: And how was that?

Dain: Well, he was a handful. Couldn’t land a hit.

Esako: Haha. What did he do, run around? Set up walls? Blow out your flames with a sandstorm?

Dain: Haha. Sort of. I mean, yeah pretty much.

Esako: Figures. He’s not like his father.

Dain: You mean the one they call, Zash? Did I get that right?

Esako: Yep.

Dain: Was Zash really that great?

Esako: He was. I watched the footage of him when he was a general here.

Dain: The same rank as you?

Esako: Same rank. Different power level.

Dain: Who’s stronger?

Esako: Probably Zash…

Esako winks to the sky.

Esako: Probably me. Who knows?

Dain: And Zash was killed. Right?

Esako: Yep. Osin’s soldiers were just too much, I guess. My father and General Zash were really good friends. Zash wasn’t a runner like Zarnem. Instead, he ran into battles and could wipe out troops alone. He was one brute of a man.

Dain: Damn…

Esako: My dad didn’t even want me to follow in his own footsteps. I was to use General Zash as my leading example instead.

Dain: You see to… roast Zarnem quite the amount.

Esako: Hell yeah I do! When I was a recruit he was such a hard ass on me!

Dain: Haha, so now you just mock him since you’re higher ranked?

Esako: As many chances as I can get! Haha. But in all honesty, I’m glad to see him again. He’s still a comrade, a friend at the end of the day.

Dain: What was that thing Jaze did during his match against Zarnem?

Esako: Oh, that cheap trick?

Dain: All of Zarnem’s attacks just vanished.

Esako: Haha. I’ll let Jaze explain someday. Basically, Jaze is mutation gone right.

Esako stood up.

Esako: Anyways, you ready for another round?

Dain got up wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Dain: Yeah, let’s get it going.

The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting Krutone in a wash of amber and violet. From the top of the hill, the city looked strangely peaceful, its towering buildings bathed in golden light, the metallic spires catching the last glints of daylight. Sen and Yerah sat together nearby underneath a tall tree. The wind brushed gently by. There were only a few people walking by or sitting in their own spaces, far enough for everyone to have their own privacy. Sen’s eyes traced the cityscape below, and Yerah’s gaze shifted between the skyline and the side of his face.

Yerah: I forgot what this was like. Open grass. I wonder why more people aren’t out here.

Sen let out a quiet breath through his nose, barely a sound. He didn’t look at her.

Sen: Yeah, it’s kind of weird, huh?

Yerah: I guess it’s because where we come from, this is our normal, but in Krutone, all the technology is normal.

Sen: True.

A small silence passed between them.

Yerah: It was a good day today.

Sen: Yeah, it was.

Yerah: Especially lunch. I can’t wait until we go back for some dinner.

Sen: Yeah, the food was good.

Yerah turned slightly toward him. Her voice dropped, laced with a fragile tension.

Yerah: You know, Sen, in a boyfriend, I’d like for him to just tell me what’s on his mind.

Sen: Huh?

He blinked, confused, finally turning his head toward her.

Yerah: This whole day, you’ve been so… silent. So reserved.

Sen looked down again, fingers absentmindedly digging into the grass.

Sen: Oh, sorry about that.

Yerah: Like, I get it, times are hard right now, and I get that you need things to think about, but could you at least try to be a little happier with me? We had the whole day together and you’ve been acting like this time with me is a dread.

Sen: It’s not you. Sorry about that.

Yerah: I know it’s not me. And I know this is hard on you. I just… sorry, I shouldn’t be so upset also. It’s just, I dunno. I’m so happy it’s just us, and you’re kind of just sad. Can we talk about it?

Sen didn’t answer right away. His hand slowly moved to his wristband, fingers brushing over the edge of it. Kyto was always listening.

Yerah: You don’t need to tell me everything, but at least let me know a little so I can understand a bit more?

Sen’s breath hitched. His voice came low.

Sen: I have a brother.

Yerah blinked, surprised.

Sen: A twin brother.

Her lips parted, but she didn’t speak right away.

Yerah: Here?... in Krutone?

Sen (hesitant): I— don’t know.

She looked down, the weight of his words settling into her chest.

Yerah: Is he working with Kyto?

Sen: No… the opposite.

Her eyes flicked back to him, reading his expression.

Yerah: Do you know your brother?

Sen shook his head faintly.

Sen: Not really. I just know… he’s the reason.

Yerah: Reason for?

Sen looked at his wristband again, considering what he would be allowed to say.

Sen: He’s the reason for all the Zagons…

Yerah’s jaw slightly dropped, her throat tightening.

Sen: And I’m supposed to help Kyto kill him.

She stared at him, stunned.

Yerah: And are you going to help Kyto?

Sen’s gaze lowered to the ground again. He didn’t respond.

Yerah: You don’t really know your brother like that, right?

Sen: I just found out about him when we arrived.

Yerah was still frozen in place, but her voice softened.

Sen: That’s why I’ve been asked to meet with Kyto the past several times. Do you remember that talk about me being used as bait?

Yerah nodded slowly.

Sen: I’m supposed to be used to lure in Aku.

Yerah: Aku?

Sen: Yeah.

Yerah: What does Aku even want with you. I mean, you two never grew up together.

Sen paused for a moment.

Sen: I don’t know.

A long moment passed between them. Wind moved through the grass.

Yerah: Sorry for being so insensitive.

Sen: No, don’t be. Sorry for being so dull.

Yerah: No, not at all. You have a heavy burden on you. You’re caught in the middle of something you never asked for.

Sen let out a shaky breath.

Sen: Yeah, well… I’m here.

Yerah: I see… Well, you are going to help Kyto right?

In the chamber of Prism Tower, Kyto is listening.

Sen (through the speakers): Yeah… I’m helping Kyto.

Kyto sighs very slowly.

Back to Sen and Yerah on the hill.

Yerah: Wow… what a mess. Who else knows?

Sen: Just Dain… and you. And the world leaders here.

Yerah: Not Zarnem?

Sen shook his head.

Yerah: Makota or Shera?

Sen: No. I don’t even know where those two are.

A long silence. The lights in the distance of Krutone flickered on, casting the city in soft luminescence.

Sen: Well, I promise to make the rest of tonight a good night.

Yerah: No, no pressure to try so hard when you—

Sen: Haha. Are you kidding? I get to enjoy this evening with you. Let’s end it with a good meal and maybe watch another Intergy showcase? I’m very curious about the earth show. Or maybe we can watch one of those thing they call a movie? I think that’s what they call it?

Yerah: Oh, those! Yeah, they’re called movies. Hmm, which one to choose from.

Sen: Why not both?

Yerah: It’ll be really late by then.

Sen: So what? It’s our time together. Tomorrow, Dain is going to be with us again so we might as well as take this time together while we can.

Yerah smiled. A real, quiet, hopeful smile. She was happy to see Sen smiling again, even if the sadness never fully left his eyes. They both stood, brushing the grass from their clothes, ready to leave.

Yerah: Sorry again for being so… pushy.

Sen: Nah, you’re fine. It makes sense why you’d feel that way. I should’ve said something a little sooner or at least tried to lighten the mood.

Yerah looked into Sen’s eyes and smiled again.

Penim: How fucking cute.

Sen and Yerah froze. The voice hit like a blade through still air—sharp, mocking, unexpected. Sen turned first, his body tensing instinctively as he pulled Yerah slightly behind him. Yerah’s breath caught in her throat, her hand gripping Sen’s arm without thinking. Penim stood just a few paces away, arms folded, his posture casual but his presence suffocating.

Penim: It makes it really easy to find you when you look just like Aku.

Sen (to Yerah): This is Penim…

Yerah: We saw him in Allatora.

Penim: You two remember me! Nice. Any possible way you could point me towards Zarnem?

Sen didn’t answer.

Penim: I’m not really here for you. I’m here for your little captain.

Still no answer.

Penim: Or better yet, maybe I use you as bait for Zarnem?

Kyto (from Sen’s wristband): Sen, get out of there immediately!

Penim: Oh, hello there Mr. President! Long time no talk. I miss your voice!

Sen took a step back, but before he could move anymore, something in the air was holding him down. Yerah felt it afterwards and found she also couldn’t move. A ripple of panic swept across the hilltop as nearby civilians finally registered the confrontation. A few scrambled to their feet, grabbing their belongings and bolting down the slope without looking back. A handful lifted their wrists, projecting holographic screens into the air to record the moment—framing Sen, Yerah, and Penim holding them captive in a growing cloud of distorted gravity.

Penim: No, no, no. No one is leaving. I’m going to have Zarnem one way or another.

Sen began to resist the weight of the air with his Intergy.

Penim: How neat. You’re fighting back? Not even Zarnem could push my gravity away.

Then, without warning, the atmosphere snapped. A crushing burst of gravity came in every direction from Penim, rippling like an invisible shockwave. Every onlooker with a recording device was hit in an instant as their bodies twisted and slammed to the ground, bones cracking, screams choking into silence as they were folded beneath the sheer pressure. Holograms shattered midair, flickering into static. Sen barely reacted in time. His instincts flared as he created a barrier of light Intergy around himself and Yerah. The grass beneath their feet flattened violently, but inside the shield, they remained untouched.

Before Sen could catch his breath, a surge of Intergy pulsed from Penim’s core. The ground beneath them cracked outward in a perfect ring, and within seconds, black and purple Intergy erupted into the sky, arching high above before collapsing inward like a cage of pure force. A massive dome sealed itself over the hilltop, humming with low resonance, warping the air within. Inside, the light dimmed to a deep violet haze, the outside world vanishing completely beyond the veil. Sen’s barrier still held, barely, flickering under the pressure of this new force. Yerah braced herself, ready to engage with whatever was coming their way. Sen noticed the gravity fading to its normal state and released his light barrier.

Penim: Now, it’s just us.

Sen’s hand glowed with Intergy, one with light and one with darkness. Yerah formed water around herself as the air around her grew cold from her ice Intergy.

Penim (to Sen): Killing you is going to be nice. It’ll feel like I’m killing Aku. Although, feel free to tell me where Zarnem is anytime!

The battle ignited instantly. Without a word, Penim opened the Rift, and a crack in the air shimmered to life beside him. From its core surged bolts of jagged lightning, crackling violently as they split the violet haze of the dome. The blasts roared toward Sen and Yerah with terrifying speed but Sen, eyes sharp, extended his hand and summoned a wave of darkness, thick and consuming. The shadowy wall surged forward like a crashing tide and swallowed the lightning whole, dissolving the electric energy into harmless sparks that fizzled out against the dark. Yerah responded just as fast. Her palms snapped forward and a flurry of ice needles erupted in a tight, spinning arc, slicing through the air like razors. But Penim didn’t flinch. With a casual flick of his wrist, gravity collapsed downward, and the needles were dragged from the sky like puppets on invisible strings, crushed against the ground with a force that made the stone beneath them crack.

In that split-second of shifting pressure, Sen acted. Light burst at his heels as he rocketed forward, his hands forming a glowing blade of white light wrapped in coiling darkness. He surged through the air with streaks of radiance behind him, slicing down with the full weight of his Intergy, but Penim merely twisted his hand. The Rift expanded again, and from its swirling mouth, a rush of golden sand erupted, slamming into Sen mid-swing. The impact threw him backward, his feet dragging across the stone as he skidded to a stop. Before Penim could press the advantage, Yerah sprinted into range. She threw her arms wide and conjured a massive surge of rushing water, crashing toward Penim like a rising wave. The Rift devoured it in an instant, the liquid spiraling into its void, then launched it back at her with equal velocity. But Yerah was ready. With a sharp inhale and flick of her hands, the rebounding torrent froze midair into a glacial wall, and she guided the icy sheet aside with a precise motion. It twisted off-course, slamming into the side of the dome instead of into her chest.

Penim (cocky): Not as good as I was hoping for.

Penim spoke too soon. Before he could react, a beam of light Intergy lanced through the haze, striking him across the shoulder. The force staggered him briefly, his teeth clenched in irritation. He snapped his gaze toward the source— Sen, already preparing another strike from afar, his hand glowing with searing white energy. Penim responded with a sudden barrage of fireballs, flung in rapid succession toward Sen. In one fluid motion, Sen raised a barrier of darkness, and the flames vanished into the void of his shield, consumed and erased by the cold abyss. But in shielding himself completely, Sen lost vision. From behind the flames, a surge of wind and water caught him off guard. The twin elements slammed into him, the wind knocking him off balance and the water smashing into his chest, sending him stumbling back as droplets and mist splattered the ground.

Yerah: Sen!

Yerah didn’t waste a moment. Her hands blurred as she summoned another storm of ice needles, which zipped toward Penim in a crystalline flurry. But again, with a simple gesture, Penim crushed the needles downward using his gravitational control, flattening them against the earth like brittle glass. Then, opening the Rift once more, he unleashed a cunning combination of fireballs laced with hidden lightning. Yerah, seeing only the flame, instinctively raised a wall of water to protect herself. The fire hissed and sizzled as it met her shield, but it was a feint. The lightning within surged forward, slipping through the water in an arc of jagged energy. The blast pierced her shield and struck her square in the chest, sending a violent shock through her body and blowing her back in a spray of steam and shattered droplets.

Sen’s eyes flared with fury. Drawing his energy inward, he formed a sword of pure darkness, and launched himself forward like a streak of shadow. He closed the distance, but Penim didn’t flinch. With a flick of two fingers, the very air around Sen collapsed. Gravity spiked downward, and Sen was slammed into the ground mid-flight, pinned beneath a crushing, invisible weight before his blade could even touch its target. Penim stood tall, unshaken, his Rift swirling calmly behind him. His control was ruthless and absolute.

Yerah, catching her breath and trying to stay mobile, began subtly freezing the ground beneath her. With her hand, she sent a thin trail of ice crawling silently across the battlefield, snaking toward Penim’s feet like a creeping trap. Her aim was to bind him without him noticing, but Penim saw through it. He snapped his arm sideways, and from the Rift at his side, a burst of flames erupted, racing down the path and melting the ice trail before it could reach him, and yet, his foot suddenly froze solid. Penim’s eyes widened in shock. He could’ve sworn he had destroyed all of Yerah’s ice, but it hadn’t been hers. While Sen lay crushed beneath the weight of gravity, he had channeled his darkness so cold that it slipped beneath the battlefield and crept beneath Penim undetected. The shadow chilled the ground, locking Penim’s foot in place with frost that pulsed up to his ankle, freezing him in place.

Penim jerked, trying to free himself, but it was too late. From across the field, Sen rocketed forward, light trailing at his back. In his hands, he forged a sword of radiant light, and he swung it straight toward Penim. This time, when Penim tried to crush him again with gravity, Sen didn’t falter. His skin had already been reinforced with Intergy, making him resistant to being pulled down again. As the sword came in, Penim retaliated, releasing a wave of fire and wind from the Rift. The two attacks collided midair, light versus flame and wind, and the resulting shockwave exploded outward, launching both warriors in opposite directions. Penim’s foot broke free from the frozen trap under the force, but not without consequence. Deep cuts etched across his leg, blood already streaking down from the exposed wounds.

He hit the ground hard, breath catching, pain lancing through his body. But before he could rise, Yerah acted. Her hands lifted, and she conjured a rain of ice spears, each one long, jagged, and spinning like drills. They fell toward Penim with deadly precision. At the last second, Penim opened the Rift again, absorbing the incoming barrage and hurled them back toward Sen, who was just now pushing himself off the ground. The spears tore through the air like falling stars, and Sen, still reeling from the last hit, had only a split-second to react. Sen barely managed to leap out of the way as the volley of redirected ice spears rained down. One of them grazed his shoulder, slicing deep enough to draw blood. A line of crimson burst across his upper arm, but he didn’t pause. His hand immediately glowed, and he began weaving healing Intergy into the wound, mending the torn flesh with focused breath and force of will.

Meanwhile, Yerah froze mid-step, uncertainty clouding her eyes. Every time she attacked, Penim turned it against them. But if she stood still, Penim would strike. Her instincts warred with her logic. She hesitated just a moment too long.

From the Rift, a bolt of lightning surged toward her. Yerah barely managed to dive out of the way, rolling hard to her side just in time, but before she could rise, the ground shifted beneath her. Her limbs were snagged by sand, snaring her like a net. She gasped in shock as it twisted around her waist and arms. Penim had been spreading it quietly with his Rift the whole time, disguised under the surface, waiting for the perfect moment. With a jerk of his hand, Penim hurled Yerah across the battlefield, her body twisting midair like a ragdoll.

But Sen was already moving. Without thinking, he launched himself forward, a trail of light streaking in his wake. He caught Yerah midair, pulling her close as the two of them crashed hard into a nearby tree, the bark splintering on impact. The force knocked the wind out of him, pain exploding in his ribs, but he held onto her, breaking her fall.

Penim didn’t relent. From the Rift, he summoned a hurricane of fire and lightning, now amplified with slicing wind currents. The energy barreled toward them with devastating speed, warping the air in its path. Sen’s eyes sharpened. With no time to waste, he raised his hands and summoned a massive wave of darkness, cold and dense, that rose like a wall between them and the attack. The fire sizzled, the lightning hissed, and the wind screamed, but the darkness devoured it all, swallowing the chaos into silence. Breathing hard, Sen and Yerah regrouped behind the fading shadows of his defense.

Sen (to Yerah): Are you ok?

Yerah: I’m fine. What about you?

Sen: I’ll be ok.

Yerah: I don’t know what to do. Every time I attack, his ability absorbs it and he sends it back.

Yerah looked at Penim who was also taking time to breathe.

Yerah: But if I do nothing, he’ll attack.

Sen: We all have Intergy… and at some point, we’ll wear down. Look at him. He’s getting tired too. There’s only so much he can do.

Yerah: So, keep attacking?

Sen: Yeah. Exhaust him. When the time is right, I’ll look for an attack.

Over at the Krutone Military Arena, Zarnem and Jaze stood at the edge of the arena, watching as the final sparks of flame died down between Dain and Esako. The air still shimmered with heat, curling off the scorched floor, while both fire users panted from the intensity of their spar. Dain wiped sweat from his brow, chest heaving, while Esako cracked his neck with a satisfied grin. Zarnem’s arms were crossed, his expression unreadable, but his eyes tracked every movement with sharp precision. Beside him, Jaze let out a low whistle.

Jaze: Dain isn’t bad at all. Imagine what he’d be like if he had this training all these years.

Zarnem: Esako has improved significantly also. Seeing him like this is different, but I understand why he was selected as a general now. Does he lead well?

Jaze: Better than me, that’s for sure… Probably better than you too. Haha.

Zarnem doesn’t laugh back.

Jaze: I was just kidding.

Zarnem: I’m not upset.

Dain and Esako approach.

Dain: Well, we’re done!

Esako: Yeah, I’m wiped.

Dain: Down for some grub?

Esako: You know it.

Zarnem’s wristband buzzes. He answers.

Kyto (through the wristband): Penim is here. Find Sen immediately.

Esako: What the hell?

Kyto: (through the wristband): They’re located at the Northeast side of Krutone Suites on the top hills right outside. Ten miles out. I’ve already sent soldiers and machinery their direction.

Esako: President Kyto, can you hear me? It’s General Esako!

Kyto: General, get some of your troops and head there at once. Penim is engaging in combat with Sen and his friend Yerah.

Dain: Oh, shit.

Without a word, Dain left the room, running out without caring to hear for more instructions. Zarnem looked to Esako.

Esako: Well, just go!

Zarnem ran out trying to catch up with Dain.

To Sen, Yerah and Penim. Shattered trees leaned in jagged angles, their splintered limbs jutting out like broken bones. Scorched earth smoked beneath their feet, and the violet glow of the Intergy dome flickered faintly above, a cracked sky caging them in. Sen and Yerah stood side by side, both breathing hard, their chests rising and falling in sync. Dirt clung to their clothes, their skin streaked with cuts and soot. The once-grassy hill had become a graveyard of elemental destruction. Sen’s dark energy crackled faintly around his arm as he steadied himself. The cut on his shoulder had stopped bleeding, but pain still pulsed beneath the skin. Yerah’s legs were scraped, her breathing uneven, a streak of dried blood across her cheek. Across the ravaged field, Penim stood tall, though even he was beginning to show signs of fatigue.

Penim: I’d kill if I could… but I need to conserve Intergy for Zarnem.

Sen: You turned your back on Aku.

Penim: And how do you know that? Did you two meet?

No answer.

Penim: You’re all a mess, you know that? Every single one of you. I’m just here to take down Zarnem, the one who will betray you next. I’m doing everyone a favor, but no one wants to help me out.

Sen: Aku told me everything.

Yerah looked over to Sen, shocked to hear that he was meeting with more than just Kyto.

Sen: I know about you, Zarnem, and Osin. The assignment and how Zarnem turned his back on you.

Penim: Then why do you defend him?

Sen: I… I don’t.

Yerah: Sen?

Penim: Interesting. Then why do you fight? Guide me to him instead.

Sen: But, I’m not supporting you either.

Penim: By fighting me, you’re practically siding with Zarnem.

Sen: You attacked us first.

Penim shrugs.

Penim: Sure. Fair enough. What if I offer we work together?

Sen: Never. I said I’m not supporting your goals.

Penim (frustrated): Then get the fuck out of my way!

His voice cracked like a whip through the ruined air, the Rift opening again with a low growl behind him. By this point, Penim had recovered enough Intergy to unleash another devastating onslaught. The Rift roared open behind him, swirling like a mouth of chaos, and from its depths poured a storm of elements. Fire twisted with lightning, water laced with ice, gusts of cutting wind, and jagged stones hurtling forward like missiles. The dome trembled beneath the sheer pressure of the blast, and the ground warped under the sudden increase in gravity. Every breath felt heavier. Every heartbeat dragged. Sen’s body ignited with radiant light, his silhouette outlined by flickering brilliance while waves of thick darkness pulsed out from within him. The opposing forces, light and dark, coiled around his frame like armor. Yerah, watching from behind, felt her own Intergy struggling to stay stable. The weight in the air and the saturation of raw power was too much. Her heart pounded against her ribs, and she gritted her teeth, unsure of where she even fit in this battle anymore. Sen had become something else, something untouchable, and it left her breathless.

With a surge of resolve, Sen stepped forward. His light exploded beneath his feet as he rocketed into the air, and from the darkness trailing behind him, he forged a single blade, one that shimmered with both light and shadow. He spun forward, slicing through Penim’s torrent of elemental fury. Flames split apart at the tip of his sword. Lightning scattered like sparks off a forge. Water hissed into steam, ice shattered, and even boulders cracked and broke as his sword cut through them all. The clash was deafening.

But Penim was ready. With a sudden flash of movement, he jumped into the fray himself. His fist pulsed with raw Intergy, dense, unstable, and furious. He swung, and the blow connected cleanly across Sen’s jaw. The sound echoed like a thunderclap. Sen was launched backward, flying across the battlefield like a broken comet, crashing into the dirt with enough force to leave a crater beneath him. Yerah moved before she could think. Her hands trembled, but she forged a long spear of ice, jagged with curling thorns. She hurled it forward with all her might, channeling her will into the icy weapon, hoping Penim was too distracted by his clash with Sen to notice. The spear sliced through the air, but Penim turned his head. His eyes locked onto the attack, and with a flick of his wrist, the Rift swallowed it whole. The spear vanished, and Yerah’s stomach dropped with it. She lowered her hands, fingers trembling. Nothing she did seemed to matter. Every attempt was erased. Every effort returned like a cruel joke, and Penim, barely winded, was still standing.

With a subtle twist of his fingers, the Rift stirred again under Penim’s command. This time, it expelled a low wave of sand that swept across the ground, moving like a liquid tide. It reached her, pounding against her, locking her in place beneath its suffocating weight. She struggled, arms flailing, trying to form water or ice, but nothing stable came. It was a trap, not an attack. It was a delay. By the time Yerah looked up, Penim was already above her. His hand hovered open, and from the swirling Rift, her own ice spear returned, the same one she had hurled at him moments earlier, now inverted and aimed at her. She gasped, but it was too late. The spear dropped, driving through her torso in one devastating motion. The blade pierced straight through her core and out her back. The embedded thorns along its surface twisted open violently, expanding outward within her chest. The pain was instantaneous. Her breath caught mid-scream, a sharp, broken inhale, and then blood spilled from her mouth. Her eyes widened, full of confusion, horror, and disbelief.

Sen: Yerah!!!

Across the field, Sen saw the moment it happened. His vision blurred with fury, and in the next breath, his body was already surging forward. Darkness erupted from beneath him as he launched across the air. In a blink, he closed the gap and struck Penim across the face with a punch wrapped in shadow. The impact was seismic. Penim was knocked back as he rolled many times over trying to catch himself. Sen didn’t stop. Darkness began to spread curling out into the air like a spreading storm, but Penim’s Rift opened once more attempting to absorb the dark Intergy. Sen saw it and froze. He didn’t release more darkness. He stopped his Intergy instantly, eyes locked on the Rift. If he gave it too much, it would only turn it back on him. Every step had to count. Every attack needed to matter. But right now, all he could see was Yerah slumped forward, unmoving, blood soaking into the sand. And then, she fell over.

The violet dome that had sealed them in was beginning to falter. Cracks of fading light split across its surface, the structure was trembling and thinning. Penim was weakening. The Rift’s pull had grown unstable, and his control over the battlefield was slipping.

But with one final act, Penim released what strength he had left. The darkness that Sen had released earlier, what the Rift had absorbed, now came roaring back. A flood of cold, twisting shadow launched from Penim’s location, surging forward in a devastating wave of black Intergy. It ripped through the field toward Sen and Yerah’s fallen form. Sen’s instincts flared. He moved fast. In a single motion, he threw his body over Yerah’s and cloaked them both in a shield of light. The darkness struck like a tidal wave, slamming against the shield, pressing hard, but the light held. It shimmered, burned, and refused to yield. When the attack faded, silence followed.

Sen uncurled from the shield. The wind had died. The sky was visible again. The dome had collapsed entirely, its violet remnants flickering away. Penim was gone. Sen rose to one knee, scanning frantically in every direction, but there was nothing. No signature. No sound. Only the broken earth and the warped battlefield left behind. Penim had escaped. Sen turned back to Yerah.

Yerah still lay motionless on the ground, her chest unnaturally still, blood pooled beneath her. The ice spear had already begun to melt, and the thaw left behind the hollow damage it had carved through her body. Her eyes were half-open, glassy. No breath escaped her lips. Sen froze colder than the ice spear that struck Yerah.

He stared, trembling, unsure of what to do. His hands hovered over her form, glowing faintly with Intergy, hoping he could heal her… But even as he pressed his palms over her wound, trying to pour Intergy into her, anything to reverse it, nothing changed. Yerah wasn’t breathing.

Sen: Yerah? Can you hear me?

Sen began to pat her on the face hoping for a response.

Sen: Damn it… Yerah?

Sen looked up.

Sen: DAIN!!!

With one hand still glowing against her wounds, Sen raised the other high into the air, and a series of radiant beams shot upward, lances of light that split the sky like searchlights. They flared bright against the horizon, carving into the Krutone skyline. A signal. A scream for help. Far off in the distance, Dain and Zarnem saw it. Without a second thought, Dain ignited the flames at his feet, his body launching through the air like a missile leaving Zarnem behind. Back on the hillside, Sen returned both hands to Yerah’s wound. His light Intergy surged again, brighter now, fueled by fear and pain. He poured every drop he could spare into her body, forcing the energy into her lungs, her heart, her fading spark.

Prism Tower chamber. Kyto, Cayten, Lessa and Osin were listening in through Sen’s wristband.

Cayten: I don’t understand. Are you sure this was the right move?

Kyto: It was a gamble that was in our favor. We win either way.

Lessa: Oh, you’re so cruel, Kyto.

Cayten: Why though? We could’ve killed Penim? Why did you order everyone to step back?

Kyto: Because Zarnem was going in.

Cayten: You… were hoping for Zarnem to go in… and get killed by Penim?

Kyto: Close, but not quite.

Cayten: But, that girl died instead.

Kyto: Even better.

Osin: Calculative Kyto. This will break Sen.

Cayten understood and sighed.

Cayten: I see… You were hoping to break Sen… You want to turn him into something else.

Kyto: Accurate. Now, Sen will surely side with us. His anger will drive him to kill Aku’s team… and perhaps Aku himself for causing all of this.

Lessa: Oh, so depressing. Smart… but so depressing.

Kyto: You’re intelligent Cayten, but as time goes, you’ll learn how to play with humans.

Over to Sen, continuing to get Yerah to breathe.

Sen: Come on, Yerah… come on…

His shoulders hunched over her as if shielding her from death itself, light pouring from his fingers in waves of pure, aching hope. He didn't stop, not even as his own energy began to fade. He kept going.

Sen (screaming into the sky): DAIN!!!

Dain heard Sen’s scream and found him healing Yerah. He dropped down immediately.

Dain: Sen!

Sen: Dain, please! Help me here!

Zarnem caught up and stood by Dain. They stood frozen, realizing the situation.

Sen: Damn it, Dain! Help me! There’s still time!!!

Zarnem sighed slowly. Dain was in shock.

Sen: Dain!!!

Dain walked forward slowly and knelt by Sen. He saw the cold in Yerah’s half opened eyes.

Sen: Help me, quick! We can save her!

Dain placed his hands on Yerah, looked over to Sen at the verge of tears, then back to Yerah. Although Dain wasn’t a skilled healer, he helped anyways. He kept staring into Yerah’s eyes, knowing there wouldn’t be any response. She wasn’t breathing. He knew she was gone, but he followed Sen’s orders anyways… because Sen is his best friend…

Sen was hoping for a pulse. Something. Anything. Finally, a tear fell from his eyes and his vision of Yerah’s cold body began to blur. Five minutes passed, and he stopped. Dain stopped with him, unsure if he should continue or not. Sen wept as quietly as he could and rested his head over Yerah.

Zarnem stood still in the back remaining as stoic as possible. He had seen many deaths in his time of war. He understood the situation, looked around the destroyed terrain and knew the damage was caused by no one other than Penim. Time went on, and the night grew quiet.

Sen had stopped his tears. Dain didn’t move and remained. Yerah never took another breath.