By now the sprinklers had shut off. A pudgy man cowered in the corner while blood swirled through the puddles of water across the floor. An open briefcase sat on a soaked table, completely empty.

  "Why would she do that?" Silas muttered, staring down at the case.

  He had come here to retrieve the special item Grant Jack had stolen from Sebas. By the time he arrived, however, it was already gone. At first he suspected the Crystalbacks. He had heard they were planning a large-scale attack tonight. But none of them had been inside this room.

  Instead, he questioned the man currently hiding in the corner, the same man who had originally planned to buy the item. According to him, a masked girl had taken it. The same one who had been fighting earlier. Silas had only learned that his sister was missing about thirty minutes ago. When he heard that Pyre was on her way here, he saw the situation as the perfect opportunity to retrieve the stolen item. What he had not realized was that his sister had also been here.

  He hadn't had a proper conversation with her in a long time. Ever since he became the leader of the Ash Runners, she spoke to him less and less. Weeks had passed without a single word between them.

  As much as he wanted to know what her problem was, his responsibilities as leader kept him busy. They had gone through too much together for things to end up like this. Silas gaining a position this powerful had always been their dream. He thought she would be proud of him. Instead, she had started acting out for no reason.

  Silas smacked the briefcase off the table with his weapon, Gungnir. It clattered across the wet floor. He had already sent one of his subordinates to look for Wayne. What could she possibly want that would make her work with a scumbag like Grant Jack? Whatever she was workin towards, it was interfering with his business. At this point, it was clear he would have to put more effort into setting her straight, even if it meant taking his attention away from more important matters.

  ——

  Footsteps tapped against the concrete as Silver sprinted down an alleyway.

  There was no way in hell he could take on a bunch of freaks with rocks sticking out of their arms. On top of that, they were carrying unstable crystals. Stuff like that was nearly impossible to find in a city like this, and because mining them was so dangerous, they were usually ridiculously expensive. Silver remembered a dungeon where crystals like those had been sticking out of the floors and walls. One of their temporary party members had tripped on one, and Pyre had to tank the explosion or the guy's legs would have been blown clean off. Silver had laughed at him at the time, but if he didn't get away now, he'd probably be the one losing a limb.

  He vaulted over piles of garbage and climbed past rusted gates, but the three Crystalbacks chasing him simply ran straight through everything like it was putty. One of them managed to catch up, forcing Silver to whip out his dagger just in time to block an incoming strike from a jagged crystal blade jutting from the man's knuckle. Frost crept along the air surrounding the weapon, and Silver could feel the biting cold reaching his hand through the dagger's handle.

  He shoved the man back and started retreating, keeping his eyes locked on the three attackers. Silver pulled the gravity orb from his pocket and used it to grab two heavy trash bags from a nearby dumpster. He tossed them, and the moment they left the orb's influence, their full weight returned. One of the Crystalbacks with red spikes protruding from his knuckles punched straight through the bags. A splash of greenish-gray garbage juice exploded across him and the two behind him. Silver had expected that to slow them down longer than it did. The freaks didn't even seem bothered by the fact that they were now dripping with trash.

  Silver backed out of the alley and ran straight into a vehicle. He turned to see the driver and the woman in the passenger seat shouting at him. The woman rolled down her window and began berating him.

  "Watch where you're going!"

  "If I find a single scratch, I'm gonna sue you into the ground! Do you know how much this thing-"

  The man stopped mid-sentence when a green blade pierced through the roof of his car, barely missing the woman's head. The curved weapon sliced through the metal and swung toward Silver. He ducked just in time. The Crystalback tried to follow up with a knee strike, but Silver grabbed the man's leg, letting his own body move with the attack. His back slammed into the car door with a heavy thud.

  Looking up, he saw the Crystalback's green wrist scythe descending toward him. At that exact moment, the driver panicked and slammed the gas pedal. The sudden movement threw off the attacker's aim, and the scythe stabbed deep into the car door beside Silver instead. Traffic ahead forced the driver onto the sidewalk. Debris and rubble from the Crystalbacks' earlier attacks had blocked several main roads throughout the city. Silver could feel the car's metal frame scraping against his back as it dragged him along. He released the Crystalback's leg and watched him get dragged away as the vehicle sped forward.

  The other two Crystalbacks were already closing the distance. Silver scrambled to his feet and leapt onto a nearby car.

  "Sorry!" he shouted as he jumped from roof to roof.

  Horns blared from furious drivers as he and the two attackers bounded across their vehicles. He had gotten lucky with that last guy, but there was no way he could keep this up forever. For a moment he wished Pyre were here. Then he remembered someone nearly as capable. Silver hopped back onto the sidewalk and sprinted past dozens of panicked pedestrians. The Crystalbacks didn't hesitate to shove people aside to chase him. In fact, they seemed to enjoy it.

  He rounded a corner and shoved open the door to a nearby building, hoping it would serve as a safe haven. The Crystalbacks burst through the front windows right behind him. Inside stood a chubby man with an orange curly flat-top haircut.

  Marty.

  The two Crystalbacks tried to rush past him to reach Silver, who was now standing behind the counter. One even attempted to shoulder-check Marty aside. Marty simply grabbed both of them by the necks and slammed the backs of their skulls together. When he let go, they staggered but somehow remained standing. The one with the ice blade snarled and lunged forward, slashing down at Marty's shoulder. The crystal blade shattered on impact, as if it had struck solid steel.

  Marty clicked his tongue. "Kids these days jab sharp things in their arms and suddenly think they're invincible."

  He followed up with two swift kicks that launched both Crystalbacks straight back out the windows they had just broken through. The restaurant's customers, who had frozen mid-meal when the windows shattered, stared for a moment before casually returning to their food.

  Marty dusted off his hands with a satisfied grin.

  Silver chuckled. "I'm surprised you can still move like that."

  Marty grabbed a broom leaning in the corner. "Keep talkin' like that and I'll start chasin' you myself."

  Silver immediately shut his mouth and stepped outside through the broken window. He crouched beside the two incapacitated Crystalbacks.

  "What are you guys even doing?" he asked. "Don't tell me this is supposed to be some big display of strength. If you don't start talking, I'll have Marty over there break your arms. " He pointed back toward the restaurant.

  The Crystalback with the knuckle spikes groaned, clutching his stomach. "The boss told us to hit Grant Jack's places all around the city... said we could have as much fun as we wanted. Anything to draw the cops' attention."

  Silver straightened and thought for a moment. At least that meant Air and Garret probably weren't involved in the attack itself. The movie they went to see had been about two hours long, and they had already been gone another hour and a half after that. Knowing Air, he was probably out trying to help people while the Crystalbacks were tearing the city apart.

  Silver stepped back into the restaurant. "Marty. Air and Garret may or may not be missing. And I may or may not need help finding them."

  Marty sighed and tossed the broom to one of his employees. "Fine. I can't just sit around and let those kids get hurt."

  Together they left the restaurant and headed toward the nearest sounds of explosions.

  ———

  Garret watched as Pyre bent the bars of his cage apart with her bare hands. He stepped out and immediately hugged her.

  "Oh Pyre, you're the best!"

  Air gave a weak thumbs up. "I agree."

  Garret let go and helped Air onto his feet. Air held his head, still feeling sick, though the nausea was starting to fade. He explained what had happened and told them they needed to find Sebas before leaving.

  Pyre spent the next few minutes tearing open the rest of the cages. Grant Jack had men, women, and even children fighting in his arena against their will. Most of them had been promised freedom if they won enough matches or completed some impossible condition that would supposedly earn their release sooner. It made for good entertainment, but it was cruel through and through.

  While Pyre worked, Air asked who the man with the metal head even was.

  Pyre scoffed. "Grant Jack is a businessman turned wannabe gang leader. He showed up a couple cycles ago thinkin' he could steal business from the other gangs just by hiring enough people. I never joined any gang myself, but even I know there's supposed to be some kind of connection between members. Brotherhood, loyalty, something. In the Metalheads it's just business. Guys like him are the ones I hate the most. An idiot who got lucky and ended up rich."

  She spoke while wrenching another set of bars apart. Once everyone was free, Pyre smashed a hole through the wall leading out onto the sidewalk. The battered prisoners poured out into the street.

  Pyre wiped sweat from her forehead. "Now that got my arms burnin'. I should break people out of cages more often."

  Air and Garret stood beside her, looking out through the hole in the wall. Air pointed toward a dark trail of smoke rising into the sky.

  "What's that?"

  Pyre squinted and leaned forward to get a better look.

  "Harlan. I need to get you two back to Marty's so I can help with damage control."

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Air grabbed the leg of her pants.

  "What? I can totally help too."

  "Look in a mirror, kid. You're paler than a specter. You need to rest."

  She grabbed Air, Garret, and the unconscious Sebas before leaping out through the hole in the wall. Pyre bounded across rooftops, carrying them effortlessly while surveying the destruction across the city streets. The number of buildings Grant Jack owned was ridiculous. Part of her was glad to see them being destroyed, but the amount of innocent people caught in the chaos was unacceptable.

  Still, it made sense. If Harlan's main buyer wasn't the people of Virelis, why would she care what happened to them? Pyre eventually landed outside Marty's restaurant. She ignored the shattered windows and gently set the boys down. She handed Seabas to Air before she turned away.

  "Go upstairs and don't come down. Seriously. I mean it."

  Air gave another weak thumbs up as Garret helped him and Sebas inside. They climbed up through the ceiling hatch and into Pyre's small upstairs bedroom. Air collapsed onto the bed.

  "She was right. Moving still hurts. I can't help anyone like this. Garret, hurry up and heal me."

  Garret shook his head.

  "Sorry. I can't replenish your magical energy. That's something your body has to recover on its own. Even if I could, I wouldn't."

  Air blinked. "Why not?"

  "You'd just run off to help Pyre."

  "...yeah."

  A knock suddenly came from the window. Both boys turned. A figure stood on the fire escape outside. A familiar, expressionless face stared in at them while casually waving. Garret rushed over and pushed the window open.

  "What are you doing here? How did you even know we were here? Did you know we were gonna get kidnapped?"

  She ignored him completely. She climbed inside and shoved Garret aside, then began wandering around the room, picking up and examining the little trinkets scattered across the shelves. Air and Garret watched in confusion.

  "Uhm... can you hear me?"

  She turned toward Pyre's bed and dove straight into the pile of stuffed animals. For a moment she simply sat there, staring up at the ceiling. Then she rummaged through her pocket and pulled out a small metallic object. She raised it so the boys could see.

  Their jaws practically dropped.

  —------

  Giro held up a small black box. Angular silver engravings ran along its sides.

  "This box in my hand is one of the very few objects that survived from my erased era. It was found alongside an advent who woke up around nine cycles ago. As to-"

  "What's inside?" Air asked, eyes gleaming.

  Giro paused and stared at him. "Can you be patient and let me finish?"

  "...."

  "As I was saying, we don't know what's inside. Many scholars have examined it over the cycles, but none of them have managed to open it. Any attempts to force it open were met with powerful retaliation." He pointed toward the metal lock on the front of the box. "The only way to open it is with a key."

  Silver nodded. "And I'm guessing you guys don't know where that key is."

  "We didn't. Not until very recently. A colleague of mine in the kingdom of Eldras discovered it alongside another advent who had just awakened."

  Giro folded his hands behind his back. "I had a member of Team L.I.T.E. sent to retrieve it. Unfortunately, on his way back, he was intercepted in the city of Virelis."

  "Oh, I know that city like the back of my hand," Pyre said.

  Giro nodded. "That is exactly why I'm giving you this mission. I believe things will go more smoothly for you."

  He held the box out slightly. "Retrieve your teammate, the vehicle that was assigned to him, and the key. Do that, and you will continue to operate under the council."

  —------

  "That's the key!"

  Garret rushed forward to grab it, but Wayne stopped him with her foot. She pushed him back, and he landed on his butt. Wayne waved a finger at him before slipping the key back into her pocket.

  In a voice so soft it was almost hard to hear, she spoke. "Can you... help me..."

  The boys' eyes widened. Air sat up despite his weakened state and leaned forward.

  "Of course. We'll help with whatever."

  "As long as you give us that key," Garret added.

  Over the next half hour, Wayne explained everything she believed the boys needed to know, using as few words as possible. They could hardly believe one girl had planned all of this, especially someone a cycle younger than them.

  She had learned about Air's team through gossip circulating within the Ash Runners after Pyre had her conversation with Silas. When she saw Air use his powers in the arcade, she recognized him from the description she had heard of Pyre and the two boys traveling with her. Once she realized they were looking for Sebas, things began to fall into place. Wayne had previously fought in Grant Jack's underground arena, so she knew Sebas was being held captive there.

  When her brother's goons arrived to pick her up, she intentionally caused a scene in hopes that Air would come running to help her. What she hadn't expected was for him to destroy the car and knock the men unconscious. He had completely misunderstood her gestures and ended up ripping out the steering wheel.

  On the way to the movie theater, she contacted Grant Jack's men and arranged for them to be ready when she brought Air and Garret to them. She told them Air was an Advent and that Garret was his friend, which meant he could serve as a hostage if Air tried to resist.

  She conveniently left out the fact that Air was an Elemental and that the two of them were traveling with Pyre. Before the start of her match with Air, Wayne contacted Harlan Crowe and informed her that Pyre would soon be confronting Grant Jack, and that she would probably be furious. That would pull Grant Jack's attention away from the rest of his operations.

  While all of that chaos unfolded, Wayne slipped in to steal the key before her brother could get his hands on it.

  Silas had planned to swoop in and take it when the opportunity appeared. Pyre distracting Grant Jack created the perfect opening. Silas was strong, but not strong enough to fight a gang of hired men by himself. By going in alone at the right moment, he ensured the Ash Runners would suffer the fewest casualties. And once Grant Jack lost the fortune he was about to lose, he would have no choice but to keep working with Silas while he recovered.

  "Do you really think we can do it?" Garret asked, having just been told the rest of Wayne's plan. "How can you trust us to pull something like this off?"

  Wayne nodded.

  Air smiled. "Well, if she's willing to believe in us, then we should believe in her plan. Everything she wanted to happen has happened so far. If we stick to it, I'm sure we'll come out on top." He leaned forward slightly. "I've just got one more question. How did you know how my powers worked? I mean, when I shot out that blast of wind."

  The boys gasped when Wayne answered.

  "F-for real?" Air said, stunned.

  Garret blinked. "I guess that makes sense."

  Air grinned. "Yeah. I'm starting to think we can actually do this. Wayne, as long as it rains tomorrow like you said it would, then we don't have anything to worry about."

  Wayne gave a quick thumbs up.

  A barely conscious Sebas groaned as he leaned against the railing of the bed Air was lying on.

  —------

  Spells streaked across the streets as Grant Jack's men hurled magic at the Crystalbacks. They had the advantage in numbers, but the Crystalbacks' enchanted weaponry gave them overwhelming strength in comparison.

  Grant Jack sat in the back of a black armored vehicle, impatiently tapping his finger.

  "Are you sure this is a good idea?" the man in the passenger seat asked.

  "I want to watch the life leave that woman's eyes personally. My investors are already hearing about this attack she planned. If we don't act fast, they'll start pulling out."

  "So you're going to walk in there yourself?"

  "Of course not. I already hired someone to take care of her. I just want to see them do it. As a matter of fact, I want the whole city to see it. When those Crystalback maniacs see their leader dead, they'll probably scatter. If nobody's around to pay you, why keep fighting? Oh, and make sure to talk to someone at corporate about taking over her crystal manufacturing operation."

  Grant Jack's secretary, a woman in a suit seated beside him, jotted notes onto a pad as he spoke.

  "If there's one thing I can thank that woman for, it's keeping Pyre occupied. Those two are friends, so she'd definitely come swooping in to save her if she wasn't busy helping these cretins in the streets."

  At that moment, Pyre soared through the sky overhead, engulfed in a blazing sphere of fire.

  Grant Jack laughed. "Speak of the devil. Hard to believe she's even human."

  The armored vehicle slammed through abandoned cars littering the street, effortlessly shoving them aside. Before long it rolled to a stop outside a warehouse. Everyone inside stepped out and walked through the arched entrance into the parking lot.

  Grant Jack looked up. A figure stood on the warehouse roof.

  "Come on down! Can't we have a little chat!" He shouted.

  The figure jumped down, landing on the concrete with a soft thud. Harlan Crowe. Strands of gray scattered through her black mane shimmered under the light hanging on the warehouse wall. She stared daggers at Grant Jack.

  "I've only got one thing to say to you."

  She clasped her hands together, then slowly pulled them apart. Two inked symbols on her palms began to glow as a line of string extended outward between them. Dozens of blades dangled from the string by rings attached to their hilts, clinking together as they swayed.

  "Tell me which one you want me to use when I cut your head off."

  Grant Jack tilted his head back with an exaggerated sigh. "Pfft. Whatever."

  Harlan bent her knees, preparing to charge. Then a massive shadow swallowed the entire lot. A huge airship floated overhead, its propellers thundering as they spun. A hatch opened in its underside, and a massive object dropped toward the ground.

  It crashed down between Harlan and Grant Jack. Concrete shattered beneath its weight. A cloud of dust billowed outward. When the dust cleared, a massive stone object sat embedded in the ground. Strange seams ran across its entire surface.

  The airship drifted away as the stone it dropped rumbled. The seams split apart as rocky arms and legs pushed outward. The figure rose from the crater, forming into a towering golem. For a moment, it stood perfectly still.

  Grant Jack pointed at Harlan.

  "Hey, Golem! I'm your master, Jack! That woman in front of you. Kill her."

  The golem sprang into motion. Despite being more than three times the size of a human, it moved with frightening speed. It closed the distance in an instant and smashed its circular fist toward Harlan.

  She dodged to the side and pulled two differently shaped swords from her string of weapons. With another clap of her hands, the string and the remaining blades vanished.

  Harlan had heard of golems before. Creating one required dozens of complex spells working in tandem, something most people couldn't manage. The golem continued swinging its massive limbs wildly while Harlan leapt and sidestepped out of the way.

  Golems usually had limited magical reserves. If she kept dodging, it would eventually run out of energy. Its movements were faster than she expected from a stone construct, but if Grant Jack or his men jumped in she could deal with them quickly. The fact that Grant Jack believed this thing could stop her was laughable.

  "It won't run out."

  Harlan's catlike ear twitched. What was he talking about?

  The golem's fists cratered the ground every time they missed. During one attack, when Harlan moved to dodge like before, the golem nearly intercepted her. Its stone hand brushed across the tip of her nose as she leapt back.

  "Not only will it not run out of energy anytime soon, it'll also learn the more it fights," Grant Jack said. "That golem is just as alive as you and me."

  When its fist slammed down again, Harlan jumped onto its hand and sprinted along the stone surface. She leapt, spun through the air, and drove both swords into the rock that formed the golem's torso. The blades dug deep. Harlan smiled.

  The smile vanished when the golem swatted her away.

  She flipped through the air and landed behind it. One sword remained embedded in its body.

  "What, were you expecting to hit something important?" Grant Jack called out.

  Harlan sneered. "What kind of sorcery is this? A summoned creature like this shouldn't function without a core!"

  The golem's torso twisted around independently from the rest of its body.

  Its fists slammed down toward her.

  "Oh, I thought you said you didn't have anything else to say to me. Still, I'm a nice guy, so I'll explain. That golem doesn't need a core. It has a mind of its own. Every individual part of its body is fueled by pure malice."

  "How!?" Harlan shouted, flipping backward to avoid another strike.

  "By a power that transcends this realm. You've heard of Seraphis, the heart of the Church of Emel, haven't you? I'd be surprised if you hadn't. She's probably the most famous Advent in the world." Grant Jack smirked. "This information isn't exactly public yet, and I probably shouldn't be sharing it. But you're going to be dead in a few minutes, so it hardly matters."

  Harlan scoffed. She pulled several glowing crystal daggers from her belt and hurled them into the seams along the golem's body.

  "Now listen closely," Grant Jack continued. "Not long ago, Seraphis had a breakthrough. Her Advent ability evolved beyond our understanding. What would normally require dozens of spellcasters working together only took a single tap from her."

  He chuckled. "Of course the golem still had to be carved first, but it's impressive, isn't it? Ever since I learned about her new power, I've been scouring Modus for Advents and forcing them to fight until their bodies give out. I want to witness a breakthrough like that myself."

  Harlan sidestepped a heavy kick and quickly traced a fire spell with the hilt of her sword.

  A fireball shot forward and struck one of the crystal daggers lodged in the golem. The dagger emitted a sharp ringing tone before exploding. The chain reaction set off the other daggers embedded in its body. The explosion tore through the golem. Or at least, it should have.

  Instead, one of the circular stones that formed its limbs shot out of the smoke. Harlan dodged it, but the rest of the rocks came flying out behind it.

  She avoided most of them, even the massive piece that formed its torso. A few smaller stones caught her off guard. They slammed into her shoulder and stomach, knocking her to the ground.

  When she lifted her head, she saw the golem reforming behind her. Aside from a few cracks running along its surface, it was mostly unharmed. If it had been a normal golem, separating its pieces would have disrupted the spell network holding it together.

  Grant Jack folded his arms. "You were busy investing in your little crystals." He held hands out towards the sky. "I was investing in something far greater. The transcendent potential of The Advent!"