Sarah's heart hammered against her ribs beating on her hard to the point she thought it might explode. The rope around her wrists bit into her skin as she struggled, watching in horror as Kínitos lunged toward the armored killer with nothing but a piece of rebar. This was insane. He was going to die trying to save her, and it was all her fault.
"He's gonna die and I can't do anything" she cried out but not single word was heard
Her breathing came in short, panicked gasps. The duct tape over her mouth made everything worse—she couldn't get enough air, couldn't scream a warning, couldn't do anything but watch the nightmare unfold. Black spots danced at the edges of her vision as her mind raced with terror and helplessness.
This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. The panic attack hit her like a freight train. Her vision began to blur and narrow, the fluorescent lights above becoming distant stars. Her chest felt like someone was sitting on it, crushing the air from her lungs. She was going to pass out. She was going to die here, tied to this chair, while Kínitos died trying to save her.
"Please i-if someone es up th-their help me!!" Her last thought screamed out
But then she saw it.
A small ball of pure white light, no bigger than a marble, floating in the air just inches from her face. It pulsed gently, like a heartbeat, and despite everything—the terror, the panic, the impossible situation—Sarah felt strangely drawn to it.
Her muscles beat alive, expanding and contorting. Her eyes widen beautiful lights danced around her. The light moved closer, and before she could even think to pull away, it shot directly into her chest.
Warmth flooded through her entire body, starting from her heart and spreading outward like liquid sunlight. The panic began to ebb, replaced by something else—something she couldn't name. Power. Energy. Connection.
The warmth continued spreading through Sarah's body, and with it came a strange clarity. The panic was still there, but underneath it was something else—a sense of connection, of possibility. She had to help Kínitos. She had to do something.
She thought desperately about breaking free, about getting to him, about stopping this madness. Her hands clenched into fists behind her back, and suddenly—
SNAP
The thick rope around her wrists tore apart like tissue paper. Sarah's eyes widened in shock as the severed pieces fell to the floor. That wasn't possible. She wasn't strong enough to—
But there was no time to process what had just happened. The killer had cornered Kínitos against a support beam, the glowing blade raised high for what looked like a killing blow. Kínitos was desperately trying to block with the rebar, but he was clearly outmatched.
"WATCH OUT!" Sarah screamed, ripping the duct tape from her mouth as she surged to her feet.
The killer's blade came down in a deadly arc, aimed directly at Kínitos's chest. But just as the weapon was about to make contact.
A shimmering barrier of light materialized between them—translucent but solid, crackling with energy. The killer's blade struck it and rebounded with a shower of sparks, the force of the impact sending the armored figure stumbling backward.
Sarah stared in disbelief, her hand extended toward Kínitos. Had she done that? The barrier flickered and pulsed, definitely connected to her somehow, but she had no idea how she'd created it.
Kínitos looked just as stunned, scrambling away from the killer while staring at the protective shield of light.
"What the hell—" the killer snarled through their helmet speakers, regaining their balance and studying the barrier with obvious surprise.
The barrier shimmered in front of Kínitos, protecting him from the killer's next move. The armored figure took a step back, tilting their helmeted head and reaching up to scratch at the side of their helmet in frustration.
The killer's attention shifted from Kínitos to Sarah, who was still standing by the overturned chair, her hand outstretched and trembling from whatever force had created the protective barrier.
"Damn it you really shouldn't have done that…now I have to kill you," the killer said, their distorted voice carrying a note of genuine regret. "All paradox's must die, it's unfortunate. Everything I do is just making more of a mess. This wasn't how it's supposed to go."
Kínitos scrambled to his feet, bringing the rebar up in front of him defensively, his eyes darting between Sarah and the killer. He looked stunned—not just by Sarah's sudden display of power, but by the killer's words. This wasn't how it was supposed to go? What did that mean?
But there was no time to process the implications. Without warning, the killer's body language shifted from contemplative to predatory. In one fluid motion, they pushed off from the ground with inhuman speed, rocketing directly toward Sarah like a missile.
The blade gleamed as it cut through the air, aimed straight at her heart. Sarah's eyes went wide with terror as the armored figure closed the distance in a split second.
"SARAH!" Kínitos shouted, already moving, but he was too far away, too slow to help.
Just as the killer's blade was about to reach Sarah, Kínitos heard something—a voice in his head, clear and urgent.
Use me to protect her. Use me to protect everyone. You are unstoppable.
Suddenly, numbers began floating in the air around him—equations, formulas, mathematical puzzles appearing in rapid succession like some kind of supernatural pop quiz. But instead of being confused, Kínitos found himself solving them instantly, one after another, his mind working at impossible speed.
√144 = 12
7² + 3³ = 76
∫x²dx = x³/3 + C
With each solution, energy coursed through his body. In a burst of movement that defied physics, Kínitos shot across the room like a bullet, placing himself directly between the killer and Sarah just as the blade made contact.
The sword struck his chest with a metallic CLANG—and bounced off harmlessly. Not even a scratch marked his clothes. The killer's weapon, which had effortlessly carved through steel moments before, shattered into pieces against Kínitos's now-invulnerable skin.
"What—" the killer staggered backward, staring at the broken hilt in their armored hand.
Quickly he there the knife on the ground as dark energy wrapped around like streamers as it formed into a machete.
Kínitos quickly pushed Sarah away from the immediate danger, his mind still processing what had just happened to him. Then another voice echoed in his head, colder and more commanding than the first.
Finish it. End this fight.
More equations flooded his vision—complex calculus, physics formulas, geometric proofs—and he solved them all in microseconds. Power surged through his muscles as he gripped the rebar tighter.
In one fluid motion, Kínitos swung the metal rod with tremendous force. As at the same time energy built around the killers new weapon. As he then swung down. Both man swing with all their might. Kínitos speed was greater, striking the killer directly in the left side where their weapon was, shattering the weapon once more as well his arm. The impact was devastating.
The armored figure was launched like a cannonball through the side wall of the warehouse, crashing through concrete and steel before disappearing into the train yard beyond with a thunderous crash.
Sarah stared at Kínitos in shock. "How did you—what just happened?"