Morning crept in slow, its light spilling across the cracked earth. Shadows stretched long over the settlement. The air felt heavy, every footstep dragged by weariness. People moved with quiet urgency, tools in hand, eyes never still. And underneath it all—the ground kept shifting.
Inside the inn, the door creaked open.
A woman stepped in, arms wrapped around a stone bowl. Thick black tubes twitched inside, brushing against the rim. The smell hit hard—bitter and sharp, clinging to the air like smoke.
"They're ready," she said, her voice steady despite the lines under her eyes.
Ash rose from the window, his blade already forgotten on the table. He reached for the bowl, the warmth from the contents pulsing through the stone.
Max sat at the far end of the room, shoulders hunched over a table buried in scraps. Wires, broken parts, rusted plates—his hands moved through it all, tugging and twisting. The communicator sat in the middle, cracked and useless.
Kael was on the bed. His chest rose and fell, slow but steady. Each breath said more than words could—he was alive, but barely.
Ash closed the door. He knelt beside the table, fingers brushing over the writhing mass. The tubes shifted against his glove, slick and warm.
"I've already coated my blade and lined my coat," he said.
"But we need to be sure we're using all of them right."
Max didn't look up.
"Leave the rest. I think I can integrate some of this with Apex tech."
Ash watched him for a beat. Max's hands moved, but slower than usual. His posture tight, focus still sharp—but tired.
"How long?"
Max ran a hand over his neck.
"This system is ancient. I figured they'd have something decent, but this?" He waved at the junk in front of him. "It's from another age. Twenty years old—maybe more."
Ash raised a brow.
"That old?"
Max nodded once.
"And the worst part? Half of it's gone. Or too damaged to fix."
"Can you fix it?"
Max didn't speak. He stared at the communicator, fingers resting on its side. Then he blinked once, as if something clicked in his head.
"If I use some Apex tech, maybe. It won't be perfect, but it'll work."
He reached for a screwdriver and got back to it.
"This'll take a while. Check on Kael. Make sure he's still breathing."
"Yeah, he should have recovered by now."
Ash moved to the bed.
Kael hadn't shifted since last night. His body still and loose, breaths shallow.
Ash tapped his shoulder.
"Hey. Wake up."
Nothing.
He pressed two fingers to Kael's neck. The pulse fluttered. His skin burned hot. Steam curled from the healing burns, the air around them thick with the scent of scorched flesh.
Ash shook him gently.
"Come on, Kael. Don't make me dump water on you."
A sound—low and rough. Kael groaned, his fingers twitching. Muscles tensed, then relaxed as his eyes opened. He blinked once. Twice. Then looked up.
Ash stood there, arms crossed, a grin tugging at the edge of his face.
Kael scowled.
"What's with that look?"
Ash tilted his head.
"Nothing. Just nice knowing I saved your life—multiple times—last night."
Kael scoffed and pushed himself up.
"You had no choice but to save me. Without me, this whole place would be rubble."
Ash's grin faded.
Kael's brow furrowed.
"What?"
RUMBLE!
The floor bucked. Tools clattered to the ground. Dust drifted from the ceiling.
Max grabbed the edge of the table.
"Damn it. When will that thing just stay down and heal like a normal worm?"
Kael sat upright, shoulders tense.
"Wait, it's still alive? I blasted half its body off."
Max didn't lift his head. His hands kept working through the twisted wires, metal clinking with every motion.
"Turns out worms regenerate. And this one? It's a Tier 6."
Kael let out a short breath, running a hand across his forehead.
"No wonder it was a nightmare to fight. That explains a lot. On top of that, it had natural fire resistance. If I fought alone, I would've been screwed."
Ash leaned back, arms crossed, a familiar look tugging at his mouth.
"Good thing I was there, huh?"
Kael rolled his shoulders until they popped. The stiffness in his body faded with every stretch.
"Yeah. I'll admit it—the new you? I like it. You're finally strong enough to fight me at full power."
His grin cut wide.
"But let's be real, you wouldn't last five minutes against me."
Ash scoffed.
"Five minutes? You wouldn't even touch me."
From the table, Max paused. His hands stilled. He turned, locking eyes with Ash.
"Ash… are you sure you're okay? You've been pushing your ability hard."
Kael blinked, confusion flashing across his face.
"Of course he's fine. Why wouldn't he be? He proved himself. I'd want him by my side in any real fight."
Max's gaze sharpened.
"So… he didn't tell you about my warning?"
Kael's smirk faded. His head turned between them, reading the silence.
"What warning?"
Ash looked away, his jaw set.
"I… didn't get the chance to tell you. And we needed that power."
Kael's spine straightened. The casual air vanished from his face.
"What aren't you telling me?"
Max leaned back, fingers brushing the edge of the broken communicator. He let out a slow breath through his nose.
"Ash's ability—his speed—it comes with a price."
Kael's eyes locked on him.
"What price?"
Max's voice dropped low.
"It accelerates his aging."
The room held its breath.
Kael didn't speak. His eyes didn't move. Just stared.
Then, slowly, he turned to Ash.
"You used it that much?"
His voice cracked on the edge.
"No wonder you held back."
Ash ran a hand through his hair, fingers dragging through the strands.
"I don't have a choice. When speed is the only thing keeping me alive, what do you expect me to do?"
Another tremor passed through the floor, rattling the metal legs of the table.
Then—
BZZZT.
A burst of static jolted from the communicator.
Max jerked upright, eyes locked on the device. A wide grin split across his face as he slammed a fist into the air.
"Yes! I got something!"
Kael blinked, still trying to shake the haze from his mind. He glanced at the tangle of wires, then back at Max..
"Wait… were you seriously trying to contact headquarters? With that junk?"
Ash laughed under his breath, stepping closer.
"Nice. So we're actually getting help after all?"
Max didn't even look up, already snatching a screwdriver from the table.
"Not yet. I need to sync it with the headquarters' satellite array. Once I do, we'll have a clear line."
BZZT.
Static burst from the device again, filling the room like heavy fog.
Then—
"—but—" crackle "—calls—" distortion.
Max's grin deepened, eyes gleaming with focus.
"Yes! There's someone on the other end. I just need to clean up the interference."