Rindel's eyes opened inside Floris' body. She blinked once, then gazed ahead.
Kochi stepped forward, her voice sharp. "Where do you think you're going?"
Floris…no, Rindel tilted her head with a smirk. "Hm? Oh right… that fight." She glanced toward the chaos. "I have another agenda."
With a casual flick of her hand, the dark cube trapping Rowan shattered into mist.
"Get back here!" Rowan shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. Tears welled in his eyes, but he still aimed his trembling gun.
Rindel sighed through Floris' lips. "Stop shouting, dammit. Grayslake isn't in this city. I lifted it for nothing… There's not a single trace of his energy here."
"Put the city back," Kochi said, calm but firm. "And surrender."
"Surrender? She just erased Mira!" Rowan snapped, turning to Kochi. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN SURRENDER?! WE…WE'VE GOTTA KILL HER!"
His hands trembled violently. The barrel of the gun shook.
Kochi grabbed his shoulder. "Rowan… calm down. If we lose our heads now, we lose everything."
Rindel smiled. "Put the city back? Sure."
She extended a single finger and pointed it downward.
Without warning, the entire floating city began to plummet.
Buildings groaned.People screamed.
"ROWAN!" Kochi yelled, grabbing him and firing a chain to hook onto a building. The tension yanked them upward just as the city crashed into the earth.
The impact unleashed a quake so violent, it split open roads and cracked buildings into rubble. A towering cloud of dust swallowed the skyline.
Banid hovered, scanning the chaos below.
Then BOOM.
"What was that?" he muttered, looking down at the quake's source.
But the massive worm shrieked, now distracted by the shockwave. It lifted its enormous tail and slammed Banid from the sky, sending him crashing into the dirt.
"Ugh" Banid grunted but flipped midair, slamming into a crouch.
He gritted his teeth and grabbed the worm's neck.
"Kochi and the others already have enough on their plate," he growled, tightening his grip. The worm shrieked, trying to thrash away.
Kochi and Rowan slid down the shattered buildings to street level.
Rowan's eyes widened in horror.
Bodies.
Crushed under rubble. Mangled. Lifeless.
Children… mothers… fathers…
"Friends…" he whispered.
"How many more lives will you take, huh?!" Rowan clenched his fists. His voice broke. "HOW MANY MORE?!"
"Rowan…" Kochi said gently.
Flashback
A man slung a bear carcass over his shoulder, whistling.
"Yo, kid. Wanna go next time?" he asked.
Young Rowan's face lit up. "YES!"
Together they walked into the woods, stepping quietly. Rowan spotted a deer and its fawn and raised his gun, ready to fire…
But his father stopped him.
The deer turned. Fled with its young into the trees.
"Why'd you stop me?" Rowan asked.
His father smiled gently. "Because… there are things you kill and things you protect."
Rowan blinked.
"That mother is protecting her family. You don't interfere with that. Instead of killing mindlessly…"
He looked up at the gray sky.
"…take action. Protect what's worth protecting. Even if it means going hungry."
He ruffled Rowan's hair. "We'll manage."
Present
"Mindless killing ISN'T SURVIVAL!!" Rowan screamed.
He fired.
The bullet with every ounce of his power shot forward toward Floris.
her aura turning it black.
Without hesitation she fired it back.
It tore through Rowan's chest. Blood spilled. His body dropped.
"ROWANN!" Kochi screamed.
He lay on the ground, his vision flickering.
(I couldn't protect… anyone…)
(Kochi… Banid… Mira… I'm sorry… I couldn't clutch for any of you…)
(I'm… worthless…)
A tear fell from his eye.
Then his heart stopped.
"Like I said," Floris murmured coldly. "My primary target is Grayslake. The rest of you… can bite the dust."
She turned to leave
But Kochi tightened her grip.
The chains burst from her hands with fury, snaking across the ground, wrapping around Floris in a violently.
With a yank, they slammed her across the concrete, dragging her body across the rubble.
Kochi's eyes focused "It's not over yet."