Nevin knew his wisp form was never meant for combat. He was a support, healer who could patch up Glints and keep them moving. That role was useful, but it wasn't enough for him. He wanted to fight, to stand with the others, not just hover behind them.
He reshaped his body and forced two small hands to form. It was easy to do since his body was soft and elastic, almost like jelly. He grabbed a metal pipe and swung it, but the hit landed weak. He tried throwing a rock and it dropped a few steps away. Whether melee or ranged, he lacked the strength to make it work.
While staring at his hands, he thought back to when he healed Iris. He remembered the tether he formed, the way his energy flowed into her. If he could send energy to heal, maybe he could send energy to attack. The idea reminded him of what he heard in the broadcast about Stage 3: Power extends beyond the body, allowing long-range attacks or weapons formed from Fog energy.Could he do something like that, even as Stage 0?
"Alright, watch this. I'm gonna skip fog power stages," he said, his voice carrying more confidence than he felt.
The others looked at him, unsure what he was about to do. Nevin ignored their stares and focused on his theory. Stage 1 was gathering internal energy, so he started pulling it inside himself. His glow brightened until it almost hurt to look at, and he felt pressure rising.
For a moment, it worked. The glow built, his body vibrated with heat, and he felt like a grenade ready to blow. He aimed at a dented can on the ground and forced the energy forward. But nothing came out. The pressure folded back into him and fizzled like a failed firework. His glow snapped out in a weak pop.
He steadied himself, the hands he made shaking. The theory still made sense in his head. Stage 1 was gathering energy inside. Stage 2 was when the gathered energy overflowed and leaked out as an aura. Stage 3 was when the energy could finally travel out as an attack. So why wait for Stage 2, when maybe he could force it earlier?
Nevin gathered a smaller amount of energy and tried again. His body hummed as the glow built up, but when he pushed, it hit the same wall. The energy pressed against his skin and collapsed before it could leave. The can never moved, but his curiosity burned stronger. If others needed stages to reach that point, maybe he would prove it could be done sooner.
On his third attempt, Nevin gathered the energy again, but instead of releasing it forward, a puff of gas escaped behind him.
Thomas burst out laughing from the driver's seat. "Did you just fart? HAHAHA!" His laugh filled the car, and the others in the passenger seats joined in, shaking their heads.
Nevin groaned and tried to ignore them. "It's possible. I know it is." He tapped his chest firmly. "The energy's already here. I just need to force it out."
Thomas was still grinning as he drove. "Maybe try walking first. You don't even have feet, and you're talking about Stage 3. HAHAHA!" His eyes flicked toward the floating wisp before going back to the road.
"You can do it," Iris said, her voice more encouraging. "Imagine if you could use that against Fades."
Nevin let out a slow breath through what counted as his nose and muttered, "Stage 0 today... Stage 3 tomorrow."
Thomas smirked without missing a beat. "More like Stage 0 today, more gas tomorrow."
Laughter rolled again, but Nevin stayed quiet. Deep down he still believed it could work. It wasn't impossible, just unbelievably hard. For now, that was enough.
Days passed in a blur of travel, short fights, and nights spent in broken buildings before moving on again. They were somewhere between safe zones when a stranger appeared.
A man in worn, dark clothes stood at the edge of an overpass, watching as Thomas crushed a goblin's skull with a single punch. His face showed nothing, but his eyes followed them closely.
When the fight ended, Thomas wiped his hands on his pants and the man stepped forward.
"You lot handle yourselves well," the man said. "Not from around here, are you?"
"Passing through," Thomas replied with a shrug.
"You should come with me. My people would be interested in meeting you. We're with the Kuroda family."
Iris and Bryan exchanged a quick look. The Kuroda name carried weight even before the meteor, powerful, ruthless, always after more land.
Thomas didn't react to the warning in their eyes. "Is there food?"
The man smirked. "Plenty. And maybe work too. Something... challenging."
That was enough to hold Thomas' attention, and they followed.
The Kuroda safe zone was built like a fortress, with high walls patched together from scrap metal and broken vehicles. Guards watched from above, armed with salvaged weapons and sharper stares.
Inside, the streets were busy but tense. People moved quickly with their heads down, like drawing attention could get them hurt. The place was clean and orderly, yet stripped of any warmth. Control hung heavy over every step.
It didn't take long before they were brought to the one who mattered.
Renji Kuroda, head of the safe zone, sat in a wide hall surrounded by his men. A thin smile curved on his face, but it never reached his eyes.
"I hear you're strong," Renji said, his gaze fixed on Thomas like he was measuring a tool. "We have a problem that needs solving."
Thomas dropped cross-legged onto the floor and yawned. "What kind of problem?"
Renji leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as the low murmur in the hall faded.
"A Pack," he said. "It's been blocking our path for some time. We need it gone. You handle it, and you'll get supplies, rest, weapons, whatever you need."
The word settled heavy in the air.
Thomas tilted his head. "A Pack... huh." Since the fight with the lizardfolk, they hadn't run into another full pack, only strays that happened to attack together.
A pack was nothing like loose strays. The difference was obvious, every member looked like the same race. The lizardfolk were the perfect example; twenty of them had come at once, all sharing almost the same shape and traits, only differing in sizes, strength or skills. It seemed that once a pack was formed, the fades would mutate to match a single race.
Thomas scratched his head and glanced at Iris, but before he could say anything, Renji went on, his tone smooth and practiced.
"We've tracked their movements. The pack follows a patrol route and always loops back to the same sector. The best time to strike is tomorrow at dawn. That's when it's most exposed."
Thomas frowned. "So, it has to be on a schedule?"
"Exactly," Renji said with a nod. "Too early, and they won't be there. Too late, and they may drift somewhere we can't control."
Thomas crossed his arms, letting out a slow breath. Something about it made him frown. He couldn't place why, but the timing bothered him.
Renji, however, had his own plan. Dawn wasn't chosen at random. That was when their true enemy would be moving through the sector, and the pack was simply in the way. Clearing it at that exact moment would leave the path open for an ambush without interference.
Nevin shifted closer. "What do you think?"
Thomas looked at Iris, then at Bryan. Neither of them spoke, so he finally shrugged. "Yeah... alright. We'll handle it."
Renji's smile widened. "Excellent. We'll provide the details."
The deal was sealed, though Thomas didn't realize a battle for the safe zones had just begun.
They were given food, water, and a roof for the night, but Thomas barely made it through the meal before standing and stretching.
"Ate too much. I'm gonna walk it off." Without asking for permission, he left, and the others rose to follow.
They drove back into the Pink Fog, leaving the safety of Kuroda's walls behind without hesitation.
Thomas picked a direction, and the rest went with him, no destination in mind. They hunted stray fades until the sun dropped, nothing heavy, just enough to move their hands and clear their heads.
All the while, they knew eyes were on them. Iris caught the tail first, Bryan confirmed it, but no one said a word. They didn't change their pace, didn't try to shake the watcher. They simply kept going, fought what needed fighting, and returned to Kuroda's safe zone before nightfall as if nothing had happened.
Back inside, Thomas never mentioned the pack again. "We should rest. Got work tomorrow."
The night passed quietly. The observer sent word back to Renji. Nothing unusual, no trouble, only routine.
Until dawn.
When the hour of the hunt arrived, the quarters Kuroda had given them were empty.
Thomas and his crew were gone.
All of them. No sign left behind.
Renji's composure snapped, his voice cutting through the hall. "What do you mean they're gone? They were there last night!"
The room fell silent, the weight of his fury filling the space.