The flashback shattered like glass as another explosion ripped through the air, vibrating deep in my chest. This one was much closer. The shockwave rattled the leaves of the ancient trees, sending a shower of debris raining down around me.
"Kaoru!" I screamed, the name tearing from my throat.
I forced my legs to move faster, pushing my agility to its absolute limit. My lungs burned, but I ignored the pain. I wouldn't let her be hurt. I wouldn't let the world break her the way it had broken my sister. I summoned my bow, and the wood materialized from thin air, humming with power. Emerald mana flared around me, casting an eerie, ghost-light glow on the forest floor as I burst into the clearing, ready to rain poison upon anything that dared touch her.
And then I saw her.
Kaoru stood amidst the chaos, her silhouette framed by smoke. She turned sharply, her eyes widening as they locked onto mine. "L-Laura!?"
