The night pressed heavy against the forest.
Kaelion and Raik sprinted through the darkness — but this time, they weren't alone.
Shadowy figures emerged from the mist: Soul Knights, their armor creaking, ghostly light shining from behind their visors.
There was no running now.
Raik skidded to a stop, pulling Kaelion down beside a fallen log.
He cursed under his breath, clutching the nearly-drained Teleport Stone.
"Three Soul Knights. Maybe four. I don't have the juice to warp us both again..."
"You're gonna have to fight, Kaelion."
Kaelion's heart pounded in his chest.
Fight?
He wasn't ready. He didn't even know how to control the Earth Stone yet.
But the ground beneath him... it answered when he called.
The Soul Knights closed in, swords and spears flashing in the moonlight.
Raik grabbed Kaelion's shoulder.
"Listen. Feel the earth. Don't think. Trust it. Trust yourself."
Kaelion nodded slowly, rising to his feet.
As the first Soul Knight charged, Kaelion slammed his palm into the ground instinctively.
CRACK!
The earth shuddered.
A jagged wall of stone erupted from the soil, blocking the Knight's sword strike completely.
The Knight stumbled back in shock.
Kaelion barely had time to breathe before another Knight rushed him from the side.
This time, Kaelion focused — pushed with all his will — and the ground responded.
Sharp stone pillars shot up, knocking the Knight off balance and sending him sprawling.
Raik, meanwhile, darted through the battlefield like a blur, teleporting short distances, grabbing enemies mid-attack and tossing them far away into the trees — but every time he teleported, his face grew paler.
"Can't... keep this up much longer..." Raik gasped.
A third Soul Knight lunged toward Raik, blade aimed for his back.
"Raik!!" Kaelion shouted.
Without thinking, Kaelion stomped the ground.
The earth exploded beneath the Knight, hurling him backward into the shadows.
Raik flashed a grateful grin at Kaelion.
"You're getting it, rookie!"
Kaelion smiled back — but there was no time to celebrate.
The last Soul Knight — a larger one, with a crackling black spear — advanced slowly, aura pulsing with dark power.
Kaelion's legs shook. His Earth Stone buzzed violently inside him, warning him:
This one's different. Stronger.
The Knight charged.
Kaelion braced himself — and when the spear swung toward him — he raised both hands and willed.
A massive slab of stone surged from the ground, shielding him at the last second.
The impact shattered the stone wall — but Kaelion was already moving.
Channeling every bit of strength he had left, he slammed his fists into the dirt.
BOOOOM.
A shockwave of pure force erupted outward.
The earth split, and the big Knight was blasted off his feet, crashing into a tree with a sickening crunch.
Silence fell over the forest.
The Soul Knights were down — for now.
Kaelion dropped to his knees, exhausted but alive.
Raik staggered over, breathing heavily.
He grinned weakly and patted Kaelion on the back.
"Welcome to the fight, kid."
"Looks like you're a real Stonebearer now."
Kaelion managed a tired smile.
He didn't feel like a hero.
He felt battered. Shaken. Terrified.
But deep inside — under all the fear — was a fire.
And it was only just beginning to burn.