Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
Six shadows darted between the towering trees of the Eternal Forest, boots crashing through underbrush and hearts pounding in unison. Behind them, the ground trembled with unnatural rhythm.
Tut-tut. Tut-tut. Tut-tut.
The sound of six tails slapping the earth as one—a rhythm of death. "Sovereign!" a deep voice barked. "You really got us in deep this time!"
The speaker was Rhett, towering even among the Titans, his dark green skin glistening with sweat and blood. He turned his head mid-run to glare at the Titan just ahead of him."Why didn't you just listen?!"
The one leading them, a pale white Titan whose eyes glowed gold in the fading light, growled in frustration. "How is this my fault?! How was I supposed to know this area housed a Chaotic Beast?! This was supposed to be a routine hunt!"
Another Titan, Vale, panting hard, gritted his teeth. "Routine, my ass. That thing's faster than us and it hasn't even tried yet."
"We can't out run it," Daren added, his leg bleeding from a slash. "We'll have to fight it."
They all slowed, reluctantly.
"Master Theron," Sovereign called out. "Suggestions?"
From the back, the oldest of them—their instructor—Master Theron, with fading brown skin, cracked knuckles, and ancient eyes—nodded solemnly. "We stand. We fight. Fall in formation."
The six Titans pivoted, planting their feet and facing the crashing wave of shadows.
The Chaotic Beast emerged—a six-tailed fox-like creature, twice the size of a bear, with luminous silver fur rippling with volatile light. Its eyes were pure white, and a foul golden mist poured from its body.
"Don't breathe it in!" Theron shouted.
But it was too late. The pheromones clouded their senses. Axe, the youngest of them, charged forward before anyone could stop him.
"Axe, NO—!"
The beast didn't move. It let him come.
Just as Axe reached within arm's range, one of the tails lashed forward, piercing his chest and lifting him off the ground. He gasped, body twitching once… then still.
"Damn it!" Rhett roared. "We need to coordinate!"
"Sovereign, left flank!" Theron shouted. "Vale, cover!"
They split apart—Titan instincts kicking in. Vale's fists crackled with latent Vol as he pounded the earth, sending debris upward to mask Sovereign's movement. Sovereign dove in with his fists,Vol brimming beneath it's surface , striking at the creature's front leg—but the beast barely flinched. Daren leapt onto its back, hammering blows into the spine. For a moment, it staggered.
"Now! It's stunned!" Daren called.
The moment was brief. A tail slammed into his ribcage and sent him flying like a ragdoll into a tree. The sound of bones breaking was unmistakable.
Theron grunted.
"They're illusions," he muttered. "The mist—it's affecting our perception."
"Then how do we fight it?!" Vale snarled.
"We burn it."
The master's eyes glowed as Vol surged around him. His body burst into flame—not just elemental fire, but a final act of will. His Vol Nodes ignited, one by one, burning out to release a wave of pure elemental force.
"FOR THE ANCESTOR!" he roared, throwing himself at the beast.
The firestorm collided with the creature, dispersing the mist and burning the surrounding forest to cinders. The beast shrieked—its illusion broken, its body now half-scorched, three tails severed.
"NOW!" Sovereign screamed.
Rhett charged from the side, grabbing one of the beast's fangs and tearing it out with brute force, blood gushing. The beast wailed in agony. "Use this," Rhett said, tossing the bloody fang to Sovereign. "Its own tooth—cut through it!"
"What about you?!" Sovereign shouted.
"Doesn't matter. Go!"
Rhett stayed behind, holding the beast down, tail after tail impaling him as he laughed through bloodied teeth.
Sovereign hesitated—but then he ran. Not away. Forward.
He charged, leapt, and drove the jagged fang into the beast's eye, then into its brain. With one last shriek, the beast convulsed and fell.
And so did Sovereign.
He lay on the ground, body broken, tears spilling from his eyes.
One by one, his brothers were gone. Axe. Daren. Vale. Rhett. Theron.
Gone.
Hours later back at his village.
Charred remains rested on a pyre of stone and ash in the center of the village. Sovereign stood before the fire, arms folded, his white hair stained with blood and soot.
He watched as the flames consumed the only family he had outside his own blood.
"May the Ancestor bless you," he whispered, voice cracking. "Theron. Rhett. Daren. Vale. Axe."
"Thank you… for buying me one more day."
Tut, tut. Tut.
Heavy steps approached.Sovereign didn't turn. He already knew.
"Tell me, Vidal… what happened?" his father said, voice quieter than Sovereign had ever heard it.
It struck him—the name. Not Sovereign. Not the title. But Vidal. The boy who once chased fireflies through the plains.
"It was a Chaotic Beast," Sovereign replied. "I could do nothing. If it weren't for them… if it weren't for their sacrifice… I would've died too."
A hand pressed down on his shoulder. Warm. Heavy. Comforting.
"You did well, son," said Kraken, his voice trembling with something buried. "You survived. You honored their memory. You brought their souls home."
"And you killed the beast."
"That flame… will light the path forward."
Sovereign nodded, eyes burning.
Kraken turned to leave, but not before addressing the gathered Titans:
"Give him space."
They left. Silence returned. Only the crackle of fire remained.
Sovereign watched the flames flicker and fall, jaw clenched.
He had known death before. But this time, it changed him.
He was prey today. But never again.
"If my fists aren't enough… I'll forge a blade that can cut anything down," he muttered.
"If my body isn't enough, I'll craft armor no beast can pierce."
"And if even that isn't enough…" he clenched his fists. "Then I'll think of something else."
He looked to the sky, and with flames in his eyes, whispered:
"Bless their souls, Ancestor. For they have given me another chance… and I'll not let it go to waste."