The scream echoed through the hallway and froze every movement, as if the air itself had solidified.
For an eternal instant, the three locked eyes. Then, they broke into a run toward the bridge.
Liora took the lead, but Marcus's hand shot out and shoved her back without hesitation.
He took her place… only for a golden spear to slide beneath his feet.
Victoria made him fall and pressed forward, ignoring the pain that tore through each step.
She reached the front of the race and fought for the entrance to the bridge. Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her.
Liora grabbed her by the hair, but Victoria spun fiercely and kicked her in the chest, pushing her back and using the impact as momentum.
She fell backward, rolled, and got up again without stopping.
Marcus tore the last claw from the cable attached to his shoulder and threw it. The projectile opened a wound near Victoria's ankle. Blood spurted and slowed her momentum.
Still, she was the first to step onto the bridge.
Marcus was right behind, too close.
Liora, further back, was drawing on her last breath.
Cornered, she made a desperate decision. She consumed the last trace of ether she had recovered and created a red bubble beneath her feet.
The bubble exploded.
The blast propelled her forward like a projectile. Liora shot over the bridge, overtaking Victoria and Marcus in the blink of an eye.
She flew uncontrollably and landed awkwardly on the other side, the impact knocking the air from her lungs.
Liora fell on her side, rolled several times, and lay still for an eternal second before getting up with difficulty. She spat blood, gritted her teeth, and, without looking back, entered the chamber.
Victoria concentrated ether in a single leg.
The muscle responded with a brutal whip, and she leapt with all her strength, crossing the bridge in one bound.
Marcus could only see her figure move away suddenly.
The next second, a shadow appeared on the ground in front of him, growing rapidly. He had no time to wonder about anything. Then he slammed on the brakes.
Something fell before him with a heavy impact.
A person, covered in blood, slowly rose. Not as much as his own, but enough to tell a story of violence.
A person Marcus no longer expected to see, and didn't want to see either.
Duke.
Marcus couldn't help tilting his head. The scene forced him to, confusion imposing itself by pure instinct.
Duke shouldn't be there.
Not in that state.
For a fraction of a second, his mind tried to fit the image, to make sense of it.
But he didn't allow even one more beat of doubt.
He clenched his jaw, feeling exhaustion and pain protesting throughout his body, and let logic prevail over bewilderment.
It didn't matter how Duke had gotten there, or why he appeared now.
Only one thing mattered.
If Duke stood between him and the egg, he would have to take him down.
And if reaching it meant going through someone else, he would do it without hesitation.
—————-
Liora stumbled as she entered the cave, weighed down by the fatigue in every muscle.
The chamber was small and circular, identical to many others she had passed along the way, but this one had a distinguishing feature: an irregular hole, apparently made with hammer blows, revealing a shimmering waterfall beyond the rock.
Water fell in a constant stream, illuminating the room with a cold, natural glow.
It was the result of her plan. The day before entering the mountain, Liora had studied the surroundings, discovering that part of the structure stood above a lake, creating a perfect emergency exit.
Then, Liora only had to create a mental map of the mountain upon entering, a process made easier thanks to her photographic memory.
Then she saw Emma kneeling by the wall, pale but determined. Her trait, primordial strength, had allowed her to destroy the wall with precision, though the effort had nearly drained her ether reserve and worsened the wound inflicted by Victoria.
Victoria appeared shortly after, bursting into the chamber with firm and determined steps. Without granting a single moment of respite, she charged at Liora and Emma with her fist raised.
—————-
Marcus threw a straight jab at Duke's face, trying to break his defense. Duke slightly twisted his torso, letting the punch graze his cheek, and countered with an elbow that struck Marcus's shoulder, causing him to lose balance slightly.
Marcus stepped back half a step and connected a low kick to Duke's right leg. The strike made Duke stagger, but his reflex was immediate: he ignored the pain and launched a right hook at Marcus's face.
Marcus ducked and dodged, but Duke cleverly followed with a knee strike to the face, which didn't fully connect because Marcus blocked it with his forearms.
Duke continued pressing and threw a powerful left hook. Marcus reacted in time: he stepped slightly sideways, dodged the blow, and grabbed Duke's extended arm, pulling it forcefully.
But instead of countering, Marcus used the momentum to step aside and sprint toward the egg.
Duke spun quickly, executed a low sweep that caught Marcus's legs, and made him stumble.
Before he could get up, Duke lunged onto his back, blocking any attempt to rise. Marcus, agile even while injured, rolled on the ground, loosening Duke's grip, and with a quick hip twist freed himself completely.
He got back on his feet with difficulty and ran toward the hollow, desperate.
But Duke didn't stop: he lunged at his ankle and with a precise strike made him fall again.
Duke crawled forward and positioned himself in front of Marcus, blocking his path.
"What the hell's your problem with me, man?" Marcus shouted, his voice full of rage. "Don't you want the egg?"
Duke let out a deep, cold laugh:
"I don't give a damn about the egg. It doesn't attract me or amuse me. What amuses me is you. You want that egg, and I… just don't.
So let me handle this, okay?"
In an instant, Duke erupted in a burst of steam, his body transforming. His monstrous form emerged with a restrained roar, stirring the air around him.
Marcus didn't understand a thing.
Was he trying to attract monsters?
Why?
For what?
Then Duke raised his arm and struck the bridge with a brutal impact. The rock and stones groaned and began cracking, fissures appearing everywhere.
Marcus understood his intention immediately.
He ran forward, desperately searching for a safe spot as the cracks spread beneath his feet.
But there was no time: another strike from Duke caused the bridge to collapse completely.
The bridge split apart with a thunderous roar.
Marcus felt the world vanish beneath his feet, the sudden weightlessness tearing a strangled cry from his throat as gravity released him and the abyss claimed him.
As he fell, a rock tore loose from above and smashed against the space just behind his head. Darkness swallowed his vision, his consciousness slipping away mid-fall.
The same fate caught Duke, his massive form vanishing into the void alongside the collapsing remnants of the bridge.
Moments later, consciousness returned in flashes—wind screaming past him, the ground rushing closer with terrifying speed. Instinct screamed louder than pain. With what little awareness he had left, Marcus forced his ether outward, forming a crude helmet around his head just before darkness claimed him once more.
The abyss answered with silence.
The ground below awaited them both, swallowing Duke, Marcus, and the shattered remains of the bridge—leaving behind only drifting dust, falling stone, and an echo that lingered deep within the mountain.
—————-
Victoria threw a left hook that sliced through the air with a deadly whistle.
Liora dodged by inches, her body bending with precision, but before she could counterattack, Victoria spun her arm and struck the side of Liora's head with a backhand. The impact made her head whip violently, and a wave of pain shot through her skull.
Emma seized the moment, striking Victoria's stomach with her full body weight.
Victoria let out a grunt of pain, spat a thin line of blood, and responded with a brutal kick that hit Emma's head, forcing her back several steps.
Liora, between pain and focus, struck Victoria's cheek, attempting to gain the advantage, but her second attack was grabbed firmly and brutally by Victoria's hand.
They stared at each other, eyes shining, measuring each other intensely, breaths ragged, blood mixed with dust and sweat, a moment that seemed to stretch eternally.
Victoria struck Liora's liver with a quick kick; Liora doubled over, unable to hold her breath, while the pain paralyzed her for a moment.
But Emma launched herself at Victoria, bringing her to the ground, rolling in a struggle that ended with Victoria falling back on top, summoning her spear and raising it, intending to stab Emma's stomach again.
Liora, driven by rage and desperation, regained her balance and kicked Victoria's head with a soccer-style strike, dazing her enough to push and maintain pressure.
Victoria managed to stand.
But Liora's fists rained on Victoria's stomach and face in rapid succession, each blow draining more energy, leaving marks, bruises, and blood splattering everywhere.
Victoria tried to counter with a punch to Liora's stomach, but Liora caught her arm, immobilizing the only free limb she had left to defend herself.
Liora gathered all her remaining strength in a strike that could knock out Victoria.
But Victoria, showing absurd determination, raised her right arm —shot, burned, and fractured— and with a blood-curdling scream delivered a direct blow to Liora's mouth, breaking her teeth.
Blood spurted as Victoria continued her offensive, striking the eye and kicking Liora's liver, forcing her to kneel, bent over in pain.
Victoria summoned her spear again, ready to finish her, but a wild scream cut the tension.
Emma descended from the air like a projectile, striking Liora and drawing Victoria's attention. Victoria reacted by slashing with her spear, injuring Emma, but the cut barely penetrated; fatigue had weakened her attacks.
Emma, ignoring the blood covering her face and the pain coursing through her body, focused her trait in her legs. With a brutal thrust, she kicked Victoria's chest with both legs.
Victoria barely reacted, blocking the blow with the shaft of her spear.
But the momentum didn't stop: Victoria was catapulted backward, violently colliding with the cave wall. Her head struck the rock.
The combined force of the impact and the blow to the rock left her unconscious for a few seconds, suspended between pain and lack of control, while dust fell around her.
Emma ran to Liora, supporting her and handing her the egg. She dragged her toward the hole, and with a mutual nod, both jumped.
In midair, Emma activated her transformation: a roar of steam and etheric energy gave rise to her monstrous form, an imposing and majestic bear.
The bear embraced Liora and the egg, and together they vanished into the mist, falling into the water with a crash that echoed throughout the cave.
Victoria regained consciousness slowly, but her vision only caught Emma and Liora escaping with the egg.
There was no strength, no rage, not even a shred of pride to push her to rise; only absolute exhaustion and consuming frustration.
With one last effort, she activated her ether recovery technique, letting the energy flow through her body and stabilize every muscle, preventing her from falling unconscious.
A deep sigh escaped her lips as her eyes reflected a mixture of contained fury and resignation.
Finally, she allowed her body to rest, drained, exhausted… accepting, in bitter silence, that the defeat was final.
A bitter smile formed on her face: she had lost.
Victoria had been defeated.