The forest swallowed sound.
They'd been walking for almost an hour now, weaving through the thick line of trees that bordered the academy grounds. Morning sunlight barely reached through the canopy, spilling only fragments of gold on the forest floor.
"Are we even sure this is the right way?" Josh muttered, brushing a branch aside.
Alaric glanced at the map in his hand. "The trail bends west. Stay close."
Aira walked between them, clutching her sleeve — the one hiding the faint mark that still burned now and then. The air here felt strange, heavier, as if something unseen was watching them.
Zara frowned. "This place gives me the creeps."
"You're not the only one," Aira mumbled.
Still, they pushed forward. The sound of leaves crunching beneath their boots was the only thing keeping her sane — a reminder that she wasn't alone.
Until she was.
It happened so fast.
A faint humming sound drifted through the trees — distant, almost melodic. Aira slowed, her gaze flicking toward it. "Did you hear that?"
No one answered.
She turned — and froze.
The others were gone.
She turned in a slow circle, heart hammering.
"Alaric? Josh?"
Silence.
Only the shadows answered.
She had been right behind them a moment ago—following the faint light of their lanterns—but somewhere along the path, the fog had thickened, the sound of footsteps had faded, and suddenly she was alone.
She turned in a slow circle, the light flickering. Something moved in the corner of her vision—just a shadow—but her heart slammed anyway. She took a step back, tripped over a root, and the flashlight slipped from her hand, rolling a few feet away before settling at an angle. The beam landed on a pair of boots.
Black. Motionless.
Her breath hitched. Slowly, she lifted her gaze—up dark pants, a long coat, and finally those unmistakable violet eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
Her stomach twisted. "You."
He smirked like it was the most predictable thing in the world. "Missed me little spark?"
Her grip on the flashlight tightened. "Why are you here?"
He tilted his head, feigning thought. "You really want the answer to that?"
"I didn't ask you to follow me."
He gave a quiet laugh. "Follow you? You wandered into my path. Again."
She scowled. "You think this is funny?"
"Not funny," he said smoothly, stepping closer. "Predictable."
"Stop coming near me."
"Why? Afraid I'll burn you?"
She took a step back, summoning a whip of wind around her fingers. "Maybe I'll burn you."
His smile didn't fade. "You don't have the control for that, Aira."
"Don't test me, Purple Freak."
He blinked, almost amused. "Purple… what…?"
"You heard me," she spat. "Purple Freak. Fits you perfectly."
The smirk returned, sharper this time. "You've got some nerve, calling me names when you're trembling."
"I'm not scared of you," she said, though her voice shook.
"You should be."
That did it. Her hand flared with wild orange light, the fire mixed with raw wind energy, and she threw it at him.
The blast tore through the air—only to stop mid-flight, frozen inches from his chest.
Aira gasped. He was holding it—literally holding the roaring flame in his bare hand. The fire twisted against his palm like it wanted to consume him, but he didn't even flinch.
In one motion, he clenched his fist and crushed it into nothing but sparks. "Pathetic," he murmured.
"Stop toying with me!" she shouted, lunging forward. Another blast flared—but before she could release it, he was in front of her, impossibly fast. His hand shot out and caught her wrist, the mark beneath his fingers burning with heat.
She froze. His grip was firm but not painful—yet the power thrumming between them was overwhelming.
"Look at you," he said quietly. "Always ready to fight. Always certain you're right. Tell me, what are you even fighting for?"
Her eyes flashed with fury. "For my friend. For Sunny."
"Sunny," he repeated dryly, rolling the name off his tongue. "Ah yes. The one you barely knew. The one you came chasing into this forest like a fool."
Her glare hardened. "She's missing because of you. I saw it."
"In a dream?" His tone was mocking.
"I saw it," she insisted.
He leaned closer, violet eyes boring into hers. "Then tell me something, little spark—how do you know your dream is true? How do you know someone isn't showing you what they want you to believe?"
Her heart stuttered. "What are you talking about?"
He smiled, low and cruel. "You think I care about your little human friend? I don't even know her."
"You're lying," she whispered.
"Am I?" His tone was flat. "You really came all the way here to find her? In a jungle? Cute. I almost felt sorry for that group of yours—running around with maps like children on a scavenger hunt."
"Don't you dare talk about them," she snapped.
He smirked. "Oh, but they're so easy to talk about. So trusting. So sure they know what's happening. You must be their leader, hm? The brave, clueless little firestorm?"
Her hand sparked again. "Shut up."
He tilted his head, teasing. "Or what, you'll set the forest on fire this time?"
"I said—shut up!" She swung her hand upward, ready to release another surge of energy—
—but before she could, he vanished.
The next second, he was behind her, his voice a whisper in her ear. "You really shouldn't raise your power at me, Aira. You have no idea what you're playing with."
She spun around, panting, but he'd already stepped back. His expression was unreadable now, his eyes dark with something deeper than mockery.
"Tell me," she said shakily, "is Sunny here or not?"
He stared at her for a long, cold moment. "No."
Her stomach twisted. "Then why are you here?"
He smirked. "Because I wanted to see how far you'd go to chase a lie."
Her breath caught—but before she could retort, he was gone again, fading into the mist like he'd never been there at all.
The only thing left was the faint echo of his voice in her mind—mocking, quiet, and maddeningly calm:
You shouldn't be here, Aira.
Her knees almost gave out. She pressed a trembling hand to her wrist, where the mark throbbed faintly again, and whispered through clenched teeth,
"Then make me leave."