Distraction

"It's a relic— Sapphire Tear" Alex said, noticing Sol staring at the necklace.

"It will heal your wounds and restore your strength. So don't worry about it."

Sol remained on the ground, his eyes fixed on Alex as he spoke. His chest rose and fell steadily now, the pain slowly fading.

Sapphire Tear? he wondered, glancing down at the necklace.

The water drop shaped – sapphire coloured gem at its centre shimmered softly, pulsing with warm energy. 

Sol could feel it—his wounds healing and his strength slowly returning.

"Argh…"

A small groan escaped his lips as he moved. A flicker of pain shot through him—but it passed quickly.

Bit by bit, he pushed himself up, the injuries fading as the relic continued to heal him.

"Well, well....let's do some work, right?"

Alex's sudden words caught Sol off guard. His voice was full of pride and confidence.

Huh? What?

Sol blinked in confusion. But what surprised him more was the way Alex turned to face him with a calm and confident smile. 

-TAP

A firm hand landed on Sol's shoulder. Sol, still confused, felt a strange sense of relief just knowing Alex was there beside him. 

What is he doing? Sol wondered. His eye sharply narrowed.

Alex stood silently, his face turned toward the battlefield. While in the distance, Jaz clashed with the creature, their battle tearing the sky apart with every blow. 

Shockwaves rippled through the air and explosions flashing between them. Yet neither of them showed signs of slowing. 

Jaz's rage had reached new heights, her dark crimson aura swirling wildly around her. The creature's faceless expression seemed stretched in irritation, clearly agitated by its relentless opponent. 

-SCREEEAAAMMMM!!!

The creature let out a piercing shriek of frustration. Thunderous waves of force erupted from its body. But Jaz didn't flinch and managed to defend herself this time. 

A wild mocking smile formed on her face. Enraged, the creature spread its rope-like hair. Each strand elongated in the air, whipping at Jaz like snapping tentacles.

-Splash! -Splash! -Splash!

Jaz moved quickly, deflecting and dodging the strands, closing the distance with blinding speed. 

-BAAMM!

An explosion rocked the battlefield again. The shockwaves rushed toward where Alex and Sol stood. 

"ALRIGHT!" Alex shouted, his voice loud and eager. 

A wide grin spread across his face. His eyes gleamed with excitement. Sol, standing besides him, still glancing at him with confusion. 

Something doesn't feel rig-

Suddenly, Alex's grip on his should tightened, firmly locking onto Sol's clothes. In an instant, green aura burst from Alex's arm. 

"Distract them for me, kid..." he said with a blink and a grin on his face.

Sol's eyes widened in shock.

Distract? Wait...them? Both of them!?

"Heyyy....wai–"

Before Sol could protest, Alex hurled him into the air with incredible force.

-BOOM!!

Sol spun through the air, wind violently whipping around him. His mind raced, his eyes shut tight against the rushing gale but struggled to gain his balance. 

Panicked, he forced himself to breathe and then slowly calmed down. He gathered his focus and his aura instantly flared around him.

Hm!!

At that moment, he noticed something—his aura felt denser, yet easier to control than ever before.

Maybe it's because his body healed… and his strength came back, he thought. But the truth was, his control over his aura had sharpened. 

The constant use of his aura, the intense battle and the stress— all had pushed him to another level. His combat instincts had grown sharper.

Still, that didn't change his current scenario. He was supposed to distract not just the creature - but also Jaz, in her uncontrollable raged form. 

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead as he thinking about how to distract them. Instinctively his hand reached for his sword.

Shit....My sword!

But it wasn't there. Sol face went pale and his heart sank. 

Sol was flustered by the absence of his sword, panic flared for a moment as his plan to distract them had revolved around his sword. But the idea collapsed before it could fully form.

Yet he didn't let it shake him. He forced the panic down and began thinking fast.

Distract them? But how… I don't have enough pow—

He thought and thought, his mind racing. Then - he remembered, earlier from today when he had unexpectedly burst the creature's tentacle with a sudden surge of his aura. 

That move. What if I use it again? but....

His eyes shifted down, landing on the relic resting in his hand - The Sapphire Tear. 

A sudden realization struck over his mind. He tightened his grip around it. His breath steadied and his eyes narrowed with a newfound clarity. 

He knew what he had to do. 

Focus. I have to stay focused....Think!...how did I do it before?...And how can I do it again...without my sword?

The wind howled around him as he flew forward, the gap between him and his targets shrinking fast. Each second felt like an eternity. The tension coiled in his chest. His mind started racing. 

Sol ran through every possibility - every single point of failure, every unpredictable move they might make. 

What if Jaz reacted too fast? Or what if the creature saw through him? What if his body failed him?..... But even through it all, he clenched his jaw and steadied his breath. 

-PHEW!!

Sol's eyes turned sharpened with determination as he caught sight of them. Jaz and the creature, hurling toward each other, their auras flaring with uncontrollable force. 

Curling his body mid-air, Sol gritted his teeth, bracing himself for the pain he knew was coming.

Alright then....

A faint azure aura flickered around his hand. And in an instant, it faded..absorbed straight into his muscles. 

Arrgghhh!!

A bolt of pain shot through his arm, sharp and violent, making it tremble in agony. But he didn't stop.

His body began to descend, falling fast toward the ground but--

Sol had already expected the fall. He quickly tilted his body slightly, moved his left hand into position. His fingers stretched but trembling, already charged with that surreal energy coursing beneath his skin.

And then— 

He flicked.

-BOOM!!

An unexpected surge of force burst from his fingers, launching him forward at even greater speed.

But— His body wasn't ready for the recoil.

ARRGHHH!!

The consequences followed instantly. His fingers tore apart, the foreskin shredded and the blood spilling freely into the rushing wind. 

The pain was abnormally sharp and tearing. For a moment, he could barely breathe. But still – he held on.

Soon, the pain began to fade. The torn flesh slowly mended. The shredded skin started to regenerate. 

However, by this time, Sol was already closing in.

In a sudden gust of force, he shot forward and instantly appeared right between Jaz and the creature, just as they were about to launch their next devastating exchange of blows.

But he passed between them in an instant—cutting straight through their clash. And it was enough.

Both Jaz and the creature snapped their focus away from each other— and turned towards Sol.

-Crash! -Crash! -Crash!

He tumbled across the water's surface, crashing and twirling in violent spirals. The force of his own attack had thrown him like a ragdoll.

But somehow — he managed to steady himself, sliding to a stop atop the rippling surface. His body trembling, still wracked with pain. And his healing hadn't finished yet.

But this was not the time to stop. And Sol knew it too.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed through the pain. His legs trembled violently beneath him, barely holding his weight— but he moved anyway.

But then - a twisted shadow fell over him. The creature had appeared once more, looming before him. The air shifted instantly—turned cold and crushingly heavy.

However, instead of fear or panic, a confident smile spread across Sol's face and a mischievous scoff escaped his lips.

"Ha! I knew it... you'd come after me, idiot!"

With a sharp taunt, he quickly shifted his stance. His right arm moved fast and...

–FLICK!