Start Of A Long Journey

James could feel sweat rolling down his face as he remained encased in the protective barrier. They were in very big trouble. They would have to escape through the door they'd just come through—and it was going to take more than a few seconds to unlock it because of the tight security.

The elder quickly handed James to his mother.

"Get out of here with the baby. I'll hold them off," she commanded, the family head determined to save the mother and child first.

"But if anything happens to you—" his mother began to protest.

"Just get out of here right now!" she bellowed. A green halo began to envelop her, and her aura sharpened visibly.

James' mother wasted no time. She sprinted toward the door, her fingers working frantically to unlock it—the faster she moved, the higher their chance of escape

The elder observed the enemy, who seemed to be taking their sweet time, watching intently without yet attacking.

Then one of the figures stepped forward; the light revealed its full features.

GASP

The elder was shocked out of her mind.

"Kousi?" she whispered, pointing a shaky finger at the figure. She recognized him instantly—of course she did. He had been her sweetheart in her younger, rebellious days, back when she didn't yet bear the vast responsibilities of her clan. She couldn't be with him then because of her clan's doctrines and the need to continue the bloodline.

Emotions poured out of her as she stared at her long-lost lover. She resented her father, who had fixed her fate and taken from her the life she so desperately wished for.

"They took you away from me, Tridnya," Kousi rasped slowly, his voice heavy with both pain and fury. "I shall watch them all burn for what they did to us."

Tears flowed freely from the elder's eyes. This was all her fault—she had tried her best, but his overwhelming love and seething hatred had always been too much for her to bear. He both loved and resented her bitterly, and over the years he had caused her and her clan countless problems. He was responsible for her father's downfall and even for the husband she married because of the clan's lineage.

She was utterly heartbroken by his actions, yet he still wasn't satisfied. His madness plagued him even more, as he planned to burn and drown her entire world—everything she loved and cherished.

She knew what he wanted. All those years she had watched people around her die because of the monster her own hands had created—she couldn't allow that monster to roam free any longer. She had finally found him... and she was never letting go.

Determined, she begun activating her secret technique."This has to end, Kousi," she declared, her voice trembling with a mix of resolve and sorrow.

Kousi glared at her coldly. "No," he spat, flames dancing around his figure. "You are all mine—and they took you away from me. They must all pay. Why do they all wear happy faces while I suffer? They all must burn for their atrocities."

He stretched out his arm and unleashed a funnel of flames. The elder removed her hairpin, letting her beautiful long hair overflow freely as a shimmering barrier formed before her, blocking the flames, her beautiful figure shining brightly from the green Halo which enveloped her. Meanwhile, the mother and the baby—who hadn't even been named yet—were already fleeing down the hallway, escaping from her and her monstrous companion.

If only she had been faster earlier on at the ceremony... the baby might have gotten a lovely name.

The barrage of attacks had only just begun. Tridnya drew her gun and fired two quick shots in the direction where she had last spotted him, but her enemy was faster. He had already changed his position and was dashing toward her.

"Leave my lover in my hands and go after the woman and that child. Kill them all—we'll wipe the Barpoi clan off the map today," he snarled.

He quickly closed the distance and slashed his flaming sword, aiming a vicious arc at her chest. She drew back, and the sword whizzed past her ears.

She aimed the gun and fired again, but he was adept at predicting her moves, dodging the bullet while maintaining his distance.

After a few shots, her magazine was empty. "Shit," she cursed as she tried to reload quickly.

Kousi pointed a finger at her and shot a concentrated beam of flames at her gun, sending it flying out of her hands.

"Now that I've gotten rid of that silly toy," he said, licking the edges of his blade with ecstasy, "let's talk with our blades as we did in the old times."

Tridnya sighed as her hairpin elongated into a beautiful, elegant sword, its jade blade reflecting the light with brilliant intensity—a perfect work of art. Her sword began to glow as she poured her power into it.

She let out a small smile. "Just like the old times."

Seeing what she had done, Kousi covered his sword with flames and lunged at her. They clashed quickly, their furious battle spreading chaos across the shelter. Their movements were a blur—they skidded, jumped, and exchanged blows almost simultaneously.

If the shelter hadn't been properly built, it would have collapsed from their clashing long ago.

A smile formed on Kousi's face as a whirling disc of flames materialized around him, attacking her simultaneously. Small, pixie-like creatures spawned from Tridnya's side to defend her as she fought with all her might.

"You've gotten better since we last met," Kousi taunted amid their clashes.

Tridnya ignored his words, pouring her heart into her battle. They had been at it for what felt like an eternity, and the shelter teetered on the brink of collapse.

"But I've always been better," he declared, spotting a flaw in her defense and stabbing her in the ribs.

"Why?" he drew closer and whispered in her ear, "Because I loved you so much more than you loved me." He poured more flames into his sword, frying her insides.

Her jade sword clattered to the ground as she spat out a mouthful of blood. There was no way she could survive such a serious injury—he had won. Yet, even as he stood victorious, his chest felt unbearably empty, as if something vital was missing. His lover was about to die in his arms.

"No..." came a soft, desperate whisper, as gentle melodies whispered in his ear—the sweetest sound he had ever heard, like the first time he had heard her voice.

In a sudden, bewildering move, she reached up, grabbed the back of his head, and drew him into a kiss.

Whaaaat?

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Kousi was more than stunned by her sudden move. Did this mean she still loved him from the bottom of her heart? His mind reeled: why had he hurt her so terribly? Then why had he done all this—hurt her, hurt her family?

Wait... something was wrong.

This stupid bitch—she was using a secret technique on him. He muffled a scream as he tried to escape her embrace. His life force was draining fast; he wouldn't last much longer if this continued.

"Shit. Shit. Shit," he muttered, his body growing weaker by the second as his shoulders slumped and his flaming sword clattered to the ground.