[Present Time]
What is she doing here?
Yona's breath hitched as she stared at the figure's back, shock and disbelief freezing her in place.
"Who knew Nexus had such concealed rooms? Took me a while to find it," Kaia murmured, her voice a dangerous whisper as she leaned in slightly.
Solomon's jaw clenched. His glare shifted to Zareth, sharp as a blade. "You helped her?"
Zareth flinched, feeling the weight of that stare like a noose tightening.
"Was it you?" Solomon's voice turned deadly. The answer could very well determine whether Zareth walked out of here alive.
Zareth swallowed hard but straightened. "I did."
A muscle twitched in Solomon's brow at the sheer confidence in his answer. "We'll have a little talk later," he said, voice deceptively smooth, "after the ritual."
Without another word, he yanked the dagger from Kaia's grip and attempted to slam his foot into her face. Kaia deflected with a raised arm, the impact sending a dull shock up her limb.
"Before that, why don't you spread your little bird feathers for me?" she taunted.
Solomon's expression darkened. His next kick aimed for her stomach, but Kaia twisted, catching his foot mid-air.
He wrenched it back immediately, lips curling into a grin. "You've got skill, I'll give you that. Did the Apostles teach you those moves?" He took a step back, eyes gleaming with amusement.
Kaia instinctively moved, positioning herself between him and Yona.
"But you're still powerless," Solomon sneered. "I knew it the moment I first saw you. Those wings—" he tilted his head, watching her intently "—probably triggered because you were falling, weren't they? So the secret to your power is... death?" His grin widened as if he had just solved a puzzle.
Kaia's brows furrowed. She raised her arm in a defensive stance, saying nothing.
"Let's see how long you last without using them."
A violent gust surged through the room as Solomon's eyes glowed an eerie white, his hair levitating with an unearthly radiance.
"Kaia! Look out!"
Yona's frantic scream jolted Kaia's focus.
The tentacles binding Yona shot forward like whips. Kaia dodged, spinning as she caught one under her arm.
The moment she gripped it, it yanked her forward with monstrous strength, dragging her across the slick floor.
Then—pain.
A sharp gasp left her lips.
Something cold had pierced through her body. A sword that materialized in Solomon's hand out of no where.
The sickening scent of iron filled the air.
Blood splattered onto Yona's face, her eyes widening in horror.
Behind Kaia, Solomon let out a breathless chuckle, his mouth near her ear.
"Now... why don't you show me what you're hiding?"
A flickering red aura crackled around her, unstable, surging and fading in erratic bursts.
Solomon's eyes widened. "Wait—what the hell? Are you suppressing your power?"
More tentacles slithered toward her—not to pull, but to push—forcing the sword deeper into her body.
Solomon scoffed. "What's wrong? Scared? This is your end. I'd suggest using that power of yours before you bleed out."
"Kaia!" Yona's voice cracked. "You dumbass! You're gonna die! Use your damn powers already!"
Inside her mind, a voice snapped furiously—
[Blonde Lady: What are you thinking?! Kaia! Stop suppressing it! KAI—]
Another voice—silent, watching.
[Mysterious Guy: …]
Kaia barely heard them. Her breaths slowed, even as her vision darkened. The pain? Irrelevant. The tentacles forcing the blade deeper? Annoying, but still, she didn't move.
Solomon let out a wistful sigh. "I have to admit… your powers are more intriguing than the Luminara's. What a waste. If only they could be mine—"
Then she whispered something.
"...Uriel..."
Solomon stiffened, his entire body tensing.
"What?" His voice lost its playful edge. "How do you—"
Kaia didn't let him finish.
Her leg swung up in a brutal arc, her heel slamming into the side of his knee.
A satisfying CRACK filled the room.
Solomon collapsed with a grunt, his grin vanishing as pain shot through his leg.
Kaia wrenched the sword free from her body, the searing agony only fueling her next move.
With a sharp pivot, she slashed outward—severing the tentacles in one swift motion.
Blood dripped from her fingers, but her grip on the sword never wavered.
One of the tentacles lashed out, wrapping around Kaia's waist like a vice and squeezing right over her injury.
A strangled gasp escaped her lips. The pain burned like fire — sharp, unbearable. Blood dripped faster from her wound, but Kaia bit down hard, refusing to give Solomon the satisfaction of her scream.
"Kaia!" Yona's voice cracked with panic, but her body stayed frozen. Helpless. Powerless.
If only… if only I had my powers… Yona's fists clenched at her sides, frustration boiling inside her. I'm useless without them.
"You don't need your powers!" Kaia's voice broke through the haze.
Yona's head snapped up. Kaia hung suspended in the air, the tentacles lifting her higher. Her face was pale, blood trailing from the corner of her mouth — and yet, somehow, she was still speaking.
"You're not useless," Kaia said, her voice strained but determined. "You helped me… you stopped me when I was about to lose control."
The tentacles squeezed tighter. Kaia's vision blurred, but she kept going, even as the pain threatened to knock her out. "Yona… it's you. You, without powers, without anything… you're still the one who deserves everything. Don't blame yourself. Don't ever think you're useless."
Even through the tears threatening to spill, Yona's eyes softened. For a heartbeat, the weight of Kaia's words hit her. But just as quickly, her expression twisted with rage.
"What the hell are you even saying, you idiot?!" Yona barked. "You think I was born just for emotional support or something?!"
Kaia blinked. "Huh? No, no, that's not what I—"
"Shut up already!" Yona snapped, wriggling until one of her hands broke free from the tentacle's grip. She pointed an accusing finger at Kaia. "And you — with your stupid pride! You're acting like refusing to use your powers makes you some kind of noble warrior or something. Newsflash: IT DOESN'T! Stop being an idiot and USE YOUR DAMN POWERS!"
"Hey, now you're crossing the line—" Kaia protested.
"What's there to even be proud of, huh?!"
The two of them bickered like wild dogs, voices rising with each insult. The tentacle holding Kaia actually hesitated, twitching in confusion. It seemed genuinely unsure if it should keep attacking or just… wait until they finished yelling at each other.
On the ground, Solomon tried to push himself up — only for a foot to slam down on his arm, pinning him in place.
"Zareth?!" Solomon's eyes blazed with fury. "What the hell are you fucking doing?!"
Zareth looked down at him with a slow, smug smile. "What makes you so sure I'm gonna follow your orders every time, huh?"
"You bastard—!" Solomon's growl cut off with a hiss of pain.
Meanwhile, Kaia finally glanced around the room, taking stock of the chaos. Solomon pinned down, the boys now also arguing, the tentacle still visibly confused —
Perfect.
Kaia's hand slipped into her pocket. Her fingers closed around a small glass vial filled with a crimson liquid. Without hesitation, she dropped it.
The vial shattered against the stone floor. Red liquid spilled out in thin, glistening streams.
"Yona! Touch the liquid! NOW!" Kaia shouted.
Yona's eyes locked onto the spreading potion, her heart pounding. She didn't know what it would do — but right now, there was no time for doubts. She reached down, hand stretching toward the shimmering red—
But Solomon saw it too. His eyes widened in sudden panic.
"No—stop her!" he snarled, shoving Zareth aside and lunging forward.
But he was too late.
Yona's fingers brushed the potion.
The room exploded with light.
A blinding, radiant flash swallowed everything. Walls dissolved, ceilings fell away, and reality itself twisted. When their vision cleared, the space around them had changed.
The room was gone.
In its place stretched a vast, horrifying interior — a grotesque castle of shifting, shadowy walls and endless blue-black voids. The air was thick and heavy, humming with dark energy. Strange whispers echoed in the distance.
Yona's voice shook. "Where… are we?"
Kaia slashed through the tentacles still holding her, landing on the ground with a hiss of pain. Without missing a beat, she grabbed Yona's wrist and pulled her close, cutting the remaining tentacles that bound her friend.
"No time for questions! RUN!" Kaia ordered.
The tentacles lashed after them — but suddenly, a massive stone wall slammed down between them, cutting off their pursuers.
Solomon and Zareth stood frozen, their eyes wide as they took in their surroundings.
Zareth swallowed. "This place… it can't be—"
"The Luminara Realm," Solomon growled, his fists clenching at his sides. His eyes burned with rage — and fear.