The freezing wind whipped across the mountain peak as Ignis swayed on his feet. Before he could take another step, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.
Sophia lunged forward, grabbing him just before he hit the snowy ground. "You are not fine," she said, her voice tight with worry. "I am taking you home."
She hoisted Ignis up, struggling slightly under his dead weight. "Is he sick? What is wrong with him?" she whispered to herself.
As she shifted him onto her back to carry him, a sudden rush of heat flooded her cheeks. She looked down, her eyes widening. "Ignis... your hand is on my breast."
He didn't respond, his head lolling against her shoulder. Sophia sighed, shaking her head. "I am a fool. He has completely passed out." Holding onto him tightly, she activated her gem and teleported them away from the mountain.
In the quiet warmth of Sophia’s room, she gently dropped Ignis onto her bed. She stood over him, biting her lip in panic. What should I do? Is it serious? Should I take him to a hospital?
Before she could make a decision, Ignis groaned. He opened his eyes, blinking against the light, and slowly sat up on the edge of the bed. He pressed a hand to his forehead. "I am fine. It is just a headache."
Sophia immediately sat down next to him, her eyes searching his face. "Come on, Ignis. Tell me. I am a Ranger like you."
"It is nothing," Ignis muttered, looking away.
"You are hiding something," Sophia pressed, crossing her arms. "But your health matters first. Do you want some tea?"
"No need."
"Should I make it?"
"No need," Ignis repeated, rubbing his temples.
Sophia leaned in closer, a playful but concerned look on her face. "Please, Ignis. Tell me. Is it puberty?"
Ignis paused and stared at her, utterly confused. "No. Why would you think that?"
"I don't know, I am just guessing!" Sophia threw her hands up defensively.
Ignis let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping. "Fine. I will tell you. I had a vision."
Sophia’s playful demeanor vanished. "A vision?"
"Yes," Ignis said, his green eyes darkening with fear. "I saw a seven-headed dragon flying in the sky. The world was already destroyed. Everything was consumed by flames. Then, the dragon saw me, and he blasted his fire directly at me. That was when I woke up."
Sophia shivered slightly. "A dragon? That is weird. It is just your imagination, right?"
"I don't know," Ignis said softly. "The dragon had a name."
"Who?"
"Luciferio."
Sophia frowned, taking in the strange name. "So, what now?"
"All I know is, whoever this Luciferio is, he is a threat to all life." Ignis leaned back, falling flat onto the mattress and staring up at the ceiling. "I always feel like we are dealing with threats we cannot comprehend."
"But we just have to fight," Sophia said firmly.
Ignis nodded slowly. "Yes. If we don't, then who will?"
"No one," Ignis replied, his voice grim. After a moment, he sat back up, determination returning to his face. "The next time an alien comes, we are capturing it for information."
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Sophia’s eyes widened. "You mean torture it?"
"No, questioning it."
"What if he doesn't talk?" she asked.
Ignis stared at her with a cold intensity. "You will find out."
Sophia swallowed hard. "That is dark."
Ignis stood up from the bed, dusting off his clothes. "I will be leaving now."
"Wait, do you still want tea?" Sophia asked quickly, eager to keep him around a little longer.
Ignis offered a small, exhausted smile. "Fine, I will take it. You are too pushy."
"Okay, I will make it right now!" Sophia smiled brightly, hurrying out of the room. As she closed the door behind her, she beamed. I will make it with love, Iggy. I hope you will love it.
Left alone, Ignis sat back down on the bed, burying his face in his hands. What are we dealing with? he thought, the image of the burning world flashing in his mind.
Five minutes later, Sophia walked back into the room holding a steaming mug. She sat down on the bed next to Ignis and handed it to him. As he reached for it, she caught his gaze, a soft blush returning to her face.
"Your eyes are beautiful," she blurted out.
Ignis blinked in surprise. "Oh. Thanks a lot." He took the cup, wrapping both hands around the warm ceramic. "Thanks for the tea."
"Of course," Sophia smiled softly. "You will feel better. I made this hot tea just for you."
Ignis returned the smile, his expression genuine. "You are a really good friend, Sophia."
Sophia’s smile instantly fractured. Her eyes dropped to the floor, her heart sinking. "Yes. I am a really good friend. Thank you."
Completely oblivious, Ignis brought the mug to his lips and took a large gulp.
A second later, his eyes bulged. He violently threw the cup aside and spat the hot liquid directly into Sophia's face.
"What?!" Sophia shrieked, wiping her face. "It can't be that bad!"
"What did you put in this?!" Ignis gagged. He suddenly leaned forward and vomited directly onto Sophia's clothes.
"What the hell, Ignis! Not funny!" she yelled, jumping up in disgust.
"You put fucking salt in the tea!" Ignis choked out. He turned his head and violently vomited onto the floor.
"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" Sophia cried, grabbing a towel from her desk. "I was in a hurry because you wanted to leave!"
Ignis kept coughing, spitting the last of the foul taste onto the floor.
Sophia knelt beside him, wiping at her ruined clothes. She paused, staring at the puddle on the floor. "Why is your vomit so... green?"
Ignis stood up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, completely ignoring her question. "I will clean the floor."
"No need, it is my fault," Sophia said, her face burning with deep embarrassment. "Go home. You are already feeling sick from your vision stuff."
"Why did you put salt?" Ignis groaned, his stomach still churning.
"It was an accident!"
"I know, but... like... but," Ignis said, struggling to find the words.
Sophia buried her face in her hands. "I know." What is wrong with me? she thought miserably.
"I will be going now," Ignis said softly. "I need to clean myself. And it's time to rest and think." He held up his gem, a flash of red light enveloping him as his Ranger suit appeared. "Should I go, or do you need me to stay?"
Sophia looked at him, completely humiliated. "Just go. Go."
"Look, it was a mistake," Ignis said, his voice softening. "Don't push yourself too hard."
With a flash of light, he teleported away, leaving Sophia standing alone in her messy, foul-smelling room.
Deep within the dark void of the Nexus Realm, Simon stood respectfully beside the jagged throne. Azathoth sat in silence, his eyes glowing faintly in the shadows.
A portal ripped open in the center of the chamber, and Corvous stepped through. He immediately dropped to one knee, bowing his head to the floor.
"Master, I will be going to Earth today," Corvous announced.
"Kill all those Rangers and bring me the gems," Azathoth commanded, his voice rumbling like distant thunder.
"Understood, Master." Corvous hesitated for a moment, keeping his head bowed. "Master, I am so sorry for asking, but... what makes Luciferio so special?"
A slow, terrifying smile stretched across Azathoth's face.
"What makes him so special?" Azathoth repeated, leaning forward. "In every story, evil always loses. What makes Luciferio special is that he wins."
Azathoth’s eyes flared with dark amusement. "He makes hope look like foolishness. If he were the one facing the Rangers right now, he would have already killed all of them. He would have slaughtered every military force on the planet. Only he and the humans would remain, and hope would become nothing more than a delusion."
Azathoth stood up slowly, casting a massive shadow over the room. "I like him because he wins. And I want him to be the wielder of the Seven Gems. Not you. If you try to take the gems for yourself... I will kill you myself. This is about maximizing evil. I need the gems to go to the worst among all existence. The most evil. And that is him."
Corvous trembled slightly, pressing his forehead closer to the ground. "I understand. I will take the gems and give them to him."
"Yes," Azathoth said coldly. "That is my will. So, go and kill those people."
Simon stepped forward, looking down at Corvous with absolutely no emotion in his eyes. "And if you fail," Simon said quietly, "don't even come back. Just kill yourself."