From the ledge, Lorenzo and Hound watched in horror as Zyon and the Zoombat vanished into the churning lake below.
Hound's face tightened. He wanted to jump after them instantly, but Lorenzo was still dangling from his light whip.
For a few terrible seconds, neither moved. They simply stared.
White foam and crashing water swallowed everything.
"Come on..." Lorenzo whispered.
The lake answered with silence.
Ten seconds.
Twenty.
Thirty.
No sign of Zyon.
Hound's jaw tightened.
Without warning, he pulled Lorenzo upward with a powerful tug of the light whip. The boy slammed against his chest, cradling him against his chest like a newborn.
"Master—"
A wide platform of light formed beneath Hound's boots.
The older man immediately launched himself down the staircase, gliding over dangerous gaps and moss-covered steps. Spray from the waterfall soaked his clothes as he raced downward.
The moment he reached the bottom, he tossed Lorenzo safely onto solid ground and jumped.
A splash erupted as he disappeared beneath the surface.
Brilliant white light exploded through the lake, illuminating the dark water in every direction.
Nothing.
No Zyon.
No body.
Only swirling currents and drifting shadows.
As consciousness slipped away, the pain, the water, and the fighting vanished. A moment later, Zyon found himself soaring high above the endless green canopy that stretched beneath him while rivers glittered like silver threads cutting through the wilderness. Wind brushed against his skin.
'Am I flying? Or am I dead?'
Higher.
Further.
For a brief moment, he felt weightless and free.
Then a voice echoed.
Ancient and powerful, it rolled through his mind like distant thunder.
"Rise. NOW."
Zyon's eyes snapped open.
Water flooded Zyon's mouth as he coughed violently and rolled onto his side. Mud and rotting leaves pressed against his skin, while pain exploded throughout his body, making every breath feel like torture.
For several seconds, he remained on all fours, gasping for breath while the world spun around him.
Nearby lay the dead Zoombat.
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Dark blood slowly mixed with the swampy water surrounding its corpse.
A growl echoed through the underbrush.
Zyon froze.
The sounds were getting closer.
Branches parted.
Eight meters away, three creatures emerged from the foliage.
At first glance, they resembled giant armadillos. Each one was nearly the size of a large boar, with a broad body covered in overlapping rock-like plates the color of rusted iron and dark moss. Thick spikes jutted from their shells, while layers of dried mud and tangled vegetation clung to the gaps between the armor, making them look like moving boulders brought to life.
Their shells looked solid. But their pale underbellies did not.
Zyon slowly pushed himself upright, but his ribs screamed in protest.
One hand pressed against his side.
The other tightened around the handle of his knife.
'The dead Zoombat's blood must have attracted them. Just my luck. My ribs felt broken, my head wouldn't stop spinning, and now I have three Ethereals to deal with.'
The three Rockadillos slowly spread out, forming a loose circle around him. Their movements were deliberate, almost cautious, as if they were studying him before committing to the attack.
The first one suddenly curled into a ball.
Zyon's eyes widened. 'Oh no, here it comes—'
The Ethereal launched forward.
The spinning creature became a blur of claws and armor.
It shot forward like a cannonball.
Zyon dove aside just in time.
Pain exploded through his ribs as he hit the ground.
A loud scream escaped his throat. "ARghh!"
The world blurred.
But he forced himself back onto his feet.
Breathing was painful enough. Staying upright was even worse.
The beasts didn't care.
A second one began rolling.
Zyon's pulse quickened.
'Think, move, and survive.'
His eyes scanned the swamp desperately.
Then he saw it.
A small patch of sunlight shining through the canopy.
Without hesitation, he ran.
Every step sent fresh pain through his body, but the moment he entered the sunlight, warmth spread through his skin.
The familiar feeling returned. It wasn't much, but the small surge of energy was enough to reignite a spark of hope.
Zyon immediately reached for his weapon.
He felt nothing at his waist.
His makeshift club was gone.
"Damn it... I must have lost it in the lake," he said out loud.
Drawing his stone knife again, he wrapped the blade in golden light. At the same time, a small light shield formed around the wooden makeshift armguard on his left arm.
The glow flickered, unstable.
But it would have to do.
The Ethereals attacked again.
The second creature slammed into him first. At the last second, he was able to raise his arm with the shield.
-CRASH!
The impact rattled every bone in his body.
Cracks spread across the glowing shield.
Zyon stumbled backward, boots carving trenches through the mud.
Before he could recover, the third creature lunged with its claws that scraped across the shield.
More cracks appeared.
Zyon retaliated with a quick knife strike, but the blade skidded harmlessly across thick armor.
'Not even a scratch.'
The creatures pressed harder.
Relentless.
Another spinning impact shattered the shield completely.
Golden fragments scattered through the air.
His left arm immediately went numb.
Warm blood trickled from his head wound.
His breathing grew ragged.
Every breath felt like knives in his ribs.
The sunlight helped, but it wasn't enough.
The largest of the three Ethereals rolled backward.
Then launched forward.
Faster than before.
"Not like this..." he shouted, vision blurring.
Zyon planted his feet firmly in the mud. Running was no longer an option, and neither was dodging. Everything would come down to a single strike.
Golden light exploded around his right fist.
The glow condensed until it resembled molten metal.
Even the air shimmered around it.
The monster rushed closer and closer.
Zyon roared and punched.
-BOOM!
Zyon met the charge head-on. The collision created a small explosion of golden light.
The force threw both him and the beast backward. The Ethereal unfolded mid-air from the impact, exposing its soft underbelly for a split second.
That was all Zyon needed.
Zyon channeled the last of his Heka into the knife, golden light wrapping around the blade before he launched himself forward.
The glowing blade plunged deep into the creature's vulnerable underside.
A piercing screech split the swamp as the beast crashed to the ground.
Dead.
The victory lasted only a heartbeat. Zyon's legs gave out beneath him, and the world immediately began to blur. Above, the sunlight seemed farther away than ever as the last traces of Heka drained from his body.
The knife slipped from his fingers.
As he collapsed, a shadow passed overhead.
Something enormous descended through the canopy with a deafening cry that shook the forest.
One of the remaining Ethereals vanished beneath a blur of feathers and claws.
The impact flattened nearby vegetation.
The third armadillo fled immediately.
Zyon could barely focus.
All he saw were two massive wings stretching.
Much larger than anything he had ever encountered.
'A Greater Ethereal.'
The realization sent a final chill through him.
'I'm done for...'
His vision faded completely as unconsciousness claimed him.