Neil’s glare hardened on Lui, his rage simmering to the surface. It was the kind of fury that stripped away the calm of the once-cool kid and revealed something darker underneath—a monster barely holding back. Before Lui could even rise from the ground, Neil vanished. In the blink of an eye, he switched positions with a nearby rock and reappeared before Lui, landing a crushing punch across his face that sent him sprawling again. Lui tried to recover, but Neil’s movements became a blur. He switched positions again—then again—each time appearing at a different angle and striking harder than before. The air cracked with every impact. Lui couldn’t predict it, couldn’t even see the transitions; Neil was everywhere, his fists driven by anger and the echo of memories he couldn’t silence. Each punch brought flashes—Chiyo’s smile, her laughter, her warmth. And then, one false image: Chiyo behind glass, trapped in a cone of light, looking at him with disappointment. The illusion hit harder th

“Aren’t you supposed to be with Chiyo?” Neil asked. "Well... At least she's safe." Zoe smiled. "I will let Freda have her for now." "Noted." Neil closed his eyes again and let sleep creep in. "Are you bailing on me?" Zoe asked. "Sorry." Neil smiled. "But I'm done for today... Besides, I have to come up with an appealing excuse for Prof. Hiro." "You're right." Ned said. "But does it matter?" Freda said, waking. "I'm ready to undergo any punishment... But I have already gotten my prize." She hugged Chiyo tight; the little girl winced, then drifted back to sleep. Dusk had settled. The weather was calm. They watched Chiyo snore gently, a small, fragile island of peace. "You're right." Neil said. "We did have our prize already." They climbed down at the last bus stop and walked toward the school gate. Jones, the gatekeeper, bent over a patch of flowers, mending a broken branch. He looked up as the kids came through — clothes torn, faces streaked with blood and dust, hair askew. Th

"Good news, people..." Everyone turned to see Ms. Wade standing by the entrance of the bus. Their faces lit up; each of them looked sharp in clean, well-organized uniforms. She noticed and smiled cheerfully, filling the kids with excitement for what was to come. "I can’t believe it," Sandy whined. "We’re really doing it." "What’s that?" Neil asked, adjusting his ears to hear him. "We’re finally going out on a trip!" Sandy yelled. "This is by far the coolest thing that’s gonna happen to me this year." "Sandy..." Ms. Wade called softly. "Huh... Me?" Sandy gawked. "Cool it." She looked at him devilishly. "It’s not a school trip, it’s punishment for leaving school premises." "Eeeeeee..." Sandy screeched. Ms. Wade smiled, then let out a light laugh, tilting her head to the right. Neil noticed her gesture for a while before turning his attention to Sandy. "Relax... She was just kidding," Neil said. "I know it won’t be much work either." "Phew... Guess she got me pretty good then.

The roar echoed through the jungle, sending birds scattering from their nests. Ms. Wade froze—whatever made that sound was terrifying. Before she could react, Jayden bolted toward the direction Neil and the others had gone. “Jayden!” she shouted, but he was already gone. She facepalmed in frustration, exhaling sharply before turning to the rest. Reece was clutching his chest, struggling to breathe. “Woohoo,” Sandy cheered, grinning, then turned to Ms. Wade. “Are we going in too?” “No.” Her tone was sharp. She faced Rory. “Found him yet?” “No…” “Then that’s it.” She faced the jungle. “We split up and find the driver.” She stepped toward the trees with Reece, but a sudden force field flared up, blocking the others path. They stopped in confusion. Sandy’s eyes caught a strange mark carved into a nearby tree. He stepped closer, squinting. “Zulu…” he muttered. Ned began analyzing the barrier, rambling about energy fields and frequencies, but Sandy interrupted. “This place

A light breeze swayed through the jungle, brushing gently against the trees—then, in an instant, it changed. A violent gale storm tore through the forest, twisting trunks to their limits until they cracked like brittle bones. A blinding light exploded across the dark canopy, followed by a deafening whoosh as the storm howled to life. Faint voices pierced through the chaos, muffled and broken, like echoes of a battle hidden within the tempest. An impact rippled from within the light, shaking the ground. The brilliance faded, revealing two figures—one human, one shadow. Reece stood panting, eyes locked on the dark spectre that loomed before him. He raised his hands, conjuring a beam of light that swelled until it matched the size of the moon. The shadow lunged first, its tendrils slicing through the air like black lightning. “Get going, you guys!” Reece shouted over the storm. “Leave this to me!” His comrades hesitated as his light flared against the spectre’s darkness. Ms. Wade’s sh