The air hit Zeka's face as his eyes twitched and he slowly opened them. He raised his head to see himself being carried, but he quickly fell unconscious again.
Genseki, an eleven-year-old kid, was carrying Zeka over his shoulder with both arms. Akari led the way, while Hayato and Hayaru trailed behind, struggling to catch up. Genseki glanced back and noticed the fire was spreading much faster than before. Hayaru looked back as well, seeing the same threat. He focused, visualizing a wall of wind, and the air around them surged violently, beating the flames back and choking them into ash.
Akari took a sharp left turn with Genseki right on her heels. Hayato broke his ankle trying to keep up with their frantic pace. Pain twisted his face for a split second, but he forced himself to ignore it and kept running. Hayaru noticed his awkward stride and offered a shoulder to lean on so they could keep moving together.
"Are you sure we're on the right path?" Genseki called out.
Akari looked over her shoulder. The fire had almost completely died down, so she slowed her pace until the group came to a halt, catching their breath.
Looking around, Akari noticed a white crane perched quietly on a tree branch. She ignored it and turned her attention to Hayato's ankle. Knowing what she needed to do, she extended her palm toward him, her power slowly mending the broken bone.
Genseki, still holding Zeka, caught a foul stench coming from him. He kept quiet, but couldn't help wondering what could cause such a smell. How was his lifestyle before we ever met?
A sudden twitch in Zeka's body broke his train of thought. Before Genseki could react, Zeka dropped from his shoulder, landing heavily in the deep snow and scrambling backward in panic.
Zeka scanned the sky above as if looking for something invisible, then darted his eyes to the left before locking onto the group staring at him in silence. Before Zeka could speak, his widened eyes prompted Genseki to look in the same direction.
A burning tree was falling directly toward them.
Analyzing the threat in a split second, Genseki knew the tree was moving too fast to avoid. Shifting his stance, he rooted his feet into the earth and summoned his power. Dense stone encased his hands and fingers like heavy gauntlets, allowing him to catch the falling log mid-air.
The rest of the group froze, paralyzed by the sight of the burning trunk hovering directly above them. The heat was scorching and the weight immense, but Genseki held it back all on his own before hurling the log to the side.
Snapping out of their shock, the group turned and sprinted forward once more. Before Zeka even realized what was happening, Genseki scooped him up off the snow and threw him over his shoulder to resume their frantic escape.
Zeka looked around at the situation for a moment before snapping, slipping, and falling back into the snow.
"W-Where's Liora?!" he cried out, frantically looking around for her.
Then, reality hit him. He stared back toward the woods as memories came rushing back—the exact moment he had died trying to save her. Panic clawed at his chest, and he gripped his coat firmly as the cold phantom weight of death crept over him once more.
Tears welled in his eyes as he realized the other kids hadn't noticed him falling—except for Genseki. Genseki didn't say a word. He simply reached out, offering a steady hand while Zeka hesitated. Deep down, Zeka desperately wanted to run back and save her, but surviving whatever was back there felt impossible.
Swallowing his panic, Zeka took Genseki's hand and pulled himself up. Together, they sprinted forward to catch up with the rest of the group.
Once they caught up with the others, they noticed a sudden shift in the atmosphere. Before either of them could react, the group vanished completely. Genseki stood frozen in place—the others had been right in front of them just a second ago, but now they had disappeared without a trace. He scanned the area for any sign of where they might have gone, but when he looked forward again, Akari's severed head appeared to be floating in mid-air.
Both Genseki and Zeka froze in horror, but a moment later, Akari stepped out from behind what looked like an invisible curtain, waving cheerfully at them. Zeka glanced over at Genseki and caught the deep, relieved exhale he let out upon seeing that she was completely fine.
Crossing over to her side, they stepped through the barrier themselves.
Hidden completely from view stood a massive estate—a grand mansion fit only for the ultra-wealthy. Genseki stared in disbelief, the oppressive heat and smoke of the forest vanishing instantly behind them, replaced by the quiet, heavy stillness of the estate grounds.
How could something like this exist here, tucked away out of sight?