Chapter 9 – Burn the Path
Neel pushed his hand into the snow and tried to get up. His arm trembled immediately, strength slipping through his fingers like sand. For a second, his vision dimmed at the edges and he almost dropped back down.
"Don't… pass out," he muttered, more to himself than anything, forcing one knee under him and dragging himself upright anyway.
It wasn't clean. It wasn't stable.
But he was standing.
The girl broke through the trees a second later, breath uneven, movements not as sharp as before. She slowed when she saw him on his feet, surprise flickering across her face for just a moment.
"You're still alive," she said, almost like she didn't expect it.
"Barely," Neel replied, avoiding her eyes without really thinking about it. He shifted his weight, trying to look steadier than he felt. Talking to her felt… weird. Not dangerous, just—off. Like his brain didn't know what to do with it.
The beast crashed through another tree behind her.
Closer.
She glanced back, then at him again. "We can't keep running like this."
"Yeah, no shit," Neel said, a little too quickly, then clicked his tongue. "Listen… I have an idea."
Her expression tightened slightly. "I was just thinking the same thing."
Neel blinked.
"…You go first," he said.
She didn't hesitate. "We hit its eyes. Blind it, even for a second, then run in the opposite direction. It relies too much on sight when it charges. If it loses that—"
Neel shook his head almost immediately. "Too risky."
Her brows furrowed. "What?"
Neel exhaled, forcing himself to think straight despite the dizziness. "You're missing too many shots," he said, more quietly this time. "And your output's dropping. I can see it. Your timing's getting worse, and those orbs aren't as stable anymore."
She went still for a second.
Not offended.
Just… realizing he was right.
"If you go for the eyes and miss, you won't get another chance," Neel added. "It'll close the distance before you can even react."
She frowned, but didn't argue.
Neel continued, words coming faster now. "My idea's not great either, but it's safer."
"Safer?" she repeated.
"Burn the trees," he said.
She stared at him. "That's your plan?"
"Around it," Neel added quickly. "Not randomly. Surround it, block its vision. Smoke, heat, confusion. It won't see properly, won't track us cleanly."
"That still sounds like setting the forest on fire," she said.
"It's snow-covered," Neel replied, pointing slightly. "The fire won't spread far. It'll choke itself out. We just need a temporary mess."
The beast stepped into view behind them, slower now, watching.
Neel forced himself to keep going. "You don't need precision for this. Just output. Hit multiple trees, let it build. We break line of sight and run."
She hesitated.
"…And then what?" she asked.
Neel paused for half a second.
"…Then I move us," he said.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Move us?"
Neel felt that question coming.
"Yeah," he said, trying to keep it casual. "Wind-type movement… short bursts. Not very stable."
A lie.
But a necessary one.
She studied him for a moment, like she didn't fully buy it, but the beast's low growl cut the moment short.
"…Fine," she said.
Then, after a brief pause, she added, "My magic's plasma. It's like fire… just hotter. Harder to control."
Neel nodded quickly. "Yeah. That explains the burn."
"…What about yours?" she asked.
"Wind," he replied. "Mostly movement."
Not the truth.
But close enough.
Another step from the beast.
Closer.
Neel's fingers curled slightly. There was still one problem.
"…One thing," he added.
She glanced at him. "What?"
Neel hesitated, then said it anyway. "I'm not sure if I can move… other people."
She blinked. "You're not sure?"
"I've only used it on myself," he said. "That last one—when I pushed you—I didn't think about it. It just… happened."
"That's comforting," she muttered.
"Yeah," Neel replied dryly.
The beast suddenly lunged forward.
"Now!" Neel snapped.
She didn't argue this time. She raised her hand, forcing the last of her mana out. The orbs behind her flared brighter, unstable, flickering like they might collapse mid-air.
She didn't aim carefully.
Just pushed.
They scattered into the trees.
For a split second, nothing happened.
Then—
Fire caught.
One trunk ignited first, then another. Flames crawled upward, uneven but alive. Smoke followed quickly, thick and heavy, spreading between the trees.
The beast roared, snapping toward the nearest flame, then another. Its movements slowed just slightly, uncertain for the first time.
Neel exhaled quietly. "Good… that's enough."
The girl coughed, stumbling a step back as the smoke thickened around them. "This won't hold for long—"
"It doesn't need to," Neel said, but his voice wasn't as steady as he wanted it to be.
He moved closer, then stopped.
For a second, he just stood there, hand half-raised, unsure. His fingers twitched like he wanted to grab her—but didn't. The thought itself made him hesitate.
Do I even… touch her? What if this doesn't work—
The beast's roar cut through the smoke, closer now.
That was enough.
Before he could decide anything, the girl stepped in and grabbed his hand herself, grip tight despite the tremble in her fingers. "Just do it," she said, a little breathless, like she didn't have time to question him.
Neel stiffened for a split second.
Then forced himself to focus.
"Yeah… don't let go," he muttered.
The world twisted.
For a split second, everything warped—and then they were somewhere else, a few meters outside the growing fire line.
Neel staggered as his feet hit the snow, the girls grip tightening instinctively before she let go of his wrist. The air here was clearer, colder—no smoke choking their lungs.
"…Okay," he breathed out, forcing himself to stay upright. "That works."
Behind them, the fire spread unevenly through the trees. Flames crawled up bark, smoke thickening fast, swallowing shapes and sound. The beast crashed straight into it a second later, its massive frame tearing through burning branches.
This time, it didn't come out clean.
It slowed.
Its movements turned rough, uncertain. It snapped at the air, turning its head sharply, trying to track them—but the smoke blurred everything, and the scent was getting buried under ash and heat.
Neel's eyes flicked back, watching just long enough to be sure.
"Good… it's confused."
The girl coughed lightly, wiping her mouth as she steadied herself. "It won't stay that way for long."
"I know," Neel said, already turning away. "That's why we don't stay."
He didn't wait.
He grabbed her wrist again—less hesitation this time, more urgency—and the world twisted.
They vanished.
Reappeared farther out, beyond the worst of it.
Neel stumbled forward a step, catching himself. His head spun, but he pushed through it. "Run," he said, quieter now.
This time, they didn't look back.
They ran through the snow, away from the fire, away from the smoke, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and that thing.
Behind them, a roar tore through the forest. loud and angry but not lost
Neel clenched his jaw.
"…It's still coming."
"Then move faster," the girl shot back, already picking up speed.
Neel didn't argue.
He waited a second—just enough for the cooldown—then grabbed her again.
The world twisted.
Another jump.
Farther.
This time when they landed, Neel almost dropped to one knee, his breathing rough, chest tight.
But they had distance now.
Real distance.
And for the first time since the fight started—
They weren't about to die in the next second.