SYSTEM ASCENSION

Quil had chosen a perfect spot to watch the tournament from: the mountainside, quiet and secluded, a perfect place for a rest. Since the broadcast could be seen from anywhere, he had searched for a spot beneath the twisted trees and roots.

”Perfect.”

”I know, right?” Coco was suddenly beside him. ”The peace and quiet.”

He frowned and moved his gaze sideways to her. ”Why are you always following me?”

She rolled her eyes. ”I have to make sure you don’t tell on me. My life depends on it, after all.”

”That you’re a vampire?”

”Yes.”

”I’m not a snitch. Get off my back.”

”I don’t trust you.”

”So what? You’ll watch me till I die?”

She flaunted her hair. ”Of course. Humans have such short lives. Within two hundred years, you’ll bite the dust. Then I’ll be at peace.” She said it so cheerfully that it almost sounded like a compliment.

He rolled his eyes and mimicked her words, but didn’t push the matter further, to avoid more rambling from her. They sat down and watched the tournament: the first fight, the second, the fight with Ragnar, and the feat the young man pulled off.

”He saw something,” Coco muttered.

They watched as he looked around before leaving the stage. Then the next fight started. It had barely reached its peak when Kael flew in and tossed Carlel to the royal family.

”What is he doing?” Coco muttered.

Quil stood up. ”Let’s return to our classmates.”

He subconsciously grabbed her hand and began leading her out of the woods. While he navigated, watching their steps and protecting her head from low branches, she stared at their locked hands.

How warm his hand was.

For a night walker, this feeling was bliss.

Someone suddenly burst out before them, and both of them froze. Her breathing was ragged, and a fresh scrape ran across her cheek. The lady narrowed her eyes and looked over the uniforms they happened to be wearing.

”Salvador students?” she said in the Black Empire language. Coco didn’t understand, since she wasn’t holding a translation device, but Quil nodded.

”Return to the fortress,” she instructed, then ran past them.

”Something really happened,” Coco muttered.

”She’s the girl Ragnar talked to in the crowd,” Quil said.

”He talked to someone?”

He turned back. ”Let’s follow her.”

It was exactly what Coco was thinking. They slipped after the lady to the other side of the forest, keeping a careful distance.

She kept glancing around, following some invisible track, until Quil felt it too: a prickle along his skin, the stillness of a forest that had stopped breathing.

”Someone’s here,” he muttered. ”Ambush.”

The lady reached the edge of a mountain and, without hesitation, began to climb with surprising speed.

”Should we go back and call for help?” Coco asked.

”I don’t think she’ll be able to hold out on her own,” he replied. ”You return. Tell—”

The top of the mountain suddenly exploded, sending debris cascading down. The lady, who had nearly reached the summit, was hit directly, and the force sent her plummeting. Quil leapt out and caught her before she hit the ground.

”I guess that’s enough to alert people.” Coco stepped out.

”Urgh!” The lady groaned.

Quil set her down and let her stand. She clutched her bleeding hand, blood dripping between her fingers and darkening the dirt, and glanced at him. Then she bowed.

”Save the greeting for later. What’s going on?”

”Intruders,” she replied in the Salvador language. ”I saw four.”

Almost immediately, the sun was shrouded as four figures descended and landed around them. Dust rolled outward from the impact, and the ground cracked beneath the bulky one’s boots. The three put their backs together, ready for combat. Quil’s rings spun into existence.

One of the intruders laughed, a bulky man three times their size.

”We came for you guys, but you came to us yourselves.”

”Call it luck,” another said.

One of the intruders kicked at her sword. ”Let me have the short girl. She’s my type.”

Coco frowned. ”Short?”

The last intruder, a woman holding two ring-like weapons, stared at the rings spinning around Quil.

”Dashad. The Ring family.”

Quil narrowed his eyes. ”I guess I am famous.” He glanced at the lady still clutching her bleeding hand. ”Your name?”

”Cia,” she replied.

”Okay, Cia. Why would they be after you?”

She raised her sleeve, showing the sealing stone mark on her shoulder.

”Oh, shit.” Coco cussed. ”Doesn’t that put baby Arthur in danger?”

”I think we should focus on the problem here,” Cia called out.

”So you can speak the Salvador language fluently?” Coco frowned.

”That’s not the point!”

The woman with the rings gestured at the other three. ”Go.”

They dashed forward all at once.

Coco raised her hand.

”Shadow Control: Doom.”

Shadow burst out from beneath her, spreading miles apart and rising into a great ball. The scorching sun was gone, replaced by a terrible darkness. The astonishing part was that Cia and Quil could see perfectly fine.

”How long can you hold out?” Cia asked.

”Long enough to finish them off,” Coco replied.

Quil’s rings spun faster. One thing was odd: the intruders weren’t panicked by the darkness.

The woman with the ring-like weapons called to one of them.

”Take it down.”

The normal-looking man opened his palm, and light poured out of it like a struck match the size of a house. Every shadow in the clearing died at once.

”What?!” Coco staggered back.

”Worst matchup, right?” Quil chuckled. ”Spread out!”

They scattered immediately.

The woman with the rings went after Quil.

The one with the light and the sword went after Coco.

Cia was left with the big guy.

The man grinned. ”You’re the target anyways. I’ll use your head to get a promotion to join the elites.”

Cia took a deep breath and raised her hand.

”Don’t underestimate me!”

She released her energy, and threads so tiny they were barely visible poured out from her fingertips.

”Come at me.”