{ Mia }
The world around me spun, my vision blurring as my feet trembled. My body screamed in protest, each breath feeling like it might be my last. Every movement felt slow, as if my exhaustion was finally catching up to me.
I forced my eyes open, locking them onto the man standing infront of me. His smirk was still there, the arrogance in his gaze firm. But it was different now, somehow sharper, more dangerous. I knew I had to end this. I couldn't keep going, not like this, but I had no choice.
Behind me, I could feel Ace's frustration as he struggled against the force field. The sound of his fists slamming into the golden barrier only fueled my decision. He didn't understand. He didn't know what I was trying to protect him from.
"Ash," I whispered, barely able to keep my voice steady. "I-I can't do this alone."
Ash's presence surged through me, a wildfire of golden energy threading into my veins. "You don't have to," Ash said firmly, her voice like steel and fire. "Fight through it, Mia. You're stronger than this." The energy pulsed, and for the first time, I wasn't sure where I ended and Ash began.
With Ash's reassurance, I pushed the exhaustion to the back of my mind. The battle wasn't over. Not yet.
The man's shadow arms shot out again, but this time, I was ready. I could feel the golden light coursing through me, stronger than before, like a storm building inside my chest. It surged, wild and untamed.
I pounced forward, my claws glowing bright with energy, determined to finish this once and for all.
The golden light around my claws burned brighter, searing through the shadows as I lunged. The man's eyes widened too slow. My claws slashed across his throat, golden energy tearing through the darkness. A strangled hiss escaped him as he stumbled back. ' I finally did it !' I thought.
His body trembled violently before turning into thick, curling tendrils of black smoke. The air around me chilled as the smoke coiled, twisting like living shadows before vanishing completely. His voice echoed faintly "See you next time." before silence fell.
" You did it Mia !!" Ash growled cheerfully.
The golden glow flickered out as my legs buckled. My body, no longer held up by sheer willpower, collapsed into the dirt. My vision blurred, darkness creeping in at the edges. "Y-yay..." I barely whispered before everything faded to black.
{ Ace }
I panicked as Mia fell to the ground. " Miaaaa!!!"
I banged my fists on the force feild. " It's still standing..." I muttered.
" She must've put everything she had in this force feild."
I took a deep breath and focused. ' Mia needs me '
I was determined to save her. I focused all my energy into destroying that field. " I'm sorry Mia..." I whispered . I clenched my fists, my breath shaky as something dark stirred inside me. The force field cracked, jagged purple energy crackling from my palms. It wasn't just power it was raw, untamed. And as I felt it pulse through me. " I got you cupcake..."
I quickly turned to Mia golden light engulfing her. " Oh no ..."
I knew this could happen, I just hoped that wouldn't happen to her...
Mia's body lifted off the ground, golden energy flickering wildly around her. I lunged forward, reaching for her, but she was already moving fast, too fast.
"Mia!" I shouted, my voice drowned out by the crackling energy.
She shot through the trees like a comet, leaves swirling in her wake. My heart pounded as I took off after her. The force field was gone, but that didn't matter now. She was slipping away.
The forest blurred as I ran, my pulse hammering. I didn't know where she was going, but she wasn't in control. The golden glow around her pulsed like a heartbeat, dragging her forward.
Then, she stopped.
A cave loomed ahead, its entrance glowing with the same eerie golden light that wrapped around Mia. The air crackled, thick with something powerful.
Mia hovered at the entrance for a second, then without hesitation stepped inside.
I skidded to a stop just outside, my breath ragged. I could see her kneeling at the edge of a strange, glowing pool, the golden light reflecting in her unfocused eyes.
Then, before I could call out, she collapsed into the water.
Panic surged through me. "Mia!"
But instead of sinking, she floated. The pool pulsed with golden energy, wrapping around her, pulling her deeper. Her body twitched, her fingers tightening into fists as if she was fighting something or becoming something.
I clenched my jaw. ' what's happening?'
{ Mia }
A sharp gasp tore from my lips as consciousness slammed back into me. My body ached, every muscle burning like fire, but something was pulling me forward. I wasn't in control my body moved on it's own, drawn by a hidden force.
The golden energy around me throbbed, shining wildly like it was alive. The world blurred past me in streaks of light and shadow as I was dragged through the forest, branches scraping my skin. My feet barely touched the ground as I floated forward, not able to resist.
Then, suddenly, the pull got stronger.
I was yanked downward.
The moment my body hit the ground, I realized I was no longer in the forest. The air around me shifted, thick with a strange, buzzing energy. The cave loomed ahead its entrance glowing with a ghostly, pulsing light, as if something ancient and powerful was waiting for me inside.
I fell forward, drawn deeper. The walls of the cave glowed, golden veins of energy snaking through the stone, casting soft, reflections. My breath caught. The energy wasn't just around me it was inside me, buzzing beneath my skin, calling me further.
And then, I saw it.
In the middle of the cave, a pool of glowing liquid ruffled softly, its surface reflecting an otherworldly light. The air felt charged, like a storm was about to break, yet it wasn't threatening. It was… welcoming.
I fell to my knees at the edge of the pool, my body too weak to resist. The golden energy buzzed from the water, wrapping around me like a protective cocoon. I didn't have time to think, I let myself fall forward, sinking into its warmth.
The moment my body touched the water, a shockwave of energy exploded through me. Mybreath hitched as power surged into my veins, erasing my exhaustion, mending the wounds I hadn't even realized I had.