Horror seized Alma as Drifter crumpled to the ground before her eyes. Her scream shattered the air, raw and desperate. Through the curtain of rain, she watched the blue-pink-haired girl position her dagger at Drifter''s exposed throat.


    Acting on instinct, Alma and Nadia lunged forward. Pink streaks of energy - Alma''s Exalt Missiles - cut through the air alongside the golden ripples of Nadia''s Seismic Pulse. But their target was too quick, twisting away with a smile that spoke of madness.


    They reached Drifter''s fallen form, their hands trembling as they knelt beside him. A pink magic circle bloomed beneath Alma''s palms as she cast Exalt Healing. Nadia''s Healing Earth followed, weaving threads of gold and green around his wounds. Though the bleeding ceased and torn flesh knitted together, Drifter''s face remained ashen, his breathing shallow.


    "Please... don''t go," Nadia whispered, tears tracking down her cheeks.


    The girl''s maniacal laughter pierced the rainfall. "Hahahaha! Dieee...!!!" Her voice dripped with unhinged glee.


    Wiping away tears with shaking hands, Alma rose to her feet. Behind her, Nadia gripped Drifter''s cold hand, monitoring his faint pulse.


    The girl charged, but Alma met her advance with a barrage of Fireballs. Their explosions melded with the thundering downpour. Yet their attacker closed the distance with inhuman speed, the blue-flamed black dagger Chereveilim aimed for Alma''s throat.


    "Exalt Barrier!" Alma''s incantation manifested just in time. A transparent pink dome materialized, meeting the dagger''s blue flames in a collision that sent shockwaves through the air. Their eyes met across the barrier—


    In that instant, madness drained from the girl''s face, replaced by childlike innocence. Confusion flickered in her wide eyes, as if waking from a trance.


    "Big Sister...?"


    Alma''s breath caught. "Mara?"


    Without hesitation, Mara flung herself at Alma, wrapping her in a tight embrace. Alma stood frozen, arms suspended in disbelief.


    "I missed you so much, Big Sis... it''s been too long," Mara murmured, voice thick with emotion.


    From her position beside Drifter, Nadia''s wary gaze shifted between them. "Alma?"


    Mara''s eyes hardened as they fell on Nadia, who visibly tensed. "Still following those hypocrites, pretending to care about justice... How quaint. Did you forget what they and our dear Father did to us?"


    Her voice softened to silk. "Come with me, big sis. Mother''s waiting for us."


    Darkness crossed Alma''s features as she drew a sharp breath. "Enough, Mara... Just leave," she commanded, her tone glacial.


    She pushed Mara away with gentle firmness, refusing to return the embrace. Disappointment flashed across Mara''s face before morphing into a child''s smile that sent chills down Alma''s spine.


    "Don''t worry, Big sis... I''ll save you," Mara promised, her sweet tone belying something far more sinister.


    Before Alma could react, Mara vanished in a burst of blue flames, materializing with her dagger at Nadia''s throat.


    Nadia sprang away from Drifter, her brown sigil flaring as she summoned a towering wall of earth with a forceful stomp. The dagger struck, its flames leaving molten cracks across the barrier''s surface. In a flash she casting Cerulevia Blink, Mara dissolved into azure embers, reappearing beside Drifter''s prone form with her blade poised above his heart.


    Alma''s pink sigils blazed as she launched a barrage of Exalt Missiles. Their luminous trails cut through the rain, but Mara deflected each with fluid grace, her dagger dancing through the air as dark energy sparked with every collision.


    "Stop, Mara! Don''t! Please, don''t kill him... I... I''ll go with you," Alma cried out.


    A triumphant smile spread across Mara''s face, though something else flickered beneath it. Without a word, she seized Alma''s hand and began walking away with an almost childlike skip in her step.


    Alma cast one last desperate look at Nadia, who responded with a tight-lipped nod. Then they were gone, swallowed by the storm.


    Nadia remained frozen beside Drifter''s barely breathing form, her trembling fingers finding his weak pulse. Through rain-spattered glasses, she watched Alma''s silhouette fade into the mist. Her teeth dug into her lower lip until she nearly drew blood, her body wavering with indecision before she steeled herself with a deep breath.


    "I''m sorry, Drifter... but Alma is in danger." Nadia said.


    She straightened, eyes fixed on their vanishing trail, and pushed forward through her fear. But as she closed the distance, blue flames erupted before her. Mara emerged, her dagger slashing through the rain.


    Nadia''s natural barrier flickered to life just in time, a faint brown light pulsing from her skin to block the strike.


    "Well, well, look who''s here. Are you lost, Four Eyes? Or are you just here to die?" Mara''s voice cut through the downpour, her crooked grin gleaming with predatory delight.


    Ahead, Alma''s jaw clenched at the scene. Her red sigil flared as she hurled a fireball that exploded near Mara, sending steam hissing from the scorched earth. But Mara danced away, the flames shattering harmlessly against stone.


    "Big Sister, really? Trying to kill your adorable little sibling?" Mara''s voice dripped with mock sweetness.


    "Enough, Mara! Stop this madness—stop killing like it means nothing!" Alma shouted.


    Mara''s soft chuckle held no warmth. "Not my problem, is it? They brought it on themselves."


    Without warning, Chereveilim transformed in Mara''s grip, the dagger elongating into a massive scythe wreathed in blue flames. She struck at Nadia with lethal precision, forcing her to summon a desperate defense.


    Stone pillars erupted from the sodden earth as Nadia stomped, her magic wavering through trembling fingers. The scythe tore through her defenses like paper, reducing the stone to rubble that scattered in the rain.


    "See you in the afterlife," Mara sang, her sweet tone dripping with malice.


    Alma''s hands blazed as she unleashed an Inferno Tornado, followed by a volley of Exalt Missiles. The collision of her magic against Mara''s blue flames lit up the stormy sky with thunderous explosions.


    "Go, Nadia... I''ll hold her off!" Alma shouted above the chaos.


    Nadia bolted toward the hilltop Translocator, her feet slipping in the mud as rain obscured her vision. Behind her, Mara closed the gap with inhuman speed.


    The air crackled as Mara spun her scythe, releasing Cerulevia Edge in a widening arc of blue fire. Though Nadia dove aside, the blast''s edge caught her, shattering her natural barrier and sending her sprawling into the mud. Blood trickled from her arm as her glasses landed in a nearby puddle.


    Mara approached with deliberate steps, crushing the fallen glasses beneath her heel. Her satisfied smile turned predatory as she spotted Alma rushing toward them in panic.


    Dark flames swirled around Mara''s fingers as she summoned Cerulevia Chain, its burning links ensnaring both women. As they fell, heavy footsteps thundered through the rain. Shadowy figures emerged—Graklings and Graklors, their gray forms and glowing red eyes advancing like an unstoppable tide.


    "Well, looks like you''re out of moves," Mara taunted, her laughter sharp as ice.


    Nadia lay motionless, trembling, while Alma thrashed against her bonds, despair filling her eyes as the creatures encircled them.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Meanwhile, Drifter stirred, his consciousness slowly returning. His eyelids fluttered open, and a dull ache pulsed through his body. His head felt light, but his thoughts immediately raced to Alma and Nadia. Were they safe? Had help arrived? He glanced at his Lumina Core, the display reading 13:45. Nearly ten minutes had passed since their battle with the Graklings began.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    With a tap on his Lumina Core in his wrist – Apps –EO Missions - Mission: Prevent Grakling attack, a visual holographic map of the Verm Plain materialized, displaying a blue dot with small portraits of Alma and Nadia. He forced himself to his feet, his breaths labored, and began moving quickly toward their location. Each step felt heavy, his body protesting, but he pushed forward, his mind silently pleading.


    As he approached, the scene before him made his blood run cold. A swarm of gray, monstrous creatures surrounded Alma and Nadia, who lay motionless on the ground, unable to move. Drifter’s chest tightened. He didn’t know if his evocyte reserve was still there, and he whispered a desperate prayer under his breath. Dear Creator, please make it work...


    "Blade Swarm!" he called out. In an instant, blue spectral swords materialized, slicing through the surrounding creatures as the blades severed the fiery chains binding Alma and Nadia. Several of the spectral swords shot toward Mara, who deflected them with increasingly frantic swings of her scythe. Her composure cracked, her face twisting in anger.


    Alma rushed to Nadia''s side, supporting her as they rose together. "Come on, we''re not done yet!"


    "Thank you, Alma," Nadia grasped Alma’s hand weakly, her voice barely a whisper.


    Mara''s eyes blazed with fury as she turned to her monstrous army. "Kill them all!" she commanded, her voice crackling with rage.


    The Grakling and Graklor charged forward, dark energy pulsing from their claws and weapons. Exhausted, Alma barely registered the attack until a Grakling''s claws tore through her side. Blood flowed freely, mixing with the rain as she staggered.


    Her trembling hands casting Exalt Healing, pink energy swirling over the wound, but the bleeding persisted. Dizziness swept over her like a wave.


    "Help... someone... please..." she whispered, her voice fading.


    "NO! Stay with me!" Nadia''s panic-stricken cry pierced the air. She summoned stone pillars that crushed several Grakling, then conjured a Stoneflower Spire. The massive column bloomed with magical flowers, releasing healing spores, but Alma''s wounds refused to close.


    As Nadia erected another stone barrier against the advancing horde, Mara''s voice thundered across the battlefield.


    "You idiots! That''s my sister! How dare you!" Massive serpent-like blue flames erupted from her palm as she cast Cerulevia Pyre, incinerating the creatures to ash.


    Drifter seized the moment, activating Exalt Shift to teleport beside them. He found Nadia kneeling over Alma''s pale form, desperately channeling Healing Earth into her friend''s body.


    "Take my hand..." he urged, his gaze steady despite his exhaustion.


    Nadia hoisted Alma onto her shoulder and gripped Drifter''s hand. The first teleport was smooth, but by the second, Drifter''s strength began to fail. The third attempt barely moved them before he collapsed, blood spilling from his lips to mix with the rain.


    Though his hands trembled, he managed to cast Healing Surge to heal himsel, a faint blue light emanating from his palms. When Nadia moved to help, he raised a hand to stop her.


    "Run! Now! Get Alma out of here!" he commanded.


    After a moment''s hesitation, Nadia clutched Alma tighter and fled into the storm, leaving Drifter behind.


    Drifter steadied himself, chest heaving as he watched the Grakling horde advance through the rain, their footsteps a thunderous drumbeat.


    Damn it... always too late, he thought, jaw clenching.


    His attempts to summon a spectral sword or Exalt Bolt failed, his body too weak to channel the magic. Instead, he relied on his environment, dodging razor-sharp claws while using Evocyte Link''s blue energy threads to topple trees as barriers. His telekinesis hurled rocks at the creatures, disrupting their formation.


    Though the impacts staggered several Grakling, their natural barriers absorbed most of the damage. Some broke through, sprinting after Nadia. Doubt crossed Drifter''s face as he watched them pursue her, but he forced himself to focus on the immediate threat.


    The massive Graklor emerged from the distance, their hulking forms advancing with lethal purpose. Drifter swallowed hard, throat tight.


    Suddenly, crimson projectiles pierced the storm, striking the Grakling and sending them sprawling. Drifter turned sharply to see Jaxon Virelli emerge through the rain, twin black bow guns in hand. A slight smile played across Jaxon''s lips, though his eyes remained sharp and focused.


    Drifter offered a curt nod, the tension in his jaw unyielding.


    The rain poured relentlessly as Nadia trudged forward, her boots sinking into mud with each step. Alma''s unconscious form grew heavier on her shoulder, but Nadia pressed on, eyes fixed on the distant Translocator.


    Thundering footsteps approached from behind. A Grakling lunged, its dark claws slashing through her arm. Pain seared through her, but she stifled her cry, gripping Alma tighter as she steadied herself.


    Her trembling hand struck the earth, summoning a jagged stone wall that barely held before crumbling under the creatures'' assault. She tried again, pressing harder, but the ground merely groaned. Blood trickled from her nose as the strain took its toll.


    With a final surge of strength, she split the earth. A towering barrier erupted upward, muffling the pounding claws behind it. Her vision blurred as crimson mixed with rain.


    Above the downpour, a brilliant blue light cut through the darkness. A glowing sigil illuminated the hilltop where Luna Sabriel stood, her long dark hair whipping in the wind.


    "Clear out. Now!" Luna''s command pierced the storm.


    Ice-blue sigils spun around her like constellations as she raised her hands. "Glacialis Tempestus," she intoned, ancient words flowing from her lips.


    Thousands of ice beams erupted from the sigils, striking with lethal precision. The Grakling and Graklor froze mid-motion before shattering into glittering shards that rained onto the battlefield.


    Luna lowered her hands as the sigils dissolved into drifting snowflakes. The field sparkled like glass beneath a layer of frost. Her cold expression softened slightly as she approached.


    "You''ve done your best. Now rest," she said firmly but gently.


    Nadia shivered, barely standing. "Not yet... Alma still needs..." she whispered.


    Friedrich rushed forward, kneeling beside Alma with trembling hands. "Hold on, Alma. Please, just hold on!" Yellow energy flowed from his palms.


    As Nadia collapsed into Luna''s arms, Drifter approached with Jaxon, exchanging a silent nod with Luna. Friedrich carefully lifted Alma into a hovering medical automaton while Luna used telekinesis to place Nadia in another. Together, they moved toward the Translocator with urgent purpose.


    They returned to Nethia City, the rain still cascading from the darkened sky. Drifter’s eyes flicked toward the Lumina Core’s clock. “13:57.”


    As they arrived, a large white Alcherider, rectangular and marked with a blue medical emblem, sped toward them. Unlike the others, it flew rather than hovered. Behind it, medical staff in blue uniforms carried automatons holding Nadia and Alma. Friedrich and Luna stepped inside, and the Alcherider took off with a soft hum.


    Jaxon signaled for Drifter to follow him. His Alcherider, Efrenza, a striking red blend of curves and teardrop shapes, hovered nearby. They made their way to Nethia Hospital, its towering white H-shaped structure looming ahead. After exiting the underground parking lot and entering the building via the elevator, they walked side by side in silence. Jaxon was the first to break it.


    “Not planning to get those injuries checked?” Jaxon asked lightly.


    “No, thank you,” Drifter replied flatly.


    Jaxon offered a faint smile, and they arrived at their room on the 7th floor—Room 74. The door creaked open slowly, and Luna stepped out, her movements deliberate.


    “How are they?” Drifter’s voice was hoarse.


    “They’re… stable. For now,” Luna answered evenly, her eyes unwavering.


    Luna waited outside, her expression unreadable as she sat quietly. Jaxon and Drifter entered the room. The walls were painted in a neutral cream, with porcelain tiles underfoot. Alma lay in one bed, her complexion pale, a faint smile curving her lips despite the situation. Beside her, Nadia rested with her back turned, her form still. Friedrich sat in a chair next to Alma, his gaze steady and watchful.


    Drifter lowered his head, a heavy unease filling his chest. His fists clenched at his sides.


    “I’m sorry… I underestimated them,” he murmured.


    “You all did your best. Everyone survived—that’s what matters,” Friedrich said, his voice calm and steady.


    Alma’s faint smile faltered, her lips trembling as she bit them, lowering her gaze.


    “No… I’m the one who should apologize... This happened because of me…” Alma whispered.


    Nadia remained silent, her face still turned away from them.


    Alma clutched the blanket tightly, her knuckles turning white, trying to hold back tears. Her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths as her eyes stayed focused on the bed.


    Friedrich rose from his chair, placing a steady hand on her shoulder.


    “That’s enough, Alma,” he said, his voice calm but firm.


    Alma’s composure finally broke, her face crumpling as she began to sob, her shoulders shaking with the force of her tears.


    Drifter’s chest tightened, a wave of sadness sweeping over him. He shut his eyes for a moment, the guilt settling deep within him. This mission had nearly cost Alma her life. She must be terrified… If only he had brought an evocyte restoration potion, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. Frustration bubbled up inside him, his hand curling into a fist. Damn it…


    Beside Alma, Nadia turned her head slowly, her weary eyes meeting Alma''s. Her lips parted, as if she wanted to speak, but no sound came.


    Jaxon watched the scene unfold, his expression unreadable behind his aviator sunglasses.


    Friedrich then politely told them to rest. Drifter glanced once more at Nadia and Alma, his hand hovering as if he wanted to wave or say something. But seeing Alma cry, he chose silence instead, turning to leave. Jaxon followed without a word.


    Outside, Jaxon turned to Luna, waving casually toward her.


    “Luna, we’re heading back. How about you come with us?” he asked.


    Luna nodded, then began following them. They boarded Jaxon’s Alcherider, Efrenza, which hummed softly as it hovered into position. The journey back to the academy was quiet, the sound of rain filling the air, accompanied by the soft strumming of a male voice and guitar in the background. When they arrived at the academy, they walked toward their quarters in the residential complex.


    The only sounds were the unrelenting storm and the occasional rumble of thunder.


    But Drifter’s thoughts were elsewhere—on the girl with the blue and pink hair. How can she—how can a human control monsters? He’d never seen anything like it before. How can Graklings evolve into something stronger? And what’s their goal? Why attack a city? It didn’t make sense... they’d be wiped out by golems, and skyships. Why target villages… and for what?


    The thought lingered, but the last image in his mind as he reached his door was her face. Why does she look so much like Alma? Are they related?


    Drifter stepped into his quarters and flicked on the light. His black suit was drenched, clinging to his skin. He rubbed his arms, trying to warm himself, but the cold of the rain and his thoughts sank deeper with every breath, biting into him like a relentless chill. Eventually, he changed clothes, washed up, and collapsed into bed, sleep taking him before he could fight it.