CHAPTER 102: FIRE AND WATER

While both Aldriana and Arthur are fighting, Maeve stirs awake. She stretches before opening her eyes, and immediately clamps her hand over her mouth to muffle a scream.

That is not her bedroom ceiling. That is cave ceiling.

She freezes, remembers what happened, and quickly checks Julian.

Julian is sleeping peacefully.

Maeve tries to get a look at his ribs, but he’s sleeping on his right side, making it impossible to see the wound.

She sighs.

Fine. His breathing is even and steady. He’s sleeping on his right side. He’s okay.

Her mind drifts to Aldriana. That healing magic... Aldriana isn’t just competent, she’s skilled.

But where did she learn it? She doesn’t look old. How can she already do advanced spells? She must be terrifyingly talented. I wonder what her element is...

She glances toward her original sleeping spot and frowns.

Empty.

Arthur’s spot, empty.

Liam’s too.

Huh? Where are they?

Maeve gets up slowly and silently, careful not to wake Julian. She scans the cave again, still no one. So she moves toward the cave entrance, quiet, hesitating at first, then more confident.

Closer to the entrance, she hears Liam’s voice.

"Hey, it’s not fair!"

Maeve quickens her pace—safe enough if they are out there.

She steps out and sees Liam.

And a floating ball of water above his palm.

Maeve freezes. Stares. Walks faster without realizing it.

The shield isn’t there, but she doesn’t even notice.

"Liam?" she calls.

Liam turns, grinning like he’s showing off a new toy. "Hey. Good morning."

The water ball floats lazily above his palm.

Maeve’s jaw drops.

"Cool, right?" Liam can’t stop grinning.

"But— but— how?! You’re also a magus?" Maeve stammers.

"No. I cast my first spell about twenty minutes ago. I guess I am now."

"What? When did you learn magic?!"

"Erm... last night."

"What?! Impossible!"

Before Liam can answer, Maeve’s instincts flare, something is charging.

She spins just in time.

A haelion barrels toward them at full speed.

She snaps her hand up, palm out.

"Fyra, veniar. Kelsu arcten. Ignar. Fireball!"

Five golf-ball-sized fireballs shoot out and slam into the haelion’s face. The beast shrieks, front legs kicking up—

—but when they land, it keeps charging. Half its face burned, eyes full of rage.

Maeve freezes.

That was the only spell she had. And the stupid thing barely slowed down.

The haelion is inches from her—

—and suddenly she’s swept sideways, lifted and pushed by a smooth, rolling force. A current. A wave.

She slides out of the haelion’s path like a matador dodging a bull.

"Whoa! How did I do that?" Liam is clearly confused. The water ball that had been floating on his palm somehow shot out on its own and yanked Maeve out of danger.

Maeve stares at him, her face full of question marks. "What do you mean how? How do you not know?!"

"Well, I don’t! I learned this twenty minutes ago! I swear I can only make one tiny water ball. I can’t move it."

"But you just did!" Maeve screams, then darts away again as the haelion lunges at her.

Liam stands frozen for a second, watching Maeve run in frantic circles while the same haelion refuses to chase anyone except her.

"Why is it chasing only me?!" Maeve yells. She glances at Liam and screams again, "Do something!"

"How?!" Liam yells back. His eyes are wide like headlights.

"I don’t know!" Maeve yells in total frustration.

"Oh for fuck’s sake!" She bolts toward Liam and hides behind him, dragging him into her problem without shame or remorse.

"What the..." Liam is shocked. He is laser focused on keeping the tiny water ball floating for as long as he can. He is determined to beat his last record. So when Maeve yanks him, he panics and sprints sideways, lunging away to avoid the haelion.

Maeve somehow manages to follow behind him like a terrified duckling.

Now, the two of them are running in circles, desperately trying to lose the haelion that refuses to change targets.

"Oh for crying out loud! Get away from me!" Liam yells. He throws his palm backward on instinct. And the next thing he knows... the haelion is no longer chasing them.

"Hey! You did it!" Maeve shouts from behind him.

Liam stops and whips around. The haelion that had been terrorizing them is now lying on the ground. Dead.

"I did it!" Liam throws a full victory pose, both fists up. "But how?" He mumbles, baffled.

"I’ve. Had. ENOUGH!"

Aldriana’s voice booms throughout the battlefield.

A blinding bright light erupts high above the ground, stunning every remaining haelion. In the next heartbeat, thousands of blue fire arrows and swords appear floating in the air. They shoot across the field in elegant yet deadly arcs, each one finding its mark with supernatural precision.

Adding to the spectacle, a bluish red flame flares bigger somewhere in the herd.

Arthur’s skill seems to have taken a leap. His fists now shoot bursts of fire. The flames strike the haelion first, and his punch hits a split second later, doubling the impact. Each hit feels like a mini explosion.

With Aldriana’s blue fire magic raining down upon them, the remaining haelions are all dead within minutes.

Arthur is the last man standing in the field. His silver hair glows under the light orbs, and the bluish red flames around his fists make him look like he stepped out of a prophecy.

But Aldriana eclipses him.

She floats in the air surrounded by swirling blue fire arrows and swords. Her ponytail has come undone, her hair whipping wildly in the wind, framing her like an otherworldly goddess. Power rolls off her in waves.

The light orbs illuminate the battlefield and Maeve finally sees it clearly. The ground is covered with dead haelions.

She gasps. This many?!

Haelion carcasses are usually absorbed by the dungeon, but there are so many that the absorption is slow. Blood still pools visibly across the dirt.

Aldriana glides toward Maeve and Liam while Arthur walks through the carnage. Behind them, a mountain of haelion bodies lies stacked like a grotesque monument. It is a sight Maeve will never forget.

And in that moment, Maeve understands something deep in her bones.

These two are not people to be trifled with.

Power radiates from them. Both overwhelming, both terrifying in very different ways.

Aldriana radiates absolute power. Heavy, calm, and ancient. Like a deep ocean trench that could swallow her whole.

Arthur radiates explosive power. Fierce, burning, violent. Like a wildfire that would reduce her to ash.

Both scream danger. Both scream strength.

Definitely not people to mess with.