"Girls! Get here this instant!" he hissed, words tumbling out before the recipients could even greet him. His eyes darted to the closet door vibrating with rhythmic thuds from within. "For the love of everything, hurry!"
"Who died and made you king?" Nova's voice crackled through the speaker, dripping with contempt. "Stop barking orders like you're someone important."
Lavvy's knuckles whitened around the device. "The boss explicitly instructed you to follow my strategic directives to the letter!" His voice cracked with the strain of maintaining his composure.
"Enough, Nova," Ashly cut in, her tone coolly professional. "What's the situation, Lavvy?"
"The infiltration strategy has been compromised," Lavvy said, running a hand through his sweat-dampened hair. "We need to withdraw immediately, however—"
"HA!" Nova's derisive laugh pierced his eardrum. "Look who's admitting failure now! The great strategist falls flat on his face!"
Lavvy pressed his fingertips to his temple, fighting back the headache building there. "If you'd permit me to finish—I've captured their female companion. The girl, Neiva."
A moment of stunned silence filled the line before Nova broke it. "Well shit, didn't think you had the balls for actual dirty work. Color me impressed."
"Which is precisely why I need you here without delay!" Lavvy snapped, flinching as another loud thud came from the closet. "They could return at any moment! We need an extraction plan to transport her undetected!"
"Understood," Ashly's voice cut through Nova's brewing retort. "We're en route. ETA ten minutes." The background filled with the sounds of scuffling, followed by muffled bickering before the line went dead.
Lavvy exhaled shakily, pocketing the device. He approached the closet, where the banging had become more erratic. Leaning his forehead against the wooden door, he sighed deeply.
"I imagine you're wondering what crime merited this treatment," he said, voice softening with an unexpected sympathy. "The truth is painfully simple—you allied yourself with the wrong people."
In the stifling darkness of the closet, Neiva slumped against the far wall, her chest heaving with silent sobs. The gag cut into the corners of her mouth, but the physical discomfort paled compared to the fear twisting her stomach into knots. Despite everything, she could hear Lavvy's voice through the thin door.
"My devotion to my liege began in childhood," Lavvy continued, his voice taking on a distant quality as if speaking more to himself than to her. "We were inseparable, two sides of the same coin. Then he manifested as an Auron, while I—" His voice cracked. "I remained ordinary, despite years of desperate attempts."
Neiva's tears slowed as she recognized the pain in his voice—the same ache of inadequacy she carried in her own heart.
"How does one follow in the footsteps of greatness without power?" Lavvy's words tumbled out faster now. "This worthless flesh, incapable of attuning to cosmic energy. What purpose could it possibly serve?"
Neiva closed her eyes, unwanted empathy twisting inside her chest. She knew that feeling all too well—the desperation to belong, to contribute, to be worthy of standing beside those with power.
"But he saw something in me that I couldn't," Lavvy's voice hardened with sudden resolve. "He valued my intellect, created a place for me within his ranks, gave meaning to my otherwise insignificant existence." His palm flattened against the door. "So I will craft any deception, extinguish any life, execute any order to honor that faith. For my liege, no price is too steep."
Silence fell heavy between them, broken only by the distant sounds of the town beyond the window.
Neiva leaned her head back against the wall, fight draining from her body. "I'm nothing but dead weight," she thought miserably. "At least this pathetic man serves some purpose to those he follows. What do I offer? Nothing but a convenient hostage to manipulate Angelo into self-destruction." Her tears returned with renewed intensity.
"I'd rather die than become a weapon against my friends," she thought desperately. "But what can I possibly do? Tied up, locked away, helpless as always..."
Then a memory surfaced, Red's confident voice echoing through the darkness:
"... when you set... your mind to something... you can... do anything."
Her breathing slowed as another voice joined the first—Rorck's absolute certainty about her potential:
"When you do become an Auron, you must use your powers for humanity's betterment."
And finally, Angelo's simple encouragement:
"Just wait for the lightbulb moment," Angelo said with a slight smirk.
Something shifted inside Neiva. She pushed away from the wall, settling onto her knees despite her bound wrists. "If you can find purpose serving your liege," she thought fiercely, "then I can find mine serving my friends!"
She closed her eyes, focusing inward as she sorted through the lessons her teachers had given her. Blue's precise instructions floated to the surface:
"Meditation lets you feel the connection in your mind, and the physical training lets you attune to it with your body."
She steadied her breathing, remembering her masters' attempts to describe what she should feel:
Angelo had tried first: "It's like... you can feel energy moving inside you, kind of like blood flowing but... different."
Red, with his typical enthusiasm: "Yeah! Like someone poured hot sauce in your veins—but in a good way!"
Blue, ever precise: "Perhaps imagine invisible magnets pulling and pushing inside and outside your body simultaneously."
She strained to sense what they described, frustration building until Rorck's wisdom emerged from memory:
"You meditate regularly, yes?" Rorck didn't wait for her answer. "The purpose is to develop awareness of your own energy flow. Once you can feel it—truly feel it—you can control it, guide it, accelerate it."
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
"But how do I even start feeling it?" she asked the darkness. Rorck's answer was immediate:
"... the greatest obstacle to becoming an Auron isn't talent or practice—it's belief."
Fresh tears escaped from beneath her closed eyelids. "That's always been my problem! What if I just can't find a way to believe?"
Then Red's voice cut through her doubt with unexpected tenderness:
"Then... I'll... believe... in you..."
Neiva's breathing steadied. The closet's darkness faded from her awareness as she turned completely inward. Initially, she mistook the sensation for her pulse, but the movement followed no logical pattern—flowing in multiple directions, constantly shifting course.
"So that's why I could never grasp it," she realized. "The flow is everywhere at once. But can I direct it?"
She concentrated on visualizing the chaotic energy following her command. To her astonishment, the flow responded, slightly altering its path.
"Control it," she thought, tension building in her temples. "Guide it." The energy began streaming more purposefully. "Accelerate it!" The flow gathered momentum, all moving in the same direction now. The air around her shimmered as she pushed harder.
"Faster!" she commanded silently, straining against invisible resistance until—
Breakthrough.
Her eyes snapped open, glowing neon blue as her aura ignited around her body like a gentle flame.
Inside the room, Lavvy's impatient pacing halted as blue light leaked through the seams of the closet door. Before he could react, a scream of unleashed power tore through the silence, followed by the closet door exploding outward in a shower of splinters.
Lavvy stumbled backward, mouth open in silent horror as Neiva emerged from the wreckage. Her blue aura crackled around her like lightning as she crossed the room in two quick strides, seized him by the throat, and lifted him off the ground with newfound strength.
His feet dangled uselessly as he stared into eyes blazing with fury and newfound power.
Lavvy's face turned purple as Neiva's grip tightened. Just as his vision began to darken, a hand glowing brown like polished wood clamped down on Neiva's wrist, squeezing until her fingers released. Lavvy collapsed to the floor, gasping and clutching his throat.
"As entertaining as this little scene is," Nova said, her brown eyes gleaming like burnished metal, "I'm going to need you to come with us. No fuss, please."
Neiva's jaw clenched as she sized up her opponent. The newfound energy surging through her veins whispered possibilities, but reality quickly dampened them. She was outmatched and knew it.
On the floor, Lavvy staggered to his feet, one hand still protectively covering his throat. "How is this possible?" he whispered, voice raspy and broken. "She unlocked her power while I... after all these years..." His eyes glistened with unshed tears of frustration.
Ashly stepped forward, her movements fluid and controlled. "Power down. Now." Her eyes flashed orange like warning lights. "You'll walk with us calmly, like we're just friends heading out for a stroll. Otherwise..." She left the threat hanging in the air, letting Neiva's imagination fill in the blanks.
Neiva glanced between them, shoulders slumping in defeat. She closed her eyes, releasing the connection she'd just discovered. The blue aura flickered around her like a dying flame before vanishing completely. Nova's brown glow faded in response.
"Move." Nova jabbed a finger into Neiva's back, steering her toward the door.
Back at the Cliffhangers' training ground, the twin battle came to an abrupt halt as Veronica emerged from the mansion, her heels clicking against the stone path as she approached.
"That's enough!" she called out, her voice slicing through the commotion. The light twins immediately jumped backward, their yellow auras winking out like snuffed candles. Their projected copies vanished as if they'd never existed.
Red's crimson energy still crackled around his fists. "What the hell? We were completely dominating!" He punched the air in frustration, leaving trails of red light.
Zeke flicked an imaginary speck of dust from his shoulder. "The simpleton actually believes we were fighting at full capacity. How utterly pitiful."
"Say that to my face, you copy-paste reject!" Red pointed a finger crackling with energy.
"Enough." Veronica's single word carried the weight of command. Sol and Angelo joined the group, warily keeping their distance.
Sol stepped forward, hands spread in a disarming gesture and face arranged in his most charming smile. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of a proper introduction."
"My, what a handsome young man," Veronica purred, stepping closer to brush her fingertips along Sol's jawline. He fought not to flinch as her cold fingers traced his skin. "It would be a shame to damage such a pretty face."
"Is there a problem?" Angelo asked bluntly, arms crossed over his chest.
Veronica shrugged, then pointed directly at Red. "You. Are you responsible for the fog monster spotted yesterday?"
"Fog monster?" Red and Blue echoed in perfect unison, exchanging confused glances.
Angelo and Sol froze, realization dawning on their faces. "What makes you ask that?" Sol ventured carefully.
"Moments ago, he released a cloud of crimson smoke identical to what I captured." Veronica's eyes narrowed dangerously. "It was your doing, wasn't it?"
Red's body tensed like a coiled spring, eyes flashing with anger. Angelo's mental voice cut through their link with unusual urgency.
"Red, whatever you're thinking, drop it. We're outnumbered on their territory. This is not the time."
"I... can't... hold back!" Red's face contorted with the effort of restraining himself.
"Then channel it elsewhere! Just put on an act! Be the smooth-talking charming operator—anything but yourself right now!"
The group collectively held their breath as Red suddenly dropped to one knee before Veronica, seizing her hand in his. "Never have these unworthy eyes beheld such breathtaking beauty," he declared, his voice dramatically dropping an octave.
"WHAT?" The word burst simultaneously from everyone present.
"What are you doing?" Veronica snatched her hand back, her composure cracking. "Answer my question! Are you responsible for that fog creature?"
Red clutched his chest as if wounded. "Indeed, my lady! My admiration manifests as a crimson cloud of pure devotion!" His aura flared as he sent crimson smoke swirling through the air, shaping it into a cartoonishly large heart.
Even the light twins exchanged bewildered glances, their synchronized movements faltering for the first time.
Angelo grabbed Red's arm and yanked him upright. "I apologize for his behavior." He pulled Red backward, hissing through clenched teeth, "That's not what I meant!"
Veronica stood frozen, blinking rapidly as if trying to process what was happening.
"Please excuse my brother's inappropriate conduct," Blue said, suddenly appearing behind her. He leaned closer, lowering his voice to a stage whisper. "He suffers from significant cognitive deficiencies. We monitor him as best we can."
"Is this some kind of joke?" Veronica muttered, her cheeks flushing with confusion. "Is he mocking me, or genuinely impaired?" She glanced at Red, who had begun wrestling with Angelo like an unruly child. "Though he does seem genuinely unstable..."
Her brow furrowed in concentration. "Could someone with such apparent mental limitations orchestrate something as sophisticated as controlling that smoke entity?"
"What are your orders regarding these... visitors?" Zeke asked, clearly uncertain how to proceed.
Veronica watched as Red climbed onto Angelo's shoulders, pulling his ears while cackling maniacally. Her eye twitched with barely contained frustration. "Get them out of my sight! I can't deal with this nonsense." She spun on her heel, storming back toward the mansion.
"You heard the lady," Zack said, making shooing motions with his hands. "Time to go, weirdos."
Blue straightened his posture, adjusting an invisible tie with dignified offense. "How remarkably discourteous. Gentlemen, I suggest we depart from these unrefined premises immediately." He turned and walked away, Sol following closely behind.
"Get OFF, you lunatic!" Angelo grappled with Red, who clung to him like a demented koala, laughing hysterically. Angelo stumbled after the others, nearly falling several times under Red's shifting weight.
Zeke watched them leave, then turned to his brother and twirled his finger beside his temple in the universal sign for "crazy."
"That was brilliant!" Sol burst out laughing once they were safely beyond the mansion grounds. "Red, you magnificent bastard!"
Red gave a theatrical bow from his perch on Angelo's shoulders, flashing a thumbs-up before resuming his torment of Angelo's ears.
Sol's laughter cut off abruptly, his face draining of color. "Wait—we completely forgot about Lavvy and Neiva."
"So what?" Angelo grunted, still trying to dislodge Red. "We'll pick up where we left off... GET OFF ME!"
"You don't understand," Sol said, real fear threading through his voice. "We left that suspicious creep alone with Neiva!"
Blue, Angelo, and Red froze in place. Red tumbled from Angelo's shoulders, hitting the ground with a thud.
"Wait!" Red jumped to his feet, eyes bright with inspiration. "The pocket Red's time to shine has finally arrived!"
The three exchanged glances as Red dropped into a cross-legged position, closing his eyes in concentration. Angelo and Blue watched in amazement as their perspective suddenly shifted—now they were seeing through the tiny figurine's eyes, nestled in the darkness of Neiva's pocket.
The pocket Red cautiously peeked over the fabric edge. What they saw made Angelo's blood turn to ice.