The sunrise painted the horizon in hazy orange and gray, revealing a landscape of fractured roads and skeletal buildings. Each bump from the cracked highway rattled through my bones, the rusty motorcycle beneath me groaning in protest. Izumi’s fingers dug anxiously into my jacket as we rode ahead of the caravan.

  "Could you slow down, Ikki?!" Her voice was muffled against my back, annoyance fighting unease.

  "Sorry," I murmured softly, easing the throttle slightly.

  Truth was, I was probably pushing the bike too hard, nerves coiled tight inside me. "The road's seen better days."

  A gruff, familiar voice crackled through our earpieces. "Take it easy up there, kids," Blake said, calm but firm as always. "We’ve got a lot of folks counting on us today."

  "Roger that Blake," Alex replied shortly, catching up alongside us. His serious gaze scanned ahead as he adjusted the strap on his scout rifle, always ready, always alert. "Ikazuchi. Got your drone ready?"

  "On it!"

  We slowed to a crawl, and I deployed my drone, tapping my wrist with practiced ease. The small, jury-rigged device whirred upward, its battered camera eye scanning the terrain ahead.

  The live feed flickered onto my wrist-mounted display, offering grainy images of the broken cityscape — my hometown, technically, barely recognizable after so long.

  Izumi leaned around my shoulder, curiosity overriding caution for a moment. "Whatcha got, Ikki? See anything creepy?"

  "Just rubble," I answered quietly, guiding the drone higher. "Give me a bit..."

  I glanced over at Alex as he pulled alongside, noting the ever-present grime on his lean face — a scavenger’s mark. Alex had worked alongside Dad for years, braving the ruins to recover supplies and tech. He nodded subtly, trusting my judgment.

  Two more bikes rumbled up behind Blake in the distance, their riders tense but determined. I recognized them as part of Dad's crew — men toughened by years surviving this harsh, uncertain world.

  You might be wondering why a fifteen-year-old kid and his twelve-year-old, almost thirteen year-old sister were leading the charge down a dilapidated highway toward a ruined city.

  Truth is, I often asked myself the same thing. But someone had to scout ahead, and despite our ages, Izumi and I had proven we could handle ourselves. Only a handful of people in our caravan knew how to operate Terran magitech, and only a few knew how to integrate their tech into our salvaged and cobbled-together equipment.

  My ability to scavenge and repurpose leftover Terran technology had earned me a reputation.

  The title of 'Wizard' had stuck since I was a kid, and honestly, I'd come to like it. It felt good to be needed, especially in a world where survival depended on your usefulness. Plus, it was a lot better than the other names I'd been called as a scrawny toddler who preferred reading manuals to roughhousing.

  As a result, I had been helping Dad with these scouting runs since I was nine. Izumi, on the other hand, was agile and nimble, and she had good eyes and a steady hand. She had started working with Alex on scavenging runs in the East Philadelphia ruins last year, but she’d been taken along in the back for much longer.

  Together, we were the first line of defense, surveying the landscape for hazards, scouting for potential salvage, and keeping our ragtag group safe from the ever-present dangers lurking in the ruins.

  Our goal?

  The ruins of New York City in a government-sponsored reclamation campaign. It'd only been twelve years since it fell, and our Terran allies were convinced that enough of the infrastructure remained intact to warrant an attempt at settling it again. Our goal was to scout the area, determine if the ruins were safe enough for the rest of the caravan to follow. The Terrans had begun to clear the portal and city of Aberrations — extradimensional invaders — a few weeks ago, and the city was supposed to be safe.

  But we weren't about to take any chances. We'd learned the hard way not to trust promises of safety in a world where reality seemed to bend and break at a moment's notice.

  With a flick of my thumb, I sent the drone soaring over a crumbling overpass, scanning for any threats or salvage among the ruins.

  The drone continued to scan the terrain, and I kept an eye out for any movement or signs of trouble.

  "Okay," I began, "We got a clear shot for about a click, then a massive overpass collapse. We'll need to go around."

  I guided the drone lower, searching for a viable path.

  "Keep an eye out for any entropy spikes," Alex interjected, his voice firm. "You know how the bastards hide."

  I nodded, adjusting the drone's camera to scan the rubble more closely.

  The Aberrations — those twisted, monstrous creatures that plagued our world — were notorious for lurking in the shadows, waiting to ambush unsuspecting victims. They came in all shapes and sizes, from the swift, feral Ayakashi that stalked the wilderness to the hulking, armored Brutes that guarded the heart of urban areas.

  While the island had been cleared of chaos beasts with mobile negentropy generators set up, they'd warned us that the outskirts might still be too dangerous. There were simply too many nooks and crannies to be completely certain that the aberrants were gone. That was why we were here, to make sure the rest of the caravan could follow us safely.

  The drone beeped urgently, drawing my attention back to its feed. "Wait," I muttered, squinting at the screen. "Movement, two klicks out. Can't confirm what it is."

  "Let's go in for a closer look," Alex decided, his jaw set. "Slow and steady."

  "Right behind you," I agreed, gunning the engine of my bike.

  We slowed to a crawl, navigating carefully around the collapsed overpass. The debris field was a maze of shattered concrete and twisted steel, forcing us to pick our way through the wreckage.

  As we neared the source of the disturbance, the air grew heavy with a sense of foreboding.

  The air hung heavy with the scent of decay and the lingering, acrid odor of burnt plastic. In the distance, a towering structure loomed through the hazy sky above the other ruined skyscrapers, jagged and broken — a shattered remnant of a bygone era. The air was distorted with the telltale signs of Chaos Disruption, an invisible menace left behind after Earth was ravaged by otherworldly invaders. It was a danger we'd learned to respect and avoid — or suffer the potential consequences.

  The drone's feed fuzzed and flickered on my wrist, static distorting the image. "Damn," I muttered under my breath. Blake's voice cut in, firm and commanding. "Talk to me, Kid."

  "The Terrans' expectations were on point. We've got some chaos beast remains ahead," I reported, scanning the feed. "They've probably been there since the city fell. No active readings so far. Looks safe enough."

  The drone hovered above the shattered remains of creatures that had once torn through the city. Their twisted, alien forms were now nothing more than a grotesque monument to the devastation they had caused.

  Blake's sigh of relief was audible. "Good. Let's get moving then. The sooner we get to the checkpoint, the better. We need supplies."

  I nodded, guiding the drone to continue its scouting run. The motorcycles started forward again, cautiously navigating the debris-strewn streets.

  As the drone soared ahead, a flicker of movement caught my eye — a flash of something darting between the ruins of a gas station and an old car dealership, its neon signage dim and lifeless. We were over a stretch of abandoned, overgrown golf courses and country clubs on the way to the city, but the area was often empty.

  "Izumi, did you see that?" I asked quietly, my voice low in case the movement belonged to something hostile.

  She shifted behind me, straining to peer around my shoulder. "What was it?"

  "Not sure," I whispered, guiding the drone closer to the movement. "Something's definitely down there." The feed crackled with static as the drone neared the source of the disturbance. As it closed in, the image sharpened to reveal a creature crouched among the rubble of an old, run-down building.

  "Looks like some kind of... cat?" my sister murmured, her breath tickling my ear.

  The creature was indeed feline, its body sleek and powerful. Its fur was a deep, dusky black, and its eyes glowed with an otherworldly blue luminescence.

  "Poor guy. But it tells me something was here. Not good," I said, my voice tense. "Chaos beasts tend to stay near their hunting grounds. If it's a Baron, it's probably not alone. We need to keep an eye out."

  Chaos beasts were, as a rule, attracted to the corpses of their own kind. The larger and more vicious of them were smarter, and often used their slain brethren as bait. Their corpses would stick around until their active chaos cores were extracted and rendered inert. The latter could take years.

  I tapped my earpiece, reporting to Blake. "Possible Chaos Beast activity ahead, sir. We need to proceed with caution. Should we head back and find another route?"

  Blake's voice crackled back over the comm. "Negative. The escorts the Terrans sent our way should be there soon to rendezvous. Stick to your current heading, but keep that drone close, and be ready to pull back on any sign of trouble. Stay in radio range."

  "Understood, sir," I replied, my eyes never leaving the feline creature on the screen. "Will keep you updated."

  Mild chaos corruption wasn't instantly lethal, and would clear on its own within a day or two. But the risks remained. Active chaos cores, left unchecked, could corrupt the very fabric of reality.

  They had to be extracted and neutralized, or the area around them would eventually warp into a deadly hazard to anyone passing through if enough chaos beasts gathered near a disruption zone. If left to fester, they would cause the neg-entropy generators the Terrans used to reduce the chance of a breach to fail more often.

  Izumi shivered, her arms tightening around my waist. She wasn't one to scare easily, but the thought of running into a pack of those creatures was enough to unsettle anyone. I offered a reassuring pat to her hand before turning my attention back to the drone feed. I had been driving a motorcycle for three years, and operating a drone while steering was as natural to me as breathing.

  I guided the drone to hover above the strange feline creature, zooming in to get a clearer view. Its fur rippled in the wind, and it appeared to be injured, its side marked by a jagged gash.

  "It's wounded. Nothing nasty enough to zombify it in one cut," I noted. "Probably Knight-class or Knave-class."

  The creature raised its head, its eerie eyes fixing on the drone. It let out a low, resonant growl, its teeth bared.

  "Think it sees the drone?" Izumi asked.

  I nodded. "Chaos-touched can sense the cores. My drone's using a knave-class as a battery. Its sensors are all over the place, but the core's stable."

  "You're lucky." Alex snorted.

  "Hey, I did put that thing together myself…" I mumbled back.

  The drone's feed flickered again, the image distorting before stabilizing.

  "I've gotta replace the sensors," I admitted. "The old ones were fried during that last rainstorm, and I haven't found a replacement yet. Anyway, that's not a chaos beast. Just... a cat that got a little corrupted."

  "Is that thing dangerous?" Izumi whispered, her voice tinged with curiosity and concern.

  I shrugged. "It's a cat. Might bite if we get too close, but that's about it. Doesn't have enough chaos energy to do much but knock one of us on our butts for a day or two. I'm more worried about what injured it. Let's get going."

  I eased the throttle, the motorcycle rumbling beneath us as we rolled forward.

  We continued down the desolate streets, our motorcycles rumbling quietly. I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for the injured animal. It was a harsh, unforgiving world we lived in, where even the smallest creatures struggled to survive. But its presence gave me a critical clue that something else was lurking around. We'd have to be cautious.

  As we approached an old, rusted highway sign, the drone abruptly veered off course, its camera jerking wildly.

  "What the hell?" I hissed, struggling to regain control.

  Izumi peered at my wrist display, her eyes widening. "Ikki..."

  On the grainy screen, a massive shadow loomed, its outline blurred by the distortion.

  "Shit. We've got a visual, Blake. Large, and it's close. Pull back!" I barked into my radio, urgency lacing my voice. "I think it's spotted us. Looks like a Beowulf. A big one."

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  "Roger. Unfortunately, we're going to have to deal with that right here."

  "Sir?" I asked hesitantly.

  "You and your sister are going back to warn the others. We'll distract those things. You two make a break for it. We'll buy you time," Blake said resolutely, his voice steady despite the imminent danger.

  "But—" I began to protest, but Blake cut me off.

  "Beowulves never roam alone. They'll follow us, and you can't take them. Get to the others. NOW!"

  There was no room for argument in his tone. He was giving us a chance to escape, to alert the rest of the convoy, and he didn't intend to debate the matter.

  I clenched my jaw, torn between wanting to help and knowing Blake was right.

  "Understood," I finally conceded, my voice tight.

  "Good luck, kiddos," Blake replied, his tone firm. "We're setting up the big guns. Pull back. Alex?! Stay a bit ahead of the kids, we need you to grab one from the cache."

  Izumi's grip tightened around me as we accelerated, the wind whipping past us as I swerved in a wide arc. Behind us, the other bikes peeled away, their engines roaring as they retreated. I set the drone to autonomous recon, letting it fly free. My eyes locked onto the rear-view mirror, searching for any sign of the shadowy figure that had appeared on the feed.

  "Come on, come on," I muttered under my breath, urging the motorcycle to go faster. The creature had to be a Knight-class at least.

  A guttural, otherworldly roar echoed through the deserted streets, sending a shiver down my spine as the shadow came into view, bursting from an abandoned grocery store.

  I'd seen that chaos beast in the Terran manuals I'd been studying for years. "We've got a Baron on our tail," I shouted over the wind. "Alpha Beowulf!"

  The massive, four-legged creature thundered into view behind us, its hulking form a nightmare of twisted flesh and bone with an iridescent shimmer of blue, green, and red. Spines protruded from its back, and its maw gaped wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. It moved with frightening speed, its claws digging into the asphalt as it leaped onto the highway to begin its pursuit.

  "It's a Baron!" I said again, voice shaking. "Izumi, hold on tight. We need to get the hell out of here."

  Izumi didn't respond, her arms locked around me like a vice. I pushed the bike to its limit, the engine screaming in protest as we raced through the ruins of Yonkers, the Alpha Beowulf hot on our heels.

  "We can't outrun it," Izumi finally spoke, her voice thin as she turned to look around. "It's too damn fast."

  My mind raced, trying to come up with a plan. The bike wasn't built for speed like this, and the bus-sized Beowulf was gaining ground. We had to think of something, and fast.

  Blake's men hopped off their bikes, reaching for the oversized anti-chaos weaponry. The bulky guns were a far cry from the sleek rifles we were used to, but they were designed to bring down these monsters.

  "Go, we'll cover you!" Blake shouted over the radio, taking aim at the Alpha Beowulf. His face was grim, determined.

  He fired, and a shell hurtled toward the creature, exploding against its thick hide. The monster roared in pain and anger, but it kept coming, barely flinching from the attack. Alex skid to a stop, scrambling to grab a rifle from one of the Blake had hauled with him had set up. He aimed, and the others followed suit, unleashing a barrage of fire. The shots slammed into the Alpha Beowulf, causing it to stumble briefly in the distance, but it was relentless.

  "Damn it!" Blake yelled, reloading his weapon. His dark skin was covered in a sheen of sweat noticeable even as I approached and sped past him.

  The other two joined in, firing their guns in rapid succession. Unfortunately, the weapons were designed to deal with the more common knave and knight classes. While the weapons were capable of hurting the beast, the men were clearly outmatched. They could drive the thing away or put it down with enough of us, but they wouldn't be able to kill it before it reached them. However, the firing line the others had formed were causing it to stagger and slow down.

  "We can't just leave them!" Izumi cried out, panic in her voice.

  "I know…" I replied, my voice tense. "But we can't do anything about that thing."

  The next few moments unfolded in slow motion. We sped past the men, who kept firing at the Alpha Beowulf. It hadn't caught up yet, but they were all dead once it did. Its hide was covered in wounds, but none of it was fatal or debilitating.

  "Ikki, look out!" Izumi screamed.

  My head snapped to the right.

  A pair of smaller, but still deadly, Beowulf variants burst out from the underpasses and abandoned buildings. They were knight-class, but that just meant they were the size of trucks rather than buses, and their spines were longer and thinner. They leaped in from around us.

  I yanked the bike's handles to the left and veered off the highway. The Beowulf missed by inches, its jaws snapping at empty air.

  The bikes bounced on the grass as we veered off the highway. "Hang on!" I shouted, swerving to avoid a crumbling wall. The bike skidded, and I fought to maintain control as we hurtled through the ruins. The Beowulves charged after us, its massive paws tearing up the ground.

  The sound of gunfire continued, but it was distant now, drowned out by the roar of the pursuing monster and the rumble of our engine.

  "Keep going!" Izumi yelled, her voice strained with terror. She wasn't built for combat. Neither was I. But we'd have to find a way.

  A Beowulf gained on us, its jaws snapping dangerously close to our rear tire. I could smell the ozone, and the fear in my gut twisted into a knot.

  "Can't... shake it..." I gritted out, pushing the bike to its limits.

  And then I felt Izumi relax her grip on me.

  She leaned to the right and drew her sidearm, a revolver Dad had gifted to her when she'd turned ten. She'd been practicing since she could hold a gun. It was an antique, a snub-nose .38 Smith & Wesson. I'd fitted it with Terran magitech, and the iron sights were gone, replaced by a rail for a reflex sight I'd cobbled together from a drone camera and a pair of holographic projectors. She aimed and squeezed the trigger.

  The bullet, fitted with a small, depleted mana crystal, streaked through the air and slammed into the Beowulf's shoulder. It yelped in pain, stumbling as its foreleg gave out. The creature tumbled, its massive form rolling and crashing into a nearby building. Izumi let out a triumphant whoop, holstering her gun. "Take that, you big ugly jerk!"

  I risked a glance behind us and saw the creature struggle to its feet, limping but still determined to pursue us.

  To say I was impressed was an understatement. "Nice shot, sis!"

  But our celebration was short-lived. The Beowulf caught up to us in a heartbeat. I swerved sharply, trying to put some distance between us, but the monster was relentless. Izumi aimed out again and fired twice more. Her first shot missed, but her second slammed into the side of its mouth.

  "Dammit. It's not enough," she hissed, frustration creeping into her voice.

  My mind raced, searching for a way out of this nightmare. We were just a pair of teenagers on a bike, not warriors trained to fight these beasts. But we couldn't let ourselves be torn apart.

  The ruins of the city flashed past us as we raced through the streets. The bike's engine screamed in protest as I pushed it to its limits, desperate to outrun the monster on our tail. The chaos beast was relentless, its massive paws pounding the pavement in pursuit. Dust and debris flew in its wake as it smashed through obstacles in its path. Its roar reverberated through the air, echoing off the crumbling buildings and shattered storefronts. I could smell the burnt ozone and taste the fear in the back of my throat, metallic and sour.

  "Ikki... I..."

  I felt her clutch the locket around her neck, a gift from Dad, containing pictures of the two of us together five years ago. Mom had died before I could remember.

  Dad had given me one, too, but I'd always preferred the old pocket watch he'd given me. It was more useful than a locket, and more my style. He had said it belonged to his father, my grandfather, a long time ago. But my copy of the locket was still precious to me.

  "Don't," I growled, my voice shaking with desperation. "We're making it out of here."

  "Big bro..." She was resigned. She didn't see a way out. I didn't blame her, and I was scared as hell.

  She clutched it tightly, her eyes squeezed shut.

  "I won't let it happen," I promised, my heart pounding in my chest.

  I made a hard left turn, the tires of the bike skidding across the broken asphalt. The Beowulf followed, its jaws snapping dangerously close as it crashed through the corner of a building, sending chunks of concrete and steel flying.

  "Ikki, I... I can." she started to say, voice soft, resigned, and guilty.

  "What?!" I shouted, pumping the throttle to give the bike more juice. I didn't like what that sounded like.

  I felt her shift her weight, leaning back - likely to take another potshot at the thing.

  "I can save us," she said, voice low, guilty, and determined. "I can't let you die."

  "What are you talking about?" I asked, baffled.

  She didn't respond, and I felt her tense up. Her hands left me, and I felt her shift on the bike, her knees no longer pressing into the back of my thighs.

  "Izumi, what are you doing?!" I shouted, heart pounding in my chest.

  Suddenly, a flash of pink streaked across the sky above us, leaving a glittering trail in its wake. A figure soared overhead, bathed in a radiant golden light that pulsed with a warm, comforting energy.

  "Found you!" a voice echoed through the air, strong and melodic.

  A pink and white form descended gracefully from the heavens, a bow of pure golden energy materializing in her hands. The figure released an arrow made of the same radiant light, and it hurtled towards the Beowulf with a flash of lightning.

  The arrow struck the beast, and it let out a guttural howl of pain as it was blasted backwards. Its massive frame crashed into the rubble, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris. The air crackled with electricity, and the smell of ozone filled my nostrils, mingling with the acrid stench of burnt flesh.

  I stared in disbelief as the pink-clad figure looked around. Then, she fired off another arrow. And another. I couldn't see exactly what she was aiming at, but suddenly, the area was cleared of chaos beasts. I skidded the bike to a stop, my hands trembling as I gripped the handlebars.

  Izumi collapsed against me, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her arms wrapping back around me, her gun back in its holster.

  "Who... what?" I called out, my voice hoarse from fear and disbelief. My helmet was muffling the sound of my voice. "Are you?"

  The figure descended, the glow around her dimming to reveal a girl who couldn't have been more than a couple of years older than Izumi. Probably around my age, even.

  "Oh? My, my. It's refreshing to not be recognized," she said, her lips curling into a playful smile. Her voice was musical, filled with the kind of confidence I could only dream of.

  "Are you an angel?" Izumi blurted out, her voice filled with awe.

  The girl laughed, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "An angel? Oh, that's sweet, but I'm just little old me."

  The figure landed on the ground a short distance away. Her features became clearer — a girl clad in a strange outfit of pink and pale blue, adorned with white accents and patterns that reminded me of the night sky.

  Her hair was a shocking shade of pink, flowing in long, thick strands down her back. Her bow resembled a music note, and she carried a golden quiver of arrows. She had a curvy, well-endowed figure that made me blush furiously.

  As she walked towards us, her movements were graceful, almost ethereal, like she was floating on air. She stopped a few feet away, her eyes meeting mine. They were a vibrant pink, and they seemed to sparkle with an otherworldly light.

  "Wait! Blake is in trouble! Back on the highway!" Izumi shouted.

  The girl tilted her head. "What? The big guy and his three friends? They were fine. I took out the big meanie that was after them. He's a bit worse for wear than the one that was chasing you two, and the area is clear. I can’t detect any more chaos beasties out here."

  Izumi's face crumpled in relief, and she leaned into my back, tears spilling down her cheeks. She was as tough as a twelve-year-old could be, but the last few minutes had been too much for her. I couldn't blame her. My own hands were still shaking, and my heart was pounding in my chest.

  "Who are you?" I finally managed to ask, my voice shaky.

  The girl smirked. "I'm the Magical Girl of Love and Justice. The songstress of hope. Call me..."

  She spun her bow around, the golden light around it fading. She raised a hand, her fingers poised dramatically.

  "Celestial Sonata!"

  I couldn't help but stare, my mouth hanging open in disbelief. Magical girls were a thing of fairy tales and legend, and here I was, staring at one in the flesh.

  "Celestia Sonata?" I repeated, still trying to process everything that had happened in the last few minutes. "That's really your name?"

  She pouted, crossing her arms over her ample chest. "You think it's dumb, don't you? I knew it was a bad name!"

  "No, no!" I quickly backpedaled, not wanting to offend her. "I just... I've never met a magical girl before."

  She smiled, her entire face lighting up. "Well, you're looking at a real one. I'm here to spread love and justice, and to help those in need. Like you guys!"

  She gestured at Izumi, who was still clinging to me, and I felt a wave of gratitude wash over me. This girl, this magical girl, had saved us. She had risked her own safety to protect us, complete strangers. It was a kind of heroism I had only read about in books. And here she was, right in front of us.

  "Thank you," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up."

  "Don't sweat it. Now, excuse me as I survey the area," she replied with a wink. "Stay safe, you two."

  With that, she took to the sky again, the golden light surrounding her as she flew off into the distance. I watched her go, my heart still racing, but now for an entirely different reason.

  "Wow," I murmured, unable to tear my eyes away from her until she disappeared from sight.

  Izumi sighed. "Sheesh. Pops is gonna be so pissed."

  I grimaced. She was right. Dad wouldn't like to hear about this. But he'd be grateful that we were still alive. That magical girl had saved us from certain death, and I knew I would never forget her.

  I smiled, finally letting the tension leave my shoulders. "Well, there goes our peaceful day."

  Izumi let out a laugh. "You think?"

  I chuckled as well, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. I didn't know what the future held, or what other dangers awaited us in the ruins of this world. But at least for now, we were safe.

  Celestia Sonata, the Magical Girl of Love and Justice, the songstress of hope, huh? I had to admit, it had a nice ring to it. And if she was going to be keeping our little resettlement expedition safe, I was more than happy to have her around.

  We had a city to scout, and our work had only just begun.

  Izumi reached up, fiddling with her locket as I checked the bike's damage. It had seen better days, but it would hold up for a while longer. I frowned, looking up at her. "Hey. What was it you meant earlier? When you said you could save us?"

  "Uh... the stress kinda got to me. I was talking about shooting the thing in the eye. Hallucinated that it was a weak spot." she murmured. "I, uh... didn't want you to die. I was pretty desperate, bro."

  I sighed. I couldn't blame her. That had been a close call, and we had both been terrified. "Well, try not to do anything reckless like that again, okay? We're a team, and we're supposed to have each other's backs. Don't need you falling off trying to be Indiana Jones."

  Izumi smiled, a genuine, warm smile that reached her eyes. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry, Ikki. I was just scared."

  "It's okay," I reassured her. "I was scared, too."

  She nodded. "Let's just get back to scouting. I don't want to stick around here any longer than we have to."

  "Agreed. Let's go," I replied, and we climbed back onto the bike. Izumi's arms were wrapped around me tightly, and I could feel her heart pounding against my back. We had been through a lot today, but we were still alive, and that was what mattered.

  As we started back down the road, Izumi's voice came over the comms. "Blake?"

  "Yeah, kid?" he responded gruffly.

  "We're fine. Did you see that pink eyesore that swooped in?" she asked.

  "Caught a glimpse. We saw a big flash, and the thing that was chasing us just dropped dead with a giant hole in its side. Took out another pair that was about tot ambush us too." he said.

  Izumi hummed. "Good. I'd hate to think she was lying about saving you guys. Stay safe."

  "You too. Get back here as soon as you can, kiddo," Blake replied, concern in his voice. "We need to regroup."

  "Roger that," I replied. "We're on our way."

  My heart was still racing, but I felt a sense of relief wash over me. We were alive, and that was all that mattered.

  I revved the bike's engine, and we took off, leaving the chaos beast's corpse behind. I didn't trust the environment around us enough to stay and try to harvest its core, and Blake would've told us not to bother. We needed to get back to the safety of the caravan. The thought of seeing my dad's face again was a comfort, and I knew he'd be proud of how we had handled ourselves, all things considered.

  It was messed up that we were in a world like this, one where a pair of teenagers could be thrown into a fight with a beast that could have torn us to shreds. But that was the reality we lived in, and we had to make the best of it.

  Still...

  "Thank you, Miss Sonata," I murmured, looking up at the sky as I reached for the envelope in my coat pocket. "We really owe you one."

  And I really hoped I'd see her again.