The air shifted in the market.

  The familiar stench of rotting, decaying, and burning flesh filled the surrounding area.

  The villagers panicked, leaving all their belongings behind, and stalls toppled. Their footsteps pounded against the ground as they scattered to safety.

  Amidst the chaos, Abell stood still.

  “Finally, another shot.” He thought to himself.

  His heartbeat sent waves throughout his body, but he smirked as he tightened his grip on his golden blade, awaiting the approaching clash.

  Standing behind him, Hugo was intrigued by Abell’s attitude, making a scoff and smirking.

  “That boy, always so reckless. When will he understand he’s not ready yet.” Keeko said.

  She tried to approach Abell, but Hugo raised his arm, stopping her cold.

  Keeko narrowed her eyes at him. “Move.”

  Hugo didn’t budge. “Let him handle this.” His voice was calm and assertive. “He might surprise you.”

  Keeko raised an eyebrow, frowning. “I know that boy. He is a reckless fool.”

  Hugo chuckled. “Sometimes a man just wants to prove themselves; you know about that feeling, right?”

  She exhaled, crossing her arms. “Hm, I guess so.”

  A loud, deep, guttural growl sounded throughout the market. It resonated throughout Abell’s body, causing him to stagger.

  From the shadows beyond the marketplace, the first malignant appeared.

  It had the body of a canine; however, its body looked contorted.

  The fur looked like it was cracking off, and its bones were visible. Its muscles tensed unnaturally beneath its battered fur, barely containing its core. Magenta fractures ran along its body, glowing brighter with each second.

  It began charging at Abell, the closest thing nearby. Its claws scraped the ground, sending sparks flying, and its hollowed ember eyes locked onto Abell.

  Abell readied his golden blade, waiting for the malignant to get close; however, he did not anticipate its speed. With a violent swipe, its claws carved through a nearby stall where Abell stood.

  “That one was too close.” He thought.

  The sheer force of the strike sent a gust of wind past his face. The impact destroyed the fruits and vegetables behind him, sending debris and food flying.

  Abell barely twisted his body to avoid the blow, landing on his feet. He gathered his breath quickly and went on the offensive. However, it was quicker than him.

  It lunged again, claws raking through the air. He ducked, barely avoiding the attack. The impact destroyed the cobblestone road.

  “Damn, where’s the opening.” He thought to himself.

  The malignant gave him no time to react; it kept charging in restlessly with seemingly no plan.

  “C’mon, Abell. Just wait until it gives you an opening; don’t panic," Keeko called out.

  Abell’s heart pounded against his ribs. With every step and every move he made, the Malignant was there to match him, faster and stronger than he expected.

  Sweat dripped down his brow as he struggled to keep up, dodging, evading, trying to find an opening.

  The creature became frustrated due to missing its attacks.

  It let out a roar, its fractured body pulsing with energy as it reared back onto its hind legs. Its claws spread wide, indicating it was preparing for a full-force strike.

  "What the? I've never seen this this before.” His eyes narrowed. “I think it’s charging me; I need to act.”

  Abell gritted his teeth. He had no choice.

  He moved first.

  Rolling to the side, he narrowly avoided the devastating blow. The force of the impact shattered the ground, sending debris flying in every direction. Dust clouded the air, but Abell used it as cover and was already in motion.

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  With a sharp pivot, he slashed at the Malignant’s back leg, his golden blade cutting deep into muscle. The beast let out a pained screech, its balance wavering as it stumbled.

  "Finally!” Abell said.

  With a decisive step forward, he gripped his sword tightly and drove it into the creature’s back, causing his blade to glow brightly.

  The blade sank deep, piercing through its fractured skin and striking its pulsing core.

  The Malignant let out one last agonized roar before its body convulsed violently. The light in its core flickered, then faded entirely. The creature’s limbs twitched before its body disintegrated.

  “Hmm, would you look at that?” Hugo said. “I knew that lux was special.”

  Abell took a shaky breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead. His arms ached from the effort, his ribs still burning from the close call. It was over.

  Or so he thought.

  Two more malignants emerged, both staring at Abell.

  They were identical to the first wolf-like beast, which had an unsettling and unnatural presence. However, one was bigger than the other.

  Abell wrapped his fingers around his blade, bracing himself.

  They weren’t charging in recklessly like the first. They waited, and then, suddenly, they moved.

  The larger one attacked first, trying to bite one of Abell's limbs off. Due to its slow speed, Abell dodged easily. However, before he could counter, the smaller malignant charged his blind spot.

  Suddenly, blood stained his attire. The creature's claws tore right through his shirt, making a bit of contact.

  “Are they working together?” He chuckled.

  The larger malignant stomped forward slowly at Abell while the smaller one crept behind. Putting him in a tricky situation.

  He tightened his grip on his sword.

  “This is new. I’m going to need a plan.” He said.

  Keeko’s fists clenched as she watched her son struggle. She could already see it—he wasn’t in control.

  “He’s being too passive now,” she muttered.

  Hugo, standing beside her, crossed his arms with an amused smirk. “That’s just how he fights. All instinct, no hesitation.”

  Keeko didn’t look at him. “Instinct won’t save him when he’s outnumbered.”

  She knew exactly what was happening—Abell was too focused on reacting, letting the Malignants dictate the fight.

  The larger one forced him to dodge. The smaller one punished him for moving.

  A dangerous cycle.

  If he didn’t break it soon, he was going to get torn apart.

  Hugo exhaled through his nose. “You worried?”

  Keeko’s sharp gaze flicked toward him. “Of course, that’s my son.”

  Abell’s mind returned to his mother’s words: Control your emotions, keep a sound mind.

  “What to do now?” He thought

  “Screw it, if I get hit, I get hit.”

  He made up his mind and wasn’t going to change it.

  The two Malignants charged in unison, their glowing fractures pulsing wildly as they closed in.

  But this time, Abell didn’t move.

  He stood his ground.

  The larger Malignant struck first, its massive claws whipping through the air. Instead of dodging, Abell braced himself, raising his blade in a defensive stance.

  CLANG!

  The impact rattled his arms, his feet skidding back against the stone, but something unexpected happened.

  The Malignant staggered.

  Its muscles tensed unnaturally; its movements were delayed for a split second.

  “What the…?” Abell narrowed his eyes. “Something slowed it down.”

  Pivoting on his heel, he whipped his sword around in a clean arc—catching the smaller Malignant right in its side.

  However, it was still moving. It quickly recovered and tried to get a fast attack.

  Abell countered it swiftly, striking it one more time.

  A deep gash tore through its flesh, golden energy searing against corrupted muscle. The creature let out a piercing screech, its body twisting as it recoiled and disintegrated.

  “Got one.” He smirked.

  But before he could catch his breath, the larger one was enraged. Whatever stunned it seemed to bother it. Its core was pulsing quickly, causing it to move erratically. It began charging with insane speed.

  Abell’s heart skipped a beat; His sword was flickering.

  “I guess it’s already been 15 minutes.” He muttered. “Well, bring it on!” He took a defensive stance, waiting for it to approach him.

  Abell squeezed his eyes shut; every muscle in his body tensed.

  The Malignant’s charge shook the ground, its snarls vibrating in his chest. The weight of its footsteps grew heavier, closer—unstoppable.

  He gritted his teeth, bracing for the impact.

  But it never came.

  Instead, a sickening thud, followed by splintering wood, cracked through the air.

  Abell’s eyes snapped open.

  The Malignant was motionless, its twisted body pinned against a tree hard. Deep fractures ran through its glowing core, its limbs twitching in fading resistance.

  And in front of it, standing with effortless control, was Keeko. Her hand was still extended from the blow, but her expression was unimpressed.

  She glanced over her shoulder, eyes sharp. “What was that, Abell?”

  “Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

  Her voice echoed through the market square.

  Abell attempted to open his mouth but was swiftly cut off.

  “That plan was utterly reckless! You left yourself wide open. She threw her hands up. I’ve told you countless times to use your brain and think of every possible scenario.”

  She continued to ramble, not noticing the crowd forming around her.

  “Also, remember that your Lux has a time limit. Ignoring that will seriously hurt you, " she said.

  Abell didn’t register what she was saying; His mind was on the fight he had just had. Remembering how he killed two malignants by himself. He let out a small chuckle.

  Keeko’s scowl deepened. “Are you even listening to me, young man?”

  From the sidelines, a slow, calculated clap sounded. The spectacle before him caused Hugo to smirk while he remarked with an amused voice, “Amazing. No wonder you were hiding him from us.”

  Keeko gave him an angry look. “No, I came out here to care for my children.”

  "Trust me, I wasn't hiding from you." She said.

  Hugo tried to respond, but the village elder moved quickly toward them to express his warm thanks before she could answer.

  “Thank you, both of you! Your efforts protected us, and we will celebrate tonight in your honor. “

  Keeko smiled, glancing at her son with pride. "Always happy to help," she replied, her voice softening as she turned to the elder.

  Abell saw his chance.

  He took a cautious step backward as his mother's attention was diverted. Then another.

  His mother attempted to whip around and pull him back for another lecture, but he slipped away first.

  “Thank you, old man.” Abell thought.

  Hugo saw the boy leave and laughed hysterically. “He reminds me of me.”

  “This is going to be interesting.”