[Yukha]

  Before Yukha could step in front of Finn to protect him, something stopped him in his tracks.

  "IT HURTS!" Finn’s scream tore through the air, raw and visceral.

  Yukha froze. The sheer emotion in the voice—the pain, the rage—it sent a chill down his spine.

  "I'LL KILL YOU!" Another scream, even more guttural, more unhinged.

  Then it happened.

  The small flame hovering above Finn flared violently, expanding in an instant. What came next was a storm of fire—tiny, blazing missiles erupting one after another in rapid succession. Each flame was like the ones Finn had used before to kill the wind drifters, but this time they fired with relentless speed, far faster than before.

  The ground shook as explosion after explosion rocked the battlefield, flames consuming the area where the Shredder had stood.

  It’s dead, Yukha realized. I can’t sense its presence anymore.

  And yet, the barrage didn’t stop. Fire rained down like a vengeful storm, relentless and unchecked.

  "DIE! DIE! DIE!" Finn screamed, his voice breaking with fury.

  Yukha’s eyes widened as he noticed something else—something even more alarming. Small flames were starting to flicker and crawl across Finn’s body, feeding off him like living things.

  It’s just like last night.

  He clenched his fists, guilt tightening in his chest. Finn was losing control again.

  "I’m sorry, Finn," Yukha whispered, his voice heavy with regret.

  With a wave of his hand, he summoned a sphere of water, cooling it until a faint mist formed around its surface. The air grew colder as the water shimmered, its chill intended not to harm but to jolt Finn back to his senses.

  [Finn]

  A sudden splash of icy cold water crashed against Finn's back, jolting him from his frenzy. The shock made the fire above him falter, its relentless barrage coming to an abrupt stop.

  Before he could fully process what was happening, a soothing warmth enveloped his injured arm. He blinked, his mind still foggy, and glanced down to see the deep gash on his arm beginning to knit itself back together. The sight was surreal—skin pulling together, blood ceasing to flow—accompanied by a faint tickling sensation that made him shiver.

  The once-raging fire above him began to shrink, its fierce glow dimming as it steadily reduced in size. Smaller and smaller it grew until, at last, it vanished completely, leaving only a faint wisp of heat in the air.

  Finn's strength ebbed away with the fire. His legs buckled, and his vision blurred. The last thing he saw was Yukha rushing forward, arms outstretched to catch him as he collapsed. Darkness claimed him before he could utter a word.

  Finn opened his eyes, the world slowly coming into focus. Above him, the sky—or what he assumed to be the sky—was a vivid blue, yet the sun was nowhere to be seen.

  As his senses returned, so did fragments of memory.

  The first realm. That’s right. He was in the first realm of the Tower of Ascension.

  A soft sensation pressed against the back of his head.

  A pillow?

  Confused, he pushed himself up, feeling as though he’d just woken from a long, disorienting nap.

  “You’re awake,” a voice said.

  Turning toward the sound, Finn saw Yukha standing nearby, his back to him, staring at something in the distance.

  Finn followed Yukha’s gaze, and his breath hitched.

  Before him lay a massive crater, a gaping wound in the earth, charred black as if a meteor had slammed into it. The surrounding greenery was scorched beyond recognition, a stark contrast to the serene landscape beyond.

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  Slowly, the pieces started falling into place.

  “Did I... do that?” Finn asked, his voice tentative.

  “Yes. You don’t remember?” Yukha replied, turning toward him.

  Without warning, Yukha tossed a flask of water in Finn’s direction. He caught it instinctively.

  The flask drew his attention to his throat, which felt parched, dry, and raw. A prickling sensation accompanied the discomfort, as if his voice had been pushed to its limits.

  Screaming? I was screaming earlier… but why?

  Without hesitation, he uncapped the flask and drank deeply, emptying its contents in one long gulp. He let out a satisfied sigh as the coarse sensation in his throat eased.

  His gaze shifted to his left arm. Something about it tugged at his memory.

  And then it hit him.

  A deep gash, crimson blood spilling from his pale skin. His own blood. He had never seen so much before, let alone coming from himself. The memory rushed back like a flood, and he felt the water he had just swallowed churn uneasily in his stomach. But he forced it down.

  “I remember being injured,” Finn said, his voice steadying. “Did you heal me?”

  “Yes,” Yukha replied. “It wasn’t a life-threatening injury. Your arm wasn’t close to being severed. But your reaction... I’ve seen it before. Mostly from those experiencing their first battle. That kind of injury is a harsh reminder of how fragile we really are. You reacted the same way.”

  “How did I react?” Finn asked hesitantly.

  “You screamed, Finn. And then…” Yukha’s gaze shifted back to the crater. “You did that to the monster that caused it.”

  “Really?” Finn’s eyes widened.

  “Yes,” Yukha said, his tone softening. “But it was my mistake. I thought you could handle it on your own. I’ve seen you effortlessly take down corrupted elementals before, and you always seemed so confident. I forgot you were from Earth—that you’ve never truly been in a life-threatening battle like this before.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Finn replied. “I just… let my guard down.”

  Yukha’s words rang true. Perhaps Finn had been avoiding the reality of it, pushing it to the back of his mind. He had thought about the possibility of dying before, even faced life-threatening situations. But the sight of his own blood, the searing pain—it had overwhelmed him. His mind had short-circuited.

  The memory grew clearer. Yes, he had screamed. First from the pain, and then… from rage. Rage directed at the Shredder.

  “But there’s something I’m curious about,” Yukha said, interrupting Finn’s thoughts. “Before its attack hit you, there was an explosion that sent you sideways. That explosion saved your life. If not for it, the wind blade would’ve struck you point-blank. Do you remember doing that?”

  Finn furrowed his brows. “No… but now that you mention it, I remember the little flame I was controlling above me. It moved to my side and caused the explosion. It was like…” He hesitated. “Like it had a mind of its own. Are you saying it saved my life?”

  Yukha shook his head. “It didn’t save your life, Finn. You did. Elements don’t act on their own. What I think happened is the same thing that occurred when you meditated before—your consciousness was transferred to that flame.”

  Finn listened, stunned.

  “And not just that,” Yukha continued. “After that explosion, you weren’t moving. Then, all of a sudden, you started screaming. It was as if the flame responded to your emotions. That crater…” He gestured toward the scorched earth. “That’s what it did to the Shredder.”

  “You’re saying I did that… subconsciously?” Finn asked, his voice barely a whisper.

  "Maybe," Yukha replied thoughtfully. "Just like last night, your body started catching fire again. So I did the same thing—I doused you with icy cold water. After what you subconsciously did, it looks like you drained your mana completely and blacked out."

  "So that's what happened," Finn said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry about all this… the destruction I caused."

  "Your reaction was understandable," Yukha reassured him. "You were in shock, and then it turned into anger. You lashed out at the source of your pain. Though, I have to admit, you’re scary when you lose control. Remind me to stay on your good side next time I decide to annoy you." He offered a faint smile, attempting to lighten the mood.

  Finn chuckled weakly. "At least now I know how it feels to get slashed that deeply in my arm. Next time it happens—if it happens—I hope I don’t get as shaken up and go all scorched earth again."

  "Or better yet," Yukha said, raising an eyebrow, "try not to get hit at all. You should develop that explosion move you did earlier. It could be a way to dodge attacks while creating some space between you and your opponent."

  "Good point," Finn agreed.

  "But what’s concerning," Yukha added, his expression turning serious, "is how close you came to setting your own body on fire again. It’s almost the exact same thing that happened last night while you were meditating." He paused, as if piecing together a puzzle in his mind. "At least we’ve learned something from this situation. We now know two key things that seem to trigger it."

  Finn narrowed his eyes. "I hope you’re not about to tell me I should avoid fighting altogether."

  "Not at all," Yukha said quickly. "The first trigger seems to be deep meditation. So, for now, avoid that. There are other ways to regenerate mana. Maybe just focus on your breathing instead of falling into that deep trance."

  Finn nodded, listening intently.

  "The second trigger," Yukha continued, "is extreme emotional stimulation. Like what just happened—you went into shock, lashed out in anger, and that triggered it. I’m not saying you should avoid fights entirely, but you need to learn how to control your emotions better."

  "I see," Finn murmured.

  "The next time you feel like you’re losing control," Yukha advised, "anchor yourself. Slow your breathing. Take in the situation fully and approach it logically. That awareness will keep you grounded."

  "I’ll keep that in mind," Finn said, determination flickering in his voice.

  He glanced around. Not a single monster was left—just the massive crater and the charred remnants of burned grass from the floaters he’d taken down earlier.

  "Anyway," Finn said, breaking the silence, "now that we’ve cleared the Shredder’s territory, we should keep moving toward the next teleport point."

  "Are you sure?" Yukha asked, concerned. "You should rest a little longer."

  "Nah, I’ve already delayed us enough. Besides, I feel fine now. My mana’s back to full thanks to that blackout," Finn replied.

  Yukha hesitated before nodding. "Alright, if you’re sure."

  They resumed their journey toward the teleport location. Yukha suggested they walk for a bit, but Finn insisted on running.

  The wind brushing against his face as they ran helped calm his lingering nerves. Above him, the small flame he had summoned hovered, flickering softly. This time, he increased the mana he channeled into it, making it slightly larger. He also directed more of his awareness toward controlling it.

  The flame had saved his life—well, he had saved his own life, technically. But even so, Finn couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of gratitude toward it, as if it had acted on its own to protect him.

  Chapter 28 - Betelgeuse