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The air changes.
It’s no longer just heavy.
It’s dangerous.
No one moves at first.
Nyra stands in front of me, her body slightly angled, ready.
Elisha stands across from us, calm… too calm.
Like she’s been waiting for this.
“Last chance,” Nyra says quietly. “Walk away.”
Elisha tilts her head, amused.
“You really think I came all this way to walk away?”
Something snaps.
Elisha moves first.
Fast.
Faster than anything I’ve ever seen.
One second she’s standing—
The next, she’s right in front of Nyra.
CLASH.
The sound is sharp, echoing through the warehouse as Nyra blocks the strike.
A shockwave bursts outward.
I stumble back, my heart slamming against my ribs.
What… is this?
They move again—
Too fast for my eyes to follow properly.
Blow after blow.
Step after step.
Attack. Block. Counter.
It’s not a fight.
It’s a storm.
Nyra ducks low, sweeping her leg—
Elisha flips over it effortlessly, landing behind her.
“You’ve gotten slower,” Elisha says lightly.
Nyra spins, striking again. “You’ve gotten arrogant.”
Their hands collide—
And this time, I feel it.
A surge.
Like pressure slamming into the air.
I gasp.
That energy…
It’s the same as mine.
“Wait…” I whisper.
Elisha smirks.
“You’re starting to notice, aren’t you?”
Nyra’s voice cuts in sharply. “Riley, stay back!”
Too late.
Elisha suddenly shifts direction—
Not toward Nyra.
Toward me.
My body freezes.
Too slow.
She’s right in front of me—
Her hand reaching out—
“No!”
Nyra appears between us instantly—
SLAM.
The force of their collision sends a blast through the room.
I’m thrown backward, hitting the ground hard.
Pain shoots through my side, but I barely feel it.
My eyes are locked on them.
“Don’t touch her,” Nyra growls.
Elisha steps back slowly, her expression unreadable now.
“That’s exactly why I will,” she replies.
Something inside me twists.
Fear.
Anger.
Confusion.
All crashing together.
“STOP!” I shout.
And this time—
Something answers.
The air around me trembles.
Both of them freeze.
I feel it again.
Stronger than before.
Wilder.
“I said… STOP!”
BOOM.
A wave of force explodes out of me.
The ground cracks beneath my feet.
Dust and debris scatter in every direction.
Nyra and Elisha are both pushed back—
Not far.
But enough.
Silence falls.
I’m breathing hard, my hands shaking.
“I didn’t mean to—”
Nyra stares at me.
Not surprised.
Not scared.
Focused.
“Elisha,” she says slowly, “leave.”
Elisha doesn’t move immediately.
Her eyes are locked on me now.
Intense.
Calculating.
Then—
She smiles.
“That power…” she murmurs.
My chest tightens.
“It’s even worse than I thought.”
I swallow hard. “What does that mean?”
Elisha takes a step back.
Then another.
“You’re not ready for the truth,” she says.
Nyra’s voice sharpens. “Enough.”
Elisha raises her hands slightly, mock surrender.
“Relax. I’m leaving.”
But before she turns—
She looks at me one last time.
“Next time we meet…”
She pauses.
“I won’t hold back.”
And then—
She’s gone.
The warehouse falls into silence again.
My heart is still racing.
My hands are still shaking.
My mind is spinning.
“What… was that?” I whisper.
Nyra exhales slowly.
“That,” she says,
“was your first real fight.”
I let out a weak breath.
“That didn’t feel like a fight.”
Nyra looks at me seriously.
“No,” she says.
A pause.
A warning.
“That was just the beginning.”