Kova paced the halls of the Haven. He calculated the mission's end. Nothing should go wrong if Hykee decided to keep his cool.
His mind was a labyrinth of probabilities. Each turn led to the same inevitable conclusion. The silver trail was being followed. The pieces he set on the board were moving with a life of their own. Every step echoed against the stone a reminder of the order he worked so hard to maintain.
In a lower section, Kaola paced with a frantic energy. Her fingers twisted the fabric of her sleeve. Her eyes darted toward the heavy door. She hadn't spoken to Koma since her arrival. That silence was more terrifying than any lecture. Anxiety pressed against her chest. Kova had told her that Koma wanted to kill her. The reality of the threat was a physical weight. She needed to become indispensable again before their first meeting.
"I have to do something," Kaola whispered. She stopped in the center of the room. "I have to find a way to make myself indispensable again."
She looked toward the door. Her mind raced through a dozen plans to appease her brother. If she could find Kota before the others, or provide Koma with a challenge worthy of his power, perhaps he would look at her with something other than cold indifference. But Koma was not easily impressed. His boredom was a dangerous thing.
"Kova!"
The voice boomed from the fabric of the air itself. It vibrated through the Void. Koma was calling a restless shadow within that dark pocket of existence. Kova paused. His expression remained a mask of neutrality. He focused his mind toward the internal space where his brother waited.
"I am bored, brother," Koma stated. His voice had a flat, dangerous edge. "The enemies you let me fight are pathetic. They break before I can even enjoy the sound of their bones snapping. They are weak and predictable. They offer no sport."
They were meant to test your reflexes, not your limits, Koma, Kova answered within the silence of his thoughts. The real challenge is still ahead.
Koma let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "I do not want reflexes. I just want this boredom to end. Where is Koa? Send her to me. She is someone who can actually entertain me for more than a minute."
Kova remained steady. Koa has her own tasks, Koma. She is not a toy for your amusement. However, if you are truly that desperate for a distraction, how about I send you Kaola instead?
The air in the Void crackled with jagged energy. Koma stayed silent for a heartbeat. A low, dark chuckle vibrated through Kova's mind.
"Kaola?" Koma repeated the name with genuine excitement. "Now that is an interesting thought. I have things I want to say to her. Better yet, do not send her here. Bring me out. I want to talk to her at the Haven. I want to see the look on her face when she realizes I am standing right in front of her."
Kova didn't flinch, though his mental tone sharpened. You cannot fight in the Haven. Having your Yen fully released here is already enough to deal with. I will not have the mountain crumbling because of your lack of restraint. If I bring you out, you will keep your hands off her.
Koma laughed. It sounded like glass scraping against stone. "Fine, Kova. I accept. I will not fight my little sister. I just want to have a conversation. Bring me out."
Miles away, the dry, windswept path held a different tension. Lokee and the others were moving. The weight of Kova's orders felt heavier with every mile. The air changed as they approached the outskirts where the doctor resided.
Lokee stopped. She closed her eyes, fingers grazing the air. The world dissolved into pulses of heat and vibration. She felt the silver energy of the trail ahead flickering like a dying candle against the vast darkness of the canyon.
"The vibration has stopped," Lokee said. Her eyes snapped open. "They're not moving anymore. Hykee, they're right there. Enter the veil now. We're closing in on them and we need to move before the situation shifts."
Hykee stood on a stone roof above. He looked into the shadowed pass with a manic grin. "Enter the veil? No. I am not waiting for a slow crawl. I am going on."
"Hykee, stay back!" Lokee warned. Her voice sharpened with rare urgency. She saw him move. She turned to Kana, who was already stepping forward to follow. "Kana, stay near Juno. Do not interfere with Hykee. I am telling you now, if either of you get in his way or try to take his kill, he will kill you. Let him go first."
Kana hesitated. She looked between the dark pass and the dangerous glint in Hykee's eyes. She stepped back toward Juno. Hykee began his descent toward the valley floor. Excitement radiated off him in jagged waves. Lokee watched him go. She could tell by the weight in the air that they were nearing him.
Deep in the shadows of the pass, Kota suddenly came to a halt. The air around him was thick and distorted. Yen sickness leaked from him in visible ripples. He felt the manic energy of Hykee drawing closer a jagged lightning strike in the dark. He looked at the path ahead, then back toward the approaching shadows.
"Girl, we stop here," Kota said. His voice was heavy and raspy. "Those people hunting us have gained on us. We will not reach our destination. We will have to fight."