The lab screamed.
A high-pitched whine tore through the room as the conduits lit up, lines of Aether energy racing along the walls in sharp, pulsing patterns. Not random—rhythmic. Controlled.
The technician's head snapped toward the main console.
"Elowen! Kael! That's not a normal surge—"
The world detonated.
Glass shattered outward in a blinding flash. The floor buckled. A wave of force ripped through the lab, throwing us straight through the window into open air.
My breath vanished.
Sparks exploded from my gloves, wild and uncontrollable. My daggers snapped into my hands, humming violently, while the compass on my wrist spun—then jerked hard in one direction.
Not random.
Locked.
"Elowen!"
Kael's voice cut through the chaos. A faint glow wrapped around him as he twisted midair, forcing Aetherflow outward. The energy bent around us, deflecting shards of glass and burning fragments of conduit.
We crashed into the street.
Hard.
Pain shot up my arms, but I forced myself up. Around us, Aetherion was breaking.
People screamed. Hovercars swerved out of control. Drones spiraled from the sky, sparks trailing behind them. Neon signs flickered violently as stray arcs of Aetherflow lashed through the air, crawling across buildings like lightning searching for something to strike.
"Elowen, move!"
Kael was already on his feet. His hand lifted—Aetherflow surged. A chunk of debris rose and slammed aside, clearing a path as another explosion echoed behind us.
I ran.
My boots hit wet pavement, splashing through glowing reflections. Sparks snapped from my gloves, trailing behind me. The compass pulled again, sharper this time, like it was trying to drag me somewhere I wasn't ready to go.
"Careful!" Kael called, keeping pace. "You're leaking energy."
"I noticed!" I snapped back, spinning to slice a falling shard with one dagger. It shattered on contact, scattering blue light across the alley walls.
Behind us, the technician stumbled out of the ruined building, coughing, one arm barely shielding his face. He slammed his hand against a panel near the entrance.
A hatch snapped open—emergency containment.
"Go!" he shouted. "This isn't—"
The conduits flared again.
Too bright. Too sharp.
A pulse of Aether burst outward and threw him back into the smoke.
I hesitated—
"Elowen!"
Kael grabbed my arm, pulling me into a narrow alley just as another arc of energy tore across the street. It slammed into the wall behind us, leaving glowing fractures that pulsed like veins.
The alley hummed.
Conduit lines embedded in the walls flickered, reacting to the overflow. The air felt charged—alive. Every breath tasted like static.
I tightened my grip on my daggers. "This isn't just overload…"
Kael's expression shifted. Less joking now. More focused.
"Yeah," he muttered. "I know."
A crash echoed nearby. People were still running. Sirens began to rise in the distance.
We reached the end of the alley.
Kael slammed his hand against a hidden panel.
Click.
A section of the wall slid open, revealing a sleek hovercraft. Its surface glowed faintly, conduits along its frame pulsing in sync with the chaos outside—as if it could feel it.
"Get in," Kael said quickly.
I didn't argue. I jumped inside, daggers still humming, compass trembling in my grip.
"This thing better fly fast," I muttered.
Kael slid into the driver's seat, a faint smirk returning. "Fast enough, Elowen. Try not to break it."
"Me?" I shot back. "You're the one blowing up buildings."
"Wasn't me."
The engine roared to life.
For a split second, his hands glowed again—Aetherflow syncing with the controls. The hovercraft lifted sharply, stabilizing midair before shooting forward into the neon-lit streets.
The city blurred around us. Lights streaked. Sirens grew louder.
Then—
I felt it.
A ripple.
My head snapped upward.
On a rooftop above us, a figure stood perfectly still. Cloaked in shadow. Watching.
One faint glow pulsed beneath their hood—steady, controlled.
Not chaotic like mine.
Not forced like Kael's.
Something else.
My compass jerked again—pointing straight at them.
"Kael…"
He followed my gaze. His expression went still.
"…Yeah," he said quietly. "I see them."
The figure didn't move.
Didn't react.
Just watched.
Then—
Gone.
Like they were never there.
The compass stilled in my hand, but the feeling didn't fade.
If anything… it got stronger.
Kael leaned back slightly, eyes forward again as the hovercraft cut through the city.
"Whatever just happened," he said, voice low now, "that wasn't an accident."
I tightened my grip on my daggers.
Yeah.
I knew.
Because something out there—
Had just found me.