"Be fast with it " Justin ordered.
In the city, a man say at a dimly lit bar, a half empty glass of whiskey in his hand. Outside, ocean dweller soldiers and their general may unconscious, piled like discarded dolls. He smirked, adjusting his suit before rising.
"If better go before Justin blows a fuse."
---
Nas and the blonde girl burst from the forest, branches snapping underfoot, the ocean dweller general close behind.
"Insolent child!" The creature roared. "Did you truly think you could escape me? Your magic is spent, and you've brought me to the apex of my domain... The open sea!"
He drew upon the ocean, the Waves churning violently in response.
Nas, painting, hurled the girl towards safety. "Get clear!"
He turned just in time to hear the ocean dweller's voice again, sharp as breaking glass.
"I lack the strength to chase you, but if you refuse to fight me with honor, then I shall not spare them."
Nas froze. Phoebe, Michael, and the blonde girl were bound together in a serpentine coil of liquid rope. Water spikes hovered inches from their skulls, trembling with lethal tension.
---
Justin's laughter cut through the chaos like thunder. The air shifted; pressure rolled through the clearing as wind spiraled around him.
"You dare hold my son hostage?" His voice boomed, fury cold and sharp. "You'll pay for that — with your life."
He extended his hand. The sea obayed. Water surged, twisting into a Trident that froze over in an instant, the temperature plummeting as fast as frost spread across the sand.
Then...
"Justin " a voice echoed directly into his mind.
He paused, teeth gritted. "Warren? What is the meaning of this?"
"Let him fight" said the primordial mage calmly. "Let the lad finish what he started."
"You can't be serious" Justin snapped.
"Don't make me pull rank, old friend."
Justin clenched his jaw, eyes burning with quiet defiance. But going against Warren — the Primordial Mage — was not something even he dared lightly, no matter who far back their relationship went.
"Nothing will happen to my Godson, nothing will happen to Michael." Warren added "That, I promise."
Justin growled. "You better not lose" he hissed at Nas, stepping back.
The spectators murmured in disbelief. Why would someone of Justin's caliber — Assembly's No.5 — let a wounded boy face such a foe?
---
"Fine" Nas said, voice trembling but firm. "I'll fight you. Just let everyone go."
"I will" the ocean dweller replied, grinning. "But only if you win."
He raised a watery blade, glinting with the moonlight. "So, little surface mage — if you wish to save them, then earn it."
Nas inhaled deeply, muscles tensed. "I'm ready"
He charged.
His mana was depleted. Every movement ached. He had only instinct, no spells, no tricks. He tried to use the sand, kicking it up, hoping to blind the creature, but it was useless. The ocean dweller's senses — his sight, his hearing — we're sharper than any human's.
Nas was thrown back, crashing into the sand. Blood filled his mouth. The ocean dweller stepped closer, disappointment etched on his face.
"This is the end of the road for you" he said coldly. "Blame your parents for birthing a weakling. Curse your mother for raising you despite your flaws. And finally, blame the world for not molding you into something stronger."
Nas's body trembled as he tried to stand.
Justin looked up at the sky, his patience reaching its end. "What do you Hope to gain by watching children suffer?"
"Patience, Justin" Warren said, his voice detached, almost distant. "You'll understand soon enough."
"Damn your patience." Justin's magic flared, wind and frost converging violently.
He broke protocle, fury overriding reason, and lunged. His Trident met the ocean dweller's watery blade, freezing it over, and shattered it instantly.
The creature recoiled, shocked, barely escaping the next strike.
Warren sighed softly, watching through a distant vision mirror.
"Stupid Justin. So very impatient."
He got up from his seat, and with a snap of his finger disappeared.
---
A rusted sword fell from the heavens — silent, weightless — until it struck the earth before Nas, point-first.
He staggered forward, gripping the hit to steady himself —
—and screamed.
The instant his fingers met the corroded metal, something ancient and furious tore through him. His magic form surged to life, his body trembling as waves of unbearable heat erupted from his skin.
Supernaturals nearby stumbled backwards, shielding their faces as the air ignited.
Then — like a spark in a room filled with gas — Nas exploded into flames.
His scream became the sound of fire breathing. Flames roared upward, rising from the sword, swallowing the clearing in a storm of light and heat.
Justin froze, eyes narrowing.
"So this was your plan, Warren..." He muttered. His ice trident hissed and melted in his hand.
"How can a weapon produce such fire magic?" One of the mages gasped.
"It must have absorbed centuries' worth of elemental flames" another whispered, awe-struck.
The fire expanded, searing the ground. Water evaporated instantly. The watery bonds imprisoning the hostages shattered, freeing Phoebe and the others.
Phoebe tried to rush to Nas, but Michael caught her arm. "Don't" he warned. "That's heat — it'll kill you."
The flames spiraled outward, untames, wild. Mages tried to contain them with barriers and water sigils, but the inferno devoured everything — trees, wards, stone.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, the flames paused.
Two seconds of silence.
And then — everything collapsed inward.
The fire reached back into the sword, drawn into its core like breath returning to lungs.
When the light faded, Nas stood at the center, naked, the sand around him fused into glass. The air shimmered from the heat. No one could look at him directly.
He straightened slowly, his gaze fixed on the ocean dweller.
The sword — once rusted — was now reborn. It's blade gleamed, runes alive with molten light, faint trails of smoke whispering from its edge.
Nas's eyes glowed a brilliant sky blue. His hair had turned gold. His nails, black and sharp as obsidian. Ancient sigils burned faintly across his skin.
He looked over at his friends — and smiled.
Phoebe burst into tears.
From the forest's edge, the red man emerged, whistling softly at the devastation.
"Well," he smirked, "this was... unexpected."
---
Nas moved first.
The world seemed to blur as he and the ocean dweller clashed. Their battle tore through the forest, felling trees, shattering stone. Most couldn't even see them — only the shockwaves and flashes of light that followed each stroke.
The ocean dweller was no ordinary opponent. He didn't need the sea to command water, he drew it from the very air, from the veins of plants, from the blood of his own body.
But the heat from Nas's flames made his magic falter. Every droplet that formed evaporated before it could strike.
"So this is what you were after, you sky bastard" the red man muttered, glancing skyward.
From above, in the clouds over New Orleans, Warren sat cross-legged on a patch of vapor, watching through a translucent sphere of purple light that envelope the entire city.
"A phoenix" he murmured. "One of the ancients."
He tapped the barrier with a finger, feeling it's him.
"This space has held up quite well" he said, smiling. "Been a while since I made one this small."
He leaned back casually, popcorn in hand.
"Let's see how well the boy sings when the world starts to burn."
---
Below, Nas and the ocean dweller's battle reached it's crescendo.
Nas was unrecognizable — calm, focused, deadly. Each movement was precise, each strike fueled by something deeper than anger.
The ocean dweller's grin widened with every hit he took, bus madness feeding one Nas's power.
Then, with a burst of speed that split the air, Nas shattered the ocean dweller's blade.
Midair, he twisted — kicks and blows raining down like meteors.
One spin — another — then a knee drove into the general's chin, snapping his head back.
The final spin — then a blazing kick that sent the ocean dweller crashing into the sea, the water boiling on contact.
The world went silent again.
---
The ocean dweller, beaten and bloodied, dropped to one knee. His armor was cracked, his breathing ragged. He looked up to Nas — eyes blazing blue, sword dripping with heat — and smiled.
"You are...a worthy opponent" he said hoarsely, raising his hand in surrender.
But Nas wasn't there anymore. The boy was gone, only the flames remained. His instincts were fire and fury, his body moved before thought could reach it. He raised his sword, aiming for the ocean dweller's head —
And then a hand caught the blade.
Sparks hissed as steel met skin. The Red man stood between them, gripping the sword bare handed. His expression was calm, though his arm trembled slightly from the heat.
"That's hotter than I expected" be said, flexing his wrist. "My mana will might not hold long."
Nas tried to pull the blade away, but the man's grip was unshakable.
"Stupid warren..." He muttered, bus tone more amused than angry. "So this is why he dragged me out of retirement."
He placed his other hand gently on Nas's forehead.
For a moment, the world was silent. Then, the flames began to vanish. They shrank and retreated, sucked into the crimson chains wrapped around the man's forearms. The metal turned red hot, glowing like molten iron as Nas's fire poured into them.
Nas collapsed, weak and gasping. The red man caught him before he hit the sand.
He sighed, taking off his blazer and draping it over Nas's burned, bare skin. Sitting down, he adjusted the boy in his arms like a sleeping child.
The platinum-blonde girl — the witch — ran to him first. Her eyes shimmered with gratitude and confusion. Kneeling besides Nas, she took his hand and quickly scrawled something on his palm:
"Thank you for saving me.
xxxxxxxxx87
Audrey."
Before she could say anything more, Phoebe reached them. She pushed Audrey aside, tears streaming down her face as she shook Nas's shoulder.
"Wake up, please! Nas — wake up!"
Audrey stepped back, realizing she wasn't needed anymore. She gave one last look at the unconscious boy, then turned and disappeared into the forest's shadow.
Above, Warren stood in his floating perch, watching the scene unfold. His smirk was calm, satisfied.
"So, what story should I use this time."
Then he vanished, and the massive purple barrier surrounding New Orleans dissolved into dust.
---
Days later, Aurora sat in the ACE Assembly headquarters, signing documents besides two uniformed agents.
Nas had officially been accepted for internship.
The news channel buzzed about the ocean dweller invasion, though not mentioned Nas and his friends. Their roles were shifted to the background, Justin became the hero of the story.
Nas would continue attending his normal school during the day, and work from 4pm to midnight on weekdays, 8am to 4pm on weekends.
When the time came, he'd meet his handler/supervisor.
Aurora smiled at him, pride softening her tired face.
"Do your best" she said
Nas nodded. "I will."
---
A few days later, deep in the Assembly upper floor — in a secured lounge, the Red man, Justin, and Warren sat around a finely aged bottle of cocoa wine. The air was thick with tension and old secrets.
Justin's fingers tapped on the table as he summarized the latest findings.
"From what we gathered, the invasion wasn't random. The organization behind it — still untraceable — broadcasted a single message afterward: 'The age of the Assembly ends now.'. No signature. No coordinate. Just that."
The red man poured himself another drink. "They've got humans, ocean dwellers, and even mages in their ranks. It's not just rebellion — it's infiltration."
Warren leaned back, eyes narrowing. "And they made it look like the surface dwellers killed ocean soldiers. That's what started the attack, isn't it?"
Justin nodded. "Exactly. But according to the treaty under the SNWU, neither side should be able to engage without investigation or approval. The ocean dwellers shouldn't have been able to attack new Orleans so freely."
"Which means someone bypass the treaty protocols" the Red man added grimly. "Before the ocean king could finish his talk with the union, three of his generals went rouge. Apparently, some of their men were killed — possibly framed by the organization."
Warren exhaled slowly. "Not bypass... exploited. Whoever orchestrated this wanted the SNWU tangled in paperwork while the city burned."
Warren leaned back, considering. "So they orchestrated an incident between species. Clever."
"But what was the point?" Justin asked. "They didn't steal anything. Didn't kidnap anyone. It all looks ... Performative. We suspect Idia might be involved."
Warren's eyes narrowed. "Not performative. Strategic. A demonstration. But one things for sure — Idia had nothing to do with it. She's not the type to start a war through proxies. If she wanted the Assembly destroyed, she's walk through the front door and do it herself."
The room fell silent.
"If they've infiltrated the SNWU" he continued quietly, "then they've likely reached everywhere — our systems, our cities, even the assembly. They could be anyone. High command. Field agents. Maybe even those in this room."
The red man smirked, raising his glass. "A dilemma in the truest of sense."
Silence fell again. The only sound was the quiet clink of glass against the table.
Then Justin looked up at Warren, his eyes sharp. "Speaking of things that shouldn't happen — care to explain why a phoenix-class entity — one of the ancients, is manifesting in the boy barely old enough to handle tier one training?"
The red man paused mid-drink. Warren's lips curved into a faint smile — the kind that said he'd been waiting for this question m
"I didnt awaken it" he said simply. "The boy already carried the fire. All I did was help him see it."
Justin frowned. "You helped him see it? You do realize that kid of power burns through the unprepared — body, mind, and soul alike?
Warren's tone darkened, though his eyes softened briefly. "He's not unprepared. Not like you think."
Justin leaned forward. "You're speaking like you know him."
Warren's smirk returned, but his voice lowered to a whisper. "Let's just say...the flame runs in his blood."
The red man glanced between them. "You mean—?"
Warren stood, refilling his glass. "Some truths aren't mine to tell. But for now, Nasya stays under our supervision. If that boy ever loses control again, we might not be talking about another invasion — we'll be talking about extinction."
Justin's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
Warren stared at the cocoa wine swirling in his glass, the reflection of the Amber liquid flickering like firelight. "And if anyone learns what he truly is — or who his mother was — the Assembly won't protect him. They'll cage him."
The red man raised a brow. "You're awfully protective of the boy. Even going as far as resetting the timeline."
Warren looked towards the window, his gaze far away.
"Let's just say I made a promise — a long time ago — to someone who once burned brighter than the sun."
Outside, thunder rumbled softly across the horizon, and for a fleeting moment, the light caught Warren's eyes — a glint of something ancient and burdened.
Outside, the night wind brushed through the flags of the assembly tower. And far below, in the heart of the city, a boy named Nasya slept — his dreams flickering with fire.
The flame had been passed on.
And whether the world was ready for it or not, it had begun to burn again.