Kai Langford- July 2120
The heat hit me before I even stepped into the clearing, lava flowing across the forest floor, smoke curling in thick, choking waves. But I didn't hesitate. Not for a second.
I need to find Ethan.
While I was sat in the canteen my mind couldn't shake that something bad was about to happen. So I sneaked out when no-one was looking.
Then I see them, Ethan and Jack, pressed behind a log, wide-eyed and terrified. Ray and Daniel were trying, failing, to restrain the man. I could see it all at once, each movement, each danger, each possibility in a flash. And my hands tingled with the familiar hum of shadow, coiling like living ink around my fingers.
I didn't even think, i just act straight away.
My hand snaps forward, and a wall of shadows erupts from the ground, slamming into the incoming ball of molten light.
It shatters against the barrier with a sizzling hiss, stopped, at least for now. But I can feel it, the wall won't hold for long.
I've faced threats like this countless times before. I've controlled, restrained, fought, survived. Yet this time… something is different. My chest burns, heat building in my fists, and for the first time in a long while, I don't feel calm. I feel… angry.
"Kai… what are you doing here?" Ethan's voice wavers as he looks up at me from the ground. His eyes are wide, a mix of shock and something else, fear, just barely hidden beneath the surface.
"I'll handle it" my voice was low, calm, and sharp.
The lava starts to melt through the wall of shadow and I stand ready to attack.
As soon as the wall collapses I spring straight into action.
The man's head whipped toward me, glowing molten fingers twitching ready to attack again.
The lava man roars, molten fists swinging wildly, scorching everything around him. Trees hiss, leaves curl into ash, and the ground steams beneath his chaotic energy. The forest feels alive, trying to burn us alive.
I shove the anger aside. Ethan. Jack. Daniel. Ray. All of them are in the line of fire. I need to try to redirect his attacks.
Shadows coil around my fingers, black tendrils shooting forward like living extensions of my will. They wrap around the man's wrists, twisting and constricting, redirecting the heat of his lava strikes. One burst slams into a tree trunk, molten splashes sizzling against the bark, but my shadows absorb it, shielding the others.
He shrieks, molten goo flaring from his hands, but the shadows push it upward, away from the log where Ethan pulled Jack. Sparks rain around them, but they're safe. For now.
Daniel is trying again with his vines, but the heat makes the earth unstable. Every vine he grows melts or burns instantly. I dart forward, extending my shadows between him and the molten threat, letting the vines find purchase on a narrow patch of scorched ground. "Keep going! I'll block him!" I shout.
The man whirls toward me with terrifying speed, launching a new wave of molten fists. I slash out with the shadows, forming barriers that absorb the impact. A strike grazes my side, scorching through my shirt, but I don't falter. I sweep my gaze over the group. Ethan's chest rises and falls too fast, Jack clings to him, pale and shaking, Ray shouting orders, trying to coordinate Daniel.
I need to push harder.
I surge forward, thick shadow tendrils wrapping around his torso, yanking him back from the group. His arms flail, molten drops sizzling across the forest floor, but I keep him away from them. Every swing, every strike, I counter, redirect, reshape. The shadows aren't just holding him, they're a shield, cage, and weapon all at once.
A massive ball of lava arcs toward Ray. I twist the shadows midair, to block it. Steam and flame erupt as the shadow evaporate , but Ray is safe. I barely glance at him; the moment he's out of danger, my focus snaps back to the man.
Daniel yells, "He just keeps melting my vines"
"I've got him!" I call, forcing the man onto the unstable, molten ground. My shadows coil under him, pulling at the lava like quicksilver, containing it, keeping it from reaching anyone else. He bellows, heat flashing wildly, but I move faster, flowing with him, countering every strike with precise, controlled bursts of darkness.
Then he lunges at Ethan and Jack.
I slam a shadow forward, yanking him mid-air, dragging him away from them. Lava spits into the air, sizzling against the darkness, but Ethan and Jack remain completely shielded behind the twisting wall of shadow.
The man screams, striking wildly, trying to break free. The lava bursts flicker, falter. I press the shadows tighter, binding his arms to his torso like living chains.
"Now" I growl, channeling all focus into one tight coil around him. The lava sputters, hissing as the shadows contain it, and he collapses to his knees, restrained, exhausted.
Suddenly, Ray darts forward. With one clean strike to the side of the man's head, the lava-wielder collapses, unconscious.
I don't ease my shadows right away. They wait, coiled and alert, until I'm certain he's out. Only then do I loosen the darkness, letting it swirl back toward my hands but I keep it alive, dancing and ready.
Daniel steps cautiously through the scorched patches of grass. His hands wave, and new vines slither up from the earth, wrapping the man tightly.
I can feel my fingers twitch. Part of me thinks it might be safer to end this completely, eliminate the risk entirely. Someone like him would never be allowed to live by GeneX. The shadows around me pulse, almost agreeing with the thought. But then something grabs my hand, sharp and unexpected.
I spin, ready to strike, every instinct screaming for defense, but it's Ethan. His warm hand cups mine, worry etched deep in his eyes.
"Kai! Are you okay?" he asks softly.
I glance down at him, and my tension eases slightly. He seems fine, maybe a few scrapes, but otherwise okay. My heart steadies.
"Yeah. I'm okay," I reply, forcing calm into my voice. "Are you?"
He nods, a small, tentative smile brushing his lips. Then his gaze flickers down to my side. His hand hovers, hesitating just inches from the scorched flesh.
"You're hurt!" His voice tightens with panic.
I glance down, suddenly aware. I forgot the man's lava managed to graze me. Adrenaline had carried me through the fight, but now the burn creeps in, sharp and insistent. Part of my shirt is gone, the skin beneath raw and blistering.
I swallow the pain, forcing it down. I can't show weakness, not now. I need to stay calm and steady until everyone is back safe... until Ethan is back safe.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about it," I say, keeping my tone level, measured.
Ethan's eyes widen, refusing to accept it. "Kai, that looks really bad!"
Jack suddenly appears behind him, tears shining in his eyes. "YOU GOT HURT!" he shouts, his voice cracking.
I wave my hand lightly, trying to reassure them. "It's fine. Really. Don't worry."
They hover around me, fussing, voices overlapping in concern.
Then Ray strides over, clapping a hand on my back. "You did good out there, lad. Thanks for your help." His smile is warm, but quick and fleeting.
He turns to the others. "Are you two okay?"
Both Daniel and Jack nod together, almost comically in sync. Then Jack points at me, wide-eyed. "Ray! The new guy got hurt!"
Ray's expression snaps serious. His eyes sweep over me, landing on the scorched skin.
"Daniel, pass me the first aid kit" he orders sharply.
I lift a hand to protest. "No need. It's fine. You don't need to waste supplies on me. I can patch it later."
Ray ignores me completely. Daniel pulls the kit from his bag and hands it over wordlessly, before turning his attention to the unconscious man.
Ethan is already moving, grabbing my hand again and guiding me to a nearby log. He motions for me to sit.
"Ethan, really, it's-" I start, but he cuts me off, his tone firm.
"Just sit, Kai."
I pause, meeting his gaze. The urgency and care in his eyes leave no room for argument. I nod and sit, letting him take control for the moment.
I sit on the log, watching Ethan as he opens the first aid kit. His fingers move quickly, scanning the supplies before his gaze flicks back to my burned side. I catch a hint of a wince, fleeting, almost buried under his calm focus.
"Does anyone have water?" he asks, voice low but steady.
Jack fumbles with his bag and hurries over. "Here!" He pulls out a water bottle and hands it over.
"Thanks," Ethan says, taking it. He twists the cap off and moves it toward me. "Jack, run back to the school and find Sophie."
I expect the usual protest, Jack insisting he's "head of security" and refusing to be ordered around. But instead, he just nods and dashes off, determination in his steps. Sophie… I think back to when I first woke up here, she's the doctor Ethan told me about.
"I really don't think it's necessary" I murmur, trying to brush it off, my voice soft. I wince when Ethan starts to pour the water on the burn.
Ethan's eyes snap up to mine. They're not worried this time. They're… angry. Not at the situation, not at anyone else, but anger towards me. My stomach tightens, and I swallow hard, the heat from the burn and the tension in the forest mixing into a sharp knot.