The storm howled outside, rain hammering against the rusted steel walls of the abandoned shipping container. Inside, a faint bck and white glow pulsed like a heartbeat. Tenjin sat cross-legged on the cracked floor, his breathing deep and measured. His bare chest rose and fell in steady rhythm, faint trails of steam curling up into the cold air.

  Breathe.

  Mana swirled within him, a current of raw energy that vibrated through his veins. Every inhation pulled it deeper into his core; every exhation sent it spiraling outward, shaping it, sharpening it.

  WHOOSH

  Two tendrils of fmes fred to life from his shoulders, curling like serpents ready to strike. Tenjin opened his eyes, the glow of his fmes reflected in their sharp gaze.

  Stronger

  He clenched his fists, the fmes twisting and expanding. The fme-arms grew denser, smoother, their form no longer wild and chaotic like before. The mana fueling them felt controlled now, refined.

  Tenjin grinned faintly.

  "I'm getting there," he muttered.

  With a quick motion, he shot the fme-arms forward.

  WHOOSH—CRACK!

  The bck-and-white fmes punched into the steel wall ahead of him, carving deep dents into the metal. He retracted them and stood, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. The mana inside him swirled hotter, but his breathing remained steady.

  My mana is denser now. I can feel it.

  He rolled his shoulders, the st of his training aches fading away. The storm outside had grown louder, thunder rumbling through the container walls. Tenjin ran his hands through his damp hair and stepped outside into the night.

  The air was cold and sharp as needles. Tenjin stood at the entrance of the container, the rain smming into his skin, soaking his tattered clothes within seconds. He didn't mind.

  The storm will cover me.

  Lightning fshed, illuminating the maze of shipping containers around him. The slums were silent tonight, but something about the air felt… off. He scanned the dark alleys between the containers, his golden eyes narrowing.

  Then he heard it.

  Clink… Clink…

  Boots on wet metal.

  Tenjin froze.

  A shadow moved in the corner of his vision. Then another.

  "Tch." Tenjin's fists tightened.

  He turned on his heel just as a figure burst from the shadows.

  "THERE HE IS!"

  The Wielder came at him fast a hulking man cd in a dark trench coat, a glowing axe clutched in his massive hands. The weapon shimmered blue, crackling with arcs of lightning.

  Shit!

  Tenjin dove backward just as the axe came down.

  SLASH!

  The bde struck the ground where he had stood, the impact splitting the metal container floor. Sparks erupted into the rain, and a shockwave sent water spshing outward.

  Tenjin skidded to a stop and sprang to his feet, only to feel a presence behind him.

  WHOOSH!

  A second Wielder appeared a little woman wielding twin curved daggers. She sshed at him in a blur, her movements quick and precise. Fire bursting to life around Tenjin's arms.

  CLANG! CLANG!

  Her bdes met his fming arms, sparks and smoke exploding from the contact. Tenjin pushed her back with a grunt, but the woman flipped effortlessly, nding in a crouch several feet away.

  "We've got him cornered," she hissed, her voice venomous.

  "That's him alright."

  A third Wielder emerged to his left, a wiry man carrying a spear that buzzed with energy. Behind him, the hulking axe-wielder rose to his full height, his blue weapon humming like a thunderstorm. And finally… Tenjin's eyes darted to the rooftop above.

  The fourth Wielder was perched there, cloaked and still, a long-barreled rifle in his hands.

  Four of them.

  The rain pounded harder, each drop like ice against his skin. Thunder roared in the distance, as if mocking him.

  This is bad.

  The axe-wielder moved first. He stomped forward, his massive weapon dragging sparks along the ground.

  The man roared and charged, swinging the crackling axe straight at Tenjin's head.

  Too slow.

  Tenjin ducked low, the bde missing him by inches. The force of the swing sent a gust of wind howling past his face. Before the man could recover, Tenjin thrust his fming fist into the man's gut.

  WHOOM!

  The bck fmes exploded outward, sending the axe-wielder stumbling back with a guttural cry. Tenjin moved to press the attack—

  THWIP!

  "Shit!"

  He barely twisted in time. A sniper round shot through the rain, grazing his shoulder. Pain fred through him, hot and sharp, but he pushed it aside.

  Focus.

  The dagger-wielding woman lunged at him again, her curved bdes fshing in the rain.

  SLASH-SLASH!

  Tenjin parried with his fme-arms, the fire crackling loudly as it blocked her strikes. She was relentless, her attacks flowing like water. A bde scraped past his cheek, drawing blood.

  "Guh!" Tenjin hissed, stumbling back.

  From the side, the spear-wielder lunged.

  "DIE!"

  The spear thrust forward, aimed directly at Tenjin's chest.

  MOVE!

  Tenjin twisted his body, the spear grazing his ribs instead of skewering him. Pain burned through his side, but adrenaline drowned it out. He countered immediately, his fme-arms shooting forward.

  WHOOSH—SMASH!

  The spear-wielder yelped as the fmes collided with his weapon, knocking him off bance.

  "You little—"

  Tenjin didn't let him finish. He spun on his heel, bck and white fmes spiraling around him like a vortex.

  "Get the hell AWAY FROM ME!"

  WHOOM!

  The vortex exploded outward, forcing all three melee Wielders back in a shower of sparks and smoke. Tenjin's breathing was ragged now, his wound dripping blood down his side, but his fmes burned hotter than ever.

  Lightning fshed overhead, illuminating the rain-soaked battlefield. The Wielders regrouped, their expressions grim.

  The axe-wielder spat on the ground, anger bzing in his eyes. "Enough of this. Finish him!"

  Tenjin's golden eyes darted between them. He couldn't fight like this forever. His mana was burning fast, and his injuries were slowing him down. But then he caught it a flicker of hesitation in their movements. They weren't as confident now.

  Good.

  A grin spread across Tenjin's face.

  He exploded forward.

  The axe-wielder swung again, but Tenjin ducked low, fmes coiling around his fists like gauntlets. He darted past the man, closing the gap with the spear-wielder in an instant. The man's eyes widened.

  "Wait—"

  Tenjin didn't wait. His fmes erupted in a burst of light.

  "HRAAH!"

  He drove his fming fist into the man's face. The fmes expanded on impact—

  WHOOSH-BOOM!

  The spear-wielder's head exploded into a burst of bck and white fire, the sheer force splintering the container wall behind him. His body crumpled like a ragdoll, fmes licking at the remains of his scorched form.

  Silence.

  The other Wielders froze, their eyes wide in shock.

  "H-He killed him…" the dagger-wielder stammered, her voice trembling.

  The axe-wielder's grip on his weapon faltered. Even the sniper above hesitated.

  Tenjin stood there, fmes still burning wildly around his fists. His eyes gred at them, sharp and unrelenting.

  "Who's next?" he growled.

  Their hesitation was all he needed.

  Tenjin turned and ran.

  He bolted into the maze of containers, bck and white fmes bursting from his feet and propelling him forward. The shouts of the remaining Wielders echoed behind him, but they sounded distant now, lost in the rain and thunder.

  Keep moving.

  The storm swallowed him whole, the dark alleys of Noval stretching endlessly ahead.

  I'm not done yet.

  The world was a blur of pain and rain. Tenjin sat hunched beneath the crumbling arch of an old bridge, the storm raging around him like an angry beast. Sheets of rain smmed into the cobblestones, creating a steady, deafening drumroll that masked the sound of his ragged breathing.

  Focus.

  Blood ran down his side where one of the Wielders' bdes had grazed him. The wound wasn't deep, but it burned with every breath he took. His clothes clung to him, soaked through.

  The fmes danced on his fingertips alive, responsive, and full of potential. But right now, he needed more than their destructive power.

  "Mana control," Tenjin whispered to himself. His voice was hoarse.

  He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Despite the cold rain, despite the ache in his muscles, he focused. He could feel the mana within him small particles of raw energy circuting through his veins, pulsing like a second heartbeat.

  Bring it together.

  The sensation was strange, almost like tuning into something invisible that existed just beneath his skin. With careful concentration, Tenjin guided the mana toward his wound. The bck and white fmes flickered, their glow softening as they curled around the injury.

  Warmth spread through him a sharp contrast to the cold storm. At first, it was like fire licking the edges of the cut, stinging as though it might worsen the pain. Tenjin gritted his teeth.

  "Tch... Come on..."

  Gradually, the mana began to weave together, flowing into the wound like liquid light. The pain dulled. His flesh tingled, heat rolling over his skin as the torn tissue knit itself back together, bit by bit. The sensation wasn't entirely pleasant. It was like having a thousand tiny threads pulled taut under his skin painful, but satisfying.

  The rain faded in his mind, his heartbeat slowing as his breathing evened out. Tenjin let the process finish before opening his eyes again.

  The bleeding had stopped. The pain was still there, dull and heavy, but manageable.

  He exhaled sharply and leaned his head back against the cold, damp stone of the bridge.

  I can't stay here.

  His eyes turned toward the streets beyond the bridge's shadow. The slums of Noval were a byrinth, and even in this storm, the presence of The Order suffocated everything like an invisible hand. They were hunting him relentlessly, and now—

  Riven.

  Tenjin swallowed. The name echoed in his mind like a drumbeat.

  An A-Tier Wielder. That wasn't just some thug or C-Tier grunt. A-Tiers and S-Tiers were the monsters of The Order. And Riven? The rumors spoke of him as something worse an artist of destruction. Lightning magic. Unmatched speed. A man who killed not for duty, but for the thrill.

  Tenjin's fists clenched. A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold ran through him.

  "Gotta move." He pushed himself up, wincing slightly as his muscles protested. His eyes narrowed. Staying still meant death. He couldn't afford to linger.

  The rain had eased into a light drizzle as Tenjin slipped through the slums' backstreets. His boots spshed silently through puddles, and he kept his body low, moving like a shadow along the walls. Every instinct screamed at him to keep going, keep moving.

  His mind buzzed with half-formed pns. He couldn't fight Riven. He had seen firsthand what a Wielder with proper training could do, and an A-Tier was far beyond what he was ready to face.

  He ducked into a narrow alley, chest heaving slightly as he paused to gnce over his shoulder.

  Nothing.

  The alley was empty. Just darkness, rain, and the faint flicker of gas mps far beyond. Tenjin let out a soft breath.

  "Maybe I lost them..."

  And then he felt it.

  Presence.

  A chill snaked down his spine. The air shifted—a pressure like the moment before a thundercp. Tenjin froze. Slowly, almost unwillingly, he turned his head.

  At the mouth of the alley, a figure stood beneath the broken glow of a streetmp. Tall and broad-shouldered, he was dressed in a long bck coat that whipped faintly in the storm's dying breeze. Blonde hair fell messily over his forehead, slicked back by the rain, and light blue eyes locked onto Tenjin with an intensity that made his skin crawl.

  Those eyes...

  They were wild. Unhinged. Like they belonged to a predator that enjoyed the hunt.

  Riven.

  The man's lips curled into a grin—a smile that didn't reach his eyes. His voice rang out, disturbingly lighthearted, as he tilted his head to the side.

  "Found you."

  Tenjin's heart stopped for a split second.

  RUN.

  Before Riven could take another step, Tenjin turned and bolted.

  WHOOSH! Fmes exploded from Tenjin's feet as he surged forward, his body unching down the narrow alley like a bullet. His boots barely touched the ground as he zigzagged around trash heaps and crates, every muscle in his body screaming at him to move faster.

  The air behind him crackled.

  BOOM!

  Tenjin's eyes widened as a blinding bolt of lightning erupted just behind him, shattering a brick wall into a shower of sparks and rubble.

  "Shit!"

  He didn't stop to look back. Instead, Tenjin angled his body and flung his arms out.

  WHOOSH! The bck and white fmes shot forward like grappling hooks, catching onto the edge of a nearby building. Tenjin grunted as he swung upward, vaulting himself onto a rooftop in a single burst of speed.

  His boots hit the tiles, but he didn't stop moving.

  BAM! BAM! BAM!

  Explosions of lightning struck all around him. Each impact sent shockwaves rippling through the rooftops, making the tiles tremble and crack. Riven wasn't holding back.

  Tenjin gnced over his shoulder—and instantly regretted it.

  Riven was already there.

  The man moved impossibly fast, a blur of bck and gold as arcs of electricity pulsed around him. He was running along the rooftop, barefoot, as if the storm and jagged tiles meant nothing. His grin had widened, his blue eyes glowing with crackling energy.

  CRACK!

  A spear of lightning shot from Riven's hand, slicing through the air straight for Tenjin.

  MOVE!

  Tenjin twisted mid-stride. Using the fmes to propel himself sideways just in time.

  BOOM! The lightning spear smmed into the roof where he'd been standing, blowing a crater into the tiles. The force flung Tenjin into the air, his body spinning wildly.

  "Think, think, think!" Tenjin screamed in his mind as the world tilted around him. Desperation sparked a new idea.

  Mid-air, he shot his fmes downward—two bright jets of bck and white fire erupting from his palms.

  WHOOSH!

  The force stabilized him, pushing him higher, farther—like a rocket. He twisted and grabbed the edge of a nearby chimney, using it to swing onto another rooftop. His boots skidded against the wet tiles as he sprinted forward.

  Riven's voice cut through the storm, sharp and mocking.

  "Running? That's boring! Show me something fun!"

  Tenjin's teeth clenched. His chest burned with effort, mana pulsing wildly inside him. He couldn't keep this up—not against someone like this.

  He needed to lose him.

  The rooftops ended abruptly, opening into a sharp drop over one of Noval's rger streets. Tenjin's eyes darted around, his mind racing.

  There.

  Beyond the street loomed the skeletal frame of a half-built skyscraper. The construction site was dark and abandoned, its towering steel beams jutting into the storm like jagged ribs. It was risky, but it was his only chance.

  WHOOSH! Fmes burst from his feet, unching him into the void. Rain streaked across his face as he soared through the air, his body twisting like an arrow. The skyscraper loomed closer—

  Got it!

  Tenjin flung out his arms. Fmes erupted like ropes, catching onto one of the steel beams.

  SLAM! He hit the beam hard, the impact rattling his bones, but he gripped tight. Without missing a beat, he swung himself forward, flipping onto a lower ptform of scaffolding.

  Tenjin stumbled slightly, gasping for air, as the skyscraper's shadows swallowed him.

  Silence.

  For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the world was still. The rain whispered softly against the steel beams, and the faint hum of lightning faded into the distance.

  Tenjin crouched low, his body trembling as he hid in the maze of scaffolding and half-finished ptforms. The wind howled through the gaps in the structure, but it was better than the crackle of lightning.

  He wiped rain from his face, his breaths coming in sharp, shallow gasps. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to stop to rest but he couldn't.

  Not yet.

  Riven was out there. He wouldn't give up so easily.

  Tenjin scanned the darkness, every shadow looking like a threat. Slowly, carefully, he moved deeper into the construction site, weaving between steel pilrs and stacks of abandoned tools.

  His mind raced. I can't keep running forever. But a pn? He didn't have one.

  The storm raged on.

  Somewhere in the distance, a faint ugh echoed through the night.

  Tenjin's heart froze.

  Riven was still hunting.