The elemental roared, its towering form swirling chaotically, shifting fluidly between earth, vines, water, and flame. Its core darted erratically, never staying in one place long enough to provide a clear target.
Nathan dodged a massive vine that whipped dangerously close to his head, eyes wide with adrenaline. "Honestly, at this point, we should just start carrying a sign around: 'Warning, Jalen may cause property damage.'"
Jalen shot Nathan a flat look but internally couldn't help but smile. 'Jalen-proofing', he thought dryly. 'Great, now I'm an adjective for destruction. What's next? Warning labels with my face on them?'
Rhea elbowed him lightly, grinning despite their perilous situation. "Looks like your reputation's catching up with you."
"Shut up," he muttered, though he couldn't fully suppress a smirk. "It was one time."
"Multiple times," Lucio corrected flatly, sidestepping a burst of flame. "Many, many times."
Jalen rolled his eyes, glyphs glowing vividly as he narrowly dodged a torrent of water slicing past him. "Alright, fine. Maybe a few times."
Nathan barked out a laugh, tumbling swiftly beneath another vicious strike. "At least he's aware."
Another deafening roar from the elemental snapped the group back to attention, its tremendous power rattling the jungle around them, forcing the group to brace themselves as waves of heat and icy wind surged forth simultaneously.
Lucio's playful demeanor faded instantly, replaced with grim resolve. "Alright, enough joking. This thing isn't like the others—it's stronger. We need to take this seriously."
The elemental surged forward again, vines snapping like whips and stone fists slamming violently against the ground, scattering dirt and debris into the air.
Jalen tightened his grip on Stix's dagger, his glyphs flaring dangerously. "Then let's show it we're serious, too."
The elemental roared, unleashing another wave of violent energy. A massive, flaming limb swung toward Lucio with staggering force, catching him off guard and launching him violently through the air. He slammed hard into a tree, splintering the bark upon impact.
"Lucio!" Nathan shouted in alarm, darting forward—but before he could react, another massive tendril of water and earth smashed into Rhea, sending her hurtling into the ground with bone-crushing force.
The impact left a crater, and for a terrifying moment, Rhea lay motionless.
"Rhea!" Jalen shouted desperately, his voice raw with panic. He felt a cold, consuming rage surge through him, his glyphs immediately shifting from vibrant colors to a deep, ominous black.
Nathan backed away slowly, eyes wide in alarm. "Uh... Jalen? Your glyphs—"
Jalen barely heard him. His grip on the dagger tightened, its power pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat. Rage surged violently, burning through his veins, amplifying every emotion until it bordered on madness.
'Destroy it.' The voice in his mind whispered seductively. 'Show them the power you crave.'
His vision darkened at the edges, mind nearly consumed by fury, until he suddenly froze, eyes widening in realization. "No...not again."
Breathing raggedly, Jalen forced his shaking hand to sheath the dagger, resisting the intoxicating promise of power that had nearly overwhelmed him. The glyphs on his body blazed hotly, shimmering pure black—before slowly calming to a muted gold. He staggered slightly, breathless from the effort.
Nathan approached cautiously, voice tense. "Jalen… you good?"
"I'm fine," Jalen replied shakily, though he knew it was a lie. "Just… don't let me draw the dagger again."
Lucio jumped from the tree where he was thrown, "Well then what weapon are you gonna use?"
"None, I'm going in the old-fashioned way."
Nathan cracked his knuckles. "Fine by me."
Nathan vanished, blurring instantly toward the elemental, his fists glowing faintly with temporal energy. "Alright, enough messing around. I'll slow it down—you find that damn core!"
The colossal elemental responded immediately, erupting pillars of fire and stone around them. Nathan dodged nimbly, landing quick blows as he searched for openings. Jalen surged forward alongside him, fists blazing with power, trading blows directly with the shifting elemental. Jalen smirked, delivering a heavy punch that cracked solid rock.
The elemental, however, adapted swiftly, its form shifting fluidly to counter their attacks. Each strike was met with resistance, flames extinguishing, rock shattering, water dispersing, only to reform moments later, stronger and faster.
"Damn it!" Nathan hissed.
Before they could regroup, the elemental shuddered violently, roaring as its form split apart into three distinct entities: one of raging fire, another of churning water, and the third composed entirely of shifting stone.
Lucio's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me."
Jalen stepped back warily, assessing the three distinct threats. "Alright, everyone picks a target."
Nathan groaned. "Just great."
Lucio steadied himself, stepping protectively in front of Rhea. "Nathan, take the water one. Jalen, handle the fire. I'll deal with the stone."
Jalen nodded sharply. But as he moved forward, the core's energy pulsed erratically, forcing Jalen to dodge flames that burned hotter than ever. His glyphs flared vividly red and green, frustration mounting. "The core's still moving!"
Nathan gritted his teeth, maneuvering carefully around tendrils of water that lashed violently. "We can't win by just punching these things—!"
Suddenly, Lucio shouted, "Watch out!"
The stone elemental slammed its fists into the ground, sending a shockwave that knocked everyone back. Amidst the chaos, the glowing core shifted once again, darting unpredictably between the three separate elementals.
Nathan moved swiftly, weaving through the chaotic torrents of the water elemental, each strike passing harmlessly through its fluid form. "This isn't working!" he shouted, frustration growing evident. The elemental surged suddenly, and before Nathan could react, a massive wave crashed down, slamming him violently into the ground. He gasped in pain, dazed and drenched, as the elemental loomed menacingly overhead.
Across the clearing, Lucio held his own against the stone elemental, fists hammering relentlessly against rock, chipping away piece by piece—but each strike was rapidly replaced by newly formed stone. His breathing grew ragged, each impact weakening him further. Suddenly, the elemental's enormous fist drove straight through Lucio's defenses, sending him hurtling through the air until he crashed brutally into a distant tree. He slumped down, blood dripping from his temple as he struggled to rise, strength fading fast.
Jalen exchanged furious blows with the fire elemental, fists encased in protective glyph energy. Flames roared wildly around him, their heat intense enough to blister skin. Sweat poured down his face, exhaustion creeping into his muscles. As he leaped for another attack, the fire elemental's molten hand seized him mid-air, scorching him painfully before hurling him into the ground, creating a smoking crater.
Lying battered, Jalen groaned in agony, vision blurred. He forced himself upright, breathing harshly as his glyphs flickered erratically.
Rhea watched helplessly from the sidelines, frozen in indecision, eyes wide with terror.
Jalen's gaze snapped desperately toward Kaelin, whose hands now held the rapidly shifting core. Her expression was conflicted yet resolved.
"Rhea!" Jalen shouted hoarsely, his voice urgent and raw. "Kaelin has the core—take her down, now!"
Rhea hesitated, conflicted emotions crossing her face. "But Jalen... she's not just an elemental! She's human!"
"There's no time!" Jalen roared, staggering to his feet. "If you don't stop her, we're all dead!"
Rhea clenched her fists tightly, torn between morality and survival as Kaelin raised the core skyward, its blinding glow intensifying with each passing second.
"I-i can't I don't wanna take an actual life! She has a family she's trying to protect! What if she's their version of Stix! WHO WOULD I BE TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM THEM!"
Kaelin looked at Jalen with a sorrowful frown. "I'm sorry but I just can't let you leave.. I hope that y-you... WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"
Rhea's eyes darted back to Jalen to see him holding a young man in front of the other elementals.
"Rhea, if you can't do it, I won't make you..., but I've killed before..." Jalen glyphs turned a deep blue before he looked at Kaelin with a smile. "And I'll happily do it again... your choice."
Kaelin paled visibly, her confident expression faltering. "You... you're bluffing. You wouldn't."
Jalen's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Without hesitation, he raised his hand, glyphs pulsing darkly as energy crackled through his fingertips. In a sudden burst of power, a sleek, intimidating scythe materialized from thin air, its dark, curved blade humming with ominous energy.
"Are you willing to test that theory?"
Kaelin paled visibly, voice shaking. "You wouldn't..."
Jalen's grip tightened on the scythe, glyphs glowing a deep, mournful blue. Every muscle in his body was tense, heart thundering violently against his ribs.
"I'm sorry," he whispered quietly—more to himself than the terrified young villager he held.
In a swift, decisive motion, Jalen swung the scythe.
There was no hesitation, no resistance. The villager's eyes widened in shock, his lifeless body collapsing quietly to the jungle floor.