- The Flames of Wrath

Dante followed Sofia's lead. They stepped out of the room, carefully looking around for any attackers. Thankfully, there was no one in sight.

They ran along the building, toward the opposite end, where Sofia's apartment was located. Shoving open the door, the three of them spilled inside, out of breath.

"I'm gonna keep a lookout," Min-jun said, walking over to the front window. He grabbed a chair and sat down, pushing the blinds out of the way. "I'll let you know if there's trouble."

Sofia made her way to the bedroom, Dante right behind her.

"What weapons do you have?" Dante asked.

"Not much," Sofia responded, rummaging through a bag. "Everything I have I had to buy here, since they don't allow weapons in transit. Unfortunately, it was expensive." She pulled out a dagger and handed it to Dante. "That's all I have for you. Now mine…."

She pulled out a set of claws, which she slid onto her fists.

"What the hell are those?" Dante asked.

Sofia smiled. "Tiger claws. Basically brass knuckles, but with a bit more edge. I've trained with them before. Only problem is they have such a small range."

"Why don't you use your powers?"

"Why didn't you use your powers?" Sofia asked as she stood. "It's not so easy in the midst of a battle, is it? But don't worry. I'll be putting both of my abilities to use."

Dante moved to leave the room, but Sofia grabbed his hand.

"Wait."

Dante turned around. "What is it?"

"You do realize what you're risking, right?" Sofia asked. "This is a big time criminal you're helping. I don't want to get caught up in what's coming for him. I don't want either of us to get hurt."

"You don't have to come," Dante said. "I just want to get him to safety."

"I'm only going because of you. You need my protection, Dante. But this is crazy. We got lucky with the last guy. But that luck is running out. The possible hundreds or even thousands of enemies that await us will kill with no mercy. Do you really have so little regard for your own life?"

"I don't have a life. I was born on Elendir, just yesterday, when you woke me up. I have nothing to fight for, no memories to preserve. But I do know this. That boy needs our help. And I'm willing to give it," Dante said. With that, he left the room. "Min-jun, any activity out there?"

"Nope, nothing that I can see. Are you ready?"

"Yep," Dante said. "Let's go. Sofia, are you coming or not?"

Sofia nodded quietly, following them out the door.

"Where do we go?" Min-jun asked.

"Anywhere but here," said Dante. "We need to get away from these apartments. I'm sure all that smoke has already attracted some attention."

They walked for a few minutes, back toward the city. If they were going to find transportation, it would be there. The rest of Elendir, outside of the city, seemed to be a barren wasteland. Going out there would be an immediate death sentence.

The streets were empty now, Dante realized. Where had everyone gone?

The bright screen that he'd seen earlier outside the electronics store was still buzzing with life. A monotone voice could be heard, calling out a warning. "All citizens of Elendir, remain alert. The fugitive Min-jun Quon is on the loose. Please stay indoors where it is safe, and the situation will be resolved momentarily."

There was an explosion, and a ring of flames erupted in front of them. Three figures began forming in the flames, like dark shadows. They emerged, readying their weapons. They wore masks that covered the bottoms of their faces, and one of them pointed at Min-jun.

"Fuck. That's not good," Min-jun said, taking a step back. He unslung his sniper and aimed at them.

Dante immediately reached out. His mind was his weapon. It was the only way he stood a chance.

His vision began to darken, and he fell backward.

He opened his eyes. His mind looked the exact same as before, but there was something different about the atmosphere. "What…what is this?"

He looked across where the connection would've been formed. The bridge was there, but it was crumbling fast. There was no way he would make it over in time.

He peered across at the distant land, the destination he wished to reach. A figure sat there, cross-legged, holding a sword. "What's this?" They called out.

Dante felt uneasy. "Our minds."

The figure stood. "Why do you have me here? What's the point?"

Dante wasn't so sure about that himself. He didn't know how to use this power.

Then the figure did something unexpected. He stepped off the ledge. A shimmering object formed under his foot after each step, as if he were conjuring up land to walk on.

Dante stepped back. He wasn't even able to do this. How could they?

He broke off the connection and found himself gasping for air.

Sofia was looking at him, a concerned expression on her face. "You tried to go into their minds, didn't you?"

Dante didn't respond. His head pounded, and sweat dripped down his face.

He looked over as Min-jun aimed the sniper rifle and shot. The first man slashed his sword with amazing speed, knocking the bullet to the ground.

"That's it," Sofia said, stepping forward, her tiger claws at the ready. "You two run. I'll handle them."