The Fire Incident

It was then that a certain smell hit my nostrils—something extremely familiar. A faint burning smell. It smelled like a mixture of fire and oil, thick and pungent.

We stopped dead in our tracks, looking over the rooftops, until we noticed a column of black smoke coming from several blocks down. It appeared to come from an old warehouse that was now engulfed by flames.

My gaze traveled farther eastward towards another similar column of smoke rising from behind another building, though this one was larger.

I started walking, headed straight towards the scene, before Enzo grabbed hold of me and pulled me close against his chest, holding me back tightly in case I suddenly tried something reckless. "This is not the time for heroics, Sora."

"I can feel them; I don't know how, but I can sense two signatures nearby, and both are strong," I said to him quietly.

"Let's go take a look. Just don't get yourself killed or burned alive, alright?"

I gave him a nod before dashing down the sidewalk toward the fire, leaving him trailing behind me. "Wait for me!"

"Go do some laps then." I responded simply.

We made a swift left and began running towards the inferno that had formed below the high-rise buildings. Within seconds, we approached a giant stone wall that bordered the street corner upon which we stood. On its left-hand side stood an open gate guarded by two men dressed in black cloaks with hoods covering their heads and faces. They appeared to have some sort of weapon in their arms and held it loosely between their fingers. As we got closer, one raised an arm to block the path while the other took a step forward. They stared directly at us, their faces obscured by shadows as the light from the flames danced across their forms.

We slowed down to a brisk stride as we approached them, maintaining our composure despite the heat surrounding us. One guard walked forward and placed a gloved hand against my shoulder as if to warn me away. His dark brown eyes widened when he realized it wasn't an accident, and he pulled away with a sigh, lifting the heavy weapon towards his head. "Halt! This area is off-limits! Turn around and go elsewhere! Do NOT cross through here! Go now or face serious consequences!"

"He must think we're evacuating," Enzo commented next to me.

"Alright, fine. We won't go," I said firmly.

The guard lowered his firearm slightly, as if unsure whether to believe what I was saying. Then his companion raised it higher and aimed it right at us, directly at me. My pulse rose as I felt my heart pump wildly in my chest. It wasn't fear that caused me to feel this way, however; rather it was excitement and eager anticipation for what was about to happen next. I lifted my hand, curling the fingers into fists and clenching tightly as the air around me ignited like wildfire. In the split second it took to launch a spell, I thrust my open palm towards the ground, whereupon I heard a loud boom! An explosion reverberated through my body as a wave of heat erupted from the ground beneath.

Several nearby buildings shook violently as debris was thrown through the sky. Windows shattered, bricks and cement crumbled, and metal bent and twisted under pressure. Then suddenly, without warning, flames engulfed everything in a massive mushroom cloud of smoke and ash, billowing upward until it became a raging inferno, covering the entire street and engulfing all in its wake.

My blood burned white, and I closed my eyes tightly. I saw everything, yet nothing, as the light flooded my vision. A rush filled my veins as every fiber of my being burned with renewed vigor. With a great deal of effort, I held my ground. And as the blast subsided, I lifted my head to gaze at the scene before me.

Several small groups of people ran about, trying to help survivors and search for those trapped inside. But amidst the chaos, two figures stood motionless on the ground, completely unaffected. My eyes widened when I noticed what it was that blocked their vision from mine. It was an aura of power—something I'd never felt before—but it was unmistakable: there was a strong magical energy radiating from these two.

"ENZO! I NEED YOU TO EVACUATE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE!"

Enzo, who'd just been standing still and watching everything unfold, jumped with fright when my voice sounded next to him.

"W-what the-?! What the hell is this?! O-okay! Okay! Okay! Yeah, sure, no problem. Wait a minute, I'll be right there! Don't leave my sight."

A gust of cold air blasted out, forming an icy tornado of wind that spun faster and faster until it picked him up, flinging him far away. Enzo didn't scream but rather fell limp immediately.

This situation has certainly gotten more exciting.

As quickly as they'd left, the two figures descended onto the ground, their forms cloaked by the thick darkness of smoke and ash. "We are the undying servants of The Voidwalker." The two men spoke in unity.

"No, that is a lie."

"That isn't possible." One man growled menacingly, raising his fists into the air. I heard a faint crackling sound as a loud pop sounded, making him stagger to a halt. A few sparks flashed off his skin, leaving behind bright blue and red residue, while a puddle of glowing red liquid formed beneath him. Blood dripped steadily down his sides.

"Now it's time we got down to business." He grinned maliciously, taking a step forward while sparks flew everywhere around him. His opponent did the same and then raised his fists in a defensive stance. Their movements were slow and calculated, carefully watching their surroundings.

"What's going on?" I muttered under my breath. "What do they want?"

"To stop you. So that they don't get hurt," One said, and immediately lunged at me with lightning speed.

Another took aim at my face and swung, causing me to duck. Then I felt an explosion on my cheek, sending me tumbling back. I skidded several feet across the asphalt and stopped a short distance before crashing into the concrete barrier in front of the building.

An excruciating pain surged throughout my whole body, causing my eyes to roll into their sockets. "What was that?!"

"Explosion Magic! Which is a derivative of Fire Magic." The first replied dryly as he fired another blast, which caused my body to jolt up slightly. The force of impact caused me to fall once more onto my side, face first, creating a small crater beneath me. The impact broke skin, causing blood to flow freely down my face.

"Argh..."

"The next attack will make you experience more excruciating pain than anyone should." Another chuckled.

My left wrist felt incredibly sore. I tried moving it a little bit and heard a pop as bones broke loose. I attempted to move the fingers of my left hand and felt a shooting pain spread down my arm. I conjured a sword made of light in my right hand and stood back up.

I lunged forward, dodging and striking as fast as I possibly could, putting all my strength into each movement. My enemy countered each strike, effectively blocking all but three.

"Damn, he's so fast."

A blast struck me straight in the stomach. I spun around, landing flat on my back, winded and disoriented.

As I coughed up the blood in my mouth, the man approached me with caution and stood above me. He pointed a finger at my chest, his eyes glaring into mine. I could practically feel the venom in his voice. "If you don't surrender immediately, I shall show you something amazing."

I used wind magic to fling myself into the air in order to regain an advantage. My opponent grabbed me by the throat with both hands and squeezed hard. My lungs felt like they were going to explode. Everything blurred, and I felt my senses fade slowly away, slowly descending deeper into darkness.

"You dare mock us and fight without any honor or mercy!? You truly deserve to die. At least you won't suffer for too long, you freak." The man sneered maliciously as his grip on me loosened slightly.

With all the strength I had left, I swung my sword at the man's arm and sliced it off. He shrieked in pain and dropped his sword. Before I could land a blow, he fired another blast directly at my shoulder, which sent me flying back to the ground with a sickening crack.

I looked around the area frantically, searching for any sign of Enzo.

There were bodies lying on the floor in various positions scattered around the place, but there was no sign of my best friend anywhere. I reached out for one of them, hoping he might still be conscious, but couldn't find him among the debris.

Suddenly, another loud explosion resonated behind me. "GAH! HOW STUBBORNNN!"