A Call From The Past

All their feet sank into the transformed space as they started to descend, they couldn't help but witness that Alan couldn't go along with them as the leader's shadow had nulled the teleportation ability. With Alan now unconscious and being drained of energy with the others exiting the battlefield, it felt like hope was lost and if Theo were to cancel his ability all would die.

Tears ran down Barry's face because to him it meant he was giving up on his brother. He tried to resist the force of the teleportation ability to go and fight but after all, he had the strength of a normal human now, his student was being tortured for his power, was this the sight a teacher could watch? was this a just time to use his cursed ability after knowing its consequences? He stood on the brink of the decision of what to do.

[ A few years back ]

In a world where the mastery of light-type abilities was a revered art, Barry and Javier found themselves under the tutelage of the wise and skilled Master. Both students carried the weight of tragic backgrounds, their destinies interwoven by the threads of sorrow and loss.

Barry had witnessed the destruction of his hometown by shadow-wielding invaders. Javier, a quiet and reserved young man, lost his mother to the same malevolent forces that had wreaked havoc in Barry's life. The shared pain brought them together, forming an unspoken bond that transcended the usual student-mentor relationship.

Under Master Luminar's guidance, Barry and Javier honed their abilities to manipulate light, Their connection deepened as they became formidable partners in training, supporting each other through the rigorous exercises and challenges set by their master.

One fateful day, an emergency alarm echoed through the light residence. The enemies, shrouded in mysterious masks, launched a surprise attack. The casualties mounted as allies fell, leaving Barry and Javier to defend their home alone. Determined, they fought side by side, their synchronized light bolts piercing the shadows. As the battle raged on, and the enemies closed in, the atmosphere grew tense. Barry and Javier pushed to their limits, and faced the masked assailants with unwavering resolve. However, tragedy struck when Javier, in the heat of the moment, failed to identify one of the enemies and inadvertently struck down his own father.

A haunting silence descended upon the battlefield as Javier cradled his father's lifeless body. The trauma shattered his spirit, leaving him in a state of despair. Consumed by guilt and confusion as to why his own father would join the forces that had killed his mother and a profound sense of loss, Javier withdrew from the fight, losing the will to live. Weeks passed, and the light residence mourned its fallen members. In his darkest moment, Javier climbed to the edge of a cliff, ready to let go of life's burdens. Just as he leaped, a sudden burst of light enveloped him. Barry, having sensed his friend's despair, had moved swiftly to catch him in a desperate attempt to save Javier from the abyss.

Tears streaming down his face, Barry pleaded with Javier to hold on, but the once-determined young man had lost all purpose. In a heart-wrenching act, Javier conjured a blinding light bolt and, with a pained expression, released himself from Barry's grasp. The bolt left a searing scar on Barry's hand, a permanent reminder of the friend he couldn't save.

As Barry stared at the scar, he vowed to carry the weight of Javier's sacrifice, honoring his friend's choice. The loss haunted Barry, but he continued to fight for the light, a beacon in the darkness that had claimed so much from them both.

**********************************

Barry recalling that buried memory brought more spirit to his heart to not let another friend die right in front of his eyes, with almost their chest sinking in Theo's ability Barry had to derive an ability learned by Master to save him rather than relying on his cursed ones.

[New Ability: After Image]

[After Image is an ability accessed by those with the relation of their system to high speed as their main line of offense. Through this ability, the user can create a double of himself through constant fast movement at a specific place. The double follows all your commands and has access to the original user's set of skills.]

With a slight window of time, Barry excluded himself from the ability and created his clone, commanding its next move Barry signaled Shelby what to do.

While surpassing 40% light speed is generally perilous for light users, a clone proved to be an exception. Beyond this threshold, the body begins to experience a subtle burning sensation, and prolonged activation of this ability can lead to fatal skin injuries. Activating 50%, the clone swiftly caught the leader off guard, seizing Alan and deftly slicing off the scorpion's tail before strategically retreating.

Infuriated by this unexpected turn, the leader unleashed his own speed, summoning a shadow demon that outpaced the clone slightly. However, the attempt was thwarted by an imperceptible barrier.

[Aqua Chamber 1]

[Throughout the history of water users, some chosen monks had ascended their water abilities to another level but due to the unfair distribution of water power amongst their clan, they created 4 chambers containing special kinds of water and have been feeding it mana to make it more condensed of power. Since then every child born in the water clan was given a mark on his/her head giving them one-time access to those 4 chambers, to be used when in uttermost danger.

These reserves had the power to stop heavy attacks reach high speed and manifest themselves according to the user's style of fighting, they couldn't be destroyed or evaporated until the user's capability to keep the ability active is exceeded.]

Shelby deftly molded the water reserve surrounding her, conjuring it seemingly out of thin air and crafting it into a formidable dragon. With a mere flick of her wrist, the aquatic beast surged forward, evading Barry's clone and devouring the shadow demon lurking behind it. Yet, its voracious momentum persisted as it lunged toward the Leader, consuming every shadowy demon hurled its way in an attempt to stop its advance. Despite its resilience, the creature was ensnared by the Leader's grasp and ultimately crushed.

But this was the plan it had bought enough time for the clone to rescue Alan and return everybody to the portal which Theo had barely been able to hold up. The leader swayed his hands vigorously to remove excess water only to see Barry's clone blasting and producing a flash effect on his eyes stunning him. Moments later the battlefield was once again vacant.