Chapter 9: Golden Eyes (Part 2)
Zane took a shaky step back, Voidwalk on standby, but the golden-eyed girl didn't flinch. She advanced with the confidence of someone who knew she'd already won.
A surge of lightning split the sky. In an instant, a boy with sharp blue hair and a cold expression dropped from a swirling vortex of electric energy, landing just behind her. Sparks danced along his arms.
"Need backup, Auri?" he asked, voice calm but crackling with energy.
Zane blinked. "Oh, come on."
Before he could react, the ground shook beneath his feet. A fiery glow erupted nearby, and with a thunderous BOOM, a second figure smashed down like a comet. Dirt and flame exploded outward. A tall boy with tousled orange hair stood in the crater, steam rising from his shoulders.
"You found him already?" he grinned, stretching. "Man, I was hoping for more of a chase."
Zane was officially surrounded.
Golden-eyed Auri crossed her arms. "Told you he wouldn't get far."
Zane raised his hands slowly, eyebrows raised. "Look, I'm just a really hungry guy who borrowed some food."
"Stole," Blue Hair corrected, lightning flickering off his fingers.
"Borrowed without permission," Zane insisted. "And technically, I was starving, so that's like... a survival clause or something, right?"
The orange-haired one chuckled. "He's got guts. I like him."
"But not enough brains," Auri said, eyes still glowing. "We can't just let him go."
Zane's eyes flicked between them, brain racing. His Voidwalk wouldn't last long in a fight against three magic-users—especially if they could track him.
"Alright," he said. "I surrender."
They all blinked in unison.
"Damn it!" Auri hissed. "He's still fast."
Blue Hair narrowed his eyes. "He won't get far. I left a static marker on him."
Auri's eyes glowed brighter. "Then let's hunt him down."