Roselle made her way towards Sylra, who immediately slammed her foot into the ground and summoning jagged rocks that shot toward Roselle like bullets.

  Roselle reacted instantly and let out blasts of flames from her hands that obliterated the incoming rocks.

  Sylra’s eyes widened. “What?! You were only lightning before—what did you do?!”

  Roselle grinned with heat flickering in her irises. “Surprised you, didn’t I?”

  She lunged forward, twisting mid-air and drove a flaming kick into Sylra’s gut.

  Sylra stumbled back with a grunt.

  Before she could recover, stream of fire erupted from Roselle’s hands, roaring toward Sylra like a dragon’s breath.

  Sylra thrust her hands forward quickly and created an earth wall that surged up in front of her.

  The fire clashed against it, but the rock held firm.

  Then—

  A creeping darkness.

  Roselle's breath hitched as a black void slithered across the battlefield, consuming the very air around them. The flickering flames on her hands dimmed slightly.

  Sylra, however—smirked.

  “Looks like Arlysa’s finally getting serious.”

  Roselle clenched her fists. “And what does that mean?”

  Sylra cracked her knuckles “It means I should get serious too.”

  Roselle exclaimed, "What?!"

  Sylra’s orange aura expanded to double it’s usual size. Rock shards swirled around her naturally. Sylra focused her rocks on the perception deep into the earth. Within moments, her surroundings became clear to her as the very earth beneath her feet emitted its own radiant light.

  Sylra declared, "Even in this darkness, I can see shapes, movements and the presence of living beings. Arlysa's magic won't hide a thing from me. This is my Extreme Earth Magic: Terra Illumina!"

  Sylra’s aura flared even brighter. To Roselle, the swirling rocks orbiting her looked like planets around a sun. “Hah! You see this, Roselle?” Slyra spread her arms wide. “I developed this technique thanks to Arlysa’s tutelage. She always said, ‘If you can’t see in the dark—make the earth your eyes.’”

  She lifted a foot and stomped. The battlefield shook. Stone spikes erupted around her feet with an eerie golden energy.

  “I can sense everything—the rocks, the trees, the movement of the air… even the panicked breaths you're trying to steady. Your fire? Your lightning? They won’t save you now.” She cracked her knuckles. “This is our realm. And in our realm, I’m unstoppable.”

  Roselle scowled. “That’s not fair!”

  Sylra’s face twisted into a cold glare. “You wanna know what wasn’t fair? When you killed my sister.”

  Roselle’s heart lurched.

  Sylra’s face darkened. “Thalindra...”

  Chunks of stone hovered in the air around her. They trembled from the sheer force of her fury.

  “And now you wanna complain about ‘fair’? I don’t wanna hear a single damn complaint when I’m smashing you to pieces!”

  With a roar, Sylra charged.

  Roselle's eyes darted around the darkness. Sylra had vanished—completely the moment she came forward.

  A sound—a shift in the air.

  Roselle reacted instantly, whipping around and firing a burst of fire. The flames roared forward—

  But nothing was there.

  Her pupils shrank. Where—?!

  Then she noticed four golden rocks glowing with Sylra’s energy which appeared at her sides. They moved in sync to close in on her from every direction.

  Roselle tensed and jumped in the air but before she got too far, a brutal elbow crashed into her spine.

  Pain exploded through her body.

  She couldn’t even register the impact since she was now slamming into the golden rocks. One after another, they shattered beneath her weight—each one stopping her momentum just long enough for the next to take over.

  By the time the final rock burst apart, her vision was spinning.

  Then, a shadow loomed above her.

  BOOM!

  A fist drilled into her stomach, sending her rocketing backward.

  Roselle barely managed to flip midair. Her feet skid across the unseen ground. The moment her momentum stopped, a sharp ache burned through her body.

  She hunched over and breathed hard.

  Sylra stood tall with her golden aura flaring in the darkness. Roselle wiped blood from her mouth and exhaled sharply. She had to think—fast.

  Sylra had the advantage in this darkness. She could see everything. But Roselle’s element was fire…

  Her flames weren’t just for attacking.

  She inhaled deeply and summoned the burning energy within her. Then, a fiery aura erupted around her like body. The surrounding darkness flickered in its glow.

  Roselle’s vision sharpened.

  She could see just a little farther.

  Sylra’s silhouette emerged from the shadows. She was already charging in with breakneck speed.

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  ‘There!’

  Sylra swung a heavy right hook—Roselle ducked.

  Sylra’s knee snapped up—Roselle twisted her body just in time.

  ‘It’s working!’

  But Sylra’s smirk didn’t fade.The ground beneath Roselle’s feet shifted suddenly.

  A rock jutted up from below that caught her ankle and tripped her.

  “Shit—!”

  Sylra’s fist buried itself into her ribs, knocking the wind from her lungs.

  Another hit came, this time to the stomach.

  Roselle lurched, but at that same time, a spinning kick collided with her side which sent her rolling across the blackened battlefield.

  She hit the ground hard and gasped for breathe.

  Sylra stomped toward her and cracked her knuckles.

  "You’re adapting," she admitted. "But not fast enough."

  Roselle forced herself up. Her breaths came heavy, but her eyes burned with a fury.

  Sylra sighed. “Still kicking, huh?”

  Then she moved in and delivered a knee to the gut. Roselle let out a pained sound before a hammer-like fist smashed into her back. Then, a rock-empowered elbow struck her shoulder, sending her spiraling.

  Roselle couldn’t dodge them all. Sylra let out a roar and delivered a final crushing blow to her stomach.

  Roselle hit the ground hard. She was barely able to breathe.

  Sylra stood over her. Then, she pressed her foot down onto Roselle’s chest.

  A satisfied smirk tugged at her lips. "That’s more like it," she said while applying pressure.

  And then—

  A memory.

  A flicker of green amidst the darkness.

  Sylra’s smirk faltered for the briefest second.

  The battlefield melted away, and suddenly—

  She was five or six years old. Her knuckles were bruised. Scratches ran up her arms. There was dried blood them.

  She had just beaten someone up. Again.

  And she had been called into the Headmaster’s office.

  Again.

  The doors finally creaked open, and Sylra walked out pouting in irritation.

  Waiting for her was a tall woman draped in forest-green robes.

  Long, flowing emerald hair cascaded down her back with tiny glowing symbols. In her hand, she held a majestic staff.

  Thalindra.

  She smiled.

  "You and that girl again?" Thalindra asked.

  Sylra crossed her arms. "Hey! She was asking for it this time.”

  Thalindra chuckled while shaking her head. She knelt down to Sylra’s level. "And what did you learn?"

  Sylra frowned. "That I'm stronger than them."

  "Maybe," Thalindra said. "But being strong isn't just about winning fights."

  Sylra scoffed. "Then what's it about?"

  Thalindra tapped her staff against the ground but looked away for a moment. "True strength….Maybe one day..."

  She reached out and brushed a stray leaf from Sylra’s messy hair.

  "You will find the answer to that question yourself."

  Sylra blinked.

  The memory shifted. Sylra was seven years old now. She had been beneath thick blankets in her room at the magical academy at night.

  Laying in the bed with her was Thalindra. She pulled Sylra close and wrapped her in warmth.

  "Sylra," Thalindra murmured. "Listen to me."

  Sylra snuggled deeper into her arms. "M’listening…"

  Thalindra exhaled softly. "I need to tell you something important…I'm going to be the next Forest Guardian."

  "Huh?"

  "It means…" Thalindra pulled back slightly to look into Sylra’s wide eyes. "I'll be leaving soon.The Forest needs a guardian. Without one, it’ll fall to ruin."

  Sylra shook her head as tears formed in her eyes. "But—But you said…You said you'd be here when my magic developed! You promised!"

  Thalindra closed her eyes for a moment.

  Then, she pressed her forehead gently against Sylra’s.

  "I know," she whispered. "And I wish I could keep that promise."

  Sylra’s lips trembled. Thalindra pulled her close again.

  "Don't be afraid," Thalindra said. "Someone else will take care of you. You won’t be alone."

  Sylra shook her head violently against Thalindra’s shoulder.

  "I don’t want someone else," she whispered. "I want you."

  Sylra snapped back to reality with a sharp breath. Her surroundings returned—the suffocating darkness of Eternal Nightfall and the flickering firelight still clinging to Roselle’s body; however, a stinging pain throbbed in her chest. Her hands trembled at her sides.

  ‘Thalindra…’

  For the briefest moment, her foot lightened on Roselle’s chest.

  That was all Roselle needed. Her Flames exploded beneath her, sending Thalindra back and herself rocketing backward into a roll before she staggered upright.

  Sylra blinked rapidly and snapped back to focus.

  What—?!

  Her foot met empty air.

  Her eyes darted forward just in time to see Roselle standing free.

  Sylra’s fists clenched.

  Meanwhile, within the battle against Arlysa, both Runebelle and Risebelle found themselves bombarded by rapid and unseen dark blasts. The relentless onslaught forced Risebelle to drop to one knee.

  Risebelle shouted, “Ah damn it! I can feel those dark blasts, but I can't see them at all! I can't even see where Arlysa is! How the hell am I supposed to come up with a plan like this?! Tch… I don’t even have any tech from Kintovar that would work in this situation…"

  Runebelle, still in her Project Rune form wore that unusual smile.

  "Stay close, Risebelle," Runebelle advised. "I'll find a way to counter her darkness. Just hold on a little longer."

  Arlysa's seemed to speak from all directions.

  "There's nothing you can do. I will continue this onslaught until you're both destroyed. “

  Another dark blast struck Risebelle, causing her to cry out in pain.

  “If you have any last words, you'd better say them quickly."

  Risebelle’s fists slammed against the unseen ground beneath her. "Why the hell are you only targeting me?!" she barked through ragged breaths.

  A cold chuckle echoed from all directions.

  "It does me well to eliminate the weakest first," Arlysa purred with amusement.

  Risebelle's head snapped up.

  ‘The weakest? The weakest?!’

  The aches in Risebelle’s body was nothing compared to the fire that suddenly ignited inside her. A low, dangerous growl rumbled in her throat. "Oh, you did NOT just say that."

  With a sharp inhale, Risebelle forced herself up.

  Her body protested, but her pride? That was stronger.

  She wiped blood from the corner of her mouth. "You think just because you caught me in a bad predicament once that i’m just a harmless butterly? If that’s true, then you’re trash, and let me show you how I take out my ‘Trash’."

  Risebelle raised her hand high.

  "Acid Rain!" she roared but…

  Nothing.

  No caustic mist. No droplets sizzling in the air. No searing downfall to carve through the darkness.

  Risebelle blinked.

  “…Wait. What?!”

  She clenched her hand, trying to summon her magic again. Nothing happened.

  She turned toward Runebelle.

  “Runebelle.” She kept her voice level. “We have a little problem.”

  Runebelle’s eyes widened in surprise. “That should’ve worked…”

  Risebelle clenched her fists. “No, no, this is exactly like when we fought Alan.”

  Runebelle blinked. “Alan…?”

  “Yeah. My acid rain didn’t work back then either—because the heat was too intense for my affinity to function properly,” Risebelle said quickly. “This darkness? It’s probably doing the same thing—suppressing my magic somehow.”

  Rune belle’s gaze sharpened.

  Risebelle grinned. “But you remember how we beat Alan, don’t you?”

  Runebelle nodded with a smirk forming. “Elemental Infusion.”

  “Damn right.”

  “Say less.”

  Runebelle held out one small gun with energy surging from it . An icy blast of energy came towards Risebelle’s back. The chill spread instantly, sinking deep into her core.

  Risebelle gasped as a wave of cold clarity flooded her senses. Her blue hair paled, nearly turning silver. The usual fluidity of her water magic sharpened—crisp, controlled, lethal.

  Risebelle flexed her fingers with a slow grin. She began to concentrate, channeling her enhanced magic through the newly acquired ice element. She raised her hands toward the sky of darkness and summoned a swirling vortex of icy energy above. The frigid winds swirled and condensed into a malevolent storm cloud, much like her Acid Rain technique but now imbued with the power of ice.

  "Crystal Froststorm!"

  The moment she uttered the command, from above came a chilling rain that fell upon the battlefield; however, it was a rain of crystalline ice that was beautiful yet deadly.

  Upon contact with the ground, they burst into icy shrapnel that covered a wide area with their freezing touch.

  It wasn't long before screams pierced the air and Runebelle's senses picked up on the agonized Arlysa and Sylra.

  Roselle flinched upon feeling the icy droplets hit her skin—but rather than a stinging cold, she felt invigorated. The fire inside her pulsed, burning brighter, stronger. The storm’s chilling presence balanced her flames rather than diminish them.

  She clenched her fists. “This… this is good.”

  Sylra, however, had no such luxury. “What the hell is this?!” She cried with panic.

  The crystalline rain cut into her. It pierced her clothes, bit into her skin and lodged into the cracks of her earth magic defenses.

  She slapped at her arms and tried to shake off the growing frost, but it only spread further. “T-This ain’t normal ice—! It’s… breaking through everything!”

  Her Terra Illumina flickered—then dimmed.

  And above them, a furious growl was heard through the darkness.

  “You braaats!” Arlysa boomed from unseen corners of the battlefield.

  Project Mage