Chapter 13: Left With A Breath
I didn't expect it to move so fast.
From the moment DJ lunged at us, I realized that everything I'd been through—every ounce of training, every battle I'd fought—wasn't enough. DJ's transformation was something else entirely. His body was grotesquely warped, eyes growing all over his body, his massive tail whipping through the air with lethal precision. It wasn't just that he was stronger or faster. It was like he had become something unrecognizable, an amalgamation of fury and power, driven by that parasite.
Kail, on the other hand, didn't falter.
Where I hesitated, Kail dove in headfirst. He led the charge, his fists glowing with the energy that only came from years of mastering his magic. Every punch hit like a hammer, driving DJ back, forcing him to take each blow as if it were a personal insult. Kail wasn't just stronger; he was more *focused*, more determined. He didn't let DJ's appearance or power shake him. He was carving a path, making every hit count, while I struggled just to keep up.
The Eyes of Truth were helping, sure, but it didn't feel like enough. I could see DJ's movements, catch glimpses of his attacks before they landed, but every time I reacted, it was just barely. And every time I dodged or parried, that familiar, sharp pain in my chest reminded me of my limits—limits I didn't want to face.
DJ's tail shot out like a whip, the force behind it immense. I saw it coming, knew it was headed straight for me, but even with the Eyes of Truth, I wasn't fast enough. The tail slammed into my torso, throwing me across the parking lot like a ragdoll. I crashed through a concrete pillar, the impact shattering the stone, and slammed hard into the asphalt. The air was knocked out of me, and for a moment, everything went dark.
I wasn't even five minutes into the fight, and I was already down.
Lying there on the ground, staring up at the flickering lights of the parking lot, doubt began to crawl its way into my mind. What was I doing? Why was I even here? DJ had been through hell—more than I ever had—and yet here I was, the one who couldn't even stay on his feet. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into the palms of my hands as frustration built up inside me.
DJ—someone who had been abused, tormented, and crushed under the weight of his own existence—was still fighting. Even after the parasite had taken over, even after everything he'd gone through, he was still pushing forward. And here I was, weak, doubting myself, getting thrown around like I didn't even belong on the battlefield.
I ground my teeth, anger boiling in my veins. Why was I so weak? Why couldn't I keep up?But as I lay there, feeling the broken concrete beneath me, something shifted. My anger didn't consume me. It didn't break me. It sharpened me. The doubt, the frustration—it didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was getting back up and finishing the fight.
I pushed myself to my feet, pain radiating through my body, but I ignored it. I could feel the Eyes of Truth flaring, my vision sharpening, my focus narrowing. I could see it now—the way DJ's muscles moved before he attacked, the subtle shift in his posture before each swing of his tail. Everything clicked into place, and for the first time since the fight began, I wasn't just reacting.
