Heroes of Veridia

Chapter 26

Evelyn hesitated, silently cursing the choice in front of her. If she launched herself at Caleb, Vivian would be vulnerable. But if she protected her sister, there was a chance she might not survive herself. Resolved, she thought, Vivian still has a chance if I protect her. With a swift push from her makeshift foothold, Evelyn sprinted toward Vivian, reaching her just in time. Shielding Vivian from the oncoming explosions, she braced herself as the first burst of heat scorched her back, a scream escaping her as the pain overwhelmed her senses. Determined not to move, she gritted her teeth, holding her ground to keep her sister safe as the explosions roared. Finally, the chaos settled, and Evelyn, barely conscious from the pain, collapsed onto Vivian, surrendering to unconsciousness.

Amidst the crackling flames, Caleb strode toward the two girls with a twisted grin. "I warned you. I told you not to fight back," he sneered, gesturing to the burning forest, "and now other students are paying the price for your foolishness." Before he could revel any longer, a fierce voice cut through the smoke.

"No one else is getting hurt," Selene announced, stepping out from behind a tree, her eyes blazing with venomous fury.

Across from her, Sierra appeared, cracking her knuckles with a steely glare. "Guess we'll teach you some respect."

Caleb chuckled, looking between them dismissively. "Two more foolish rebels, here to die. You'll end up just like them," he scoffed, gesturing toward Evelyn and Vivian's motionless forms. He began to summon more explosive bubbles, but his movement was abruptly halted as his hands were encased in ice.

"Sorry, pal, but no more explosions today," Lucas called down from above, hovering in the air as his ice solidified around Caleb's hands.

Caleb glanced up in frantic disbelief, his defiance wavering. "You're making a massive mistake! If I don't make it out of here alive, 'The Viper' will have your heads."

Another voice joined in, steady and unyielding. "We're nothing like you, 'bubble boy.' The Phantom Edge can deal with scum like you just fine." Jacob stepped forward, with Emily and Alex flanking him, their determined faces illuminated by the nearby flames. "We're here to make sure you stop hurting anyone else."

Caleb let out a feral growl, his rage boiling over as he glared at the group surrounding him. "You're not taking me alive!" he hissed.

Lucas took a step closer, raising a brow. "You really think you can take on all of us?"

Sierra's eyes narrowed as she spotted a faint glimmer within the ice encasing Caleb's hands—a bubble was slowly forming. Her instincts kicked in. "Lucas, watch out!" she shouted, thrusting her fist forward. The shockwave from her punch hit Caleb, sending him stumbling backward just as a small explosion shattered the ice around his hands. Though he wasn't seriously harmed, blood now smeared his knuckles.

Caleb's eyes were wild. "I'm going to kill you all!" he seethed, clenching his fists as if he could crush them all by sheer will.

Jacob snorted. "That's creepy," he muttered, turning to Emily. "How are we even supposed to catch this maniac alive?"

Emily shrugged, unfazed. "Just make sure he's not dead when you grab him."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "This is not the time for jokes, Em—" he started, then stopped, spotting Caleb already sprinting into the trees. "Hey, get back here!"

Sierra wasted no time, taking off after him with a determined glare. "Why do you keep running, Caleb? Aren't you supposed to be killing us?"

"Not on my watch," Lucas muttered, crafting a winding ice path that snaked toward Caleb's escaping form. But Caleb, hearing the ice creeping up behind him, leaped onto his bubbles, floating just out of reach. The move was unexpected, and Jacob and Sierra, caught on Lucas's ice path, suddenly found themselves stuck, their legs frozen to the ground.