Shadows of Ascension

76. Fighting in the Dark

Luca stands frozen, lost in thought. I see… The moment Aiden realized his power, the instant this battle began, he’s been instinctively controlling it. That’s what he’s been doing all along… That’s what he’s been doing for the last few minutes…

He clenches his fists. Impressive… even for Aiden. Back when I first met him in the forest, I could tell his potential was high. Back then, I was far superior. Compared to me, he was weak—laughably so. Defeating him was easy… but now…

   Luca's gaze sharpens as he watches Aiden battle. Now, he’s stronger than me.

"Luca! Luca!" 

   Riona’s voice pulls him back to reality. She’s staring at him, concerned. 

   "What happened to you?" she asks. 

   "Oh, sorry," Luca mutters, shaking his head. He looks back at the fight. 

   Aiden is struggling. He’s fast, but their opponent is faster. His attacks aren’t landing, and he’s already been cut multiple times. 

   "It looks like Aiden is losing…" Luca murmurs. 

The enemy’s blade slashes across Aiden’s side again. He stumbles, gasping in pain. 

   "What can I do to help him…?" Luca mutters. His hands tremble in frustration. *I feel useless.* 

   "Don’t say that, Luca!" Riona snaps. "We have to do something!" 

Aiden screams as another deep wound opens on his shoulder. Blood stains the sand beneath him. 

   The enemy chuckles. "It’ll be over soon, kid. You’ll die." 

   He raises his weapon for the final strike. 

   Luca and Riona watch in horror. They can’t see the enemy. They can’t stop him. They can’t do anything. 

  How… How are we supposed to help? 

Then it hits him. 

Luca knows.

   He may not be able to see the enemy. 
   He may be weaker than the enemy. 
   He may even be weaker than Aiden. 

But he refuses to stand here and do nothing.

   They have come too far. They have survived too much. This is the first time he’s felt truly useless—but he won’t accept it. 

I won’t let Aiden fight alone. 

Without hesitation, Luca attacks. He swings blindly, his blade cutting through the empty air— 

   And then—contact.

   A sharp hiss of pain. Blood splatters onto the sand. 

   Luca’s eyes widen. I hit him.

   "Aiden!" Luca shouts. "Let’s take this guy down together. I may not be able to see him, but you can guide me!" 

   He extends his hand. 

   Aiden, despite his wounds, grins and takes it. "Let’s finish this." 

   Together, they charge forward.