The night did not end with the battle.
Sirus staggered forward, his breath fogging in the heat that clung to his skin like molten chains. His steps were heavy. Each step he took left small fires flickering on the blood-soaked ground.
Selvynee knelt beside him, clutching a long, jagged scratch on her forearm. She said nothing of the pain. Only watched him with worried, defiant eyes.
"Brother..." she rasped, the word almost lost amid the crackle of burning wood.
Sirus did not immediately answer. His gaze swept the horizon — eyes not merely glowing, but burning — searching for enemies unseen. Instincts, once tempered, now growled just beneath his skin.
The fire gem had not given him simple power. It had awakened something old. Something... hungry.
At last, Sirus exhaled, smoke curling from his lips. He turned to Selvynee, the faintest flicker of a tired smile breaking across his face.
"...Let's go home."
But even as the words left him, the ozbark trembled beneath their feet.
Something worse had heard the fire's call.
And it was approaching fast.
With shaky legs, Sirus stood tall, inhaling deeply. He met the challenge head-on.
"The fire within me will not consume me!" His voice roared, unshaken as he stood guard before his wounded sister. "I will not falter!"
With that, he bellowed in defiance, his words cracking through the air like thunder.
From beyond the trees, the silence shattered.
A horde of hobgoblins emerged, their weapons raised, their devious laughter echoing in the distance.
But leading them… An ogre.
It stepped forward, towering over the rest, its battle axe gleaming in the dim light.
With a guttural snarl, it charged, fury written in every step.
"Finally. A worthy challenge!" Sirus roared in delight. His crimson eyes glowing brighter, a fiery heat igniting within him.
Leaping high into the air, he twisted mid-air, striking the ogre with a powerful kick.
The ogre blocked the strike with its axe, skidding backwards from the force of the blow.
Sirus grinned, eyes flaring with anticipation.
Selvynee, still on the ground, struggled to stand. Her body ached, but her will was unwavering.
"Brother! I'll deal with the small fry!" she called out, taking her place against the horde of hobgoblins.
Sirus gave her a quick nod before returning his focus to the ogre.
With a primal roar, the ogre swung its battle axe with tremendous force, aiming for Sirus's head. But the demon was faster.
He ducked under the blow, feeling the air burn with the blade's passage, and retaliated with a savage uppercut to the ogre's stomach. The impact caused the ogre to stagger back, winded and momentarily stunned.
"You're slower than I expected," Sirus taunted.
The ogre growled, swinging its axe again, this time with even more ferocity. Sirus leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike.
He twisted mid-air, his claws extended, and slashed across the ogre's exposed side. The claws sank deep into its thick hide, drawing dark blood.
The ogre howled in pain, but Sirus wasn't finished. With a burst of speed, he moved in again, slashing with both hands, the heat from his touch igniting the ogre's flesh.
The air crackled as the fire from his hands burned through the ogre's skin. He struck again and again, each blow melting and scorching the creature's hide.
"Not so tough now, are you?" Sirus sneered, his voice dark with amusement.
Meanwhile, Selvynee faced the hobgoblins. The leader, wielding a jagged sword twice the length of its body, gave a guttural command. The horde surged forward, a pack of gnashing teeth and rusted steel.
But Selvynee was ready.
With a war cry, she darted toward the first group, her claws flashing through the air. She moved like a blur, agile and precise. The hobgoblins couldn't keep up.
A slash here, a stab there—Selvynee cut through them with ease. Her tail whipped around one hobgoblin's neck, lifting it off the ground before hurling it into another. The pair crumpled in a heap, broken and stunned.
The hobgoblin leader sneered and lunged at her with a powerful, two-handed strike. But she was already gone. With a fluid motion, Selvynee ducked under the blow and spun behind her opponent, sinking her claws deep into its midsection. Blood spilled in a spray, and the hobgoblin leader crumpled to the ground.
"Is that all you've got?" she grinned, wiping blood from her claws.
The remaining hobgoblins hesitated, unsure of how to react to her sudden onslaught.
Selvynee's eyes glittered, her feral instincts alive. "Come on then," she taunted, spinning her tail in a circle. "Let's see what you've got."
Back with Sirus, the ogre, bloodied and enraged, swung its axe again, aiming for Sirus's head. But this time, Sirus caught the axe with both hands, the heat from his grip causing the metal to glow red-hot. The ogre's hands faltered, unable to hold the weapon steady.
Sirus shoved the axe aside and lunged at the ogre's throat, his claws sinking into its flesh with horrifying ease. The ogre bellowed, trying to push Sirus away, but it was too late.
With a final, decisive roar, Sirus ripped through the ogre's jugular, blood spraying in a torrent. The beast collapsed, lifeless, its body thudding heavily against the ground.
Sirus stood over it, panting heavily, his body covered in sweat and blood, but his fiery eyes still gleaming with the thrill of the fight.
"We're not done yet," he muttered, his voice hoarse but filled with unwavering determination.
Selvynee, her tail twitching with anticipation, looked at her brother. "You're incredible, brother!" she yelled, admiration and pride in her voice.
Sirus nodded sharply. "I'm not done yet. There are still more."
The remaining hobgoblins, seeing their leader fall, scrambled to regroup. Their faces twisted with hatred, they charged once more, ready to avenge their fallen.
Sirus and Selvynee stood side by side, their eyes burning with the same resolve.
Together, they were unstoppable.
The horde of hobgoblins rushed at them, but it was clear they stood no chance against the duo's ferocity.
Sirus moved like a storm, his claws cutting through the air, each strike molten with power.
Selvynee was a whirlwind, swift and deadly, her tail snapping like a whip, and her claws rending through flesh with precision. One by one, the hobgoblins fell, their weapons useless against the unstoppable force of the two demons.
In moments, the battlefield fell silent.
The only sounds were the ragged breathing of the two warriors and the crackling of the fire that still burned in Sirus's veins.
Sirus wiped his bloodied hands on his shorts and turned to Selvynee.
"Next time, let's make it quicker," he said, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.
Selvynee, covered in blood but grinning, nodded. "I'll do my best."
They shared a brief moment of camaraderie before they both turned their attention to the horizon. The forest, once alive with the sounds of battle, was now eerily quiet.
But they knew this wasn't the end. More would come.
And when it did, they would be ready.
Clenching his fist, his expression troubled.
"Right, perhaps it can help." He muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible.
Selvynee's sharp ears picked up his words. "It? What are you going on about?" She leaned against a tree, inhaling deeply, trying to steady herself after the fight.
Sirus stared at her briefly, his gaze flickering, before it drifted back down to his clawed fist. "Rest up. I'm going to check something in the cave."
Without waiting for a response, he disappeared into the shadows, his form swallowed by the darkness of the forest.
Inside the cave, the atmosphere felt colder, more oppressive. He exhaled slowly, and the air around him shimmered slightly with his presence.
"Menu. Are you here?" He raised a brow, the interface flickering to life before him with a quiet hum.
(The process is completed, but now comes the hard part. Two things.)
Sirus's eyes narrowed, his heart pounding in his chest. "Two things?"
(First, you're lacking control over your mana. Secondly, you need to control your new profound powers.)
Sirus let out a frustrated breath. "How do I do that?"
The interface responded, its words sharp and clinical. (Sit down and close your eyes.)
Sirus gave a quick glance at the cold stone floor beneath him before reluctantly sinking down to sit against the cave wall. Crossing his legs, he closed his eyes, trying to find some semblance of calm in the chaos of his mind.
(Do you feel it?) The voice in his mind was softer now, but there was an underlying urgency. (Don't simply close your eyes. Look within you. I'm going to release my control over your mana)
And with those words, the power inside him roared to life. The cave seemed to tremble with the sheer force of it, the walls vibrating with the untamed energy thrashing inside him.
A sharp cough followed, and a mouthful of blood spilled from his lips, his concentration faltering for a moment. His vision blurred, the world around him spinning.
(Close your eyes unless you want to die. Force your mana under control) the voice commanded with a harsh edge.
Sirus clenched his jaw, tasting the blood in his mouth, and refocused. His eyes snapped shut again, shutting out the world around him.
(Look within), the voice urged, a deeper pressure mounting in his chest. (Focus on your body. Feel every pulse of energy, every surge of fire, every breath.)
And so, he did.
Deep within his body, he felt the tremors of power stirring. Faint trails of blue light flickered beneath his skin, like veins of pure energy running wild. It was the mana, raw and untamed, swirling in a chaotic torrent. But deeper still, he felt it—a searing inferno of power locked within him, flames licking at his insides, threatening to break free and consume him.
(First the mana) the voice reminded him, (control it. Guide it. Untangle it.)
His mind raced as he struggled to make sense of the chaos within. The trails of blue light, the fire, the pulsing heat—it was all a storm, tearing at the edges of his consciousness.
(Calm it) the voice commanded again. (Force it to bend to your will)
Sirus's breath came in sharp bursts as he focused, trying to reach into the chaos, pulling at the threads of mana, attempting to weave them into something coherent. His muscles screamed in protest, his body burning with the heat of the power that surged through him. But he couldn't give up.
(Control it) the voice repeated, louder now. (You are the master of this power. Or are you going to let it consume you?)
He imagined the fire inside him, the molten rage, and willed it to retreat, to obey. His body trembled with the effort, but slowly, the heat began to dissipate. The blue light, once erratic, began to glow with more purpose, more direction.
Sirus's breathing steadied, but it wasn't enough. The fire, the chaos—it wasn't fully under his control yet. He needed to keep pushing. He needed to prove he could master this.
(Focus) The voice was almost a whisper now, a presence within him. (You are not just a beast of flame. You are the fire's master)
And with that final thought, Sirus took another deep breath, his hands trembling as he continued to rein in the storm inside him. Slowly, the raging chaos began to calm, each breath pulling it tighter, more controlled, until he felt a flicker of peace, a brief moment of stillness within the storm.
For now, it was enough.
Sirus opened his eyes, his breath still heavy, but the burning fire within had been tempered. His claws slowly retracted, the edges no longer glowing with uncontrolled power.
"That... should be enough for now," he muttered, wiping the blood from his lips.
But even as he spoke, a feeling of unease lingered in the back of his mind. This was just the beginning.