7th of Light, 1849

Kjallo and Astrid stood back to back, surrounded by the reanimated bodies of Laveskians, Kant watching behind them, struggling to hold himself up.

“What do we do?” Astrid asked Kjallo.

Kjallo looked at the corpses, then looked at Kant. “We go for him.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

Kjallo aimed his hand at the Laveskian’s in front of Kant, scarlet lightning gathering on his arm. Sorry. It launched away, hitting the group. In an instant the entire chamber was filled with red light and a powerful shockwave erupted from the impact, sending Kjallo and Astrid flying into the walls.

Senses wringing, and completely disoriented, Kjallo wiggled on the ground, rubble crumbling and falling on his body. “W—what the fuck?” he groaned, squirming on the stone surface. Nearing the stairs, he forced his body up, escaping a sensation that burned his skin. It was only when he cleared the steps that he realized the impact. The entire building had caved, now just a giant hole in the ground.

Enforcers rushed over to him, putting his arm over their shoulders. “Are you okay?” they asked, their voices muffled in Kjallo’s mind.

Kjallo didn’t respond. His mind flashed. Astrid.

He snapped out of his daze, rushing to the edge of the hole, looking down. Enforcers followed him. A golden gas was forming at the bottom of the pit, slowly consuming heading to the top.

Kjallo’s eyes widened. “I’m an idiot. Astrid’s still down there.”

“You’re lucky you got out yourself, Kjallo. Higher ranking Enforcers will be here soon. But right now we can’t do anything for her, we don’t know what that gas is.”

“No…I think I know what that is. It’s Tath.”

The Enforcers looked at each other, then turned to Kjallo. “What do you want to do then?”

Kjallo turned to the two Enforcers. “You said high ranking Enforcers are coming?”

“Yeah, let them handle this.”

Kjallo reached into his suit and pulled out a flare gun, shooting a white signal into the sky. “They’ll find me.”

“What are you…”

The Enforcer ran into the pit, jumping into the gas. He hit the ground hard, searching for Astrid in the haze. The same sensation from before returned, stronger.

Astrid lay nearby, thankfully away from the rubble. He picked her up, this time coughing up on every breath. I can try to use wind, like Gin. He summoned his Tath. I’m not used to it, so it’ll come at a great cost, but I have to do this. For every time she’s helped me. I have to repay her. I have to.

The gas around them began to disperse as they were lifted into the air, draining him by the milosecond. His breaths were chokes. As they slowly headed up the whole. This is…all I can do.

Lights shone on their eyes. Kjallo turned his head, skin burning. Two Enforcers stood at the edge of the hole, one holding what looked like a large sledgehammer.