The hours had strolled by in the blink of an eye. Yet I felt as if this entire event was going to be an eternal endeavor. The blue flames huffing out of the molten Scythe of one of the Elite Sky Pirates increased in intensity. Even though we were a distance apart, the fire’s aura could still be felt from here. At the same time, Amara’s dual taser sticks sparked every few seconds. She held them forward, ready for an elemental brawl. Electricity vs fire, sparks Vs flames; it was a duel of which element would triumph over the other. Then there was me, the guy who had just become an Enhancer, the very concept I feared.

Amara’s gloved finger clicked her wrist Battle Access HUD. The high-tech beep prompted her to analyze our two opponents. From her sight, the advanced Unitarian Goggles targeted both enemies with blue circles that highlighted their names. “Carolina Reaper and Trinidad Scorpion, so they’re also with the Ghost Pepper Gang?” She said to me.

“Those are the Pyro Enhancers that attacked us with Nathan. But I thought these two were Sky Pirates?” I was so confused by this since Nathan yeeted us pretty far. Though the Sky Pirates who ambushed us back at the dome seemed to possess some fire-based weapons too. Were they working together?

“Hey fellas!” Carolina Reaper, the scythe-wielding enemy, shouted out. “If you’re done chatting over there, how about we get this circus show on the road!” Carolina Reaper swung their weapon around themselves and began creeping forward. Not being bothered by their own blue flames one bit. 

“Since you know who we are, there’s really no point in talking anymore.” Trinidad Scorpion grabbed more exploding daggers from their belt. The daggers’ tail-shaped design was scary yet impressive somehow. When they too started walking towards us, Amara stiffened up a little. 

“Amara...” I was about to tap her shoulder.

“Stay back, no matter what.” She said in a changed, harsher tone. The same thing keeps happening where Amara has to protect me, all because I was useless? 

Coralina Reaper grinned through their mask and sprang suddenly. “Now, now, it's no fun if it's just one of you!” They chuckled as Amara gasped at their speed. I only blinked for a second when Carolina Reaper’s hellspawning Scythe was right over me. Amara had shoved me to her side a little and blocked the surprise swing. 

“Whoa, what the, how did…” They were just across from us a moment ago!

“Ahhh!” Amara pushed Coralina Reaper back with an electric blast from her taser sticks. “Let’s get one damn thing straight! I’m your opponent! Leave him out of this!” Amara demanded, her voice bestowing a commanding authority that she tends to show when push comes to shove, no pun intended. Her hair strands waved with the howling wind in this dark, covered forest. The downpour never let up, but it made Amara’s stance as clear as a sunny day.

“I love your enthusiasm! But no can do, kiddo, as I said before, our boss wants that necklace and we’re under strict orders!” They readied their Scythe again. “Oh, and remember there’s two of us!” Coralina Reaper smiled and charged again. 

Amara tried turning around in time to block the next strike. “No!”

“Shit!” Trinidad Scorpion had already jumped over us and threw exploding tail daggers at me. Amara also had to block Carolina Reaper’s incoming attack! “Try that thing again!” I called out for the Black Cat’s voice.

Right!

A cluster of sky crystals erupted just like before and blocked the explosive tail daggers. Trinidad Scorpion was stunned by the sudden attack. Carolina Reaper and Amara both dropped their jaws at the massive, glowing structure. After the explosions faded, Trinidad Scorpion landed ahead of me.

"Just our luck, so you've unlocked it then?" Trinidad Scorpion asked me calmly.

"What?" I asked while backing away.

"Jake, run!" Amara was about to bolt towards me, but Carolina Reaper used their Scythe to catch her foot and swing her away from me. Amara was thrown against a tree from the force. "Damn you..." She held her shoulder while struggling to stand a little. Carolina Reaper held the Scythe over their shoulder while laughing.

"Amara, please don't hurt her!" I yelled.

"That depends on your next course of action." I turned to Trinidad Scorpion, who took a few steps. They were just as tall as Ajax. Oh wait, why was I thinking of that Gacha gamer guy?

"What do you mean? Look, I don't want to hurt anybody! Just let us go, and we'll all walk home happy." I was losing my words and didn't know how to say what I wanted. On top of that, my voice shook with tremors that were hard to suppress.

"This is your last chance, child. Surrender the Enhancer Relic, and you may live to see your family again. I'm sure they're probably worried sick, just wondering where you ran off to. Imagine the pain in your mother's eyes when she finds out you've become a burning corpse." They said it with some emotion, but their voice sounded so empty.

Trinidad Scorpion's reasoning resonated with me. I haven't seen Mom in a while. Before this whole team deathmatch or capture the flag event started, I spoke with her on the phone. I still remember how angry she was, yet concerned. My Mom is tougher than Dad was, but she loved me all the same. So, why is it hard then? Why is making this decision so hard for me? I clung to the Skull Tag with all of my life. My fingers felt the cold, glassy texture of the half-shattered medallion. I want to see her again; I really do! I really do! Roger and Eileen, will I see them when second semester starts? I want to get out of this place! I don't want to be in danger anymore!

The air around me felt like it was choking me. Amara clashed and zipped around with Coralina Reaper; the Unitarian Guards and Keegan were fighting off the Sky Raid above. Then there was Nathan, my best friend, fighting all alone somewhere deep in the forest. A tear streamed down my cheek, adding a drop to the rain. Nathan, where did you go man? At a time like this, but there I was, asking for help again. "Damn it," I fell to the floor on both hands. "Why am I crying so much?"

Trinidad Scorpion simply stared at me with a blank look. Their mask concealed every form of expression. The only feeling of fear radiated from it, but in a way, they seemed to understand why I was feeling this way. Though they obviously reserved any form of making connections. "So, what will it be kid?" He asked.

Jake... are you? The Black Cat's voice spoke, but before they continued, the voice paused at what I did.

I sniffled and slowly stood back up even though my legs were shaking. My hands felt warmer from the adrenaline rising; my heart was pumping blood faster. Trinidad Scorpion didn't react at all nor say anything in this moment. Once I was back on both feet, I clenched my hands into fists for the first time in my life. For the first proper fight in my life. "I'm sorry, sir," I wiped away my tears. "But I respectfully decline."

Trinidad Scorpion remained silent for a moment, then he slowly reached for his daggers. "Very well then, Hero."

"I'm sorry, Mom," I said before I readied myself as Trinidad Scorpion ran over to me. He threw a barrage of explosive daggers with immense accuracy. "Leave this to me Cat!" I ran and swayed my hands around to make Sky Crystals. "Ah!" The glowing, blue clusters popped out of the muddy grass, like new blooming flowers with spikes for petals. 

Trinidad Scorpion’s daggers blew up in the collision, followed by swarms of them. “That same trick won’t work again!”

With the first explosions fading, the next daggers hurtled not long after.   “Oh no, I messed up!” My arm swings brought me face to face with the small, blazing, weaponized scorpion tails. 

Jump!

“Jump?”

Yes, now!

I got ready to jump up and a gust of wind blew me upwards. “Whoa, whoa, wait hold on a sec!” I felt lightheaded and my eyes bounced like Foosballs! Trinidad Scorpion followed my retro-like hop with an unfazed expression. 

“Time’s running out kid!” Trinidad Scorpion laid an arm out, swirling with ghostly flames. His whole arm ignited with molten lava before erupting into a fireball resembling a Scorpion claw. “Catch him!” Trinidad Scorpion ordered his claw, and it bounced upward. 

Amara blocked another Scythe strike from Carolina Reaper before proceeding to push them back. She glanced over at my fight with genuine fear. 

“What the hell, Jake! What are you doing!” Shit, I was afraid of this. That Enhancer relic has transferred its power to him! 

“Amara, behind you!” I yelled while falling from the air. “Ah!” 

Amara barely managed to bend backwards in time, with a strand of her short, bob-cut hairstyle getting slashed off. She rolled to the side and caught her taser sticks again. “Damn girl, jeez!” Amara then got back into a defensive position. 

Coralina Reaper snorted and laughed at what she just did. She pointed at Amara while wearing a faceless mask that still echoed her own smug expression. "Oh man, you should have seen your face cutie! Honestly, I’m having so much fun here! Say, why don’t we just drop everything and see who’s really faster?” The Elite Sky Pirate’s voice sounded like an arrogant warrior who didn’t care much for words. Their female voice mocked Amara’s own, and Amara was being as patient as she could. 

Amara frowned and argued, “This isn’t some video game! You two are under arrest, and that’s final!” Running with electricity sparking in a trail, Amara dashed and collided with Carolina Reaper’s Scythe for a second round. The Scythe was far bigger than Amara herself. The blue flames growing out of it further made this confrontation terrifying. Her flames are getting stronger by the second! And I have to save Jake from that other guy! How the hell did I let things escalate like this? Come on, Amara, hurry up! Her inner thoughts went wild. 

Carolina Reaper could sense Amara’s increasing inner struggle. It only made her even more amused by the ongoing battle. “Tell me kiddo! Are you breaking? Are you panicking? Are you feeling hopeless? Or I know, you must be feeling so much pressure from blocking so much!” 

Amara’s eyes began blinking a little more as she slashed, blocked, dodged, and jumped around the burning battlefield. It was almost as if she was feeling tired and wanted to shut her eyes to see a sweet dream. Wait, what, no, why am I? Her arms began losing their strength. “Shit!” Amara hopped back a few feet away from Carolina Reaper. 

“Why don’t you take a breather? I can help you find some peace if you want.” Carolina Reaper chuckled as a bunch of tiny particles escaped from under her Sky Pirate outfit. The particles were red and floated in a swarm towards Amara. 

“I can’t, sleep, not yet.” Amara dropped her taser sticks and held her forehead. Her vision became hazy, and only the particles and Carolina Reaper were crystal clear. 

“Go ahead kiddo, sleep for me, beg me to take it all away. Your pain, emotions, worries, let me take it all for you…” She approached Amara, who fell to her knees with more red particles swirling around her head. Carolina Reaper no longer looked like a scary harbinger of the end, but an angelic savior who had the “solution” to Amara’s detriment. “Take my hand, child, and dance with me away from this world…”

That voice, it sounds like melting butter. Hold on, what am I doing here again? The red particles looked like rose petals that consumed Amara’s senses in this dream-like realm. She no longer felt the need to fight, but the desire to finally rest. I can’t, no, I have to keep fighting….. Sleep… Macadamia Cookies… Amara’s voice echoed faintly in her own mind, her eyes getting droopy and closer to shutting. 

As Amara knelt there on the grass, Carolina Reaper stood in front of her with a smirk hidden behind that black mask. “There you go, now then, take my hand.” Her hand crept to Amara, causing her to smile with hope. Amara’s amber eyes were fading with each distance she closed. 

“Finally, I can sleep…” With a single heartbeat, Amara’s breath slowed, her thoughts turned pitch black, and she was ready to accept a good night’s rest. That is, just before a certain spiritual cat sensed something off.

On the other side of the burning battle, the Black Cat’s voice spoke to Jake as they helped him defend from Trinidad Scorpion’s attacks. Don’t tell me, this power. Jake! Your friend’s in trouble! We have to move!

“Amara?” I looked over to her and found her kneeling on the floor in a trance-like state. She was just zapping around and dueling with that other Elite Sky Pirate just now. Though the craziest part is that Amara was surrounded by multiple of these tiny red skulls. The skulls laughed, resembling a dark choir ready to embrace their next victim to the other side. “What’s happening to her?”