The ranger station was no longer visible.
Eva's Dominance Sphere had expanded beyond the clearing, beyond the treeline, until the entire station was swallowed in purple fire. The air crackled with her Pulse—so dense, so concentrated, that even standing at the edge felt like wading through water made of light.
Everyone stared.
Dave stood frozen, his mask hiding his expression, but his posture told everything. Eva had surpassed them all. Not just in power—in something else. Something that couldn't be measured.
The sphere raged. It pulsed like a heartbeat, expanding and contracting, responding to something inside her that none of them could see. The purple flames weren't just fire—they were emotion. Grief. Fury. The absolute refusal to let another person she loved slip away.
Wolfen stood up.
"Oy, Evie. Wanna have a 1v1?"
"No," Dave said immediately.
Eva's eyes found Wolfen through the flames. "Sure. Why not."
Dave stepped forward, his voice sharp. "Fine. But I'm stepping in if anything goes wrong."
The others pulled back, giving them space. Maya's hand found Derek's arm. Jordan's eyes narrowed, calculating. Lena and Zoey exchanged glances—excitement and fear in equal measure.
Leo was outside the domain.
He'd gone to collect berries, not wanting to be in the way of Eva's training. Now he stood at the edge of the purple fire, staring at the wall of energy that separated him from everyone else.
"Hello?" he shouted, his voice muffled. "HELLO? Can anyone hear me?"
Inside the domain, Wolfen moved.
He didn't telegraph. Didn't warn. Just charged, his fist already wreathed in fire, his body a blur of motion. Eva's arms came up just in time—the block held, but the force of his attack sent her skidding back, her heels digging trenches in the earth.
He was relentless. Strike after strike, each one faster, harder, more aggressive than the last. This wasn't how he usually fought—he was a counter-fighter, waiting for openings, exploiting mistakes. But now he was pushing, pressing, forcing her to react.
His Pulse, Eva realized. It's wrapped around his body. Everywhere. He's not holding back.
Fire erupted beneath Wolfen's feet—not the controlled flames of his usual techniques, but something raw, something hot. It licked at his legs, his arms, his chest. Burning him.
He didn't flinch.
"You're forgetting something, Evie." His voice was calm, almost gentle. "I gave you my fire."
He extended his hand, middle finger pulled back like a trigger.
A small fireball—tiny, insignificant—shot from his fingertip like a bullet. It crossed the distance between them in less than a heartbeat.
It hit Eva square in the cheek.
Her head snapped sideways. Smoke curled from her skin. The wound would heal—it was already healing—but the message was clear.
Wolfen dropped into a defensive stance. He knew what was coming now.
From the smoke, Eva charged.
Her right hand was covered in Pulse, bright and dense, aimed directly at his chest. But at the last second—she switched. Her left fist drove into his stomach, the impact sending shockwaves through his body.
Wolfen raised his hand, a fireball already forming. He made it explode—
Eva's hand snapped up. The explosion didn't happen. The flames stopped, hovering in the air, waiting. Then they shot back at Wolfen, detonating against his chest.
She's adapting. Wolfen's thoughts were calm, analytical. Good.
He covered his hands in Umbralite, the black material forming gauntlets that reached his elbows. He was ready.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
He felt weaker. Slower. Something was wrong—something was draining him. His eyes found Eva, then swept the domain.
Oh. Dang.
She was absorbing his Pulse.
He'd wrapped himself in it—his own technique, his own energy—and now her domain was pulling it from him, drinking it like water. The more he fought, the more she took.
Eva's hands were covered in something new. Beneath the layer of Pulse, armor was forming—old armor, from an old ability. Above it, purple fire blazed.
She charged.
Wolfen covered his body in thick Umbralite, layers of it, a shell that should have turned any attack.
She punched him.
The impact was devastating. Wolfen flew backward—out of the domain, through the treeline, through tree after tree after tree. The sound of snapping wood filled the air, a chain of destruction that stretched farther than anyone could track.
He finally stopped, buried in splinters and leaves, his chest caved in, his ribs broken, his body a ruin.
From outside the domain, Leo watched Wolfen fly past him, a blur of black and red, disappearing into the forest. The purple fire flickered—once, twice—and died.
The domain collapsed.
"Shit—shit—shit!" Eva was already running, her voice cracking. "Shit!"
They all ran.
---
Wolfen lay in a crater of his own making, his chest a mess of broken bones and torn flesh. His breathing was shallow, ragged. When he saw Eva's face appear above him, he managed a weak smile.
"I hate you, Evie." His voice was a rasp. "I told you it was a friendly 1v1."
Eva's hands hovered over him, useless, helpless. "You never said that! I thought you were going to play a trick or something! You always do something!"
Wolfen coughed. Blood. "Trick? I was just—" Another cough. "—trying to help you practice."
"YOU ALMOST DIED!"
"Did not."
"Your ribs are sticking out!"
"It's fine. I've had worse."
They carried him back to the ranger station, arguing the whole way. Maya and Derek supported his weight, while Eva stayed close, her face pale, her hands still trembling.
At the door, a man was waiting.
He was tall, thin, dressed in simple traveling clothes. His face was unremarkable—the kind of face you forgot the moment you looked away. In his hands, he held a folded piece of paper.
He looked at Eva.
"I have a message. From your sister. Lily."
The world stopped.
Eva's hands dropped to her sides. Her voice was barely a whisper.
"What?"
The man held out the paper. "She said to give this to you. Only you."
Eva took it. Her fingers were numb.
The man turned and walked away, disappearing into the trees before anyone could ask more.
Eva stared at the paper in her hands.
The others stood around her, silent, waiting.
Inside, Wolfen groaned. "Someone—" He coughed. "—help me. I'm dying."
No one moved.
Eva unfolded the letter.