Chapter 5: Chapter 5. Purple Clouds

Suddenly—

BOOOOOM!!!

The ground lurched violently beneath their feet. A deafening tremor surged through the mountain, shaking the stone beneath the shrine. Dust rained from the ancient carvings. The river shivered.

Taigami stumbled back as birds exploded from the forest canopy in a panicked storm of wings and shrieks, vanishing into the sky like smoke fleeing a fire.

All four boys snapped their heads toward the horizon.

There—on the far edge of the island, beyond the trees and city walls—

A towering explosion had bloomed from the heart of Throst City.

Thick, twisting clouds of black and deep violet smoke rose into the heavens like some terrible god had clawed open the sky itself. The flames beneath it pulsed like a second sun—sickly, unstable, and utterly wrong.

Sky's lips parted in a whisper. “What… was that?”

Ivan’s fists clenched. “That came from the city.”

Prince didn’t say a word. He clenched his jaw, turned around, and immediately took off downhill without hesitation.

“Prince!” Ivan called after him.

But Prince didn’t look back.

Ivan glanced at Sky and Taigami. “Well? What are we waiting for?!”

And with that, the three bolted after him, racing down the mountain. The ground was still trembling faintly as they ran. The air grew hotter with each step toward the smoke.

Their feet slammed against stone paths and dirt trails. Adrenaline surged in their blood.

As they neared the city outskirts, a chilling sound echoed through the smoke: a gurgling, low-pitched growl… followed by something massive slamming against the ground.

And then they saw it.

A towering monster—at least fifteen meters tall—lumbered through the outer districts of Throst City. Its phantom-like body shimmered between reality and shadow, its skin an eerie mix of twisted flesh and translucent darkness, with grotesque tentacles whipping violently through the air. Its head—if it had one—was malformed, horned, and twitching with every movement. Its eyes glowed like sickly red coals, and the streets beneath it cracked under its crushing weight.

They stopped in their tracks, all three stunned. Even Ivan’s mouth hung open, for once speechless.

“What… is that thing?!” Taigami gasped.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Sky said, clutching his arms.

Then, without warning, Prince dashed off again—straight into the city streets.

“Prince, wait!” Ivan shouted.

But it was too late. Prince's speed had already carried him beyond their view, disappearing between buildings.

The bag—

His breath hitched.

The money…

His mind screamed louder than the explosion.

In that moment, he didn’t see the mountain. Or the sky. Or the others calling after him.

He saw it.

Their home.

Cracked stone. Hidden crates. A stitched leather bag buried under loose floorboards.

All of it could be burning.

No, no, no... we worked too hard for this.

The images assaulted him in flashes—

Ivan slipping past a merchant's stall, vanishing with two purses and a grin.

Sky casting thick mist, guiding them through alleyways while confused vendors cursed the fog.

Prince dashing between carts, fingertips sparking with voltage, lightning-enhanced speed letting him blur past the guards.

All for a bag of coin.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

A bag full of weeks—months—of careful raids, sleepless nights, bruised ribs, and close calls.

Not just money.

Hope.

A way out.

That’s our ticket. That’s the ship. That’s freedom.

His eyes stung as he ran harder. Faster. His lungs burned.

A place where we’re not thieves. Not hunted. Not tossed aside like stray dogs.

Where Sky can sleep without jumping at shadows.

Where Ivan doesn’t have to smile to hide the hunger.

Where Taigami… doesn’t have to feel like a burden.

The smoke was thicker now, rising high into the clouds.

Prince clenched his jaw even tighter.

I won’t lose that future. Not now. Not after everything.

Then, for a brief moment, a darker thought crept in—one he didn’t dare say out loud.

Please… let it just be a monster…

Let it not be them...

“He’s headed home,” Sky said breathlessly. “He’s surely worried about all the money we’ve left home.”

“We need to follow him!” Taigami barked, and they all resumed their sprint, but Prince’s electric bursts had widened the gap too far.

Prince sped through the alleys of Throst City, heart racing. The smoke was thick, the skies darkened. Buildings had crumbled. People screamed, but he couldn’t stop—not yet.

But then he slowed near a crumbled wall where he spotted a merchant pinned beneath fallen debris, struggling to breathe.

Prince skidded to a stop, hesitating.

He clenched his fists. “Damn it…”

With a growl, he rushed over and began to push the debris aside. The merchant’s eyes fluttered open in shock.

“Hang on,” Prince muttered. “As contemptible as you are, you’re not dying here. ”

Behind him, Taigami caught up, panting heavily, clutching his side. “Prince! You okay?!”

Prince glanced up and nodded once. “Help me with this.”

But then, from the corner of the alley, a smaller but equally grotesque creature slithered into view. About the size of a grown man, its form was twisted—partially humanoid, with elongated limbs that ended in razor-sharp claws, and an exposed spine that oozed a misty black vapor with every breath.

Prince’s eyes locked onto it.

“Damn it...” he muttered, spotting a rusted metal pipe near the wreckage.

He snatched it up without hesitation and gritted his teeth. Sparks danced across his arms, electricity crackling down into the pipe as he charged it with raw energy.

With a sudden burst of speed, Prince leapt up the side of the alley wall, then kicked off to the opposite one—ricocheting back and forth in a blur of movement. Lightning arced around him with every jump, his figure almost vanishing in the flickering bursts of light.

The creature jerked its head back and forth, confused, its head snapping in all directions as Prince’s momentum blurred his outline.

Then—from above and behind—Prince launched himself down, bringing the electrified pipe down in a wide arc.

“RAAAH—!”

CLANG!

The pipe sliced through the monster like air, sparking briefly before phasing straight through its mist-like body.

Prince’s eyes widened. “What?!”

The creature twisted unnaturally and retaliated in an instant. It lunged, claws outstretched.

The blow landed squarely in Prince’s chest, hurling him backward into the alley wall with a sickening thud. He crumpled, dazed, sparks flickering weakly around his hands.

“PRINCE!” Taigami yelled, rushing to his side.

Prince groaned, sliding down the bricks. “It’s… intangible…”

Taigami stood trembling as the monster began slithering toward them, its distorted form pulsing with an eerie glow. His fists clenched tight, fingernails digging into his palms. His heart pounded, but his feet refused to move. Fear surged through him—familiar, paralyzing.

His mind flashed back.

The night the masked man and the ghost tore through his home. His mother’s screams. His father’s last stand. The weight of his own helplessness. The cold, crushing realization that he had done nothing—because he couldn’t.

And now, once again, someone he cared about was lying on the ground, hurt—Prince, who had stood up for him. Sky, who had given him comfort. Ivan, who had joked like they were lifelong friends. In just a few days, they had become the family he thought he'd lost forever.

No.

Not again.

I won’t lose them too.

Even if I have no Energy... Even if I’m nothing special… I can still fight!

His jaw clenched as he stepped forward, his body moving before doubt could catch up.

“I won’t let it happen again!” he roared inwardly. “I refuse to be powerless!”

With a shout that tore from the depths of his soul, Taigami charged the creature, his arm pulled back for a punch, desperation fused with determination.

"Taigami—DON’T!!" Prince's voice rang out, strained and panicked. He lay crushed under debris, barely able to raise his head. "You’ll get yourself killed! That thing—it's not normal!"

The monster turned its gaping, half-phantom face toward the charging boy, its large, translucent claw rising in the air, gleaming with shadowed light.

But Taigami didn’t stop.

And then, a blinding beam of light burst through the alley, hitting the creature dead center. The monster shrieked, its body disintegrating into glowing ashes, then vanished with a wail.

Taigami froze mid-charge.

From within the fading light stepped a tall male figure—about 6 feet. His jacket bore the distinct silver insignia of the Government’s Official Soldiers, catching Prince’s sharp eye even in the dim glow.

“That badge…” Prince whispered, stunned. “He’s one of them.”

The newcomer’s face was youthful—sharper than a boy’s, yet not fully worn by age. His features held a calm intensity, the kind forged by experience far beyond his apparent years. Despite his youth, there was something resolute in the way he carried himself.

In his right hand, he held a long sword, its blade still pulsing faintly from the blast that had saved them.

He walked slowly toward the two boys, his gaze fixed on Taigami—the only one still standing. His voice came low and steady, yet with weight, like someone used to being listened to.

“What you did just now... wasn’t reckless.”

He stopped a few steps away, meeting Taigami’s eyes. “Running into danger with no powers, no idea what might happen—that takes more than strength. That takes heart.”

A beat passed, quiet except for the distant hum of the wind.

“That kind of courage... proves there’s something special in you, whether you see it yet or not.”

He turned his eyes briefly to the city behind them, then back.

“You’re not safe here,” he said, tightening his grip on the sword. “Come with me.”