Nya's POV

I saturate the ground with water, turning the trail into a sticky, muddy mess that's so squishy that it's nearly impossible to traverse through. Once the unnatural elementals reach it, it'll be the perfect place to ambush them. They'll have nowhere to go since this tight corridor is the only way out of the mountain.

When we caught up to them - and passed them - in such a short amount of time, it was like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. They were moving slower than tortoises, and seeing my brother in the back on these makeshift crutches that they clearly took time to make made me appreciate him so much more.

However, Lloyd didn't show any relief when we saw them. If anything, he got more tense. He went dead silent and has said very few words since, all of which have been strictly about the plan. Even now, his head is trained forward on the path, never wavering.

"You noticed something that I didn't," I stare at him, keeping my voice hushed in case the unnatural elementals are close. "What is it?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Back when we were passing the unnatural elementals. Something big caught your attention, or you wouldn't have been contemplating it for so long," I cross my arms. He might be one of the most powerful people ever, but I have a will of steel. I won't let his status intimidate me.

He shakes his head. "It's delusional. What I saw is impossible."

I try to recall anything out of the ordinary that he might have noticed. The full team that ambushed me back in the elemental army wasn't there, but a lot of the people there were vaguely familiar. Other than Kai on crutches, which I wouldn't fret too much about, nothing seemed that alarming.

"If it's that big of a thing, then I should know about it in order to be prepared for it. We want the best chance of getting everyone back," I place a hand on his shoulder. Lloyd lets out a sigh.

From the moment I first laid my eyes on Lloyd, I felt like I could trust him. I don't know if there's some type of bond that elementals have or something, but I want to hear what he has to say. If he thinks something is up, then I'll take it as a valid concern.

He scrubs his face with both hands. "I...I think I saw Skylor, Rumi's older sister, with the unnatural elementals, but that just doesn't make sense. She's not immortal"

The news makes my eyes widen. "I was right," I murmur to myself.

"What?"

"Kai was having recurring pains in his chest right where his tattoo was, so I thought that Skylor might be the cause of that. Plus, with her other two sisters being around, the third somehow living isn't that big of a stretch," I shrug. If two sisters can miraculously be around 600 years later, how unlikely is it that the third could be, too?

"The other two?" Lloyd furrows his eyebrows, and I sharply inhale. I totally forgot that he was in the dark about the PIXAL situation.

"Jay used some data he had collected while studying PIXAL's brain, and he found a way to put her consciousness in a robot, just with the memories she had on the day that she collected the data," I explain it briefly while scanning his face, trying to pick up any subtle cues as to how he's reacting.

Slowly, a smile overtakes his face. "Wow..." before it drops off. "Is she also kidnapped by the unnatural elementals?"

"Yep."

He lets out a sigh. "Why would Skylor take her own sister captive?"

I open my mouth to talk, but quickly close it when I realize that I don't have an answer. "I...I don't know."

"She was completely ignoring Kai when we walked by. Gosh, that must be torture. I'm assuming that you know that soulmate bonds aren't a myth, right? Being given the cold shoulder by your soulmate is one of the worst forms of torture possible. I can't even imagine how much the rejection must sting," Lloyd runs a hand through his hair, closing his eyes.

His words make my heart go heavy. My own guilt starts creeping up on me. "Did you ever love anyone else besides Harumi?" I ask, looking straight into his piercing green eyes.

He purses his lips, pausing for a bit before responding. "Rumi and I knew about our bond for as long as I can remember. We grew up together and although the romantic attraction didn't really start to kick in until we got older, we were always partners. No matter what, we knew that we would always care for each other, and we made it clear that no matter where life brought us, we would find a way to stay in each other's lives.

We went through a rough patch for a while several centuries ago. After being in such an intense situation, alone with someone for so many years, it can sometimes feel suffocating, so we decided to take a break and see if we wanted to just be platonic soulmates. It sounds dumb, I know, but at the time, it seemed like a stellar idea.

I met a girl in town a month or so after we decided we needed distance, and I liked her. We dated, but it wasn't the same. I thought that I fell in love with her, and maybe I did in the way it works in a normal relationship, but one day when I saw her coincidentally next to Rumi, I had all of the clarity in the world.

All I could see was my soulmate. I was in a relationship with the other girl, but Harumi was the one who took all my attention, who made my heart race in a crazy frenzy. She was the only one who could make me laugh until my ribs hurt or could make me feel like I was in heaven. Only Rumi could truly light me up.

So to answer your question, yes and no? I'm not really sure, but if I did love someone else, the love I share with Rumi is on a completely different level," he lets out a little laugh. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," I shrug. Lloyd is one of Jay's best friends, and talking about that type of thing with him would be awkward.

"People don't ask that type of question without a reason," he shoots me an accusatory - yet playful - glance. "So what's the deal? You had another lover, but then you met your soulmate?"

I cross my arms. "I'm not talking about this."

He lets out a light laugh. "You're just like Kai," he shakes his head. "Which one makes you happier, more special, and supported?"

I don't respond, letting his words marinate in my head. Gently biting my lip, I stare at the path ahead.

"Hurting either of them is going to be a nightmare," my voice is quiet as I look at the entrance to the corridor, trying to distract myself from the gnawing guilt in my chest.

"Not choosing will hurt them even more," Lloyd gives me a small, comforting smile that I can spot out of my periphery. "Also, I don't know if you still have bad blood with Rumi, but don't take her standoffishness personally. She's a very cynical person who has a hard time trusting people, so she keeps everyone at arm's length. I'm sure she'll warm up to you."

"She's very protective of you," I glance over at him to see him chuckle lightly.

"We have been through a lot, after all. Plus, if I had a dollar for the amount of times she called me gullible, I'd be able to buy this entire mountain range from the royal family. It's nice though, knowing that someone will always have my back," he lets out a gentle sigh at the end, but then he straightens up when a man with black and white hair can be seen in the distance next to the woman with scarlet hair who I assume is Skylor.

"Ugh, why is the ground so squishy?" the tan woman next to my brother looks down at the ground before scoffing. "I haven't seen any water around here, no rivers, streams, anything, yet here we are, trudging through mud."

"At least it's not quicksand," the man with wavy black hair shrugs from in front of her.

I look at Lloyd, my heart racing with anticipation as they slowly march through the mess we made for them. He's frozen, staring down at them with wide eyes.

"I...I can't do it," he quietly breathes out, his green eyes clouded with fear. "I can't use my powers on them..." his hands tremble as he tries to control his breathing.

"What?" I ask, panic washing over me as I see the group more farther and farther down the corridor.

"My powers hurt people, Nya. It's fine when I use them to heal, but the last time I used them in combat I..." his face is pulled back as his voice wavers. "I might kill them. I might kill Kai and Skylor, and I can't have any more blood on my hands," he runs a hand back through his hair, shutting his eyes tightly and consciously breathing slowly.

My brain starts firing off idea after idea on how to remedy the situation, but with the unnatural elementals getting closer and closer to the exit, I can't help but let the panic clog up my brain.

"I'll suck out all of the water and hopefully I'll cement them in place long enough for Kai to get out. You can stand at the exit and just hold up a ball of energy that you'll just use to intimidate them long enough so that we can get our friends," I throw out the idea, hoping that he'll be able to do what he did earlier to light up the cave.

After taking a deep breath, Lloyd opens his eyes,"I can do it. Tell me when to hop down."

I quickly pull all moisture to the extremities of the mud before depositing pools of water there, leaving the unnatural elementals temporarily caked into the ground, yet I know that it won't last long.

"What is going on?" their leader struggles to pull his feet up, creating small cracks in my dirt seal that will bust if he continues to strain. He has both Zane and PIXAL on his shoulders, and seeing their limp forms flail around as he moves adds fuel to my fire of rage.

At my cue, Lloyd and I hop down, landing on opposite sides of the corridor. I land on the side where they entered, closest to my brother, while Lloyd lands near their exit, immediately lifting up his hand and conjuring a green, spinning sphere of light. I match him with my own orb of water.

"The master of energy," everyone, even Kai, stares breathlessly at Lloyd as he holds up his elemental creation.

"Give our friends back to us, and we'll let you go," I glare, giving them our offer. Their leader's head then turns to look at me as he tries to jump up out of the mud.

"The master of water, so nice of you to finally join us. You've been evading us for a while," he looks me up and down before staring at the ball of water in my hand. "What made you team up with the Elemental Army's top enemies? That's an interesting choice."

"I'm not here for small talk," I clench my jaw. "I'll restate my offer. If you give us your three hostages, you'll make it out of this mountain range alive."

"Even if he is the elemental master of energy, the odds are in our favor. Don't you have a better offer?" the girl who is guarding Kai chimes in, and as I examine her, I spot the keychain dangling at her waist within Kai's grip.

"Well, I do believe that the key to getting our friends back is within reach, so I am willing to hear what you all have to offer," I shoot a pointed glance at my brother, trying to signal him to make the move.

The master of magnetism lets out a long sigh, pausing to think, before finally answering, "We will give you back the girl robot just to prevent any collateral damage. As Amara said, the odds are in our favor, so you should honestly be the ones trying to persuade us."

"Do you really want to take on the master of energy?" I raise an eyebrow at them.

"It's a risk we'll have to..." my brother reaches out and snags the keys from Amara's waist, kicking her with his bandaged foot before running over to me and undoing his handcuffs. He immediately sets his hands ablaze.

"Ugh, you weren't even hurt in the first place! You've just been wasting out time" the woman, now free from the mud, starts to storm over to us, her jaw and fists clenched.

"We were trying to make this easy, but your pride just couldn't handle it. Tsk tsk," as soon as I hear the timbre of his voice, I turn around to spot Jay sauntering up behind us, quickly flickering lightning between his fingers as he does so. I try to hide the panic from my eyes as he uses his powers considering he was lying practically motionless on the floor just a few hours ago. "The master of earth is positioned right up on that cliff right there waiting for our signal to send a boulder crashing down if you all decide to try to take us on." I catch his bluff, but I can't tell if the unnatural elementals do as well.

"We still have your friends," the master of magnetism grips tightly onto both PIXAL and Zane.

I shake my head as if his statement was one of the most foolish things he could have possibly said, letting out a quick, snarky laugh and playing into Jay's game. "They're robots, a few dents won't hurt them, and besides, we have all of their memories backed up, so even if something gets damaged, it won't be a problem."

The unnatural elementals all uneasily glance around at each other. Their bodies are tense, and from how their eyes are darting around, it's clear that they are panicking.

"Fine, you have a deal. You can get your two robot friends back, and then you will let us go," the master of magnetism lifts up his hands before slowly picking up Zane and PIXAL. The two float in the air, slowly moving until they're suddenly dropped beside us.

Once Kai and Jay step in front of them, I give Lloyd a thumbs up, so he moves out of the way. However, he keeps his glistening green ball in his hand to make sure they don't try anything. I slowly send the moisture back to the dirt, and once the unnatural elementals are finally free, they hang their heads in shame, all of them except Skylor. She keeps her head up high, looking at the three of us standing over here with scorn laced curiosity.

"Leave before we regret this," I stare right at their leader as I order this, and their whole team quickly flees the area, nearly running as they exit the corridor and rush down the mountain.

As the adrenaline wears off, my nerves still run high. My heart feels like it's about to beat out of my chest. I lean back against the rocky wall and close my eyes in an attempt to recenter myself.

My eyes open when I hear my brother's voice, "Lloyd...how..." Kai's eyes water as he looks at his teammate for the first time in forever. He's frozen in his spot, gaze glued onto Lloyd.

Lloyd walks up to him wordlessly before embracing him in a tight hug. He closes his eyes, but from the way he is sniffling, he's clearly holding back tears. "Hi, Kai. It's been a while."

After a few seconds, Kai pushes him back, so he can look at Lloyd's face. "You're all grown up now. I... I never should have left you that day. You were all alone for so many years, and it was all because of me. Plus, it all was for nothing cause clearly Skylor isn't on our side. I'm so, so sorry." A tear slowly falls from my brother's eyes, the words he's been waiting to tell Lloyd finally spilling out.

"You made the right choice. I never resented you for a second, and besides, I was never alone," Lloyd smiles as he looks at Kai.

"What do you..."

"Jay, I can't believe you made me hide in a bush. You're unbelievable," Harumi's arms are crossed as she walks down to meet us. Jay just shrugs in response.

Kai's jaw drops when he sees the platinum blonde in front of him. "Rumi?"

"Wow, you look exactly the same as I remember you," Rumi's face lights up as she sees Kai with Lloyd, instantly rushing over to wrap her arms around him.

"I was never alone, Kai. You can stop worrying about me," Lloyd's soft grin eases the pain my brother has felt for years for abandoning him. Letting out a sigh, Kai opens his arms further, and Lloyd walks into them, joining the group hug.

I decide to give them privacy and look over at Jay, elbowing him in the side. "What the heck! What were you thinking hopping in like that?"

"Ouch," he rubs his oblique, jutting out his lip in a pout. "I could tell they were one nudge from breaking. I didn't think for a second that I would actually be fighting."

"It was irresponsible considering the condition you're in. What if that little flicker you did with your fingers burnt you out and you collapsed?" I cross my arms.

"Awww, were you worried about me?" Jay pokes my cheek, closing one of his eyes as he does so, the anger dissipates out of my body so that I'm only left with mild frustration.

"I was worried that you would jeopardize the mission, that's all."

"Uh huh," he sees right through me, giving me a little poke on my shoulder right where my tattoo is. My skin flares up even though my shirt, and I feel my face heat up. "Oh yeah, I was wondering, why didn't you want to just defeat them here? We might not get such a small group isolated again."

"Well, while they were walking down the mountain, I may have heard that they hijacked one of your ships, and knowing you, I knew that you put a tracker on everything you make, so, assuming that they'll head back to a location of importance..."

"Wow, your mind is something else," the corners of mouth are pulled upwards as he looks at me, his eyes sparkling. "They definitely used the trackers to follow us here, though," he facepalms as the realization hits him.

"Oh yeah, as soon as we get back to the ship, that tracker is being turned off."

A/N: WOW look who finally decided to post...haha I suck I'm so sorry

Life update (not that y'all care) college has been making me kind of busy, so apologies for no updates. I have been going to the gym a decent amount tho so I'm gonna be a buff writer😤.  I'll try to get back to it so that you guys will actually be able to remember what happened in the last chapter when I post.

Thoughts on the chapter?

So sorry for the wait! See y'all at the next update