"Do you feel that?" he whispers, his voice barely audible.

Before I can answer, a dark figure steps out from the shadows ahead of us. The Specter.

He's taller than I remembered, his presence suffocating as he looms in the dim light. The eerie grin plastered across his face makes my skin crawl. His eyes glint with a malicious kind of amusement, as though he's been waiting for this moment. The kindred flame in me flickers, but I can't sense anything from him—no flame, no power, nothing. It's as if he's a void, a black hole that swallows all light.

"Well, well," the Specter's voice slithers through the air, smooth and cold. "Look who's decided to take a little stroll. I was wondering when you'd try to escape." He moves forward, slow, deliberate, and I instinctively step back, my grip tightening around Soren.

"Leave us alone," I grit my teeth.

The Specter tilts his head, his smile widening. "Oh, you think you have a choice? You've been fun to play with, Rain, but it's time to come back to your cage." His eyes flicker to Soren, and his smile fades slightly. "And you—well, you're barely hanging on. I doubt you'll even make it to the door. We can't have you dying on us...for Rain's sake." He feigns sadness with a little bit of annoyance.

As the Specter steps closer, the tension between us crackles in the air like electricity. But there's something in Soren's expression that's different now—his jaw clenches, his eyes narrowing in recognition. I feel the unnerving hum of his presence—his flame. It's always felt wrong to me, like a shadow flickering on the edges of a fire. I didn't understand why before, but now, standing here beside Soren, I see the truth in his expression.

"Elias, she's not a part of this." Soren gathers strength and steps in front of me.

The Specter—Elias—grins, his sharp, predatory gaze flickering between us. "You never told her about me, Soren? How disappointing. I would've thought after all these years, you'd be more forthcoming with your little partner."

The way he says it sends a chill down my spine. There's a familiarity in his voice, the kind you only hear between those who share a history—one soaked in blood and betrayal.

"I never wanted her to know you existed," Soren says, voice tight with anger. "You're a stain on everything we stood for."

Soren shakes his head, the memory of their betrayal cutting deep. "You've twisted the flame inside you, Elias. It's broken, unstable. You're living off the stolen flames of others because yours was never meant for this."

The Specter chuckles, a low and sinister sound that crawls under my skin. "Still holding onto that pathetic moral high ground, I see. Tell me, Soren, how does it feel, knowing I've been watching you this entire time? Torturing you? Making you suffer like you did to me?"

I glance at Soren, the scars, the burns, the raw wounds that refuse to heal. They've been using the same blue liquid on him, preventing his Kindred healing from working. The Specter has been pulling the strings, manipulating the experiments. I feel a surge of rage boil inside me, but I swallow it down.

"You've always been delusional," Soren says, his voice cold. "This isn't about what we did to you. You brought this on yourself, Elias. You betrayed the Enforcers. You killed our own."

Elias's smile fades, replaced by something darker, more vicious. "I didn't betray anyone, Soren. I liberated us. We're superior, and you know it. We could've ruled—should've ruled. But you and the others clung to that ridiculous ideal of balance, of peace. You left me for dead because you were too afraid of what we could become."

I can feel the intensity of Soren's emotions through our bond—anger, guilt, and something deeper, more painful. "You were too dangerous to be left alive."

"And yet here I am," Elias spits back, his voice low and deadly. "I survived, Soren. And now, I'm stronger than ever."

Elias's smile returns, but this time, it's colder, darker. "I've survived because I've embraced what the flame can truly be. Your precious Enforcers left me to rot, but I learned to feed on their power. I've consumed more flames than you can imagine. I've recovered some of those memories, Soren. I may not know all the secrets yet, but I'll tear them from your mind before I'm done."

I glance between them, trying to piece together the history, the depth of their conflict. Soren had erased Elias's memories before, to protect the identities and secrets of the Enforcers. But Elias managed to claw back some of what was lost, fueled by his insatiable hunger for power. I recall the ancient trial and flame he mentioned before becoming the Enforcer. They must have taken his flames and powers back. Yet, Elias was still alive.

That's why his flame feels so unnatural. He's been feeding on others—stealing the flames of other Kindreds, twisting them into something grotesque. I wasn't able to sense it until now.

"You've been torturing him," I say, finally breaking my silence. My voice feels stronger than I expected, laced with fury. "You've been breaking him, trying to get him to give up the others." Elias turns his gaze on me, his smile returning.

"Ding-ding. You're correct. I've been enjoying my time with Soren. Watching him squirm, pushing him to his limits. But he's surprisingly resilient. Must be his love for you that's kept him going." His eyes widen in a crazed manner. I recoil at his peculiar expression, wondering if the flame tampering has caused him to go insane.

"You won't break him," I say, stepping forward, my voice steady.

Elias's eyes narrow. "We'll see about that."

Soren straightens beside me, and through our bond, I can feel him reaching for his strength too, though he's weak, drained from weeks of torment. "I don't care what you think you've become, Elias. This ends here."

The Specter smiles again, his confidence radiating off him like heat. "Oh, it's far from over. You two aren't going anywhere. You're perfect, in fact. There's no use in trying to escape."

As he speaks, I focus inward, drawing on the flames inside me—theirs, mine, all of it. I've been slowly siphoning power from the Kindreds around us, building it up in secret. And now, with Soren by my side, I know what I need to do.

"We're leaving, Elias," I say, my voice strong and sure. "And we're going to burn this place to the ground."

For a moment, I see a flicker of doubt cross his face. Just a moment.

A chill runs down my spine as I watch the exchange, realizing the depth of their connection—and how dangerous Elias truly is. He doesn't just want power. He wants revenge. And Soren is at the center of that vendetta.

"So, this is personal," I murmur, more to myself than to them. But Soren hears me, glancing at me with a grim expression.

Elias chuckles darkly, his eyes locking onto me now. "Oh, it's very personal, Rain. Soren took everything from me—my purpose, my power, and my memories. And now, I'm going to take everything from him."

I can feel Soren's emotions swirling, his guilt, his anger, and something deeper—a protectiveness that flares when Elias looks at me.

"We won't let you," I say, my voice steady despite the knot tightening in my stomach. I can feel the kindred flame inside me stir, responding to the growing tension.

Elias smiles that eerie smile again. "Oh, you'll try. But I've waited too long for this moment, Rain...you know, you have my thanks. Thanks to you, Rain, I've perfected what was once broken in me. Your flame stabilized mine. Without you, I'd still be a shadow of myself—unstable, erratic. But now... I can take what I want. I can steal what's yours." His crazed eyes focus on me.

I feel my stomach drop as the air around us shifts. A heavy, oppressive energy envelops me, almost like a weight pressing down on my chest.

"What are you doing?" I demand, instinctively trying to summon the Kindred flame within me, but it flickers weakly, as if drowning in a sea of darkness.

Elias sneers, his voice dripping with arrogance. "You should feel honored. I can suppress your flames."

Soren's expression hardens, his muscles tensing as he steps in front of me. "You won't get away with this, Elias. I won't let you hurt her."

Elias chuckles, taking a step forward. "You think you can protect her? You're nothing but a remnant of a bygone era, Soren. I've evolved. I can take your flames, your power, and her will. Together, we'll bring down the Enforcers. You'll see."

With a swift motion, Elias raises his hand, and I feel the full force of his ability wash over me. The flames within me sputter, like a candle flickering in a storm. Soren stagger beside me, the strength of his healing abilities faltering as Elias siphon the energy from him, too.

"No!" I shout, rage boiling inside me as I fight against the suffocating darkness he cast around us. I have to break free. I focus on Soren's presence, the connection we forged, hoping to reignite the flame within me.

But Elias is relentless. He unleashes a wave of energy, sending us both crashing against the wall.

Soren grunts, pushing himself up with a grimace. "Rain, focus! Use the connection we have. Don't let him take what's yours!"

Taking a deep breath, I reach out for the warmth of Soren's flame in my mind. I can sense his determination even through the haze of Elias's power. I need to amplify it, to break free from his control. My heartbeat quicken, the adrenaline surging through me as I concentrate.

Drawing from Soren's strength, I force my flame to respond. It is like coaxing a wild horse to come home, and slowly, I feel the flicker grow brighter. I channel my energy, the flames erupting around me in a dazzling blaze.

Elias falters for a moment, surprise flashing across his face as my flames ignite with renewed vigor. "How?" he shout, trying to suppress the flames again, but this time, I counter with all the energy I could muster.

I channel all my power into a massive burst of flame directed at Elias. The explosion sends him sprawling back, his nullification ability collapsing under the force of my flames.

As Elias struggles to rise, his eyes fills with fury, I know we have the upper hand. He tries to activate his flame but coughs up his blood. I can tell using his powers takes a deep toll on his body. His pale face and haggard breathing betrays himself. He takes out a vial of the blue flame--my flame-- and injects it into his arm.

He smirks, "You have no way out. You're never going to be able to leave." He tries to mask his pain but I can tell he is barely holding himself together. As we watch the flame injects into his flame, it seems to revitalize him. His eyes roll slightly and expression flickers to a sense of euphoria. I shudder as it almost looks like a drug.

He throws the empty vial to the side and dusts himself off. "Now, where were we?"