BOOM!

The collision of fire and ice shook the entire chamber. A massive explosion of steam erupted as the crimson fireball hammered against the sapphire plates of barrier Soren barely managed to form.

Whoosh!

White fog hissed outward, instantly swallowing the corridor.

Soren planted his feet, his boots carving deep grooves into the frost-slicked stone. The impact vibrated through his bones. The heat was suffocating, yet the barrier held firm, refracting the lethal energy away from the girl.

As the explosion subsided, Soren stood amidst the swirling mist. His armor was singed a little, and blood trickled from his nose from the sheer pressure of the blast. However, his eyes remained fixed on his target.

"I told you," Soren hissed, his voice a low and lethal rasp. "I’m going to do my job."

"I-Im-Imposibble!" Garin stood frozen. He stared at the steam-filled crater with wide and trembling eyes.

Soren lunged while the boy was still reeling from the failure of his attack.

He moved through the fog like a phantom, closing the gap before the red-haired boy could recover. The spear shaft whipped around in a blur. Soren drove the butt of the weapon into Garin’s stomach with controlled weight.

CRACK.

The red barrier flared once and shattered into glowing shards.

"Gah!" Garin gasped, his eyes bulging as the air left his lungs in a single wheeze.

Soren pivoted instantly. Using the momentum of the first strike, he delivered a high kick that caught Garin squarely on the temple.

The boy’s head snapped to the side. His body went limp mid-air, spinning twice before slamming into the stone wall beside the Golden Gate with a sickening thud. He slumped to the ground in a heap and didn’t move.

Silence returned to the chamber.

Only the faint crackle of dying embers and Soren’s ragged breathing broke the oppressive quiet.

Soren stood over the fallen teenager, his chest heaving, shoulders trembling from the strain of holding back that much raw power. He swept his gaze across the room, cataloging the damage. Chloe lay where he’d left her, alive but unconscious. Narcus was crumpled against the wall, breathing but out cold due to the collision. Hana and Dia were scattered nearby, equally neutralized.

Then, his gaze drifted to the Golden Gate.

The swirling surface pulsed with a rhythmic, almost hypnotic hum, its light casting long shadows across the frost-covered floor.

Ryan hadn’t come out yet, which meant the boy was likely at the mercy of whatever lies on the other side.

Soren wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. He reached into his inventory and pulled out two glass vials. He uncorked them both and swallowed the contents in quick succession.

The mana potion felt like a surge of cold water flowing through his veins. Combined with his Accelerated Regeneration, the health potion worked rapidly. The singed skin on his shoulders cooled, the stinging pain vanished, and his mana pool stabilized. He felt his strength returning, more than half of his reserves refilling in a matter of seconds. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

He then looked at the unconscious group. Leaving them like this was too risky. If something emerged from the Golden Gate while they were out cold, they were dead. Not to mention, they were still inside a Second Circle Gate.

’Hmm... Alright, let’s take care of this first.’

He pulled a length of sturdy rope from his inventory and moved quickly to Garin’s slumped form. He flipped the boy onto his stomach and bound his wrists tightly behind his back, then looped the rope around his ankles. A simple but effective restraint. Even if Garin woke up, he wouldn’t be casting anything without hand seals or a proper stance.

That done, Soren turned to the others.

He knelt beside Hana first, shaking her shoulder with enough force to rattle her teeth. When she didn’t respond, a sharp slap to the cheek did the trick. Her eyes snapped open with a startled gasp.

"Wha—?!"

"Quiet," Soren commanded, his voice cutting off her panicked breath.

He moved to Narcus next, gripping the tank’s shoulder and hauling him into a sitting position. "Wake up. Now."

"S-supervisor...?" Narcus rasped, his gaze unfocused as he tried to piece together the surroundings.

Soren stood, looking down at them both with eyes like flint. "Listen carefully. You’re taking the others and evacuating immediately. Once you’re out, report everything to the authorities. Do not leave a single detail out."

Hana’s face drained of color. "But... Garin—"

"Is tied up," Soren interrupted. "Drag him if you have to, just move fast."

Narcus hesitated, his gaze drifting from the bound leader to Chloe’s limp form. His jaw tightened, a flicker of his old loyalty warring with his fear. Soren stepped into the boy’s personal space, his shadow looming over him.

"You saw it," Soren said, his voice dropping to a lethal low. "He didn’t hesitate to throw a teammate away just to take a shot at me. If he’s willing to sacrifice her just to hurt me, don’t imagine for a second that your life carries any more weight in his eyes."

The memory of Garin’s manic grin and the roaring fireball hit Narcus like a physical blow. The tank’s fists clenched as the realization of his own expendability finally took hold. He gritted his teeth and gave a sharp, heavy nod.

"U-Understood."

"Good. Now leave."

"W-What about you?" Hana asked, her voice trembling.

Soren didn’t look back. He turned toward the Golden Gate, the shimmering light reflecting in his dark pupils.

"I’m going to save the kid."

Hana bit her lip, her gaze lingering on Soren’s back. She hesitated, looking at her bound leader and then at the supervisor who had every reason to leave them to their fate. "I... I’m sorry," she whispered, her voice cracking. "For everything. And thank you... for sparing us. For saving us."

Soren didn’t offer a reply. He remained as still as a statue, his silhouette framed by the radiant gold. Whether he accepted the apology or simply found it irrelevant, he didn’t show it.

Hana gave a small, solemn nod, acknowledging his silence, before turning to help Narcus with the others.

Narcus hoisted Chloe over his shoulder, and Hana helped a dazed Dia to her feet. They began the slow, grim trek back toward the corridor, dragging Garin’s bound body behind them like a sack of potatoes.

Soren watched them go until their figures disappeared into the dim passageway.

Then he turned back to the gate.

The golden light pulsed, waiting.

Soren took a deep breath, adjusted his grip on his spear, and stepped forward.

The light swallowed him whole.