Matthew and Toni had spent hours battling youmas and monsters from every direction in Isadora, pushing their way to the eastern borders and beyond. With the barrier down, there was still so much left to explore and understand. This relentless need to release Matthew's pent-up frustrations brought them to a small, desolate coastal town's outskirts.

As they touched down amid the wreckage, the ground beneath them trembled. Without warning, a sudden and violent impact hurled both men to the sand, the force of it sending shockwaves through their bodies. Disoriented and shaken by the unexpected assault, they scrambled to regain their footing, the weight of danger settling in almost instantly.

From the debris, a pack of tiger-cross dogs emerged, their hulking forms moving with predatory grace. Their eyes gleamed with malice, muscles rippling beneath striped fur as they circled, closing in on Matthew and Toni with deadly precision. Each snarl, each snap of their jaws echoed through the wreckage, the promise of violence hanging in the air like a storm about to break.

These creatures were a nightmare of nature and magic combined. Their sleek, muscular bodies were covered in a patchwork of dark, bristly fur and jagged scars, giving them an almost skeletal appearance. The tiger-cross dogs had the fierce eyes of predators, glowing with an eerie luminescence that reflected the remnants of the town's fires. Their growls were a guttural symphony of rage, punctuated by the snapping of teeth and the swish of powerful, striped tails.

The animals attacked with a ferocity that spoke of hunger and desperation, their claws tearing at the sand and their fangs glinting dangerously in the dim light. Toni, struggling to maintain his balance on the shifting terrain, found himself grappling with one of the beasts as it lunged at him.

Amidst a rush of air and the cacophony of thumps, cracks, and crashes echoing around them, Toni discarded any pretense of restraint. "Motherfucker!" he swore, wincing as his tongue brushed against a tiny cut on the inside of his lip. In the chaos, there was no time for elaborate strategies; a swift, brutal response was all that mattered.

"It's like she's determined to throw herself into the thick of this mess, and then get herself killed. Does she think that's acceptable?" Matthew barked, his frustration palpable.

"Mate," Toni said, cleaving through one of the tiger-cross dogs, "this is something you two need to sort out. I don't have the answers—"

"And then what? Show the rest of the worlds that we're warriors?" Matthew roared, thrusting his sword into another beast that lunged at them, blood splattering over his uniform.

Toni dispatched a behemoth of an animal, its body collapsing in a heap on the ground before him. He turned to his best friend, who was still glaring at him, clearly searching for some sort of divine insight to calm his fury.

"Okay," Toni exhaled, "I agree, that was a moronic suggestion. Richie's not helping with his constant antagonizing, but he, Mya, and Jesse are on the same page."

"They all want to get themselves killed," Matthew said, shaking his head at Toni. "Then their idiotic leader will probably get them all killed, and us with them! She's never been smart about controlling her fucking impulsive, emotional decisions!"

"So, talk to your future fiancée about her poor life decisions," Toni retorted, "While you're at it, give Jesse the same pep talk, yeah?"

Matthew leveled him with a deadpan stare. "At the rate she's going, she won't even make it to New Year for me to propose. And Jesse? She's your problem, not mine. Do you really think talking to her about her 'poor life decisions' is gonna help?" His tone dripped with mockery, the frustration clear. "Why do you think I'm talking to you?" He waved his sword dismissively. "Clearly, I'm drawn to the idiot, suicidal female population around here!"

"Then what do you want to do? She's not going to back down from this idea," Toni said, shaking his head.

"I need to drill it out of her," Matthew said with determination, but his statement was met with an incredulous grin from Toni, who then burst into laughter.

"What?" Matthew snapped, his patience wearing even thinner.

"You're going to drill that out of Eko? Mate, the one thing I know about both of you is your arrogance and stubbornness."

Matthew exhaled heavily, clearly at a loss. "So what do I do?"

"Just... talk to her. Calmly," Toni advised, his tone serious. "Try explaining things instead of barking orders like you do with your soldiers. Explain why you made this decision and why you think the worlds will come after us if we reveal who we are."

"I have!" Matthew growled, his frustration palpable.

"You've barked orders at her," Toni scoffed, driving one of the creatures into the ground, blood splattering before them. "You think if she spoke to you like that, you'd handle it any better?"

A second wave of relentless youmas continued their assault, their roars mingling with the clashing of weapons and the crackling of powers. "Have you ever thought that she fucking scares me with her obsession? With this constant need to strike fear?"

At that moment, a youma lunged at Matthew, claws slashing for his head. He reacted with speed and precision, dodging the attack. He raised his palm and unleashed his powers, disintegrating the creature before it could turn back to attack him.

"We're heading headfirst into this war whether we want to or not, and we need to be fucking smart!" Matthew snapped. His confession resonated with the weight of their cause, and Toni allowed him to continue his rant.

The monsters were falling one after another, vanquished by the swift and deadly strikes of the warriors. With the ground littered with the remains of the dead, Matthew surveyed the battlefield. His attention was momentarily drawn to a formidable presence in the skies.

"What the fuck, Toni?" Matthew exclaimed, causing Toni to look up.

The two men watched as a colossal, winged beast resembling a dragon soared overhead. Its scales shimmered with a sinister, metallic sheen, reminiscent of darkened steel. The dragon's massive wings cast an ominous shadow over the battlefield, eclipsing the afternoon sun. Its eyes glowed with a chilling, malevolent crimson, and black smoke billowed from its nostrils, writhing as if it had a life of its own. The dragon's body was adorned with spikes and jagged protrusions, making it a formidable sight.

As the dragon's imposing figure loomed overhead, several Allegiant ships followed in its wake, their engines roaring and vibrating the world around them. Matthew's attention snapped back to the immediate threat on the ground, but his vision swayed, forcing him to blink rapidly to clear the haze. Beside him, Toni had already turned away, fully engaged with another enemy.

A chilling laugh sliced through the chaos, freezing Matthew in his tracks. He spun around, alarm flaring in his chest. Amidst the wreckage and the furious clamor of battle, there stood Xero—his face contorted in a twisted, mocking grin.

"Oh you motherfucker," Matthew growled, instinctively stepping back, eyes locking onto the grotesque creature. Xero's tail, sleek and predatory like a stalking cat's, swayed menacingly behind him, poised to strike at any moment.

"Hello, boy," Xero drawled, his voice dripping with venomous disdain. His piercing eyes gleamed as he stared down Matthew, the smirk on his lips widening with cruel amusement. "Long time no see." The deliberate mockery in his raised eyebrow only added fuel to the fire, daring Matthew to react.

"Come back for more scars, Xero?" Matthew taunted, his grip tightening around his sword. His eyes burned with determination as he prepared for the inevitable clash. "This time, I swear, I'm going to shove my fucking sword through your throat." He cautiously stepped back, creating a safe distance, readying himself for whatever twisted game Xero had in mind.

Xero's laugh grated against Matthew's nerves, a cold, derisive sound that echoed in the chaos around them. He stepped closer, his voice a blend of mockery and menace. "Boy, I'm not here for scars today. I'm here to test a theory." His tone was laced with taunting amusement, every word designed to unnerve.

Matthew's gaze sharpened, his muscles coiled as he asked, "What theory is that?" He tracked Xero's every movement, wary, as the man extended his hand, revealing a strange, unfamiliar device strapped to his palm.

Matthew tensed, his heartbeat thrumming in his ears. Whatever that device was, it couldn't be good.

"This," Xero said, his eyes gleaming with malevolent delight, "will be far more effective than poison." The wicked smirk curling his lips sent a surge of fury through Matthew. He wasn't going to let Xero walk away from this fight—not this time.

"This..." Xero's voice dropped to a low, taunting drawl as he leaned in closer, his smirk widening. "The Sorcerer told me this would hurt you." His eyes gleamed with cruel amusement. "After all, you don't do well with electromagnetic pulses, do you?"

Matthew's hand trembled ever so slightly, betraying the nerves he fought to suppress. He took a cautious step back, struggling to maintain a façade of calm. "Oh, fuck off," he snapped, his voice edged with forced bravado, masking the rising panic clawing at him.

Xero's smile twisted into something darker, more sinister. "Ah, yes. I know all about that little device in your heart," he said, his words dripping with malicious delight. His finger hovered over the button on his own device, and as he pressed it, Matthew's eyes widened in sudden, raw horror. A low-frequency hum filled the air.

"What I would've done to you had I known about this sooner," Xero mused with sadistic pleasure.

Matthew had meant to move—to create distance—but the pulse hit him like a sledgehammer to the chest. A crushing, excruciating pressure gripped his heart, and he gasped, his hand instinctively clutching at his chest as if that could somehow shield him from the pain. His breaths came in ragged, strained bursts, his vision blurring as agony flooded his senses.

Xero continued with chilling authority, his voice a slow drip of venom. "This device," he said, watching Matthew's torment with sadistic satisfaction, "is designed to stop your heart and destroy that precious little trinket keeping you alive. The pulse is strong enough that I can make it explode, if I want to."

Matthew's knees buckled slightly, his body screaming in protest, but he fought to stay upright.

"But why bother with subtlety," Xero added, his smile broadening as he reveled in Matthew's suffering, "when I can cause such direct, agonizing pain?"

Matthew gasped for air, each breath coming in jagged, tortured bursts as his body convulsed violently under the relentless onslaught of Xero's device. The pulse surged through him, a brutal torrent of torment that amplified the agony in his chest, like fire tearing through his veins. His vision blurred, and the world around him spun in a disorienting whirl of chaos—indistinct sounds clashing with blinding light.

The cacophony of monsters and battle blurred into an unrecognizable drone, but Toni's desperate screams cut through the noise, sharp and clear. Each cry drove another spike of pain into Matthew's senses, as if the sound itself intensified the nightmarish carousel spinning wildly out of control, robbing him of any semblance of balance or focus.

An agonized scream ripped from his throat as the pulse hammered against his heart with merciless precision. His knees buckled, forcing him to double over, his body wracked with convulsions. Every muscle in his body seized under the relentless pressure, a searing pain tearing through him, unyielding and vicious.

"I've always wondered what this would feel like," Xero sneered, his voice thick with maniacal glee, echoing across the desolate battlefield. The pulse intensified, crashing harder against Matthew's chest. He cried out, the sound raw and primal, before his legs gave way entirely. He collapsed, his knees slamming into the gritty sand.

"That's right. On your knees, boy," Xero taunted, watching with twisted satisfaction as Matthew's body succumbed to the agony.

The world for Matthew continued distorting into a storm of anguish. Each pulse a dagger twisting inside him, shredding his senses until it felt like the very air was tearing apart under the weight of the pain. His scream, desperate and guttural, echoed through the battlefield as his forehead crashed into the ground.

"God!" Matthew's voice broke into a hoarse, desperate wail, his hands clawing frantically at the sand beneath him. His fingers dug deep, grasping at anything to ground himself, to find even a fleeting escape from the relentless agony ripping through his body. Then each pulse was now a hammer blow, smashing his nerves, splintering him from the inside out.

The sand slipped through his trembling fingers, offering no sanctuary, no relief. His chest heaved violently, breath ragged and shallow as the searing agony devoured him from within. His muscles spasmed uncontrollably, the bones in his chest threatening to crack under the unyielding pressure. It felt as if his entire body was coming apart.

Xero moved closer, the crunch of his boots against the sand a sinister echo in the stillness. Without warning, he rammed his boot hard into Matthew's side, the force sending Matthew sprawling onto his back. A strangled gasp tore from Matthew's throat as he hit the ground, the impact jolting through his already tormented body. He lay there, staring up at the sky, the swirling chaos of battle a blur overhead, his breath coming in ragged, shallow bursts.

Xero stood above him for a moment, savoring the sight of Matthew in agony, his twisted smirk deepening. Then, with casual cruelty, he lowered himself down, one knee pressing into the sand beside Matthew's convulsing form.

Leaning in closer, Xero held the device menacingly above Matthew, mere inches from his chest, the malevolent hum of its pulse growing louder, more dangerous. "Take a breath, boy," Xero sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "Because this is going to really fucking hurt. Not that you don't deserve every agonizing second of it."

Without warning, the device emitted a savage jolt, and Matthew's world exploded with pain. The crushing pressure clamped down on his heart as if it were being squeezed in a vice, sending fresh waves of agony tearing through him. His muscles spasmed violently as his vision blurred, the skies above melting into a swirl of light and darkness, then shattering like fragile glass, its colors dissolving into a swirling maelstrom of chaos. It was as if the very essence of his being was being torn apart, consumed by the blinding whiteness that overwhelmed his senses.

As Xero knelt there, eyes gleaming with sadistic glee, he thought he could hear Toni's frantic screams, sharp and desperate, cutting through the air like jagged shards of glass.

"Come on," Xero laughed, his voice dripping with sadistic delight. "Scream for me!" With one final, gut-wrenching pulse, the device unleashed its full force.

Matthew's body seized violently, then went still. His breath came in ragged, shallow bursts, and his wide, unfocused eyes stared blankly at the sky above. Coarse grains of sand clung to his sweat-drenched skin, grounding him in this hellish reality as he blinked slowly through the haze of pain.

His vision wavered, the world distorted by the blinding sun beating down from above. Through the oppressive glare, Eko's face appeared above him, bathed in a soft, ethereal light. Her golden hair shimmered, glowing with an almost otherworldly brilliance. The gentle radiance surrounding her contrasted starkly with the chaos raging all around, and for a fleeting moment, Matthew wondered if this was some sort of hallucination conjured by his failing mind as his ICD sputtered on the verge of collapse.

Shit, was this heaven?

Eko with her blonde locks, now gleaming with a warmth that seemed to chase away the shadows, framed her face in a way that left Matthew breathless. The shift from brunette to blonde seemed to add a new depth to her beauty—one that he had never fully grasped until this moment. Her warm smile hovered above him, jarring and yet a soothing balm amidst the storm of agony that wracked his body. It was as if she were a beacon, guiding him to the brink of oblivion, wanting him to follow her into abyss.

Then, with that radiant, almost ethereal smile, she seemed untouchable to him—like a divine force that grounded him in the reality he so desperately clung to. In that moment, everything else dissolved—the pain, the war, the brutal clash of survival—and all that remained was her. She was the center of his universe, a beacon of light against the encroaching darkness, and he latched onto her presence like a lifeline, tethering himself to the only thing keeping him from slipping away into nothingness.

As the world around him dimmed and the relentless pain ebbed into an overwhelming exhaustion, his senses dulled, the edges of his awareness fraying as the darkness closed in, suffocating everything.

Somewhere, on the distant edges of his consciousness, he heard a voice screaming—Toni's, perhaps—but it was faint, slipping further and further from his grasp until it vanished altogether.

And then... nothing.

***** ****

Xero rose from the ground, his gaze locked onto the boy who had been the catalyst for years of chaos and anguish. The moment had finally come, and just as he was about to make his move, a familiar voice cut through his thoughts like a blade.

"Matthew! Talk to me!" Toni's voice was raw with fury, his rage palpable as he drove a dagger into the neck of a grotesque, woolly zombie-like creature. Thick, black blood gurgled from the wound as the creature collapsed in a twisted heap, but Toni didn't pause for even a breath.

"Matthew!?" Battered and bloodied, sweat glistening on Toni's skin, he gasped for air as he advanced on Xero, eyes blazing with desperation and wrath."You fucking bastard, what did you do?!"

Xero stepped forward, a cruel smile tugging at the corners of his lips, his eyes gleaming with malicious delight. He raised his hand in a mocking gesture, fingers curling as if beckoning Toni forward. "Come on then," he sneered, his voice dripping with condescension and dark amusement. "Let's see what you've got. Show me how well you can survive against me."

Fueled by raw, unrelenting rage, Toni lunged with a fierce roar, his dagger slicing through the air with deadly precision. Every muscle in his body coiled with purpose, aiming to strike true. But Xero moved like a shadow—fluid, effortless, and impossible to catch. His unnatural grace turned Toni's attack into nothing more than a wasted effort, sidestepping with eerie ease as if he had foreseen every move.

Xero's expression didn't even shift; it was as though he was barely exerting himself. With seamless precision, Xero's hand shot forward, fingers striking the vulnerable hollow of Toni's throat. The impact was brutal, robbing Toni of breath in an instant. The world seemed to tilt as he staggered back, gasping, his chest seizing in pain. The dagger slipped from his grasp, useless, clattering to the ground as the fight drained out of him momentarily.

Xero's predator's smile deepened, and before Toni could even attempt to regain his footing, Xero was on him in a blur of ruthless motion.

With one swift, brutal twist, Xero seized Toni's arm, wrenching it behind his back with such force that the sickening crack of bone echoed through the air. The sharp, visceral sound of the break was followed by a primal scream of agony that ripped from Toni's throat—raw and unrestrained, the embodiment of the torment surging through him. Xero wasn't here to toy with him; he was here to break him.

Toni's growl of pain turned feral, a desperate sound that hinted at the fury still burning within him. But it was abruptly silenced as Xero's hand clamped around his throat with savage force. With terrifying strength, Xero lifted Toni off the ground as if he weighed nothing, then slammed him into the earth with bone-crushing impact. Shockwaves radiated through Toni's already battered body, the ground beneath him seeming to shudder under the force.

Winded and disoriented, Toni's thoughts scrambled as he struggled to pull himself together, but the relentless, throbbing pain from his shattered wrist kept him anchored in agony, his body betraying him as he tried to breathe, to think, to fight.

"Come on, Toni," Xero taunted, his voice dripping with venomous amusement. "You can do better than this."

Without warning, Xero delivered a brutal kick to Toni's ribs, the force of it vicious and unyielding, sending him tumbling onto his stomach. A sharp cry of pain escaped Toni's lips as he instinctively curled into a protective ball, gasping for breath as the agony rippled through his chest, each inhale a struggle. But Xero was relentless, his sadism unquenched.

Xero drove his knee into Toni's back, pinning him down with merciless pressure. The weight felt suffocating, a crushing force that intensified with every desperate movement Toni made. Each wriggle, each attempt to escape, only caused Xero's weight to press deeper.

Leaning in close, Xero's breath was hot against Toni's ear, his voice a low, dark whisper that dripped with contempt. "You're pathetic," he sneered, his tone sharp as a blade. "I thought you'd at least put up a decent fight."

Determined not to be defeated, Toni gritted his teeth, forcing his mind to cut through the haze of pain. Agony rippled through him, but he focused everything he had into his semi-free palm. Slowly, an unstable, flickering energy ball crackled to life in his hand. With a surge of desperation and willpower, Toni hurled it upward, a final bid for survival.

The blast hit Xero squarely, knocking him back a few paces. Though the force wasn't enough to bring Xero down, it staggered him just enough for Toni to seize the fleeting chance. Ignoring the screaming pain in his body, Toni scrambled to his feet, adrenaline pushing him forward.

With every ounce of strength he had left, Toni charged at Xero, his fury giving him speed. But Xero was faster—always faster. In a blink, Xero's arm lashed out, his fist connecting with brutal precision to Toni's temple. The blow sent Toni crashing to the ground, his body folding under the impact. Blood sprayed from his mouth, splattering across the dirt as his vision fractured into a disorienting blur of white noise.

Pain detonated from his broken wrist, radiating like wildfire across his entire body. Every nerve screamed in torment, drowning his senses in a sea of agony.

Before Toni could even register what had happened, Xero was on him again, his iron grip clamping around Toni's throat with terrifying strength. Toni's breath hitched, his hands clawing desperately at Xero's vice-like hold, but it was no use.

With a flick of his wrist, a gleaming golden dagger appeared in Xero's hand—its polished surface glinting like death itself. The blade hovered ominously in the air between them for only a moment, and before Toni could react, Xero drove it into his stomach with brutal precision. The cold metal tore through flesh with a sickening crunch, the impact resonating through Toni's body. His breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening in shock as the pain ripped through him, searing and relentless.

Toni's gaze locked onto Xero's, disbelief and agony etched deep into his features. His breath faltered, the air rushing from his lungs as the brutal violence settled in his mind like a dark storm. Xero's merciless eyes bore into him, the corners of his lips curling into a vicious smirk, a predator reveling in his prey's helplessness.

"You and Matthew..." Xero sneered, his voice low and dripping with malice, "are nothing but fucking locusts." He savored the destruction he had wrought, the chaos swirling around them.

What Toni never expected was the sickening twist of the dagger still embedded in his gut. Xero's cruel hand gripped the hilt, and with a sadistic sneer, he twisted the blade deeper, wrenching it inside Toni's flesh. A howl of agony tore from Toni's throat, his body convulsing in raw, visceral pain. Xero leered closer, his face mere inches from Toni's, the cold cruelty in his eyes burning with twisted pleasure.

Grabbing Toni by the collar, Xero yanked him up with ease, forcing him to meet his steely, unrelenting gaze. "Just so you know," Xero hissed, his voice dripping with venom, "that blade's laced with reaper poison."

Toni's eyes widened in horror, the poison already coursing through his veins, dulling his senses as it spread. His heart pounded with the terrifying realization of his fate. Before he could even process the words, Xero's fist shot upward without warning.

A brutal uppercut connected with Toni's jaw, the sickening crack reverberating through the air. The impact snapped Toni's head back violently, sending shockwaves of pain coursing through his body. His vision blurred as the world around him dissolved into a chaotic swirl of darkness. His body crumpled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, barely conscious.

The battlefield around him became a distant haze, fading in and out of focus. Every breath was a struggle, each one shallow and labored as the poison tightened its merciless grip. Toni's strength was ebbing away, slowly drowning in a sea of torment. His vision blurred, the world around him a distorted, pulsing nightmare of pain.

Xero's laughter echoed through the battlefield, louder and more triumphant with each passing second. As Toni lay gasping for breath, Xero's grip on his collar finally released, allowing him to slump back to the ground. But the brief moment of respite was cruelly short-lived.

Before Toni could even register his fleeting freedom, Xero's boot came crashing down with terrifying precision. The brutal force connected with Toni's leg, sending shockwaves of agony tearing through his body. A raw, primal scream erupted from Toni's lips, the sheer force of the impact reverberating through his broken form. Xero's weight pressed down, the pressure intensifying until a sickening crack echoed in the stillness—a horrifying sound that left Toni's leg a shattered, throbbing mass of bone and ruined flesh.

But Xero wasn't finished.

With a gleeful, malevolent grin twisting his lips, he drew his sword and, without hesitation, drove it deep into the muscle of Toni's other leg. The blade sank with terrifying ease, tearing through flesh and bone until it struck the ground beneath with a dull thud. Toni's body convulsed in pure agony, another scream ripping through his throat, his mind barely able to comprehend the brutal torment being inflicted on him.

Xero's eyes gleamed with twisted satisfaction as he twisted the hilt of the sword, the blade grinding deeper into Toni's leg. With a final, brutal motion, he snapped the blade in two, leaving the broken shard embedded deep in Toni's flesh.

"You're a waste of effort," Xero hissed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Now be a good dog and stay here."

Satisfied by the torment he had inflicted, Xero cast a final glance at Toni, watching him gasp and writhe in agony before turning his attention back to Matthew. His movements were slow, deliberate, savoring each step as he approached Matthew's still form. The grin that split Xero's face widened.

He halted before Matthew, pressing his boot into his side with a harsh shove, testing for any sign of life. His eyes narrowed, scanning for movement. The stillness beneath his foot confirmed what he already knew, but an impatient hunger simmered beneath the surface—a burning need to finish what he had started. After all, Matthew was nothing more than a locust, and his kind had to be eradicated.

"Don't y-you touch him!" Toni's voice was weak and despite the excruciating pain wracking his body, he strained to move, his gasping breaths filled with agony.

Xero's head tilted slightly at the sound, his lips curling into a cruel smirk. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured another gleaming dagger into his hand, the blade catching the light in a sharp, ominous gleam—eerily reminiscent of the one still lodged in Toni's stomach.

"W-What are you doing?!" His trembling hand clutched his bleeding stomach, blood seeping through his fingers as his wide, panic-stricken eyes darted between Xero's gleaming blade and Matthew's unconscious form.

He watched in horror as Xero knelt beside Matthew, the malice in his eyes unmistakable. "Get the fuck away from him!" Toni screamed, his voice ragged with desperation as he clawed at the ground, his fingers digging into the sand.

Xero paid no heed to Toni's frantic pleas. He knew Toni could do nothing to stop him.

"S-STOP!" Toni's voice tore through the air, raw and broken, but Xero gave no sign of hearing him. Without a flicker of hesitation, Xero drove the dagger into Matthew's chest with savage force. The brutal impact of steel slicing through flesh echoed in Toni's ears like a death sentence, the sickening crunch of bone and muscle tearing apart filling the air.

Toni's scream erupted, raw and primal—a sound so filled with agony and rage that it shattered the oppressive stillness around them. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" His voice shook with equal parts fury and despair, trembling he dragged himself forward, inch by excruciating inch.

His vision blurred with tears, every breath a struggle, but he didn't care. He would crawl through hell to reach Xero—his fury and grief the only things keeping him alive.

Xero, satisfied with his handiwork, rose slowly, a malevolent grin twisting his lips. As if to savor the finality of his victory, he drove a brutal kick into Matthew's ribs over and over again, the sickening repeated crunch echoing through the battlefield. Xero waited, watching for any flicker of movement—but there was none. Only stillness. Only death.

Toni's screams persisted, raw and broken, the sound of his desperation cutting through the thick air. Xero finally turned to face him, his eyes glinting with cruel delight.

"Toni, Toni, Toni," he purred, his voice dripping with condescension. "It's over. Matthew's dead, and soon you will be too. Neither of you is crawling back from this."

Dark energy swirled around Xero, thickening as it grew, a palpable aura of dread suffocating the battlefield. The very air seemed to tremble under the weight of his power. With a flick of his wrist, he vanished into the ether, dissolving into his dark magic. His cruel laughter echoed long after he disappeared.

Toni's heart raced, terror gripping him as tears streamed down his cheeks, his broken fingers clawed at the sand, he dragged his shattered body toward Matthew. Nausea swept through him, the reapers poison still burning in his veins. It felt like acid, amplifying the pain with every desperate inch he forced himself forward.

With one last, agonizing grunt, Toni finally reached Matthew. Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, he struggled to sit up, trying to manage the dagger still lodged in his abdomen. His broken wrist throbbed with every movement, but with his semi-free hand, he clutched at Matthew's limp body, pulling him into his arms. The world around him blurred, his vision distorted by a whirlwind of grief and rage, emotions surging through him in a storm he couldn't control.

"Jesus, fuck! Not like this!" Toni's voice cracked, a sob breaking through as tears streamed down his bloodied face. Desperation soaked every word, his plea not to the universe, but to whatever cruel force had taken everything from him. "God, no!" His screams erupted, "no, no, no!" His screams were tearing from the depths of his soul as he rocked Matthew's lifeless body back and forth.

Toni's breaths came in ragged, broken gasps as he held Matthew tighter, trying to hold on to what little hope remained, but fear was suffocating him. It pressed down, and the poison burned through his veins, mixing with the toxic flood of grief, rage, and exhaustion that threatened to drown him. With sheer willpower, he flexed his magic, summoning what little remained of his fading power. Every flicker of strength felt like fire, but he ignored it, channeling everything he had into one last desperate attempt.

His mind swam, darkness threatening to pull him under, but Toni refused to let go. He couldn't. His magic sputtered weakly at first, the flickers barely a whisper of what they once were, but he pushed harder, forcing it to life with the raw desperation that burned in his chest.

He had to save Matthew. He wouldn't let go—not yet. Not like this

With a final, desperate surge of energy, the world around them shattered. The seaside battlefield dissolved into a blinding blur of light, the pain and blood-soaked sand vanishing in an instant. In the next breath, they materialized in the sterile halls of Allegiant's infirmary. Toni's scream ripped through the clinical silence, raw and pleading, his voice cracking as he called for help.

As the blackness pressed down on him, threatening to swallow him whole, Toni's final thought was of a single person. Sorry, Jesse.

Because she was about to lose them both. And then, with a final gasp, the world faded to darkness for Toni.