Exiguous Quintessence

The distant sound of Lucía and Felix's battle echoed through the dockyard, golden flashes colliding with searing orange flares in the sky. Enid and I sprinted toward the gate, our breath ragged as the metallic clatter of USC boots closed in behind us. The officers were herding us, closing off our escape.

Ahead, the massive metal gate began to screech shut. There was no way we could make it in time. I glanced around wildly, hoping for another way out when my eyes caught a narrow gap between two rows of stacked shipping containers.

"This way!" I urged, tugging Enid along. Without hesitation, she followed. The space between the containers was painfully tight, the jagged metal edges scraping against my arms and catching on Enid's jacket. My chest squeezed with every inch we forced ourselves through, but eventually, we stumbled out on the other side.

For a fleeting moment, I thought we'd escaped from them. But then a sharp voice rang out from above.

"Stop where you are!"

I froze and craned my neck upward to see an officer perched on top of a container, his rifle trained on us. The spotlight on his helmet cut through the shadows, blinding us momentarily. More officers emerged, surrounding us from all sides—on the containers, at the corners, their rifles gleaming under the floodlights.

"Confirming suspect heard the first warning," the officer barked into his radio. His voice was calm, rehearsed, and mechanical. "Proceeding with Secondary Warning." He adjusted his grip on the rifle and aimed down at us. "Please hand over the suspect. Failure to comply will result in escalation to the Four Warnings protocol. A First Warning has been issued. This is your Second Warning: a warning shot."

The officer's finger moved to the trigger, and I heard the faint click of the safety disengaging.

"Let me go, Ellion," Enid snapped, her voice sharp with anger. I glanced at her and saw the defiance in her eyes, her fists trembling as her fury bubbled to the surface. "These stupid USC bastards think they can take me?! I won't go down that easy!."

But I wasn't paying attention to her. I was searching for another way out when my eyes locked on a small opening in the distance—a narrow path just beyond the containers. My gut screamed at me to run for it. I didn't wait for a plan. I bolted, dragging Enid behind me.

The sharp crack of a gunshot split the air.

The bullet struck the ground in front of me, shattering the concrete and sending shards flying. I stumbled back and turned to see the officer still poised with his rifle, his aim steady as a rock.

"Third Warning will be an immobilizing shot," he called out. "Comply now, or prepare for escalation."

My hands trembled as I glanced at Enid. Her anger had evaporated, replaced with a flicker of fear. She shook her head slightly, her lips pressed into a tight line. I could see the unspoken words in her eyes: Don't.

But I ignored her. "Trust me," I whispered urgently. "Hold on."

I gripped her hand tighter and lunged forward, running with every ounce of strength I had left.

Another shot rang out.

I flinched, bracing for the impact—but it didn't come. Instead, I felt Enid's weight collapse against me, dragging me down. I spun around to see her on the ground, clutching her shoulder, blood spreading rapidly across her shirt.

"Enid!" I dropped to my knees, panic surging through me as I pressed my hands against the wound. Her face twisted in pain, her breaths shallow but steady. She was alive. It wasn't fatal, but the crimson staining my hands told me it was bad enough.

"Third Warning issued: immobilizing shot complete," the officer announced. "Proceeding with Fourth Warning if the suspect is not surrendered immediately."

The Fourth Warning. My stomach churned as I realized what that meant. A kill shot.

I stood and turned to face the officer, my arms spread wide as I shielded Enid with my body. My voice cracked with desperation as I shouted, "You'll have to get through me first! I won't let you take her!"

The officer didn't hesitate. He raised his rifle again, steadying his aim. My heart thundered in my chest, my breaths coming in sharp gasps. I felt the weight of the moment crushing down on me—Lucía's sacrifice, Enid's life, everything we'd fought for.

I was helpless. Powerless. Weak.

My frustration boiled over. I clenched my fists as my body trembled.

This isn't where I die, I thought.

The shot rang out, sharp and final. Instinctively, I thrust my arms forward, and without fear, hesitation, or even a conscious thought, a torrent of swirling snow, freezing winds, and shards of jagged ice exploded outward from my body. The dockyard transformed into a frigid maelstrom, the air thick with an icy haze that bit at my skin.

The sensation was startlingly natural. I didn't feel the drain of energy that I'd expected—the strain I used to have before whenever I used them was gone. This felt seamless, and effortless, as if the powers had always been there, waiting for me to let go of my doubts and fears. Had my powers ever really left me? Or had I just buried them under my doubts?

The officers stumbled backward, their rifles frosting over and cracking in the sudden drop in temperature. Frost raced across the ground, coating everything in its path with jagged patterns of ice.

I dropped to my knees beside Enid, pressing my hand against her wound. "Hold still," I said firmly. Her breath hitched as I iced the wound to stop the bleeding, hoping the frost numbed the area. She winced, hissing through her teeth but biting back any further complaints.

"Come on," I urged, pulling her to her feet. I gripped her hand tightly and we started running, weaving through the snow-blurred maze of containers. Two officers ahead struggled to regain their footing, their boots slipping on the frozen ground. We barreled past them as they shouted in vain, fumbling with weapons that were too cold to hold.

The shouting around us grew louder. Through the haze, I caught glimpses of officers regrouping, attempting to close in. Just as a clearer patch of air opened ahead, I spotted another line of guards waiting, rifles at the ready. Without a second thought, I conjured a protective ice armor around myself and Enid. The cold prickled at my back as bullets ricocheted off the shell, the ice fracturing under the impacts but reforming instantly.

I spun out of the armor, leaving Enid shielded beneath it, and turned to face the encroaching officers. My body moved on instinct, my powers flowing effortlessly. I thrust my hands forward, and jagged shards of ice shot toward the closest guards, puncturing their armor—not enough to seriously injure, but enough to send them sprawling.

More officers emerged on top of the containers, their rifles aimed. I remembered Lucía's quick thinking in Itayó and mimicked her move. With a sharp motion of my fist, icy winds swirled around their weapons, freezing them solid. The officers yelped, dropping the useless rifles as frostbitten fingers recoiled from the metal.

Others charged at me with batons and knives. I slammed my hand against the ground, and a wall of ice erupted at their feet, sending them tumbling backward. From behind, more officers closed in, but a gust of frigid icy wind swept them off their feet, slamming them against the containers. I was moving faster now, each motion an extension of my will.

For the first time, I felt completely in control—not of just my powers, but of myself. I inhaled deeply, the sharp, icy air filling my lungs, and I closed my eyes. The storm around me grew fiercer, colder as if responding to my resolve. My skin prickled with the sensation of burning cold, and instead of recoiling from it, I embraced it. I missed this.

When I opened my eyes, the dockyard had transformed into a frozen wasteland. The officers were struggling against the relentless icy winds, their movements sluggish as the cold sapped their strength. I wanted to keep going, to show them exactly what they were up against, to make them regret ever threatening us.

But then I saw Enid, huddled beneath the ice shell, her body trembling violently. Her lips were turning blue, her breath was shallow.

Reality slammed into me. I was losing myself, caught in the pull of my power when my only priority should've been getting her out of here alive.

I scanned the area and spotted a shipping container at the far end of the dockyard. Beyond it, just past the fence, was the small hill where Lucía had parked the SUV. Orlando's already inside. We just need to make it over that container and we're home free.

I dropped the storm, letting the air settle. The frost clung stubbornly to the ground and walls, but the winds faded, leaving a heavy silence in their wake. I ran to Enid, pulling her into my arms.

"Hold on," I whispered. "We're almost out of here."

The officers were gathering fast, but I didn't give them a chance to close in. With a sharp motion of my arm, a towering wave of ice erupted from the ground, crashing into the advancing line like a frozen tidal wave. The sheer force sent them sprawling, rifles slipping from their hands as the ice coated everything in its path.

I turned sharply, grabbing Enid and holding her tightly against my chest. With a forceful stomp, a pillar of ice shot up beneath us, launching us high into the air. The world blurred for a moment as we soared above the container and fence. My heart jumped at the sensation, the brief weightlessness pressing against my chest.

I braced myself, knowing the landing would be rough. As we plummeted toward the ground, I encased Enid in an ice coat, shielding her from the impact. My boots slammed into the dirt with a force that reverberated through my legs, the icy armor around her cracked on contact. We had made it.

"You okay?" I asked, loosening my grip on her.

Enid squirmed slightly, pulling her head free from my chest. Her eyes darted around, wide and unfocused. "Y-Yeah," she stammered, her voice low and trembling. "I'm good."

"Can you walk?" I asked softly, trying not to pressure her as she winced from the pain in her shoulder.

Without waiting for an answer, she eased herself down from my arms. The hiss she let out from the movement was sharp, but she straightened herself, nodding with determination. "Let's go," she said, her voice steadier now.

I walked behind her as she started up the hill. I kept my eyes on her, ready to catch her if she faltered, but she pressed on, holding her posture despite everything she'd been through.

My pace slowed slightly, my breathing ragged as I tried to collect myself. My body wasn't exhausted, but my mind was racing from all the fight. I turned my head, glancing back at the dock.

The blazing flames illuminated the dockyard in bursts of gold and orange as  Lucía's and Felix's powers clashed. It was a beautiful but terrifying sight. I couldn't see them directly, only the destruction left in their wake. Flashes of light illuminated the smoke and fire that consumed the docks.

I wanted to go back and help Lucía fight. But I shook my head, forcing myself to look away. I had to focus on getting Enid and Orlando to safety. But just as the thought crossed my mind, Enid let out a sudden yell, followed by the muffled sound of a struggle.

I whipped around and saw shadows emerge from the bushes and dark corners of the hill, dozens of USC officers in full camouflage rising as if they had materialized from the ground itself. How long had they been lying in wait?

This had been a trap from the very beginning.

Enid was gone. I scanned the area frantically, but they had already dragged her away. My gaze darted up the hill where I saw more officers descending, their rifles raised. Orlando. They must've gotten to him too.

Boots crunched against the dirt behind me, and I spun around to see more officers closing in. They were everywhere now, rifles with their rifles pointed at me.

Panic clawed at my chest as I tried to make sense of it all. My mind raced, but there was no time to act, no time to think.

"No Four Warnings this time?" I asked, my voice cracking with desperation.

One of the officers, his stance calm and deliberate, stepped forward. "For Clemons users, all we need is a hint of your powers, and we're authorized to shoot. So go on, make it easy for us," he said flatly, the barrel of his rifle pointed directly at me.

Behind him, I heard the mechanical clicks of rifles being cocked. They weren't doing it to prepare—they were taunting me, daring me to act.

The officers then advanced without hesitation. There was no fear in their eyes, no hesitation in their stride. But they weren't Felix, Arianna, or Davos. They didn't possess Clemons Cells. I can beat them. I am stronger than them.

I gritted my teeth, knowing they'd shoot the moment they sensed my powers. I needed to act first. With a flick of my right wrist, frost spread along the barrels of the front-row rifles, rendering them useless as icy shards formed. At the same time, I swept my left hand upward, conjuring a towering ice barrier around me.

The crack of gunfire erupted almost instantly. Bullets pelted the ice, ricocheting off the frozen wall or lodging themselves deep within it. The sharp sounds of impact echoed around me until they faded into silence.

Lowering the barrier slightly to prepare my counterattack, I barely had time to react as another volley of bullets rained down from a distance, their trajectory cutting through the gap. Several grazed my shoulders, forcing me to dive to the ground.

I pressed myself against the dirt, my heart hammering. They also had marksmen in position, raining fire from a distance. This was worse than I thought.

But there was no choice. I had to push through. Enid, Orlando, and Lucía needed me.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. I extended my arms outward and unleashed the ice barrier in every direction, sending shards and a misty haze through the air. The mist clouded the area, obscuring the officers' line of sight.

The sound of bullets didn't stop. They sliced through the mist as I coated myself in ice armor, the icy barrier clinging to my skin like a second layer. Each bullet that struck felt like a dagger attempting to pierce through. Pain radiated with every impact, but I held on, reinforcing the armor as I charged forward.

I dove into the fray, taking down officers as quickly as they came. A swipe of my arm sent frozen tendrils snapping toward one, while a blast of icy wind threw another off balance. For every officer I struck down, two more emerged from the mist.

The ones I had knocked down were already scrambling to their feet, closing in again. My breaths came quicker, my chest tightening. This wasn't working. I was surrounded and outnumbered, and the distant gunfire still hadn't stopped.

Panic flickered my thoughts. My eyes darted around, searching for an opening. There was none. The mist was thinning, and the officers were closing in.

I hesitated for just a moment, my resolve wavering. Was this it? Was I going to fail them? My mind raced with a terrible thought: did I dare kill to save them?

The officers didn't give me time to decide. They surged forward, weapons drawn, ready to subdue or finish me off. Ice formed in my hands, jagged and sharp, as I braced myself for the onslaught.

But before I could strike, a green blur tore through the mist like a whirlwind. The force of it sent the officers sprawling backward, their shouts drowned out by the sudden force of the wind.

I blinked, stunned, as the mist cleared just enough for me to see her. Ivory. She stood there, her green hair whipping around her before turning to me with a flicker of urgency in her eyes and grabbing me.

Before I could process what happened, the world blurred as the ground vanished beneath me, replaced by a hard, cold surface.

I gasped, the sudden shift disorienting me. My eyes blinked rapidly, adjusting to the new surroundings. Darkness enveloped the space, but the faint outline of chairs and a table came into view. Then the familiar hum of the fridge reached my ears.

I staggered to my feet, my mind catching up as I scanned the room. My kitchen. My house. We were back.

The kitchen was dim, bathed in the soft, orange glow of the oven light. The faint hum of the refrigerator filled the silence as I turned toward Ivory, who was still struggling to get up from the floor. Her movements were slow and heavy, her breathing labored.

"Hey, what happened? Why did you teleport us here? We need to go back!" My voice cracked with urgency.

Ivory tilted her head slightly, her face still obscured by her hair, and muttered softly, "We can't..."

"We have to! We can't let them get taken! We don't know what the USC will do to them—especially to Lucía. She used her powers! They'll—"

"Ellion, stop." Ivory's voice wavered as she cut me off. Her head hung low, and I noticed something wet dripping onto the tiled floor below her.

My chest tightened as I crouched down beside her. "Ivory?" I reached out, hesitating for a moment before tilting her face up slightly.

I froze. Her face was bloodied and bruised, with crimson streaks running down from the left side of her face down to her jawline, her lip was split and had bloodshot eyes.

"Ivory!" My voice rose in distress. "What the hell happened?!"

"I..." She swallowed hard, her words coming out haltingly. "I-I tried to save them, but I couldn't. Arianna was there... She knew I'd come for them, and she used Roberto, Soleil, and Oscar as bait. I..." Her voice broke slightly, and she sucked in a shaky breath. "I knew I couldn't beat her and save them all at the same time."

Her words hit me like a blow to the chest. My mind raced, struggling to process what she was saying.

"I thought... maybe you'd been taken too," she continued, her voice barely a whisper now. "And then I had this selfish thought—I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't lose... Not again."

I didn't know what to say. For a moment, the weight of her confession hung heavily between us.

"I was terrified something had happened to you. But I can see you're better than fine." Her gaze flicked to my cold hands. "You have your powers back."

My mouth twitched with a faint smirk. "You didn't have to do that," I murmured. "But... I am glad you did. I was about to do something I couldn't take back."

"I've been there. Too many times." Her tone darkened as her gaze drifted to the far wall. "And a few times, I failed to hold it back. But you're not going to get there, Ellion. Not if I can help it."

"Always the hero," I muttered, barely audible.

Ivory gave a faint, humorless laugh as she slumped back against the cabinet.

 I rose to grab the first aid kit from the drawer. I flicked the oven light higher to illuminate the space as I returned to her side.

"Here," I said, handing her an alcohol swab.

She didn't flinch as the antiseptic met her skin, though a faint groan escaped her lips. Her usual resilience shone through even now, bloodied and exhausted.

Ivory smiled faintly before her expression turned somber. "We'll get them back, Ellion. I promise. But for now, we have to leave. We need to take Annabella and go. The USC won't stop until they've found us."

"What about Kyriah?" I asked, my voice barely steady.

Ivory hesitated, her expression unreadable. "...I don't know. But they'll come for anyone tied to Clemons Cells. And Annie is too dangerous to be left unchecked. They'll use Lucía using her powers against the USC as the perfect excuse to hunt us down—and they'll make sure the revolution looks like the bad guy in all this."

I sank down next to her. "We're... fucked, aren't we?"

"Maybe..." Ivory replied with a low voice.

We sat there in silence for a while, a shared stillness that felt strangely comforting despite everything that happened. I'd been through everything with Ivory since the beginning. And even though I wouldn't dare say it aloud, I knew deep down there was no one else I'd rather have by my side.

The sound of a door creaking open from upstairs shattered the quiet. Footsteps descended the staircase and my heart leaped into my throat as panic seized me. Annabella.

I stiffened, my mind racing. What was I supposed to say? How would Annabella react to seeing Ivory sitting bloodied and bruised in our kitchen?

The footsteps stopped as Annabella reached the bottom step. Her wide, horror-stricken eyes locked onto the two of us.

I braced myself for whatever was about to happen next.

END OF: EMBERS OF INSURRECTION ACT