Odyssey Of Survival

The three girls stood still for a brief moment, their gazes locked onto the lifeless Gorvak that lay sprawled across the ground, its body now nothing more than a bloodied, motionless husk. The weight of their conversation still lingered heavily in the air, the grim realization of what they had just learned settling deep into their bones. Yet, despite the urgency of their situation, despite the knowledge that every second wasted here put them in greater danger, none of them could ignore the eerie sensation creeping over them—a lingering unease, like they were being watched.

Madison was the first to turn away, her shoulders tense, her mind already racing toward their next move. Bella followed, her brows furrowed as she replayed the Gorvak's words in her head, while Alice, ever calm, cast one last glance at the creature before pivoting on her heel. But the moment they turned back toward the path they had come from, their steps halted abruptly.

Four men stood in their way.

Their presence was suffocating, their eyes dark and cold, their expressions void of anything remotely human. The aura they radiated was unmistakable—pure, unfiltered malice, the kind of bloodlust that sent an involuntary chill down the spine. These men weren't just here to confront them. They were here to kill them.

Madison's sharp eyes flickered over their faces, and her lips curled slightly in disgust as recognition set in. Some of them… she had seen them before. Back when everything had spiraled out of control—when Claire had set up Nate, and a battle had broken out among their own people. These men had taken Claire's side, standing against Nate without hesitation, willing to do anything to bring him down. And now, they stood before her, exuding the same murderous intent, only this time… she was the target.

But fear never crossed her mind.

She could escape at any time.

Teleportation was second nature to her now, a power so ingrained in her being that she barely needed to think before activating it. And on top of that, she wasn't alone. Alice was standing right beside her—the strongest out of all of them. If things escalated, which they clearly would, Alice could wipe them out in a matter of seconds.

Bella, who stood slightly ahead of them, narrowed her eyes, her stance firm as she regarded the men carefully. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice steady despite the tension crackling in the air.

The men said nothing.

Not a single word, not a single flicker of emotion.

Instead, one of them—tall, broad-shouldered, his expression void of any humanity—lifted his hand. A moment later, water began to swirl around him, twisting and churning in a controlled yet deadly motion.

Madison almost burst out laughing.

Water?

He was a water-type ability user?

Of all things?

A low, amused chuckle nearly slipped past her lips, but she swallowed it down, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. This was ridiculous. Did he seriously think he stood a chance? Against her? Against Alice?

This was beyond foolish.

Still grinning, Madison raised her hand slightly, and almost instantly, the familiar surge of power coursed through her veins. The purple glow of her energy crackled to life, surrounding her in a vibrant haze as she prepared to teleport out of the situation entirely. There was no need to waste time here. She could easily teleport behind them, strike, or better yet—get them far away from this fight altogether.

But then…

The energy flickered.

The glow around her hands faltered.

And in the next second, it dispersed completely.

She remained rooted to the spot.

Confusion flashed across her face.

That… had never happened before.

Ever.

Her power had never once failed her.

She clenched her fists, inhaling sharply, and tried again. The purple energy began to spark around her once more, only for it to fizzle out like a dying ember.

Madison's smirk disappeared.

Alice and Bella, who had been watching her, immediately took notice.

Something was wrong.

Without hesitation, Bella attempted to summon her telekinesis, her eyes narrowing in concentration. Nothing happened. No invisible force, no shift in the air, no weightlessness surrounding her. It was like her power didn't exist at all.

Alice, her expression unreadable, lifted a hand, intending to summon ice. But the moment she tried, she felt it—that unnatural suppression, the suffocating sensation of nothingness where her power should have been.

Madison's stomach twisted as she turned to them. "What's going on?" Bella muttered, her voice laced with disbelief.

Alice's gaze darkened. "This power…" she murmured, her mind racing to find an answer. And then, in an instant, it clicked.

Her head snapped up, her eyes sharp as she whispered, "Jack."

The rest of the group caught on immediately, their expressions shifting as realization struck.

Jack's ability.

The power to suppress others' abilities.

Madison's throat tightened as her eyes darted around the area, scanning every shadow, every crevice. But she saw no sign of him.

"Where is he?" Bella whispered.

"Maybe he's hiding," Madison muttered. "But… why? Why would he want to kill us? We never had any issues with him."

Alice didn't answer. Instead, she remained still, her fingers twitching slightly as if she was trying to force her power back. But it was no use. Jack's ability was absolute.

And now, they were vulnerable.

Completely powerless.

The realization sent a wave of unease through them, but their enemies wouldn't give them time to process it.

Before they could react, before they could even think of an escape plan, the men in front of them lunged.

There was no warning.

No hesitation.

Just pure, violent intent.

And they had no powers to fight back.

Madison's fingers curled tightly around the crystal bow slung across her back, her grip firm as she yanked an arrow from the quiver at her side. The weapon glowed faintly in her hands, its crystalline surface catching the dim light filtering through the trees, but it was nothing more than an ordinary bow now. Without her powers, without the energy that made it truly deadly, it was just crystal—no better than a simple hunting tool.

Beside her, Bella's hand shot to her waist, her fingers wrapping around the coiled leather of a whip. She had grabbed it from Ray's collection before they left, thinking it might come in handy, though at the time, she hadn't anticipated actually needing to use it. Now, with her telekinesis gone, it was all she had.

Alice, on the other hand, took a slow step back. She had no weapon—nothing to defend herself with. All she had ever relied on was her ice, her ability to freeze the air, summon storms, and strike down enemies from a distance. But now, that power was gone. She was defenseless.

The men wasted no time.

The one with the water ability moved first. With a flick of his wrist, the liquid swirling around him shot forward in a razor-sharp arc, slicing through the air with deadly speed. Madison barely had time to react, ducking just in time as the water blast carved a deep gash into the tree behind her. The force of the attack sent splinters flying, and she gritted her teeth. Even without her teleportation, she was fast—but dodging wasn't going to win this fight.

She twisted her body, her fingers pulling back the string of her bow, the arrow locked and ready. Without her powers, she couldn't summon energy arrows, but she could still shoot. She still had few arrows luckily. Aiming for the water user's chest, she released the string, the arrow whistling through the air.

The man dodged effortlessly, his movements fluid like the element he controlled. He flicked his fingers again, sending another sharp tendril of water slicing toward her. Madison barely managed to roll to the side, the attack cutting deep into the dirt where she had stood moments before.

Meanwhile, Bella lashed out with her whip. She cracked it toward one of the other men—a broad-shouldered figure whose eyes burned with a dull, crimson glow. Fire. He was a fire-type user. He raised his hand, and for a moment, Bella expected flames to burst from his palm. But nothing happened.

Jack's ability had shut down his power too.

A flicker of confusion crossed his face, but it didn't last long. He didn't need fire to fight. With a grunt, he lunged forward, swinging his fist toward Bella's face. She barely managed to twist her body to the side, the wind from the punch brushing against her cheek. She lashed out again with the whip, aiming for his leg this time, and the leather snapped around his ankle.

Using all her strength, she yanked the whip back.

The man lost his footing, stumbling slightly, but before Bella could capitalize on it, a second attacker moved in. This one was leaner, faster. The moment Bella turned, a fist slammed into her stomach. The force knocked the air from her lungs, pain bursting through her ribs as she staggered back.

Alice tried to move toward her, but a third enemy—tall, silent, his eyes calculating—stepped in front of her. He didn't hesitate. He struck her in the side, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Madison, seeing Alice fall, turned her bow toward the silent man, but before she could fire, a powerful kick struck her in the ribs. The impact sent her crashing to the dirt, her bow slipping from her grip as she gasped for air.

They were losing.

Badly.

Bella swung her whip again, but the fire user caught it in his bare hand, yanking it toward him. Bella stumbled forward, and before she could react, his fist crashed against the side of her face.

She crumpled.

Alice tried to scramble to her feet, but the lean attacker pressed his knee into her back, pinning her down. She struggled, her breath ragged, but she couldn't break free.

Madison pushed herself up on shaky arms, her vision blurring for a moment from the pain surging through her ribs. She reached for her bow, but a foot slammed down onto her wrist, pinning her to the ground. The water user loomed over her, his expression void of emotion as he lifted his hand, preparing another attack.

This was it.

They had lost.

The men had already hurt them enough to make escape impossible. They were bloodied, bruised, and completely powerless. And now, their attackers were ready to end it.

The fire user took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over Bella's form. The one pinning Alice tightened his grip. The water user above Madison curled his fingers, a final attack forming.

And then—

They stopped.

Their bodies went rigid, hesitation flickering across their faces.

Something made them pause.

Something unseen.

Something that, for the first time since the fight began, sent an unfamiliar chill down their spines.

****

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