TRIO TRESPASSERS

The trio stood before the store's shimmering interface, its holographic display scrolling lazily above the desert winds.

They were exhausted.

[TRIO STORE]

[Star Money Balance: 400]

There was the list of items but only one stood out for this situation.

[Insta-Recovery Meal Pack ] [ COST:50 star money]

[ Refills your health bar and increases stamina for 30 min]

Ishu squinted at the menu. "We grab food, rest, and figure out next steps."

"ROGER", they replied.

Then it hit.

The earth groaned. Sand twisted into spirals. A dust wave exploded outward like smoke.

From beneath the surface, a colossal centipede erupted—

Its body rippled—endless, segmented, armored in jagged plates gleaming black and wet. Thousands of legs twitched and stabbed at the sand, moving like a storm of blades. Its head—horrific and heavy—rose above them, crowned by pulsing red eyes.

It reared back and screamed—

"FOOOOOOOOOOD!"

Debu's voice cracked. "It's bilingual. We're doomed."

"Run!" They shouted.

The centipede lunged, its pincers dripping with venomous heat as the three cousins scrambled through the underbrush, lungs burning, legs heavy. They didn't scream anymore—not from fear, but from fatigue. All the sprinting had drained them, and the thrill of survival was fraying into exhaustion.

Ishu slid to a halt, dust clouding around his boots. "Spread out," he gasped. "One distracts, one finds a way out. Debu—you're up."

"Roger that," Debu shot back, not missing a beat.

Their fear had twisted into a strange exhilaration.

As Debu darted sideways, arms waving to catch the monster's attention and abusing the centipede in his own language.

Ishu reopened the TRIO STORE, looked through the items and bought  Adrenaline Rush Juice--three bottles. Costly, brutal on the body, but it would buy time. [TOTAL COST=90 STAR MONEY]

Ishu didn't hesitate. Star coins clinked; The juice materialized in his hands.

"Krishna," Ishu barked, tossing a bottle his way. "Tag in. Feed it to Debu once you're close."

The switch was seamless. Krishna downed the juice mid-stride and surged forward—faster, stronger. A blur. He overtook Debu in seconds.

The centipede twisted, caught between two equally reckless targets.

Meanwhile, Ishu tore through the shared trio store. Dusty options blinked past—junk, joke scrolls, outdated gear—but then he saw it. Exactly what he needed.

Vile Potion — Magic Boost 200%. Duration: 20 mins. Cost: 50 Star Coins.

He bought five. All in. 250 Star Coins gone, no regrets.

Then he grabbed a bottle of Adrenaline Rush Juice, twisted the top, and chugged it down. Energy crackled through him like lightning, magic and muscle surging past normal limits. Faster, sharper, louder—he shot through the dunes like a war spell come to life.

They regrouped mid-run. Krishna caught up with Debu. Ishu tossed two potions their way. No words—just eye contact and instant understanding.

Debu and Krishna drank.

Ishu drank three.

Too much. Too dangerous for his own body. But necessary for the win.

That's when it happened.

Krishna's voice echoed directly in their minds. "Mental link active. Thought-casting unlocked."

He didn't explain it. He showed them. A skill discovered mid-panic. A breakthrough. They were connected—no words needed.

All three slowed their sprint. Dust swirled around their feet. They joined hands, facing the beast head-on.

The centipede lunged.

They moved in perfect sync—three minds, one rhythm. They dodged together, twisted around its jaws, and the moment it slammed into the earth—

They chanted. But not aloud.

They thought the spell—together, simultaneous.

It was faster than speech. Cleaner than shouting.

"Tervah, lyno, khalzur fyre."

Mana pulsed.

The sand lit up.

A colossal shape emerged from above—too big. Far too absurd. Glorious.

A gigantic male underwear, shimmering like divine cloth, enveloped the centipede entirely. The spell wrapped tight, shrinking. The beast thrashed, legs slamming into nothing, jaws snapping helplessly.

Trapped. Bound.

For fifteen minutes, the centipede fought. But the trio stood firm, barely holding themselves together. Their bodies were near collapse, but their minds stayed sharp.

Then—silence.

Smoke hissed. The beast roasted inside its magical fabric prison.

And finally, the centipede fell still.

Defeated.

But Ishu didn't celebrate.

His body trembled as he stepped back, his fingers fumbling through the open store interface. He scanned rapidly—desperately. Past the junk, past the gimmicks, past the silly buffs.

Then he saw it.

"Cleansing Potion — 50 Star Coins."

A vial to purge the aftermath of overcasting. A slim chance to heal. To undo the burn tearing through his veins.

His hand hovered------

But it was too late.

The magic he'd pushed through—three full viles of 200% boost-----was too much. He had known it when he took the second. Knew it and still drank the third.

It had been a gamble from the start.

He lasted fifteen minutes.

A miracle.

Then—like a flame finally denied oxygen—he collapsed. Mid-breath, mid-thought, mid-victory. His knees buckled, arms fell lifeless, and he dropped into the sand.

Debu and Krishna turned the moment they heard his body hit the ground. "Ishu!" they shouted, rushing toward him.

But the light in his eyes was dim. His skin pale with mana burn. Breath shallow. Too shallow.

"Come on, come on, don't do this," Krishna whispered, gripping his wrist, scanning his pulse.

Debu knelt beside him, panicked, voice low. "Hey, you won… don't leave at the punchline."

But Ishu didn't respond.

The battlefield, so loud just moments ago, turned quiet.

No magic. No roars. No wind.

Only silence.

And the sound of two brothers calling out for the one who gave everything… and maybe too much.

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