Madison lays down on a bench in the Center, fidgeting with a small ball she'd just made.

  She has a small, though happy smile dancing on her tired face.

  Riley starts coming down the flight of stairs next to her.

  "Good work today, you can go home."

  Madison stands up from the bench she'd made her home.

  Riley steps down all the way, getting close to Madison, putting his warm hand on her shoulder.

  "He's gonna be alright."

  "Alright?"

  "He's dealt with way more than some bad memories coming to bite him in the ass."

  Madison wraps her arms around Riley's waist, clearly satisfied with the words.

  "Thank you, Riley."

  She leaves and goes back to her house, waiting for Warren to come home.

  On the field outside the side gate of Elaria, Cyrus and Warren stand off, still just staring at each other.

  Cyrus lets out the first jab.

  "Why would you betray us?"

  "Run off to eat off of our enemy's plate."

  Warren answers, the remark clearly pushed him the wrong way.

  "I only wanted to help."

  Cyrus retorts viscously.

  "And what help have you done?"

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "You're still being oppressed by the same old nobles, just as their dog this time."

  "Why would you leave the Lower Ward if you only wanted to help?"

  "Why not stay?"

  "Why not help?"

  Warren answers, voice trembling a bit.

  "Because I had dreams, Cyrus."

  "I thought I could perform some sort of miracle."

  "And I'm pretty damn close."

  "The new kids I just spent months teaching are extraordinary."

  "That red-haired kid didn't know he had an Aspect until a few months ago, now he's fighting with one of your top officers."

  "He is going to be proof of my ideology, Cyrus."

  "Oppression doesn't need to be met with destruction."

  Cyrus' face goes cold, like a lone wolf hunting.

  "I'll believe it when I see it."

  Cyrus walks toward Warren, ready to kill him.

  Warren makes the first move.

  He trips Cyrus with a barrier, jumping up to stomp on his neck, a killing blow.

  Cyrus rolls out of the way, grabbing his ankle and bringing him to the floor.

  He gets on top of Warren, pulling him up by the collar of his shirt.

  Cyrus winds back an arm, ready to punch Warren to a pulp.

  As the fist comes down, Warren blocks it with a barrier.

  Warren kicks Cyrus off of him, using the opportunity to stand up.

  Aura begins flaring all around Cyrus.

  Warren needs to up his Aura usage to keep being able to use his barriers.

  The two jump at each other, each cocking back an arm and each trading a blow to the face, with each tumbling past each other,

  Their movements mirror each other as they get up and run toward each other.

  Cyrus goes for an obvious attack, an easy block for Warren.

  But something's different.

  All of the Aura around Cyrus has disappeared and is focused into the tip of his fingers, pointed right for Warren's stomach.

  Cyrus smirks, a predator that caught it's prey off guard.

  The barrier blocking Warren gives way, Cyrus' hand stabbing into the center of Warren's abdomen, straight through.

  Cyrus punches through Warren's ribcage next, fragments of bone and entrails flying all over.

  Blood spills out of Warren's mouth, covering Cyrus' chest and stomach.

  Cyrus takes his arm out of Warren stomach, punching Warren square in the face, knocking him off of his other arm.

  Cyrus simply begins laughing.

  Like a demented fantasy of his had just been fulfilled.

  Cyrus begins stamping on the head of Warren's dying corpse.

  The flame of life begins leaving Warren's eyes, second by second.

  Cyrus' screaming laughter draws the attention of James first.

  James ignites flames under his feet, boosting himself to Henry, knocking him out with an elbow to the face.

  He then boosts into the air with flames, pulling his fist back, Aura rushing into it.

  James lets out a guttural scream as his fist comes crashing down, booming through the air.

  The scream catches Ferrul's attention, who immediately grows to double his size, dashing to Cyrus.

  Cyrus catches James by his face, putting him in the way of the bull that charges toward him, stopping it in it's tracks.

  It has no idea what to do.