The further we walked, the more the Bazxar shifted. The glowing neon signs and lively chatter didn’t disappear, but the edges grew rougher — paint peeling from walls, flickering lights buzzing with unreliable sparks. Stalls became less polished, some little more than ramshackle tables cluttered with salvaged tech and worn-out trinkets. Even the air smelled different, tinged with the bitter tang of burnt metal and stagnant water.

  I hadn’t noticed it before. Maybe I hadn’t wanted to. But now that we were leaving, it stood out like a bruise.

  Haley moved through it all like she belonged, her pace steady, her eyes flicking to every dark corner without hesitation. It wasn’t fear — more like awareness. She didn’t trust this place, not completely. Smart.

  “Doesn’t get much foot traffic down here, huh?” I muttered, stepping over a patch of cracked stone where the street had buckled.

  “Not the kind you want,” she replied dryly. “Most of the merchants up top don’t even acknowledge this part of the Bazxar. But the people who live here? They’re not exactly given much choice.”

  I frowned, the weight of her words sinking in. Scavengers lingered near the shadows, barely more than silhouettes, hunched over whatever scraps they could find. A child darted past, bare feet slapping against the stone, clutching a dented canister like it was gold. No one spared him a second glance.

  The city’s glow still reached down here, but it wasn’t the same. The vibrant neon had turned pale, the runic circuits along the walls dimming as they struggled to pull energy from the grid. A thin layer of grime clung to the surfaces, like the city had decided this part wasn’t worth the upkeep.

  “You’d think with all the magic flowing through this place, they’d manage a decent clean-up job,” I said, though I knew the answer before Haley gave it.

  She shot me a sideways glance, a dry smile tugging at her lips. “Magic’s just like money — it goes where the power is. And down here? No one’s buying.”

  We passed a row of rusted vendor carts, their wheels locked in place like they hadn’t moved in years. A few figures loitered nearby, cloaked in patchwork robes, their gazes sharp and lingering. I felt it, that itch of being watched. But Haley didn’t slow.

  The portal point was just ahead.

  It didn’t look like much — a wide metal arch embedded into the wall, its frame etched with worn-out runes. Faint violet light pulsed along the grooves, barely enough to keep the gate functional. No guards. No signage. Just a crooked wooden post leaning beside it, half-covered in peeling flyers. Most were old wanted notices, the faces on them blurred by time. Others were hastily scrawled advertisements — missing items, questionable services, promises of “miracle elixirs.”

  “Efficient,” I said dryly, eyeing the gate.

  Haley snorted. “Yeah, well, it’s not exactly the VIP section. But it gets the job done.” She stepped closer, brushing her hand over a small control panel at its base. The runes flickered in response, their glow surging slightly before dimming again.

  “Connection’s unstable,” she muttered, frowning. “Wouldn’t surprise me if it cuts mid-jump.”

  “Great. Love a good dismemberment risk.”

  “You’ll live.” She smirked. “Probably.”

  With one final glance at the shadows, she gestured toward the gate. “After you, rookie.”

  I hesitated. Not because of the portal — I’d been through worse. But there was something about this place, the way it seemed to cling to the people left behind. Like even when you walked away, a piece of it followed.

  I didn’t say anything. Just stepped through.

  The world shifted.

  The portal spit us out into the Old Bakersfield Historic Site like it couldn’t get rid of us fast enough. One second, I was in the neon haze of the Bazxar, and the next, my boots hit sun-bleached wooden planks. The sky stretched above us, too bright, too ordinary. Like nothing was wrong.

  But something was.

  The place had that Wild West postcard aesthetic — wooden storefronts with peeling signs, old carriages staged for tourists, and dust that clung to the air. I caught the faint scent of grilled grease from a diner nearby, mingling with the dry sting of sunbaked wood. The kind of place people came to play pretend.

  Haley stepped out behind me, adjusting her coat with a squint. “Well,” she said, scanning the old-timey facades, “welcome back to the land of cheap coffee and overpriced nostalgia. You’ve got a knack for dramatic settings, I’ll give you that.”

  I didn’t answer. The words barely registered.

  Something was wrong.

  It was like my body knew it before I did. My shoulders locked, jaw tightening as I scanned the street. The shadows felt deeper here, the alleys too still. I could feel it. The itch. That same gnawing dread from before — the one that crawled under your skin and made your heartbeat thud in your ears.

  “Kain?” Haley’s teasing tone shifted, concern edging in. She must’ve seen it — the way I stiffened, the way my eyes flicked toward every movement.

  But it was too late.

  The first crack of gunfire shattered the stillness. It came from the rooftops, the windows, the alleys. A whole chorus of violence. Wood splintered. Glass shattered. Dust exploded from the ground as bullets peppered the air around us.

  I moved without thinking.

  But my body wasn’t fast enough.

  A searing pain tore through my side. Then another. Heat bloomed across my chest as the force slammed me backward. My breath caught. For a moment, I wasn’t here. I was somewhere else.

  Rico’s voice. Laughter from the corner of the cave. The heavy weight of fear in my gut. Then the flash. The thunder of a bullet hitting me. Another. And another. I hit the ground, but it didn’t stop. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. The ceiling spun. Blood pooled. Rico was still there, still laughing. But the sound twisted — distorted. And then nothing.

  “Kain!”

  Haley’s voice snapped me back. But the past didn’t let go. I could still feel it. The heat. The impact. The echo of it all, vibrating through my bones. My body remembered. My mind refused to forget.

  And then the shield erupted.

  It was like the memory ignited something. A spark, then a surge — electricity tore through me, crackling against my skin. The air buzzed and bent, and in an instant, a massive dome of blue-white energy exploded outward. The shield rippled, translucent but crackling with fierce currents. Bullets struck it and ricocheted away, sparks flying as the dome absorbed the onslaught.

  Haley stumbled back, her wide eyes fixed on me. “What the hell is that?!”

  My hands were still raised, trembling. The shield pulsed with every ragged breath I took. It wasn’t just power. It was raw. Violent. Like the storm inside me had been let loose. I could feel the energy in my veins, surging in rhythm with the pounding in my chest. The shield wasn’t just blocking the bullets — it was repelling them. Every round that struck it twisted away, like the field itself rejected the violence.

  Haley edged closer, her voice cutting through the hum. “Kain, talk to me! Is it yours?”

  “I—” My voice cracked. Sweat stung my eyes. “I think so.”

  The memory still clung to me. Rico. The bullets. The pain. But now it was something else. The shield pulsed, feeding on that fear, that rage. It was a part of me.

  Outside the dome, shadows shifted. The gunfire didn’t stop. They weren’t retreating. If anything, they were regrouping. More flashes of movement. More barrels aimed our way.

  “Whatever this is,” Haley growled, drawing the blade at her hip, “don’t let it stop. Something out there really wants us dead.”

  No argument there.

  The shield held, but I could feel it — the strain. It was connected to me, draining my energy with every hit. I didn’t know how long it would last. Or what would happen if it failed.

  “Stay close,” I managed, my teeth clenched.

  Haley flashed a dry smirk, though her eyes stayed sharp. “Oh, I’m not going anywhere.”

  The hum of the shield filled the air. Bullets ricocheted like angry wasps. Beyond the electric barrier, the shadows prepared for another strike.

  I wasn’t going to wait for it.

  The shield pulsed under my control, the energy crackling like thunder in my chest. I gritted my teeth, focusing on the bullets suspended within the dome, their momentum frozen by the electromagnetic field. But the strain was mounting. My muscles burned, and the raw power surging through me felt like it might snap at any moment.

  I could feel the heat, the crackling tension — my body was fighting to keep it contained. Just hold on, just hold on. My hands trembled as I tried to keep the shield intact, but I knew I was reaching the limit. The energy that once felt so alive now felt like it was about to fizzle out.

  The bullets hovered, almost taunting me, their paths suspended in mid-air. I didn’t have much time. With every ounce of willpower I had left, I pushed back.

  The momentum reversed. The bullets jerked in mid-air, spinning in the opposite direction. I felt a sickening jolt as the power surged, but there was no time to think.

  Focus.

  With a deafening crack, I released the energy. The bullets shot out in a burst of lightning and metal, a storm of destruction that slammed into the shadows outside the dome. I didn’t need precision. I only needed chaos, and that was enough to scatter the attackers.

  The street erupted into a flurry of movement, the figures tumbling back, their weapons dropping as the hail of bullets tore through their ranks.

  “Hope you like karma,” I muttered, lowering my hands slightly, watching as the shield rippled and then collapsed in on itself.

  Haley whistled low, a smirk forming on her lips as the gunfire outside faltered. “Well, that was satisfying. I’d give it a solid eight out of ten. Bonus points for style.”

  But the calm was temporary. The energy coursing through me was finite, and I could already feel the exhaustion settling in, the strain on my body building with every second. I couldn’t keep it up forever.

  “I’ve got to end this now,” I said, more to myself than to her. The dome shimmered, but I wasn’t ready to stop yet.

  I compressed the massive energy field into a tighter, more focused shape, forming a compact shield around me. The shield’s glow dimmed but remained steady, and I turned to Haley.

  “This is the first time I’ve tried anything like this,” I said, my voice tight with the effort. “It’ll hold for 10 minute, tops. Get to safety.”

  Haley raised an eyebrow, the playful grin still on her face. “Safety? That’s cute, rookie. But you’re about to learn something new about me.”

  Before I could say anything more, the air around her began to shimmer, a faint pink glow flickering as the ground beneath her feet rippled like liquid. The air seemed to vibrate, thickening with power. Then, in an explosion of energy, her form began to change.

  Her figure stretched and elongated, smooth, shimmering scales covering her body as her limbs shifted, becoming powerful, clawed legs. A cascade of pale pink fur tumbled down her back, and her head sprouted golden antlers, twisting with elegance.

  The transformation wasn’t just physical—it was pure energy. Haley’s body became the embodiment of something ancient and majestic, the sinuous, powerful form of a Chinese dragon.

  She hovered above the ground, standing effortlessly on a cloud that appeared beneath her claws, her golden eyes glowing with amusement as she looked down at me. Her body coiled in mid-air, her tail swishing with grace as the winds around us shifted, charged with her presence.

  “Safety’s overrated,” she said, her voice deeper but unmistakably hers. “Let’s handle this.”

  I didn’t have time to respond. The crackling electricity inside me surged again, but this time, I wasn’t alone.

  The glyph on my chest burned brighter as my muscles expanded, my form shifting. The familiar feeling of biomass manipulation took over. My skin tingled as dense, organic armor formed, growing jagged, chitinous plates over my body. Lightning arced along the surface of the armor, turning it into a glowing exoskeleton.

  The transformation wasn’t complete, but the exoskeleton was enough. The electricity that hummed through me became an extension of my movements, sharpening my focus.

  I didn’t hesitate. Haley surged forward first, her dragon form a blur of pink and gold, claws raking through the air as she tore through the attackers. They barely had time to react before she was on them, scattering them like leaves in a storm.

  I was right behind her, the armored exoskeleton making every movement sharp, precise. I thrust my palm forward, releasing another bolt of lightning, sending one of the gunmen flying into a stack of barrels.

  Haley let out a triumphant roar, her tail sweeping through a cluster of attackers before she launched herself into the air again. She perched momentarily on a cloud, her golden eyes flashing with excitement.

  One of the attackers aimed his weapon at me, but I was faster. My fist slammed into him, the impact sending a shower of sparks flying.

  “Not so tough now, are you?” I muttered, throwing a punch that sent another attacker sprawling.

  Haley’s voice came from above me, her claws raking across the ground. “This is almost too easy,” she said with a laugh. “You sure this is all they’ve got?”

  “They’re regrouping,” I said, scanning the area. A fresh wave of shadows was emerging from further down the street. This time, they weren’t just carrying guns. Glowing runes were etched into their armor, faint but unmistakable.

  Haley growled, her golden eyes narrowing. “Looks like they brought backup. You up for round two?”

  I turned my attention to the nearest lamppost. The dull, flickering bulb perched at the top wasn’t much to look at, but the current humming inside it called to me like a heartbeat.

  I raised my hand, and the air around me buzzed as I connected with the electrical flow. The lightbulb popped, shards of glass sprinkling the ground, and the faint blue glow of the lamppost’s current raced toward me in crackling tendrils. The electricity surged into my body, filling my reserves with a sharp, satisfying jolt.

  The faint burn of fatigue faded instantly, replaced by the familiar hum of power coursing through me. Sparks crackled along the edges of my biomass armor, and the arcs of lightning weaving across its surface flared brighter, more vibrant than before.

  I turned back to Haley, my gauntleted fingers flexing as the energy pulsed in time with my heartbeat.

  “Now I’m ready,” I said, my voice low and steady. A faint smirk tugged at my lips as the air around me crackled. “Let’s give them a show.”

  Haley let out a sharp laugh, her claws gripping the ground as she crouched, ready to launch herself into the fight. “Finally! Took you long enough.”

  With a single fluid motion, she surged forward, her dragon form weaving through the street like a streak of pink lightning. Her claws raked across the ground, scattering attackers as she darted between them, her clouds swirling beneath her feet.

  I followed close behind, my armor sparking with renewed energy. The electromagnetic shield in my hand crackled as I drove it into the nearest gunman, the force sending him sprawling into a stack of crates. A burst of lightning shot from my other hand, striking another figure before he could raise his rune-etched weapon.

  Haley spiraled upward, her tail whipping through the air and knocking an attacker’s rifle clean out of his hands. “Not bad, rookie!” she called over her shoulder, her voice laced with adrenaline and amusement.

  “Try to keep up,” I shot back, surging forward with a burst of speed.

  The air buzzed with energy as we tore through the attackers, the street lighting up with flashes of lightning and the radiant glow of Haley’s dragon form. This wasn’t just a fight anymore—it was a statement.

  The attackers were scattering like roaches, their initial confidence crumbling under the combined weight of Haley’s sweeping claws and my lightning-fueled strikes. She darted through their ranks with effortless grace, her dragon form twisting and coiling in the air, her claws and tail leaving devastation in her wake.

  The fight had shifted. The small fry were down or scattered, leaving the street littered with debris and the hum of fading electricity in the air. Haley perched on a low cloud, her claws flexing as she surveyed the area. “Think that’s the last of them?” she called, her dragon form glowing faintly in the dusty light.

  I didn’t answer. My instincts hadn’t gone quiet, and the air still felt charged—not with my lightning, but with something colder, sharper.

  The street was dead quiet, except for the occasional crackle of electricity still flickering around my armor. The ground was littered with splintered wood, shattered weapons, and a few unlucky mercenaries groaning in the dirt.

  A slow clap echoed through the air, deliberate and mocking.