CHAPTER 192: [FIST FIGHT]

Caelen sprinted.

He sprinted faster than he ever had in his entire life.

Branches slashed across his cheeks, leaving quick stinging lines of pain that he didn’t even feel. Trees became smeared streaks of color at the edges of his vision.

The ground itself trembled under the violent weight of the massive serpent tearing through the forest ahead of him.

Every step burned.

Every breath felt like fire stabbing into his ribs.

But he didn’t slow.

He couldn’t slow.

Not when Eli was somewhere inside that thing.

"Move—move—MOVE—!" Caelen hissed through clenched teeth, diving under a falling trunk as the serpent’s tail obliterated whatever it hit, turning ancient wood into flying splinters.

Debris exploded around him—shards of bark, chunks of earth, uprooted roots. The serpent’s body carved a path of destruction so large it was almost impossible to navigate.

Almost.

Caelen forced himself through it anyway.

He had already left Arman and the rest of Lion’s Fang far behind.

Even Arman—fast, relentless Arman—couldn’t keep up with this.

He was alone.

Just him, the forest, and the thunderous shadow of the serpent.

And yet—he caught up.

Barely.

The serpent lunged forward, body twisting in a violent arc like a living storm. Caelen seized his chance. A jagged scale, loosened by the serpent’s frantic thrashing, jutted outward just enough—

He didn’t think.

He jumped.

His hands closed around the scale’s cracked edge.

Pain shot up his arms.

His boots slid across the serpent’s slick hide, desperately searching for leverage.

It felt like he had leapt onto a derailed train—one that was roaring, thrashing, and plowing through the forest like the world was nothing but tall grass.

"Son of a—!" Caelen snarled as the serpent smashed through another giant tree, the impact jolting through his bones so hard his vision blurred.

He clung tighter, grounding himself with sheer force of will.

Breathe. Focus. Hold.

’If I strike now... I’ll piss it off even more than we already have...’

His mind flashed back to their earlier combined attack—the explosion, the shockwave, the serpent’s scream.

And how it didn’t die.

Not even close.

’But Eli and that bastard could be in there, getting digested every fucking second.’

A sharp, unfamiliar ache tore through his chest.

Guilt.

Actual guilt.

And he hated it.

He hated the way it made his throat tighten.

He hated the way it made every breath feel heavier.

’This is my fault. My stupid fucking jealousy—my rivalry with him—made me attack first. I made it worse.’

His jaw clenched until it hurt.

’Dad’s gonna fucking kill me if he dies.’

The serpent suddenly jerked, muscles coiling like a whip beneath Caelen’s hands. A thunderous hiss vibrated up its spine, right through Caelen’s grip.

It was agitated.

More frantic.

More erratic.

’Does it know I’m here?’

He leaned forward, trying to see what it was reacting to—

—just as the serpent’s massive jaw unhinged.

A shudder rippled through its entire body, from head to tail.

It gagged.

Once.

Twice.

’What the fuck now—’

Caelen braced himself—

And then something was launched out of the serpent’s mouth.

A human body.

Limp, drenched in saliva, flickering with leftover electricity—flung high into the air like a discarded rag doll.

Caelen recognized the outline before his brain could even process it.

He didn’t hesitate.

He pushed off the serpent with explosive force, launching himself into the air. The wind roared in his ears, his eyes narrowing as he reached—

Closer.

Closer.

Almost—

His fingers locked around a wrist.

A familiar one.

"KAIRO—HEY, BASTARD—!"

The momentum slammed into him like a truck. They collided, knocked the breath out of each other, and plummeted downward.

Caelen twisted his body mid-fall, muscles screaming, pulling Kairo against him and taking the weight of the landing himself.

They crashed into the ground, rolling violently across broken roots and jagged stones. Dirt and leaves exploded around them.

Caelen immediately activated his ability, the pain flooding in like molten iron—only to be sucked into him, absorbed, stored, swallowed whole for later use.

His entire body throbbed, but the pain faded into cold, controlled power.

As soon as their bodies stopped rolling, he pushed himself upright, dirt flying from his palms. His head snapped toward the serpent—

—but it was already far. Farther than it should’ve been. A massive silhouette tearing through the forest, vanishing between the shattered trees.

"Damn it—"

He didn’t finish.

Because at that moment, panic punched into his lungs.

He grabbed Kairo by the shoulders—hard—shaking him once. "Kairo! Hey—Kairo!"

Kairo choked on a cough, doubling over as he spat out something thick—half blood, half serpent saliva, sizzling faintly with leftover electricity.

His eyes were wide, pupils blown, his entire body trembling with adrenaline.

He shoved Caelen’s hands off him with a violent jerk, but Caelen didn’t budge—

"Where’s Eli?" Caelen snapped, voice torn raw. "Where is he?! How come it let you go?!"

No answer.

Kairo kept coughing, breath wheezing in and out of his lungs as he struggled to clear the fluid from his throat.

The silence made Caelen’s skin crawl.

"Kairo." His voice rose—sharp, aggressive, almost desperate. "HEY—!"

But instead of answering, Kairo shoved him aside and bolted.

Just ran.

Caelen blinked—only once—before his instincts screamed the truth.

Kairo wasn’t fleeing.

He was chasing.

After the serpent.

"Tch." Caelen clicked his tongue and sprinted after him. It wasn’t hard to catch up—Kairo wasn’t moving at his usual blinding speed. He looked... off. Slower. Heavier.

"Could you be any slower?" Caelen shot, irritation layered over something he refused to name.

"Stop fucking talking." Kairo hissed without looking back, voice low and razor-edged. His black eyes looked darker than usual—stormy, burning with a fury Caelen couldn’t read.

Caelen narrowed his own eyes, matching his pace. "What happened? Why did it let you go? Where’s Eli?" His voice pressed, unrelenting. "Kairo. Answer me."

Kairo didn’t even glance his way.

He just ran harder, the forest whipping past them as he kept his gaze locked ahead—toward the serpent’s distant trail.

Caelen’s frustration snapped.

"Kairo, why did it let you go—"

Kairo stopped.

So suddenly that Caelen almost collided with him.

Before he could ask again—

Kairo spun.

His fist shot forward with a burst of speed—pure instinct, pure rage.

Caelen’s eyes widened, but his body moved faster. He ducked beneath the punch just in time, the wind of it slicing across his cheek.

And out of reflex—raw, honed instinct—Caelen’s own fist slammed forward.

He punched Kairo in the stomach.

Hard.

Kairo’s breath exploded out of him in a harsh gasp. His body curled forward on impact, his teeth bared in a snarl—

And Caelen’s first thought was not concern.

It was irritation.

Annoying. Stubborn. Reckless.

’Stupid little brother.’

Still arrogant enough to think he could beat Caelen in a fist fight.

Kairo swung again—sloppy, desperate, uncalculated. Caelen tilted his head just a fraction, letting the blow cut through empty air past his cheek.

He exhaled sharply, jaw ticking.

’Alright. Fine. If you’re not going to listen...’

His fingers flexed once.

Then I’ll teach my annoying little brother a lesson about listening.

Caelen drove forward.

And the fight began.

Kairo lunged first—fast, furious, wild. Not technique. Instinct. Panic. The kind of movement someone makes when their mind is breaking with fear and adrenaline.

But Caelen...

Caelen was trained.

Polished.

Every movement was clean, efficient, lethal.

Kairo threw a chaotic punch at Caelen’s shoulder—

Caelen slapped it aside with a single flick of his wrist.

Kairo dropped low, sweeping his leg—

Caelen lifted his foot and stomped down on Kairo’s shin, controlled enough not to shatter bone but hard enough to make Kairo grunt through clenched teeth.

Blood dripped from Kairo’s mouth.

His eyes were dark, wild, unhinged.

"STOP GETTING IN MY WAY!" Kairo roared, swinging upward with everything he had.

Caelen caught his fist mid-air, their arms trembling with the force.

"You’re not thinking, dumbass," Caelen growled back, breath steady, posture solid. "And if you’re not thinking—"

He twisted sharply.

Kairo’s balance snapped.

Caelen’s elbow slammed into Kairo’s ribs. A thick, dull thud echoed through the forest as Kairo staggered back, coughing, doubling over from the impact.

But he didn’t stop.

He never stopped.

He lunged forward again—still trying to run, still trying to chase the serpent, still trying to get to Eli.

Just instinct.

Just fear.

Just desperation.

Caelen ducked under another wild punch, grabbed Kairo by the collar, yanked him down, and kneed him squarely in the gut.

Hard.

Kairo collapsed onto one knee with a strangled sound, clutching his stomach as air was forced from his lungs.

But even then—Even then—He tried to push himself up again.

He tried to run.

He tried to chase the serpent.

He tried to get to Eli.

Caelen saw it.

Saw the desperation.

Saw the panic.

Saw the guilt.

And it made something in Caelen twist—It was delight.

He wanted to revel at the sight.

But this wasn’t the time.

"That’s enough," Caelen snapped.

Kairo lunged at him one last time—

—and Caelen ended it.

He snatched Kairo’s wrist mid-swing, spun behind him, hooked his leg around Kairo’s ankle, and tore his balance from beneath him with ruthless precision.

Kairo hit the ground hard.

A brutal thud.

Before he could rise—

Caelen stepped forward and planted his boot on Kairo’s chest, pinning him down. The pressure was just enough to keep him still but not enough to crush.

Kairo hissed, grabbing at Caelen’s ankle, muscles straining as he tried to shove him off.

But Caelen leaned down, voice low, sharp, almost shaking with frustration:

"I said enough."

Kairo struggled once more—

Caelen pressed harder, his boot sinking into Kairo’s sternum with controlled, merciless pressure.

Kairo finally stilled, breath punching out of him in a strained wheeze.

Caelen glared down at him, chest rising and falling with heat he absolutely refused to call fear.

"Now," Caelen growled, leaning in, shadows cutting sharp across his face, golden cracks glowing faintly along his skin.

"What. Happened."

Kairo clenched his jaw so hard a muscle in his cheek jumped. His eyes—dark, storming, furious—refused to meet Caelen’s.

He didn’t speak.

Caelen’s lips curled into a smile with no warmth, no humor, nothing but ice.

A threat shaped like a grin.

"If you don’t answer," he murmured, voice low and dangerous, "I’ll hit you until you pass out."

Kairo’s breath hitched—just a fraction, just enough to betray something raw underneath.

Caelen didn’t blink.

Didn’t soften.

Didn’t move his foot from Kairo’s chest.

"I’m not playing with you, Kairo," he said, voice dropping even lower, vibrating with a fury he’d been swallowing since the serpent took Eli.

"Where."

He leaned closer, their foreheads almost touching.

"Is."

His fingers curled into a fist at his side.

"Eli."