He lunges, summoning another water blade. I parry, my rapier singing through the air. It's different fighting with real steel—heavier, deadlier, an extension of my arm rather than the flimsy training weapon I'm used to.

Titus slashes wildly, but I can see the patterns Raith has drilled into me.

I side step a slash, left palm opening as I spray a jet of water against his inner thigh. The pressure of the blast makes him slide back, costing him balance as I spin inside his guard, flicking away another strike with my rapier. I use my momentum, pulling my elbow up and forward to slam beneath his chin.

Titus’ teeth clatter and he makes a pained sound.

I don’t give him time to recover. I stab upward, rapier finding the soft spot beneath his ribs. He gasps, eyes wide with shock, but the token at his neck flashes blue, and he freezes mid-fall, suspended in stasis. To my surprise, his elemental freezes too.

For a moment, he's completely still, and then his body falls back with a heavy thump to disappear into the thick mist. Only his curled, frozen fingers stick up above the fog.

The fleeing girl has stopped, watching us with wide eyes.

"Go," I tell her. "Find somewhere to hide. Malakai's people aren't worrying about the objective. They're just trying to take out anyone who isn't with them. Tell anyone you find to hide their token well. They’re taking it once stasis triggers and executing people while they’re dazed."

“Thanks, Nessa,” she says shakily, nodding before disappearing into the trees.

"That was unwise," Typhon notes. "He could have bested you."

"I couldn't just let her die."

"Your compassion may get us killed."

“And there’s no point surviving if I can’t live with myself.”

I have no way to know where the quarry is from here. I doubt I could even find my way back to the academy if I wanted to. There are sounds of struggle and fighting all around me. I hear magic flaring and see the bright lights of elemental attacks.

I press my back to a tree, eyes wildly scanning as I try to think of something resembling a plan. I can distantly feel Raith's presence through the tether, and it seems like he's slowly getting closer. Of course he is. He's coming for me. And knowing him, he's not letting anything slow him down.

If I wasn't worried about Mireen, Beck, Ambrose, and Brunhild, I would lay low and wait. But I need to find them. I can't risk them getting caught out alone.

With a hard swallow, I slowly move deeper into the trees. Bright green flashes to my right and someone screams. There's harsh laughter a moment later, then an explosion of blue light followed by cursing and shouts. I hear the clatter of weapons clashing, more shouting, someone cursing in frustration.

I look down and see my hand is shaking.