The air hung heavy with silence as William and Angelo stared at the gruesome remains of Laurel and his father, Danny Benigine. The shock was still sinking in, the realization that they had lost one of their own, a boy who had fought with them, even if for his own reasons. The brutality of it all made the entire Power Royale feel more like a twisted nightmare than ever before.

  "How did it come to this?" Angelo muttered, kneeling beside Laurel's lifeless body. His fists clenched, his usual optimistic demeanor darkened by grief. "He was just a kid."

  William remained silent, staring at the ground. His mind raced with thoughts of their next move, of survival, but there was a gnawing emptiness that he couldn't shake. He was no stranger to loss, but this hit different. Laurel had fought so hard, and for what? To end up like this?

  "William... what do we do now?" Angelo's voice cut through his thoughts.

  William opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him. His connection to the metal around him faltered. He tried to reach out with his mind, to manipulate the fragments of metal in the ground—but nothing happened. His eyes widened.

  "My powers..." William gasped. "They're gone."

  Angelo tried to shift into an animal form, something small and quick to scout the area, but nothing happened. He remained in his human form, his usual fluid transformation ability nowhere to be found.

  "Mine too," Angelo said, his voice laced with confusion and fear. "What's happening?"

  The two of them exchanged alarmed glances. Powers were the only reason they had survived this long, and now, without them, they were just ordinary people in an extraordinarily deadly situation.

  "This has to be someone's ability," William reasoned, his mind racing to make sense of it all. "A power dampener, or something like that. But how far are they? How close do they have to be for this to happen?"

  Angelo scanned the area, his senses heightened despite the lack of powers. Every rustle of leaves, every distant sound, felt like a potential threat. "We need to move. If someone can shut down our powers, they could be nearby. We can't just sit here and wait to be picked off."

  William nodded, the strategist in him taking over. "We move quietly. If this person is close, we need to find them before they find us. And... we need to be ready for anything."

  The chapter ended with the two of them creeping through the forest, every step filled with tension and uncertainty. The stakes had never been higher—without their powers, they were vulnerable, and the unknown enemy could be anywhere.

  The forest was eerily quiet as William and Angelo trudged forward, still reeling from the loss of their powers. Their minds raced with uncertainty and frustration, but they knew they had to find the source of this new threat. The thick canopy overhead blocked most of the sunlight, casting deep shadows across their path. Every snap of a twig made them jump, knowing that without their powers, they were just as vulnerable as any ordinary person.

  "What do you think caused this?" Angelo whispered, scanning the trees around them.

  "Only one way to find out," William replied, his voice tense.

  They pressed on until they heard faint muttering ahead. Crouching low, they crept closer until they spotted a man sitting against a tree, rocking back and forth. His thin frame and disheveled appearance gave him the look of someone who didn't belong in a deathmatch like this. It was Kindliker Kluckson.

  "Is that... him?" Angelo asked, eyeing the pathetic figure with disbelief.

  "Has to be," William muttered. "Let's make this quick."

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Without hesitation, they rushed him. Kindliker barely had time to react before William grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the tree.

  "You're the reason we're powerless," William growled. "Turn it off, now!"

  Kindliker's eyes widened with fear, and he stammered incoherently. Angelo moved closer, his expression cold and determined.

  "We're not messing around," Angelo warned. "You turn it off, or we make sure you regret ever stepping foot in this arena."

  "I-I can't!" Kindliker cried, trembling under their grip. "I can only turn it on and off! I can't control it beyond that!"

  William snarled, shoving him harder against the tree. "Then turn it off!"

  Desperation flickered in Kindliker's eyes, and he nodded quickly. With a shaky hand, he reached for the small device strapped to his wrist, and within moments, William and Angelo felt the familiar surge of their powers returning.

  William released him, and Kindliker slumped to the ground, breathing heavily. "Please, don't kill me," he pleaded, looking up at them with a pitiful expression. "I just wanted to make my mom proud. I didn't know what else to do."

  Angelo exchanged a glance with William, who sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're lucky we need all the help we can get," William said. "But you screw up, and you're done. Got it?"

  Kindliker nodded frantically. "I swear, I can help! I've got one Hail Mary in me if things go bad. Just... please don't leave me behind."

  Angelo extended a hand to help Kindliker up. "You're with us for now. But stay close, and don't do anything stupid."

  As they moved deeper into the forest, the weight of their recent losses hung over them. The stakes were higher than ever, and with Kindliker in tow, they knew the battle ahead was only going to get more dangerous.

  The announcers' voices boomed over the landscape, barely audible through the dense forest.

  Announcer 1: "Whoa! Looks like our heroes have found an unexpected ally! But can this pitiful contestant really help them survive?"

  Announcer 2: "Only time will tell, but in this game, trust can be a double-edged sword."

  The tension was palpable as they prepared for whatever was next, knowing that every step could be their last.

  Announcer** 1:** "Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up! We've got ourselves a chase like no other! Our contestants are about to face a whole new level of mind-bending madness!"

  **Announcer 2:** "And it looks like this opponent might be one of the most elusive yet. Can they figure out his ability in time?"

  ---

  The forest was dense, a maze of twisted trees and thick undergrowth. William Dangerfield led the way, his eyes sharp as he scanned the terrain ahead. Angelo Vasquez followed closely behind, his face set in determination. Kindliker Kluckson trailed at the back, struggling to keep up, his presence more of a nuisance than a help.

  The weight of Laurel's death still lingered, but there was no time for grief. They had to keep moving. The arena was shrinking, and every second counted.

  Suddenly, they spotted him—a figure moving effortlessly through the trees. Benito Garcia. His presence was unsettling, his movements fluid and deliberate. He didn't acknowledge them, didn't even seem to notice their approach.

  William called out, "Hey, you! Stop right there!"

  But Benito didn't respond. He just kept walking, his pace unhurried, as if he knew something they didn't.

  William clenched his fists, his frustration growing. "What the hell is his deal?" he muttered. He took a step forward, ready to charge, but something strange happened. The distance between them and Benito seemed to stretch, as if the ground itself was expanding.

  "What the...?" Angelo frowned, stepping forward as well, only to find that Benito was somehow even farther away. "This doesn't make any sense."

  William growled in frustration. "He's toying with us! We can't let him get away!"

  They pushed forward, but no matter how fast they ran, Benito always seemed just out of reach. The more they tried to close the distance, the farther away he became. It was as if the world was bending around him, warping reality to keep him safe.

  Kindliker, panting heavily, finally caught up. "What's going on? Why can't we catch him?"

  William glared at him. "Your guess is as good as mine, Kluckson. He's got some kind of trick up his sleeve."

  Angelo shook his head, his frustration evident. "We're wasting our time. We need to figure out what his power is before we can get anywhere near him."

  They continued their futile pursuit for what felt like an eternity, but Benito never faltered. He moved with a calm confidence, never looking back, never acknowledging their presence. It was maddening.

  Finally, exhausted and out of options, they stopped. Benito disappeared into the distance, his figure fading into the thick forest.

  William punched a nearby tree in frustration. "Damn it! We had him right there!"

  Angelo placed a hand on William's shoulder. "We'll get another chance. We just need to be smarter next time."

  Kindliker, still catching his breath, nodded weakly. "Yeah... next time."

  As they stood there, defeated, the realization set in—they were dealing with someone far more dangerous than they had anticipated. And this was only the beginning.

  ---

  **Announcer 1:** "What a chase! Benito Garcia proving to be as slippery as they come!"

  **Announcer 2:** "It's clear that the contestants are going to need more than just brute strength to take him down. But will they figure it out before it's too late?"

  ---

  *To be continued...*