Haley hovered just a few feet off the ground, her claws flexing, her wings flared, and her eyes locked on the two figures emerging from the shadows.

  And yeah, I felt it. That distinct, gut-punch sense that things were about to get worse.

  The first figure was a mountain of twisted metal and scorched flesh. Sparks flickered along the cracked plating that lined his body, glowing faintly with unstable energy. The exposed mechanical cores embedded in his chest pulsed with lightning, their jagged arcs barely contained. Every step he took sent a low hum through the air, like a storm rumbling on the horizon.

  The Stormbound.

  His glowing eyes locked onto me, and the familiar static charge that lingered in the air told me everything I needed to know — he wasn’t just some guy with a power core. He was the storm.

  Next to him, gliding like she owned the place, was a vision of gilded perfection. She wore ornate golden armor that gleamed despite the dust-choked air. Delicate patterns of intertwined serpents curled across the polished metal, glowing faintly with arcane power. Her face was partially concealed behind an elegant mask, only her dark, kohl-lined eyes visible beneath the golden fa?ade. A flowing cape of silk trailed behind her, shifting unnaturally, like it had a will of its own.

  The Gilded Maw.

  Where The Stormbound radiated power like a live wire, The Gilded Maw exuded something far more unsettling. The air around her shimmered, bending light in strange ways. Even the cracked shadows on the ground twisted beneath her feet, as though the world itself was second-guessing her presence.

  “Impressive,” she said, her voice like honey laced with venom. “The chaos you’ve left in your wake… artful, in a crude sort of way.” Her eyes gleamed. “But every piece of art has a price.”

  The Stormbound’s voice rumbled like distant thunder. “And you’ve run up quite the tab.”

  Haley snarled low, her claws flexing. “Oh, please. Two more self-important freaks who think throwing threats around makes them scary. You’re just making it easier to put you down.”

  The Gilded Maw’s smile sharpened beneath her mask. “Oh, darling. I’m not here to scare you.” She stepped forward, her golden armor gleaming under the fractured light. “I’m here to ruin you.”

  The Stormbound’s cores flared, electricity crackling along his massive form. “And I’m here to make sure it hurts.”

  I felt the shift in the air — the rising tension before the inevitable clash. The electricity in my veins buzzed in response, like my body knew the storm was about to break.

  Haley’s eyes flicked to me, her dragon form bristling with anticipation. “Well, rookie,” she growled, the corners of her mouth curling into a grin. “Looks like we’re up for round three.”

  I clenched my fists, the sparks crackling at my fingertips. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  The air crackled with residual electricity, the sharp tang of scorched wood still lingering. Kain’s eyes flicked between the imposing figures of The Stormbound and The Gilded Maw, their reputations now making sense. He’d seen their faces plastered on the wanted posters back near the transporter — bounties so high they made headlines. And now they were here, standing in his way.

  “Well, this explains the ‘dead or alive’ posters,” Kain muttered, the crackling in his armor barely masking the irritation in his voice. “Rico’s getting desperate.”

  The Gilded Maw’s golden eyes gleamed with amusement. “Desperate? No, darling. Opportunistic.” She twirled the glaive in her hand with unsettling ease, the gold plating shimmering in the sunlight. “When someone makes a mess as loud as yours, it’s only polite to clean it up.”

  The Stormbound’s voice rumbled like distant thunder. “As for the bounty? Well let's just say we now have a lot more in common, after all Rico is technically the law around these parts and putting such a generous hit on you well that’s just good business for us.” He flexed his massive mechanical arm, the faint hum of charged energy pulsing beneath the surface.

  Haley snorted, her claws digging into the dirt as her dragon form shifted slightly, the clouds beneath her curling with anticipation. “So what, you two are his errand runners now? Guess even legends have to fetch his slippers.”

  The Gilded Maw’s smile didn’t falter, though there was a glint of irritation in her eyes. “Legends? My dear, you flatter us.” She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a purr. “But yes even legends have to eat.”

  The Stormbound stepped forward, his towering presence sending a ripple of tension through the air. “And you,” he growled, focusing on Kain. “You’re nothing but a spark that thinks it’s a storm. Rico’s offering quite a reward for snuffing you out.” His gaze flicked to Haley. “Though he didn’t say anything about your little pet.”

  “Careful,” Kain said coldly, his stance shifting, the electricity dancing along his gauntlets flaring brighter. “This ‘pet’ has sharper teeth than you’d like.”

  Haley grinned, baring her fangs. “And I bite.”

  The minions surrounding them shifted uneasily, their weapons still raised but with noticeable hesitation. The display of power from the fight earlier wasn’t forgotten. Yet the fear of Rico’s wrath kept them from bolting.

  “Rico thinks a bounty will fix his problems,” Kain continued, his voice steady. “But if he wants me dead so badly, he should’ve sent someone better.”

  The Gilded Maw’s eyes narrowed, her grip on the glaive tightening. “Oh, sweetheart,” she purred. “We’re better.”

  The Stormbound’s laugh was low, grating. “You’ll wish he sent worse.”

  Kain’s muscles tensed, the crackling energy within him surging. “We’ll see about that.”

  Haley’s tail whipped the air, her golden antlers gleaming beneath the sun. “Let’s get this over with.”

  And then, like the calm before the storm, the air stood still — just long enough for chaos to break loose.

  The tension snapped like a taut wire.

  The minions surged forward first, a wave of bodies and weapons crashing toward Kain and Haley. Shouts rang out, the dull gleam of mismatched armor and rune-etched firearms catching the sunlight.

  Kain moved without thinking. The electricity thrummed through him, every nerve buzzing as he surged forward, his armored gauntlet crackling. The first mercenary barely had time to raise his weapon before Kain’s fist met his chest. A blast of lightning erupted on impact, sending the man hurtling back like a ragdoll.

  Two more closed in — one swinging a crude electro-staff, the other leveling a rune-powered rifle. Kain twisted to avoid the staff, the electric hum just grazing past his armor. Before the rifleman could fire, Kain’s palm snapped forward, releasing a bolt of electricity that struck the barrel. The gun misfired with a shriek of sparks, sending the man sprawling.

  “Not bad, rookie!” Haley’s voice rang out over the chaos.

  She wasn’t standing idle. Her dragon form weaved through the incoming mercenaries, her claws raking through their ranks. A swift swipe of her tail shattered a spear mid-thrust, the golden energy sparking along her scales. Clouds coiled beneath her, lifting her above the fray like a storm given form.

  When one of the riflemen took aim from a balcony above, Haley flicked her hand. The air rippled. A pink-hued bolt of condensed energy slammed into the wooden support beam, sending the whole structure crumbling. The gunman tumbled with a yelp, vanishing in the dust.

  But even with the minions dropping like flies, the real threats hadn’t moved much.

  The Stormbound stood tall, his massive form radiating an ominous charge. The exposed lightning cores in his body pulsed with raw energy. Every movement he made sent faint sparks crackling across the ground. His gaze locked on Kain, a predator savoring the hunt.

  The Gilded Maw, on the other hand, seemed almost amused. She traced a delicate finger along the shaft of her glaive, the intricate golden runes pulsing in time with her heartbeat. The air around her shimmered, faint illusions twisting in the corners of Kain’s vision. Flickers of movement. Shadows that weren’t there.

  Kain clenched his jaw. The longer she stood there, the more the air warped. She wasn’t just waiting — she was weaving her magic, bending the battlefield to her will.

  “You feel it, don’t you?” Her voice slithered through the chaos, effortlessly clear despite the clashing steel and bursts of energy. “The edges of reality starting to fray.”

  Kain’s fists crackled, the armor along his arms pulsing with electricity. “You’ll have to do better than a few parlor tricks.”

  Her laughter was sharp, like shattered glass. “Oh, darling. We’re just getting started.”

  A sudden roar of thunder shook the street as The Stormbound raised his arm. Tendrils of lightning coiled around his mechanical frame, the energy writhing like chained serpents. He slammed his fist to the ground.

  Kain barely had time to react. A jagged pulse of electricity erupted from the impact, surging across the dirt. The force cracked the wooden planks beneath his feet, sending splinters flying. Kain jumped back, the wave missing him by inches. The air around him hummed in response, his own power reacting to the challenge.

  “Come on!” Kain growled, the electric arcs surging along his body. “Is that all you’ve got?”

  The Stormbound’s grin twisted into something feral. “Not even close.”

  From the shadows, The Gilded Maw’s illusions grew bolder. A second Haley appeared — identical in every way, down to the swirling clouds beneath her claws. Then another. And another. Within seconds, a dozen Haleys were weaving through the battlefield, all mirroring her movements.

  “Cute,” Haley snarled, narrowing her eyes at the false copies. “But I don’t share the stage.”

  She lashed out with her tail, her form glowing brighter. The air pulsed with raw energy as the real Haley channeled her power. The wave of force ripped through the illusions, shattering them like glass.

  But The Gilded Maw was already moving. She twisted her glaive, the runes igniting in golden flame. The air warped once more, and Kain caught the barest glimpse of something slithering behind her — a flash of massive, coiling scales that vanished just as quickly.

  “Tick-tock,” she purred. “Let’s see how long you can keep up.”

  Kain’s muscles tensed. He could feel the battle shifting. The Stormbound’s sheer strength. The Gilded Maw’s illusions. And the mercenaries still swarming around them.

  But fear? That wasn’t in the cards.

  Kain grinned through the crackling energy. “Guess we’ll find out.”