Indomitable

f i f t y - t h r e e

As soon as the memories came, they left, saying their final goodbyes before fading into oblivion, never to be seen again.

Remi tried to reach out and grasp them one last time, willing them to stay with her forever, but they slipped through her fingers and disappeared without looking back.

Remi inhaled one last time, tasting everything the draft of wind carried with it—the aroma of freshly baked goods, the scent of pine needles and pine trees, and the subtle hint of flowers. Then she exhaled for the last time, expelling all the air from her lungs.

———

"No more," a startlingly familiar voice hissed from in front of Remi. She flung open her eyes, and her jaw fell upon seeing the slim back of her father, his shoulders shaking against the strain of her uncle's power.

Killure wrapped a muscular arm around her waist and yanked her back and out of the way.

Remi stood frozen in shock, her jaw sagging slightly as she watched her father and his light blue energy exchange blows with her uncle and his dark energy. Somehow, her father was holding his own, and was even burning away some of Uncle Fahrem's darkness.

And yet, both were obviously holding back a lot of their power.

"What are you doing, Levi?" Uncle Fahrem growled angrily. "This wasn't the plan! We don't have time for this, you idiot!"

"Killing my daughter and the man who saved her life also wasn't part of the plan," Levi hissed back. The energy on his right arm began expanding and growing in the shape of his arm, only magnified, until his arm easily dwarfed the rest of his body and looked like it could belong to a giant—if they were real. Lightning fast, Levi swung his arm at Fahrem in a startling light blue blur of motion.

Fahrem put up a thick shield, but the force of his brother's blow was immense, and Fahrem immediately began sliding backwards, until his shield broke away completely and he went sailing backwards into the house. He left a man-sized hole in the wall of the house, sailing straight through to the inside.

Levi stood, body tense. "Dad is coming. Get it through your thick head that this place doesn't matter. None of it does. Why rule down here when you could rule up there? I'm with him on this one."

Remi watched on in awe. Never in a million years would she guess that her father would stand up for her against her uncle. Her uncle was always telling her father what to do, and her father never once disobeyed. Never. Not once.

Until now.

Seconds later, the roof of their house shattered, splinters flying everywhere and sailing through the air like tiny, sharp missiles.

Remi's heart seemed to stop beating.

Her uncle had burst through the roof and was now flying. He had formed gigantic black wings using his dark energy, and he looked like a bloodthirsty demon from hell, bent on wreaking havoc and carnage. "I can't believe you. You . . . you imbecile! There's nothing up there! You're throwing away a chance to help rule something concrete, something we know is real, to go out on a whim that is bound to get your and our father killed."

Fahrem looked down at his brother in disgust for a moment, before folding his wings to his side and doing an impossibly fast nose dive at them. He was moving so fast that Remi couldn't even see him.

Levi created a gigantic sword out of his energy instantly, and now swung it at his brother without mercy.

Fahrem got out of the way just in time, and soon the brothers leapt high into the air, exchanging blows so swift that Remi couldn't even see what was going on. All she could see were streaks of black and blue darting across the sky.

It would have been mesmerizing, truly, if only Remi wasn't so fearful for her father's well-being. He could die up there! Uncle Fahrem was a force of nature. And after already losing some of her family today, Remi didn't want to lose anymore. She just couldn't lose any more. Unless, of course, it was her uncle. No loss there.

"We need to leave, now," Killure stated clearly, urgency clouding his voice.

Remi turned to him in surprise; she'd forgotten he was still there. Shaking her head, she replied, "I can't leave without knowing my father is safe."

"Your uncle won't kill him."

Remi eyed him skeptically. "How can you be so sure?"

Killure's stormy eyes betrayed no lie as he gently took her arm with his clawed hand. "Because your father is stronger than your uncle, and your uncle needs him for whatever twisted plan he has."

Remi glanced back up at the sky, where black and blue were still dancing and flashing at impossibly fast speeds. She hesitantly took a step towards Killure. "O—"

A loud rumble shook the ground at Remi's feet, like a small earthquake. She stumbled, and would have fallen over had not Killure snatched her by the waist and pulled her into his arms, steadying her.

Trees swayed unsteadily, and leaves fluttered to the ground in hundreds. Birds flew away into the sky in a panicked burst of screeches.

Remi whipped her head around, wide eyed. What new horror had arisen now?

———
A/N: What'd you guys think? There was a lot going on in this chapter. Also, if you didn't understand what Fahrem and Levi were talking about, don't worry!! You'll figure it out soon enough hahah. Anyways, votes and comments are always appreciated. And your support means the world to me. We are almost at 18,000 views😊