Chapter 4: Sparks and Shadows

  4months later..

  The sun hadn't even cracked the horizon, but the ruins behind the orphanage were already echoing with the sound of punches, grunts, and the occasional “ow!”.

  Noel’s fists, wrapped in crackling arcs of weak but restless lightning, slammed into a crumbling pillar as he exhaled through gritted teeth.

  “You know,” said Kaizel, lazily flipping one of his daggers between his fingers while perched on a broken wall, “you hit that rock one more time and it might file a complaint.”

  “I'm building power!” Noel snapped, lightning flaring as he threw another punch that sent a burst of sparks flying.

  “Sure you are, Thunder Sloth.”

  Noel turned to glare. “Okay, Shadow Nerd.”

  “Oh no,” Kaizel gasped mockingly. “He used the N-word. ‘Nerd.’ I’m scarred.”

  They both snorted. Then Noel clenched his fists, lightning trailing up his arms. “Alright. No more warmups. Time for a real fight.”

  Kaizel flipped off the wall, landing lightly. His twin daggers gleamed in the pale light. “Finally. I was starting to think your lightning needed a nap.”

  They faced each other on the moss-covered stone floor. A breeze passed. Sparks buzzed. Shadows danced.

  Then—

  Clash.

  Kaizel dashed forward first, a blur of speed and darkness. Noel raised his fist just in time to block the first strike, lightning pulsing as metal scraped his skin.

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  Kaizel spun low, sweeping with a shadow-boosted leg. Noel jumped, flipping backward, and unleashed a small thunder pulse mid-air.

  The force cracked the ground—and Kaizel barely rolled away in time.

  “Okay,” Kaizel coughed. “That was actually impressive.”

  Noel grinned, electricity flickering wildly now. “Told you. Bug zapper mode upgraded.”

  Kaizel’s shadow slithered forward, forming a clone beside him. Both Kaizels rushed in. Noel gritted his teeth and met them head-on, fists flying, lightning flaring with each swing.

  His fists lit up the ruins like flashes of a storm—each strike growing faster, sharper, more stable. His body moved on instinct now.

  Kaizel’s blades danced around the strikes, shadow clone harassing from behind, forcing Noel to twist, duck, and strike in quick bursts.

  The two boys moved like a storm and its shadow—chaotic, beautiful, dangerous.

  At one point, Kaizel tried to leap over Noel—but Noel timed it perfectly, punching the air beneath his jump and letting the force explode upward.

  Kaizel was flung back, landing with a thud.

  He lay still.

  Noel blinked. “Uh… Kaizel?”

  No response.

  “Bro… are you—”

  Suddenly Kaizel kicked his legs out from behind, having used his shadow as a decoy. Noel fell forward with a surprised “HEY!”

  Kaizel sat on his back. “Victory! I am the king of the mountain!”

  Noel groaned. “Get your bony butt off me.”

  Kaizel stood, offering a hand. “Not bad, spark boy. You’re actually getting stronger.”

  Noel took the hand, lightning still twitching at his knuckles. “So are you. Shadow clone’s faster than before.”

  They stood there, panting, bruised, laughing.

  Then Kaizel raised an eyebrow. “...You wanna go again?”

  Noel smirked. “Hell yeah.”

  And just like that, the training resumed—sparks flashing, shadows twisting, laughter echoing.

  They weren’t masters yet.

  But they were getting closer.

  To power.

  To purpose.

  To the storm.

  They collapsed on the stone floor, backs flat, eyes staring up at the sky as it slowly shifted from purple to orange.

  The ruins were quiet now—no lightning, no blades, no shadow tricks. Just two boys breathing in rhythm, the morning air cooling their sweat-soaked skin.

  For a while, neither spoke.

  Then, Kaizel broke the silence, his voice soft.

  “…Your dream,” he said, eyes still on the sky. “Back on the roof. You meant it, didn’t you?”

  Noel didn’t answer right away. He blinked slowly, arms resting behind his head.

  “I did,” he finally said. “Even if I have to crawl through blood and mud… I’ll change this damn world.”

  Kaizel turned his head slightly, looking at him.

  Noel’s expression was calm, but fire burned in his eyes. “I don’t know how yet… or what it’ll cost. But I’ll do it. I want a world where no kid like us ever has to feel less than human.”

  Kaizel smiled faintly.

  “Then…” he said, sitting up slowly, shadows gently curling around his shoulders like a cloak, “I’m coming with you.”

  Noel blinked.

  Kaizel turned to face him, his tone steady, eyes filled with something deeper than a joke.

  “I’ll be your shadow. Wherever you go, whatever hell you walk into—I’ll be right behind you. Just like now.”

  Noel sat up too, speechless for a second… then grinned wide, lightning flickering at his fingertips.

  “Sounds like a terrible deal,” he joked. “I mean, have you seen my face?”

  Kaizel smirked. “Unfortunate, yeah. But someone’s gotta keep you from electrocuting yourself.”

  They laughed again—loud and freely, like idiots. But something in the air had changed.

  Not just the bond between two friends.

  But the start of something bigger.

  Something the world hadn’t seen in 1600 years.