Sabir’s fists clenched, knuckles pale as he stared at the swarming creatures around them. The shrill cries of the fishlike monsters echoed across the bridge, mixing with the crackling of electricity and the clash of metal chains. His chest tightened, his breath shallow, but he couldn’t afford to falter. The water below churned violently as more and more of the creatures leapt onto the bridge, their slimy bodies glinting in the dim light.


    He had no aura to call upon, no elemental strength to unleash like the others. But his body was still capable. He had survived The Limbo with nothing but his wits and his hands before; he could survive this too. Without thinking, he lunged forward, narrowly avoiding the swipe of a trident aimed for his ribs. His hand shot out, gripping one of the fish-creatures by the slimy ridges of its head. Its bulbous eyes widened, its gills flaring in panic as he grunted and hurled it off the bridge. The chaos swallowed the splash of its body hitting the water.


    A laugh broke through the noise, heavy and strained but unmistakably Zabo’s. “You back with us now, man?” he called, swinging his chains in a wide arc. The sound of metal whipping through the air was a slight comfort amidst the cacophony.


    Sabir didn’t respond. His mind was a storm of adrenaline, every thought drowned beneath the pounding rhythm of survival. A stench of salt and rot filled the air, the cries of the fish-creatures blending into a dissonant symphony of chaos. His focus locked on two of the creatures, their slimy bodies glinting as they leapt for Zabo’s unprotected back, their jagged tridents raised high.


    Before reason could catch up, Sabir was already moving. His feet pounded the weathered planks of the bridge, muscles coiling as he launched himself forward. The first creature turned its grotesque, wide-eyed gaze toward him, but it was too late. Sabir’s shoulder smashed into its torso with the force of a battering ram. Its gills flared in shock as it was sent hurtling sideways, its trident slipping from its grasp and clattering to the ground. The creature screeched, its webbed hands clawing at the empty air before its body plummeted over the bridge’s edge and into the churning waters below.


    The second creature snarled and lunged at him, its trident swinging down in a vicious arc. Sabir barely ducked in time, the weapon slicing through the air above his head. His hand lunged out, gripping its slimy, scaly arm with iron strength. The creature hissed, its bulbous eyes bulging in fury as it writhed against his hold, but Sabir didn’t falter.


    With a deep growl, he yanked the creature downward, its body slamming into the wooden planks with a sickening thud. The bridge trembled under the impact, splinters flying as the monster let out a strangled gasp, its gills spasming. Sabir didn’t release his grip, pinning it to the ground with all the force he could muster. The creature thrashed, its claws scraping against the wood, but Sabir’s weight pressed it down like an anchor.


    For a moment, everything else seemed to fade—the roaring water below, the cries of his comrades, even the burning in his muscles. All that existed was the primal instinct to survive and the overwhelming need to keep Zabo alive.


    Zabo turned, his chains dripping with viscous black blood. He gave Sabir a nod, his expression tight. “Thanks,” he muttered, before turning back to the swarm.


    The group was soon forced together, their backs pressing against one another as the bridge became overrun. Sabir found himself shoulder to shoulder with Maize on his left and Warren on his right. Elektra and Zabo filled out the circle, all five of them standing like a battered but defiant wall.


    “More are coming,” Maize hissed, her voice trembling but resolute. Her sharp eyes darted to the water below, where dozens of the creatures clawed their way up the bridge’s supports, their slick bodies wriggling and twisting as they climbed.


    “They just don’t quit,” Warren muttered, sparks of electricity flickering along his fists.


    “Duck!” Zabo roared suddenly.


    Without hesitation, Sabir dropped to the ground, pressing his chest flat against the damp, splintered wood of the bridge. The order had come sharp and quick, leaving no room for questions. Around him, the others followed suit, their bodies hitting the planks just as the air above erupted into chaos.


    Zabo stood at the center of the group, his stance wide and unyielding, muscles coiled like springs. His hands gripped the heavy chains tightly, the links catching the dim light as they spun in a deadly blur. With a guttural roar, he swung them in a ferocious 360-degree arc. The chains sliced through the humid air with a metallic hiss, a storm of unrelenting force and precision.


    The first wave of fish-creatures, mid-lunge, was caught entirely off guard. The whirling steel crashed into them with devastating impact, their slimy bodies flung like rag dolls into the surrounding darkness. A wet, meaty crunch filled the air as the chains struck flesh, sending shattered tridents and shards of bone scattering across the bridge.


    The bridge quaked beneath the force of Zabo’s onslaught. The fish-creatures screamed, their high-pitched wails mingling with the deafening clatter of the chains. Zabo’s attack hit one fish-creature squarely in the chest, hurling it backward over the edge with such force that its body disappeared into the frothing waters below. Another, attempting to sidestep the whirlwind, found its head caved in as the links whipped across its skull.


    From his prone position, Sabir risked a glance upward. The sight was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. Zabo’s movements were a blur of raw strength and desperation, his chains a storm of destruction. The fish-creatures that had once seemed endless were now scattered like debris, their slimy forms tumbling into the water or lying broken across the planks.


    The force of the spinning chains sent gusts of wind whipping against Sabir’s face, and he could feel the vibrations through the wood beneath him. Yet Zabo didn’t falter, his relentless assault driving back the horde with sheer willpower. The bridge became a battlefield of blood and chaos, the metallic links tearing through the monsters as if they were paper.


    Despite the devastation, more of the creatures surged forward, climbing over the bodies of their fallen kin. Zabo roared in defiance, his chains carving another brutal path through their ranks, but Sabir could see the strain beginning to take its toll.


    Warren crouched low, gritting his teeth as he glanced at Zabo. “I’ve got an idea,” he said, his voice strained. “This is gonna hurt.”


    “Do it!” Zabo barked, his chains still spinning.


    Warren didn’t hesitate. His jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing with grim determination as he thrust his hand out toward Zabo’s spinning chains. A pulse of electricity surged from his fingertips, a brilliant arc of blue-white lightning that leapt through the air and latched onto the metal links. The reaction was instantaneous and violent.


    The chains lit up, crackling and glowing as the electricity flowed through them. Sparks danced along the lengths of steel, each link coming alive with raw, unrelenting power. The arcs of lightning jumped from one link to the next like a living, vengeful force, illuminating the battlefield in harsh, flickering light.


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    The effect was devastating. As the electrified chains whipped through the air, the fish-creatures that had been advancing were obliterated in moments. The first one they touched froze mid-leap, its body seizing as electricity tore through it. Its scream was cut short as smoke rose from its charred skin, and it crumpled lifelessly onto the bridge. The next creature fared no better. The chains slammed into its chest, the lightning frying it from the inside out. A sickening crack and the acrid smell of burning flesh filled the air as it was hurled over the edge, leaving only the echo of its dying shriek.


    The destruction spread like wildfire. The electrified chains became a storm of pure annihilation, incinerating everything in their path. Creatures caught even near the arcs screamed in agony as their slimy bodies were cooked alive. Those that tried to retreat were struck down as the chains lashed out in every direction, the lightning jumping unpredictably from one target to the next. The bridge was filled with the crackle of electricity, the sizzle of burning water, and the pungent stench of charred flesh.


    But as effective as it was, the attack came at a price. Zabo let out a guttural cry, a sound of pure agony, as the electricity coursed not just through his chains, but through his body as well. His muscles spasmed violently, his arms shaking as he struggled to maintain his grip on the spinning links. His knees buckled, and for a moment, he held himself upright, his determination to protect the group driving him beyond his limits.


    Then the pain became too much. His hold of the chains loosened, his hands trembling uncontrollably as the arcs of lightning danced over his skin. With one last convulsion, his body crumpled to the ground, the chains clattering to the planks beside him. Smoke rose faintly from his form, his breathing shallow but still present. Zabo lay unconscious, his sacrifice leaving the others momentarily free from the relentless assault of the fish-creatures.


    Warren’s outstretched hand dropped, his face pale and stricken as he stared at Zabo’s motionless body. The crackling energy around his fingertips faded, leaving the results of his desperate move to sink in. The bridge was littered with scorched remains and the smoldering corpses of the creatures, their lifeless forms steaming in the aftermath of the electrified onslaught. But Warren barely registered the carnage—his gaze was fixed on Zabo, guilt and anguish written across his face.


    “Zabo!” Maize shouted, scrambling to his side, but the respite was brief.


    More fish-creatures leapt from the water, this time hurling themselves through the air with unnatural precision. Sabir swung his fists wildly, catching one across the jaw and sending it sprawling. Another latched onto his arm, its teeth sinking into his flesh. He cried out, slamming it against the bridge railing until it released him.


    “Elektra!” Maize shouted over the chaos, her voice desperate. “Blast the water! Take them all out!”


    Elektra, standing eerily still amidst the carnage, barely turned her head. Her blue eyes were locked on Warren, her expression unreadable.


    “Elektra!” Maize screamed again, panic rising in her voice.


    Elektra finally stirred, her lips curling into a faint smirk. “Why bother?” she murmured, almost to herself. “Maybe it’s better if we just die here.”


    Her words sent a chill down Sabir’s spine, but there was no time to dwell on them. The creatures swarmed them from every angle, overwhelming the group. Sabir was forced to the ground, their sharp claws tearing at his skin. He fought back savagely, his fists bloody, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.


    Elektra, meanwhile, stood rooted to the spot. She zapped the creatures that came too close, her movements mechanical, disinterested. But when another wave attacked, she stumbled backward, her footing slipping.


    “Elektra, move!” Warren shouted, to no avail. One of the fish-creatures lunged at her, its claws raking across her chest. She cried out, staggering to the edge of the bridge. Her feet teetered on the brink, her bloodied hands grasping at nothing.


    Sabir fought harder, his mind a blur of pain and rage. He screamed, the sound raw and desperate, cutting through the chaos. “Warren! You can do this! I believe in you!”


    Warren’s head snapped toward Sabir’s desperate voice, his pale, bloodied face frozen in an expression of anguish. His gaze flicked through his surroundings, Zabo’s unmoving body crumpled on the ground, and the overwhelming horde of fish-creatures closing in from every direction. For a moment, time seemed to stop, the cacophony of battle fading into the background as a storm of emotions churned within him—guilt, fear, anger, and a crushing sense of responsibility.


    Something inside him broke, or perhaps awakened. The crackle of electricity sparked faintly along his trembling fingers, a flicker of light against the encroaching darkness. It grew rapidly, climbing up his arms and spreading across his entire body in jagged arcs of pure energy. The air around him vibrated with power, charged and heavy, as if the atmosphere itself was holding its breath.


    Sabir watched, wide-eyed, as Warren transformed before his eyes. The electricity intensified, wrapping him in a shroud of blinding, untamed lightning. Each arc that leapt from his skin carved through the air with a deafening snap, illuminating the carnage around him in flashes of white and blue. Warren’s figure became almost unrecognizable. A storm made flesh, his form outlined in crackling energy that surged and danced like living flames, his hair shifting to a cyan color.


    The ground beneath Warren’s feet began to blacken and smolder, the wood splintering as his power reached a breaking point. His breaths came in short, ragged bursts, his chest heaving as he fought to contain the storm raging within him. But there was no holding it back. With an earth-shaking roar, Warren threw his arms outward and released it all.


    The pulse of electricity erupted from him in a violent, all-encompassing wave, a surge of raw power that expanded in every direction. The force of it was like a thunderclap made physical, slamming into everything in its path. The bridge trembled beneath their feet; the planks groaning as the sheer energy of the blast tore through the air.


    Sabir barely had time to brace himself before the wave hit him. The shock tore through his body like a searing, white-hot fire, his muscles locking up and his vision blurring. The pain was excruciating, every nerve in his body screaming in protest as the electricity coursed through him. But even through the agony, Sabir realized he was only catching the edges of the blast.


    The fish-creatures weren’t as fortunate. The wave of electricity struck them with devastating force, their shrieks rising in unison as they convulsed violently. Their slimy, amphibious bodies smoked and sizzled as the energy consumed them, frying them from the inside out. Some collapsed where they stood, their charred forms crumpling lifelessly onto the planks of the bridge. Others were hurled into the air by the force of the blast, their bodies arcing briefly before splashing into the murky water below.


    Absolute destruction. The once-teeming horde of creatures was reduced to smoking, lifeless heaps scattered across the bridge and floating on the surface of the water. The air was thick with the acrid stench of burnt flesh and ozone, the aftermath of Warren’s storm lingering like a heavy, suffocating weight.


    Sabir staggered, his legs nearly giving out beneath him as the residual pain of the shock left him trembling. He clutched at his chest, trying to steady his breathing as he took in the scene. Warren stood at the epicenter of the devastation, his body still sparking faintly with leftover energy. His shoulders sagged, his head hanging low as if the act of releasing so much power had drained every ounce of strength from hi. Hiss hair faded back to black.


    The bridge was silent again, save for the sound of Sabir’s ragged breathing. He staggered to his feet, clutching his side, and stumbled toward Zabo. Warren was already there, kneeling beside him, his face a mask of guilt.


    Then, slowly, Warren turned, his gaze falling on Zabo’s unconscious form. The storm in his eyes faded, replaced by something raw and vulnerable. He dropped to his knees next to Zabo, his shaking hands hovering uncertainly over his friend’s still form. “I’m sorry,” Warren murmured, his voice cracking with emotion. “I’m so sorry…”


    He reached out, placing his hand gently on Zabo’s chest, as if seeking some reassurance that he was still alive. For a moment, the only sound was Warren’s ragged breathing and the faint crackle of residual electricity dissipated into the air.


    Zabo stirred faintly, his eyes fluttering open. He reached up weakly, pressing his fist against Warren’s chest. “You did it, Sparky,” he murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips before he slipped back into unconsciousness.


    A piercing scream shattered the fragile calm. Sabir’s head whipped around just in time to see Maize running toward the edge of the bridge.


    “Elektra!” she cried, her voice raw with anguish.


    Sabir’s eyes widened as he followed her gaze. Elektra was falling, her bloodied body tumbling through the air. Her gaze met his for a brief moment before the murky water swallowed her whole.