Owen moved like a blur, faster than anyone could process. His fists plowed through the mass of officers and inmates, knocking them out one after another.

  One of the overseers, now fully transformed into his beast form, was trying to keep up. His body had morphed into that of a humanoid fly—his back hunched and skeletal, his arms elongated with sharp, razor-like appendages. His wings buzzed aggressively as he darted through the air, trying to match Owen’s incredible speed.

  Once the cafeteria floor was littered by a sea of bodies, Owen turned his attention to the overseer chasing him.

  He moved with lightning speed, launching a sweeping kick at the overseer. The overseer saw the attack coming but couldn’t react quickly enough. The force of Owen's kick struck him square in the neck, bending it at an unnatural angle before sending him flying across the room.

  Before Owen could take another step, almost immediately the other two overseers lunged at him in tandem. They both threw powerful punches, but their fists never reached him. In an instant, Owen stopped their movements mid-air using kinetic energy, their bodies frozen in place as he turned to them.

  He stepped forward to launch an attack, but before he could, Mayers’ wood tendrils snaked out and yanked the overseers back by their waists, pulling them out of Owen’s range.

  One of the overseers, her form emanating a pink aura, quickly surged her essence. She reached out her hand and raised several bodies from the floor, hurling them at Owen like missiles.

  Without missing a beat, Owen extended a finger, flicking it left and right. The bodies veered off course, flying harmlessly to either side.

  As the overseers regrouped near Mayers’ side, Owen raised his hands, and multiple flaming spears materialized in the air around him. He launched them forward, the flames roaring as they streaked towards their targets.

  Mayers reacted by raising a thick wooden shield in front of himself and the overseers to intercept the spears. The spears collided with the shield in a violent explosion, sending waves of fire and smoke across them.

  As the shield burned and the smoke cleared, Owen was gone. He blurred out of sight, moving with inhuman speed. Mayers was the only one able to react in time, raising a hand to protect himself as Owen reappeared behind them. With a ferocious snap, Owen launched a punch at each of them, his fists hitting like battering rams.

  The overseers were rattled forward, their bodies thrown off balance, crashing into the back of the shield.

  Mayers lunged forward, throwing a punch at Owen with all his strength. But Owen effortlessly slipped past the attack. In the same motion, he delivered a brutal counterpunch straight to Mayers’ ribs, causing him to stumble backwards.

  Seizing the moment, Owen pressed forward. His fists became a blur as he landed a rapid three-piece combo—a crushing hook to the jaw, a sharp jab to the chest, and an uppercut that snapped Mayers' head back.

  Before Mayers could even attempt to recover, Owen twisted his body and launched a powerful kick. His foot slammed into Mayers' torso with such force that the impact echoed through the cafeteria. Mayers’ body rocketed backward, crashing through tables and then bodies, skidding halfway across the massive room before finally coming to a stop.

  Owen puffed out a tired breath, his chest rising and falling heavily. He had undone his embodiment, his robe now turning back into his jumpsuit. He suddenly realized just how drained he was. His essence was running low, and his body ached.

  From his inhibitor cuff, Ann’s voice cut through. "Now that the fight’s over, you need to hurry to the hangar bay. Something serious is happening there."

  Owen took a wobbly step forward, shaking his head. "I will… but damn, I didn’t expect embodiment to drain me this much." He rolled his shoulders and started moving towards the door, each step slower than he would have liked.

  But just as he made it a few paces toward the door, a flicker of movement caught his eye. He turned slowly, eyes narrowing.

  Mayers was getting up.

  The man looked like a zombie, his body creaking as he pushed himself off the floor, his face twisted in a glare that was pure spite. Owen couldn't help but chuckle, albeit weakly. "You're a damn zombie." he muttered, shaking his head.

  Mayers’ voice, ragged yet defiant, came through. "I won’t fall until I see you down on the floor."

  His wooden armour formed once again, thick layers of reinforced wood encasing his body and aiding his movements. With a deep breath, he surged forward, his steps heavy but quick.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Owen, feeling the last reserves of his essence within him, gritted his teeth and forced it to circulate through his exhausted body. He steadied himself, ready to react—but then, he heard footsteps rapidly approaching from behind him.

  Before he could fully turn, a sharp tug at his collar yanked him backwards.

  Mayers’ fist, inches away from his face, was suddenly intercepted. From the side of his vision, Owen saw a familiar figure stepping in—Joyce.

  She pushed back against Mayers’ strike, stopping his momentum dead in his tracks.

  The moment Mayers caught sight of her, he instinctively leaped backward, creating space between them. His narrowed eyes locked onto Joyce as he exhaled sharply. "Why are you here?"

  Joyce, however, paid him no mind. She turned her gaze to Owen instead. "Go," she said plainly. "I'll handle him."

  Owen hesitated for only a second, his tired eyes scanning her. His mind flickered back to the gauntlet, to the match he had with her. He remembered her being a strong opponent.

  He gave her a firm nod. "Don't take too long." he muttered before turning away.

  Mayers gritted his teeth, taking a step forward as if to stop Owen, but Joyce swiftly raised a hand, a teasing smirk playing on her lips. Mayers froze, his instincts screaming at him.

  Instead of pushing further, he took a step back. His jaw clenched before he let out a frustrated yell. "I'll come for him once I’m done with you!"

  Owen didn’t look back as he disappeared through the doorway.

  Now alone, Joyce exhaled slowly. A deep hum filled the air as her essence expanded outwards.

  Mayers took another step back, his body tensing. He knew exactly what her essence ability was.

  His voice came out unsteady. "Even if you use your ability on me, I can still move freely using my wood."

  Joyce tilted her head slightly, as if considering his words. "I see." she said lightly. Then she straightened, centering herself.

  Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment. Mayers watched in confusion as Joyce stood still. For a moment, he wondered what she was doing. Then, without warning, Joyce snapped her eyes open. Her pupils had turned red, and the purple aura surrounding her flared, shifting into a deep crimson.

  Mayers stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock. He tried to catch himself, but the force of her presence made him falter and fall to the ground. "What... What is this?" he stammered, the words leaving his mouth in disbelief. "How can you have another essence type? That's impossible!"

  Joyce didn’t respond to him. Her expression remained dark, her brows furrowed as if deep in thought. "I remember saying I didn’t like to be switched out, Joyce." she muttered.

  Mayers’ eyes grew even wider as he noticed something else. For some reason, she was now exuding the aura of an advanced essence user. But she was only a novice essence user moments ago.

  "W-What are you?!" Mayers nearly shouted in frustration, anger bubbling in his voice.

  Joyce finally turned her gaze towards him, her face scrunching up with annoyance. "How annoying."

  Then, without hesitation, she raised her hand. A blinding surge of fire erupted from her palm—not just a blast, but an inferno. The sheer heat of it warped the air, turning the cafeteria into an instant furnace.

  The flames roared violently, swallowing Mayers whole before he could even react. The fire spread outward, melting the floor beneath him, and eventually becoming a massive pillar of red and gold spiralling towards the ceiling, scorching it black.

  When the inferno finally died down, there was nothing left—no body, no bones, not even ashes. The spot where Mayers had stood was now an unrecognizable crater, the metal floor liquefied and still glowing from the heat.

  Joyce glanced momentarily at the crater, her expression unreadable, before she turned away. A slow breath escaped her lips as she began to close her eyes. "Don’t waste me for something trivial like this," she muttered softly to herself. "You could have easily handled it yourself."

  With that, she let her eyelids fall shut.

  When she opened them again, her crimson eyes had returned to their natural brown.

  A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she turned, walking away with an almost nonchalant air. "I would've taken longer."

  ***

  Barbara stood over the kneeling Katherine, her grip tightening around her throat as Katherine weakly struggled against her hold. A low, guttural growl rumbled from Barbara’s chest as she applied more pressure, watching with cold satisfaction as Katherine’s movements slowed.

  A few meters away, Albert walked past them, his hands still clasped behind his back. He stopped abruptly, narrowing his eyes as he fixed his gaze on the far side of the hangar. His lips barely moved as he muttered under his breath, "I won’t let you escape."

  Barbara’s ears twitched at a distant noise from behind her. A sharp clatter—too many footsteps, too many voices. Her brow furrowed, and she hesitated, loosening her grip slightly on Katherine’s throat. Turning her head, she peered towards the entrance of the hangar, her sharp gaze scanning the dim expanse beyond.

  "Albert," she called out.

  Albert turned his head slightly, acknowledging her.

  Barbara straightened, her grip fully releasing Katherine as she focused on the growing sounds from the entrance. "More inmates are coming." she said.

  Jason charged into the hangar, leading an army of inmates behind him. He skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs, his gaze immediately locking onto Albert and Barbara. The inmates behind him clustered together as they all stopped with him.

  Albert’s sharp gaze flicked to them. He exhaled through his nose, then turned his head slightly toward Barbara. "Take care of the ones escaping on the other side," he ordered. "I’ll handle this group myself."

  Before Jason could step forward, a hand gently pushed against his shoulder. He turned to see the woman they had met in the hallways and say that she was friends with Isaac, Marie, walking past him with a calm confidence, her eyes fixed down below.

  Albert clenched his jaw, his expression hardening. "Wait," he said, stopping Barbara in her tracks. His eyes locked onto Marie as he spoke through gritted teeth. "That’s the girl with the death insignia. We’ll need to handle her together."

  Marie raised her hands to her side. A blue aura began to swirl around her. At either side of her, the air warped and twisted as two black figures began to take shape. Their forms stretched and contorted, growing into towering, nightmarish creatures with elongated limbs and jagged, shadowed maws.

  The creatures snarled, their eyes glowing with an eerie light. Marie, her expression calm, pointed downward towards Albert and Barbara. Without hesitation, the monstrous beings lunged forward, their clawed hands tearing into the air as they descended upon their targets.