Riven brought out his gun and aimed it at the newcomer. “Who are you?”

Behind him, Viriya was checking the wheel. Thankfully, it was on the side of the car that hadn’t crashed and halted against the wall. He couldn’t imagine trying to drag it away from the wall and then having to change the tire too. Viriya hadn’t said anything yet, but her silence was ominous. It didn’t sound good.

“My name is Daynom,” the man said. He was lean and wiry but his navy Ascension Essentier’s uniform hugged him tight. Long blonde hair parted in the middle framed an old face pitted with a few old scars and ruts of advanced age. “I am here to bring you in. I suggest you surrender. No one here wants to get hurt, and I promise you will be spared eventually if you do not resist.”

“You expect us to believe that?” Riven asked. “I was nearly killed the last time one of you came to bring me in.”

Daynom sighed. “I can’t answer for my colleagues.” He tapped the diamond badge on his shoulder. Another damn Firstmarked. Riven was so lucky. “But I hold some sway over matters. Quite a bit more than you might suspect. I can assure you that I will fight for your wellbeing so long as you take no active stance of resistance against me, or the High Invigilator, or anyone related to us in any way.”

“Even in self-defence?”

“There will be no such need.”

Riven closed his eyes, his mouth trying to form words of vociferous protest. They didn’t come out. Daynom’s words were calm and there was something trustworthy about his face. Something that assured Riven that he would do his best to keep his word. His brown eyes held no deception, and though he held onto a knife in each hand, there was nothing threatening about his posture. He really was here to negotiate, not to throw any threats or accusations.

“The tire’s punctured,” Viriya said. She rose then joined Riven to stare at Daynom. “We’ll need to get it replaced before we can move.”

Great. Just the news Riven had wanted to hear. He didn’t have the first clue on how to go about replacing torn tires, but maybe there was a spare wheel in the trunk. That’s what all cars had, or so he had heard. He hadn’t needed to know when there had been chauffeurs to take care of it.

There was a Daynom-shaped obstacle before them though.

“How about we make a deal?” Riven proposed. “We’ll fix our tire and be on our way, and you can just ignore us, all right? A small payment after ruining our car and nearly making us crash.”

Daynom nodded. “I apologize for that, but I saw no other way to make you stop.”

“Yes well, you see why I might baulk a little when it comes to trusting, don’t you?”

“It’s a no,” Viriya said with her habitual boulder of conversational nous. “We’re not capitulating anything, nor are we surrendering. We have things to fight for and we mean to see those through.”

“Shame.” Daynom sounded regretful. Truly so, his face falling but his mouth thinning into a hard line like he had not intended to let his hands get too dirty. “I was hoping we could come to a peaceful accord.”

“Go fix the tire, Riven,” Viriya ordered as she stepped forward. “I can take care of this on my own.”

Riven didn’t move. “You sure? He’s a Firstmarked, after all. They can be a pain.”

“I know.”

Of course, she did. Stupid of Riven to act as though Viriya hadn’t killed two of them on the train to get back to Providence all by herself. But then, there was a slight hesitation about her, a wariness that she was trying to hide from him. Her knuckles were white on her gun, her frowning eyes fixed unerringly on Daynom.

Viriya was afraid. And that made Riven afraid too.

“You understand that this spells the end for you, Rorink, don’t you?” Daynom said. Riven stared between the two of them The old bastard knew Viriya personally. How? “I told you several times that you always try too hard, that you’re always one step away from going in over your own head. And now look. You’re facing death.”

“No one’s going to die.” It sounded like she was assuring herself as much as Riven. “I promise. Riven, go!”

Riven had no intention of doing so but there were priorities. Raynard was sacrificing himself—maybe he had already done so—and Riven couldn’t let that go to waste. The car was their only hope of making it out of Providence alive. However much Viriya might act as though she could take on the entirety of Orbray’s people stationed here, her leg was still bleeding going by the fact it looked more soaked in red than ever. Besides, there were too many of them. Too many who were too strong.

Too many like this Daynom.

Where were the Thirdmarkeds and Fourthmarkeds? Riven needed to fight someone closer to his level for once, an easy fight that didn’t require getting his leg skewered.

As Viriya approached the older Essentier, Riven turned away and bent to the tire. There was a jagged tear near the top, and all the air had leaked out, leaving a coating of rubber that wasn’t enough to let the car drive properly.

He limped to the trunk and opened the lid, rooting around for a spare wheel. There should be a case too, full of tools that he could use to replace the wheel with. If only he knew how to use them.

Riven found the wheel and the case, but he didn’t lug them out. The fight between Viriya and Daynom had begun.

Scions, give him the strength to look away.

Riven couldn’t. Not when Viriya had rushed at the older Essentier with her fist glowing bright enough to turn the whole area green as brightest emerald. Not when Daynom had thrown out wave after wave of glittering magenta Essence in response. As Viriya charged at him, the magenta Essence flew through the air and filled every pocket of space that it could reach. In seconds, it had filled the whole area too, warring with Viriya’s green light.

But that was it. Viriya’s Essence was still only in her hand, and the rest everywhere was just light from her starlike fist, while Daynom’s Essence floated in wisps that overtook everything, suffusing the whole place.

Viriya was unable to hit him. She punched and kicked, moving too fast for someone who was supposed to be exhausted after all the effort she had spent over the last day. Far too fast. That green star of hers weaved about like a comet zigzagging in the air.

She still didn’t land a single blow on Daynom though.

It wasn’t that the older Essentier was faster. No, at his age, he couldn’t be faster. It seemed more like he was always one step ahead of Viriya, always able to tell where her next move would take her and staying several steps away.

Riven stared agog. It almost looked as though he was predicting where Viriya would come next.

A sudden viperish strike with one of his knives made Viriya jump back, but too late. The coral blade scored a deep gash across her forearm. She staggered back, a look of dawning fear slowly cloaking her face. Daynom’s was tight, and slightly satisfied. He knew this was going to happen. Could he see into the future or something? Essence wasn’t supposed to work that way, right?

“Viriya!” Riven shouted. “Get back!”

She stared at him. There was little to latch onto her expression, just a need to survive, to claw her way to victory even. “Fix the damn car!”

“What’s the point if you die?”

She didn’t listen, charging at Daynom with her fist bared and a shout ringing out. The older Essentier stood clam as the eye of a storm. He knew.

The next bout was much like the last. Viriya missed every attempt to connect. Daynom lashed out with one of his knives in his right hand in response, cutting her on the shoulder this time as she moved at the last second. But Viriya didn’t draw back. She jerked her gun out, aimed at the Daynom’s chest, and fired.

It missed. Riven stared. The bullet missed.

It had hit the other knife in Daynom’s left hand. How? That bastard had known Viriya was going to shoot too, even after she’d done it with no warning whatsoever. He’d known it so well, known even that he wouldn’t have space to dodge, that he’d been able to place his knife in the exact spot where the bullet would pass. He was safe.

Viriya was not. Anther Coral knife jab from Daynom and she staggered back, one hand clamped over the new wound on her other shoulder.

At this rate, she was going to die.

Riven dropped the tire and the tool case, and rushed in, limping all the while.

“No!” Viriya shouted. “I told you to stay back.”

Daynom made no move, but Riven stayed well away from him anyway. He circuited around the older Essentier and joined up with a fuming Viriya, who looked she wanted to attack him now instead of Daynom. Riven wouldn’t really have blamed her if she had.

Ignoring Viriya’s protests, Riven brought out his gun and aimed at Daynom. But the man was already moving this time. Moving very fast. By the time Riven had been able to figure out which was Daynom’s head and heart, the older Essentier was already standing before him. He jerked, back, but the knives flashed and his gun’s barrel was sliced open,

No matter. Riven still had his sword. Shouldering aside the sudden fear and the way his heart jerked like it wanted to get away before it was stabbed, he swung his sword.

Daynom was ready for that too of course. He was close enough to use one knife and block Riven’s sword near the hilt where the momentum of the strike had the least impact. The other stabbed in towards Riven’s heart fast as a woodpecker’s beak.

Viriya was close too though. Her hands shot out, one stopping the knife aimed for Riven’s heart, the other looking to ram her star into Daynom’s guts.

Daynom kicked Viriya back as Riven staggered away from the insanity. He winced at the limping pain. Pulling the sword back and using it as a crutch to steady himself, Riven kicked Daynom with his good leg but the man somehow foresaw that move as well. He swerved around Riven’s flying boot as Viriya was thrown to the ground, then lashed out with his Coral knife. The blade cut through his uniform and left a stinging gouge on Riven’s calf.

He yelled and fell back just as Viriya had.

Riven breathed heard where he sat on the ground, his chest heaving and heart trying to hammer out to find a new home. His whole body was shaking. He’d been so close to death. What in the Chasm was happening here? It was as if Daynom had seen everything that was going to happen, or at the very least, saw everything that was going to happen moments before it actually did. There was no other way anyone could be that prepared to deal with even the littlest things they could throw at him.

He glanced at Viriya. She was thinking the same thing. No, she knew the same thing. The conversation just moments ago suggested that these two knew each other, and likely knew each other’s powers as well. Riven had thought she’d know a way to counter Daynom. Apparently not.

“I told you,” Daynom said. “I warned that you would be diving head-first to death if you fought. Look now. Who stands victorious and unharmed?”

Riven cursed. “Go suck a worm, you old fart.”

“You still want to fight, boy? I knew you Morells were foolhardy. Your whole family is cursed like that. But defeat is inevitable. Why must you make it so difficult for yourselves when you know you cannot win?”

“Because we’re not dead yet! And if we’re not dead, we can still fight. And if we can still fight, we can still win.”

“Brave words for a walking corpse. You won’t last long though.”

Riven grinned. “You think?”

He focused. Daynom saw what he was doing, knew that he was calling up his Essence, and charged forward with both his knives bared like twin fangs. There was no stopping him except for the fact that Riven was too far back. He might know what Riven was doing, but it didn’t matter if he was too distant to do anything about it.

Just as Daynom reached Riven, his Essence shot out. The older Essentier was too close for Riven to form a proper shield around himself, so he settled for the armour just over skin. Daynom’s knives scored deep grooves in the golden Essence but it repelled him all the same.

Riven lashed out with his own fist, but Daynom dodged with the ease of one who saw it coming from yesterday. Of course. Stopping Daynom was one thing, striking him back was another entirely.

Not that Daynom was going to be stopped for long. His knife strikes left two spots of magenta Essence burning on the golden armour. Riven tried to stop his blows but Daynom was too fast and far too strong for a man of his advanced years. His punches were blocked, his kicks easily dodged, and his sword clattered out of his hand after his first swing missed wildly and  Daynom rammed a knife into his wrist hard enough to make the Essence protecting it almost shatter. He attacked in a storm of blades, every hit shipping away another bit of Riven’s Essence. This couldn’t go on for long.

Viriya was there to take the burden away. She shouted something indecipherable in the chaos of the fight, charging at the Daynom with her gun’s barrel aimed straight for his head.

The older Essentier dodged that too with next to no effort. He jabbed his knife into the barrel then swung the other to break the gun apart, pieces falling to the ground with hard clinks.

But the distraction was just what Riven had needed.

With the one second’s delay he got, Riven recreated his shield. He expanded his armour with more Essence and formed a spherical shield around both himself and Viriya, keeping Daynom out. A look of frustration grew on the older Essentier’s face as he attacked the golden Essence with his knives. It had no effect. Cracks grew on the sphere of course, but Riven had more Essence ready. It still started to fall apart though.

No matter. Just another distraction after all. All Riven had to do was make Daynom wait just a moment longer. It worked like a charm.

“Now, Viriya,” he shouted. “Get some distance.”

Viriya charged backwards and shot out of the magenta aura that had overtaken everything. She didn't even hesitate to pull Riven out of there, charging off into the street and away from Daynom. Riven's heart panged for a second, but it was fine. They hadn't exactly spoken about what needed to be done but she was pretty damn smart. He could trust her.

Would she be fast enough though? Riven's heart jumped as his shield shattered under Daynom's assault. He forced himself to his feet, pulling on his Essence armour as the twin knives rammed into him. The force of the strikes made him stagger backwards, and Riven tried not to be overwhelmed. Wasn't easy.

He fell back. Step by step, footfall after footfall, Riven gave into the storm of blade blows from Daynom as his armour began to crack faster than he could replace it. He had a lot of Sept but he had used up so much too.

The bullet shot in and nearly took Daynom in the eye. He was able to deflect it with one blade, and as Riven tried to use the distraction to ram a fist in his guts, the other knife stabbed down. It broke through his armour and pierced his arm.

He screamed.

Riven couldn't focus on the pain for too long. Another bullet came in, glowing golden-green just like the last one, and this one struck him in the back.

The next second saw Riven pulled away from Daynom. He flew through the air, managing to keep a grip on his new sword as the Coral knife blade withdrew from his flesh with a sickening squelch and a splatter of blood. It was too wild to focus on the feeling of hot wires being pushed into his arm. The world whirled, the city turning upside down in his vision, the streets taking the place of the blue sky as up became down became up again in a continuous motion that was bent on making him sick. Riven forced his eyelids closed, unable to even give vent to the scream bubbling up from within.

 Then he crashed down. The landing drove the breath from his lungs and he coughed violently, the fresh wound on his arm squealing along with the reawakened one on his leg. There was no time to moan and groan on the ground. He forced himself to his feet, breathing hard and fast to keep the pain at bay.

Viriya had done it. Brilliant Viriya had thrown him away from that magenta bubble of certain death around Daynom with her bullets and her Essence.

They were safe. For now.

Green light flashed bright as a star, and Viriya landed next to Riven looking for all the world like some messenger from the heavens. On her feet too, like she'd done this a hundred times before. Knowing her, she had probably done even more.

“You alive?” she asked.

“For now,” Riven said. “But you threw us in the wrong direction, I think. The car on the other side of him. 

Viriya stared at Daynom, who was staring back at them. It was too far to make out his expression, but Riven could bet another wound on his other hand that the old fart wasn't pleased. “We've got space and range, now. Time to take him out.”

“We're supposed to be escaping. That's our priority, Viriya, not killing every Essentier we come across. Especially not one like him. The Chasm does his Essence even do?”

“Knowing. He can tell anything about anything that his Essence touches.”

“That's... insane.”

“I agree.”

“And you still want to fight him instead of running like we're supposed to?”

Viriya took a deep breath. Riven stared. She was shivering, but not from fear. There was a gleam in her eyes, a manic set to her face that suggested that she was looking forward to engaging Daynom again.

Riven swallowed. Viriya had a plan.

“Listen, Riven.” Viriya's voice was that of a commander, one that ordered and had no intention of entertaining any talking back. “You're going to get to the car while I distract Daynom, then replace the tires and start driving. You'll need to be as quick as you can. I can't guarantee how long I’ll keep him distracted.”

“The Chasm are you planning, Viriya?”

“You'll see. Don't worry, I'll meet you as soon as you roll the car in. Got it?”

Riven didn't want to nod and agree and tell her that he was capable of all that when he was wounded terribly and still had no idea how to replace a flat tire. But he did anyway. Maybe he didn't have to replace the damn tire. Maybe survival meant replacing the tire with his Essence for now.

Viriya didn't wait for him to let his doubts claw back up. She charged in, and Riven did his best to get to the car as quickly as he could. He focused as the battle resumed behind him, the blast of Viriya's guns trying to draw his attention again. No. He had to trust her and focus on his job. It wasn't hard. Not at all, in fact. Just a second of focus and golden lines burst free of him to wrap around the torn tire, forming an auric tube around the whole thing. The car rose ever so slightly, level again as all its wheels were in the same plane as before.

“Viriya!” He shouted. “It's done.”

Riven jumped in, throwing his sword to the back seat. He started the engine and reversed the car, trying not to cringe as it dragged its side against the wall with a shower of sparks.

He whirled the steering wheel and managed to turn it around, just in time to see Viriya’s brilliance. She shot a bullet at Daynom, staying out of the influence of his Essence. Daynom was able to dodge as ever, but Viriya tapped the ground with her starry fist and it exploded up and out, an avalanche of debris shooting at the older Essentier.

For all his prowess using his Essence, Daynom was helpless without it. Helpless when his enemies stayed well out of its influence. He threw himself to the ground as the debris sailed over his head.

Riven hammered on the brakes with his foot as he stopped beside Viriya. “Get in!”

Viriya didn’t wait. She threw herself into the seat after Riven had opened the door. Riven rammed his foot down on the accelerator before she had closed the door, and the engine roared as the car shot down the street. He kept a tight grip on the steering wheel. This fast, the car tended to try and get out from his control and sharp turns would be nearly impossible. But they couldn’t slow down. Not with Daynom on their arse.

He wasn’t following them, but his Essence sure was. The magenta was cloaking the world far faster than the car could go, leaching out all other colour as it swept over.

“How far does this even go?” Riven shouted.

It took him a second to realize there was no way anyone could tell what he meant, but Viriya understood easily. “He’s a damned Firstmarked. Best to assume the range of his Essence is limitless and act accordingly.”

“All right, but… what if we’re not capable of acting accordingly?”

“Then you die.”

Very reassuring. Riven tried not to scowl at her for the use of you. He’d tried his best to focus on the road, though the magenta Essence everywhere made him think something had to happen soon enough. Maybe Daynom would appear from nowhere, or perhaps he’d Know wherever they might end up and await them there by going there first. It was insane to think so, but if his Essence was truly limitless, it could encapsulate the whole world, right?

There were no mishaps. No one met them on the streets as Riven swerved from one road to the next, doing his best to keep to the side streets and the occasional alley that was wide enough to let the car pass through. There were no soldiers and no enemy Essentiers. No obstacles at all.

Riven couldn’t allow himself to relax though. No way. It was too easy, and things were never easy. Not for Riven. He hadn’t ever properly thanked the Scions as he should have and now they were taking it all out on him.

Viriya was tense too. Her hand was on her gun at all times, and her eyes roved everywhere, hunting down whatever was going on in the city beyond, making sure she never let any possible threat go unaccounted.

Nevertheless, they made it out of the city in one piece. Riven had found the way that took them to the Demesne’s gate. The buildings started to thin, the forest of bricks, cement, and plaster giving way to the expanse of cracked wilderness that Riven was becoming increasingly familiar with. They even made it out of the magenta Essence’s influence. There was no sign of Daynom anywhere, it was hard to believe but maybe they had made it out of his range too.

Maybe they really were safe.

“Stop the car,” Viriya said.

Riven’s heart started hammering in his chest. “What?”

“I said, stop the car.”

The gate of Providence Demesne was becoming clearer as they neared it. Riven blinked. It was closed. They had left the gate open when they had entered and killed the guards to boot. But it was shut, and so were Riven and Viriya within Providence Demesne.

He rammed his foot into the brakes and the car ground to a screeching halt before the gate.

“It’s not supposed to be closed.” Riven got out of the car, limping towards the gate. No time to waste. They had to get out soon, before the rest of Orbray’s agents caught up to them. “Viriya come and help me.”

Riven paused at the gates. Damn things were too difficult to move alone, another reason why there needed to be at least two guards present here at all times.

But Viriya never came. Riven stared back towards the car, heart rising higher and higher in his throat with every rapid beat. The car stood empty and Viriya was standing behind it, facing Riven like she was seeing a ghost. He turned.

A car came in and halted behind the gate, and Daynom climbed out. Riven stared. How had he missed the car coming in from the distance?

The old Essentier had managed to come here first. He’d known. Or he’d guessed. It couldn’t have been hard since this was the closest exist to the place where they had been fighting. The magenta Essence overtook the world again. Chasm, this man could read minds with his Essence. It was ridiculous even for a Firstmarked.

“Why, it looks much like you’ve been trapped on the wrong side of this little barricade,” Daynom said. “I think it’s time you gave up and learned that you need to submit.”

Riven stood and took several steps backwards. “No,” he spat. “Never. You’ll have to kill us to make us submit.”

“Is that what you agree to too, Viriya?”

Viriya said nothing. She was still staring at Daynom, her face a mask that Riven couldn’t read. Her eyes, though, burned bright as ever. Surrender was the last thing on her mind.

“What will it be Viriya?” Daynom said. “Will you care to make a deal?”

“We don’t make deals with anyone,” Riven said.

“Let your superior speak, boy.” Daynom didn’t even look at Riven when addressing him. His eyes were only for Viriya. “Viriya, will you consider surrendering if I promise to let the boy go?”

“What?” Riven shook his head. “You can’t be serious. I’m sorry, but no one here is giving themselves up for the other.”

“Not even you for your dear friend? Not even if I promised that you would be free to leave? Are you so willing to risk everything by putting faith in your prowess over my promise to ensure your friend’s safety?”

Riven swallowed. Even after he had said no, Daynom had been speaking to Viriya all this time, using Riven’s disagreement to further emphasize his own point.

Viriya still hadn’t answered. Scions, she was actually thinking about it.

Riven stepped forward and grabbed the gate in his hands. He shook it, grabbing the older Essentier’s frowning attention. “We’re not giving up. You can go rot in the Chasm for all I care, right Viriya?” Riven turned to stare at his friend. “Right, Viriya?”

Yet, Viriya didn’t answer. A mask. Her face as a mask. Drats, it had to be the magenta Essence still cloaking everything. Daynom had of course Known about what was going on in all their heads, and now he’d struck some nerve inside Viriya’s mind, content to let her ruin the whole plan to escape by simply pulling strings that couldn’t be ignored.

“So what will it—”

Daynom shut up as something shifted. The air shifted. There was a strange sensation, as though Riven was growing lighter all of a sudden. Yellowish light flickered around Daynom and he went still, rigid as an iron rod. His eyes had gone wide, face drawing tight with fear.

“Go!”

The shout from behind made Riven turn around. Raynard was charging in. He looked worse than Viriya and Riven combined with his torn, blood-drenched jacket and the gruesome injury on his hand.

But Riven didn't let his surprise hold him for long. He dashed to the car and jumped in, yelling at Viriya to join him. They had exchanged places somehow—he was in the passenger seat while she was holding the steering wheel.

“Get going!” Raynard shouted. “Go to Rennervation city.”

Before Riven could shout if he were joining, Viriya drove off. The gate was still closed, and Riven didn't even have the time to shriek as she rammed into it. The gate crashed down, and Viriya avoided the frozen Daynom as the car hurtled down the highway.

“Stop,” Riven said as he found his voice. “We need to get back for Raynard.”

Viriya didn't listen. Didn't even look back. When Riven turned, Raynard was ignoring them and charging straight towards Daynom.

“Viriya!” Riven said.

She made no move to answer. The car kept accelerating, driving towards the horizon as the two men behind them grew smaller and smaller.

Raynard was left for dead.