AmethYst

Chapter Five

 The prison cell door begins to freeze, glistening with a menacing layer of solid ice. "Wait, I feel mana surging through my veins!" Crimson exclaims, a thrill of power igniting within him as he senses the shattering of the anti-magic barrier. With a thunderous crack, the frozen doors explode outward, sending shards of ice flying like deadly shrapnel, creating a cascade of glimmering chaos.

In the doorway stand two identical figures, a haunting reflection of fury. Their wild, unkempt hair billows behind them like dark clouds, and deep scars slice across their right eyes, transforming what could have been handsome faces into twisted masks of rage. Their intense gazes lock onto Crimson and Miles, brimming with a potent mix of anger and hatred.

"Junk and Junkie! If it isn't my two favourite badass twins of Amethyst!" Crimson taunts, a wild grin spreading across his face that barely masks the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Miles leans in closer, his voice a trembling whisper, laced with unease. "You know these guys?"

Crimson's eyes gleam with mischief. "Oh yes, they adore me. Just watch and keep quiet."

As the twins step forward, the room temperature drops further, their malevolent energy radiating and blending with the biting cold. The air braces for a storm, the tension crackling like electricity, each second stretching thin, filled with the promise of impending chaos. Crimson's heart pounds in rhythm with the approaching confrontation, each beat igniting the fire within him.

"We have come for our money?" one of the twins taunts, a malevolent grin splitting his face as he flicks icy particles from his fingertips.

"Or if you don't have it, we are welcome to kill you, right?" the other smirks, cracking his knuckles as if preparing for a fight.

"Stay behind me," Crimson said, conjuring a sword out of thin air. "How did you do that?" Miles exclaimed in surprise. "Can we discuss my magic another time? If you know how to use any weapon, now is the moment," Crimson insisted in a commanding voice.

"A katana should work; I did some kendo, so I should manage with that," Miles replied.

Crimson conjured a katana and handed it to Miles. "These things are heavier than the bamboo swords we used in Kendo," Miles exclaimed.

"Do whatever you can to protect yourself, Miles. These two don't play fair," Crimson warned. He assumed a fighting pose while Miles followed suit in a kendo stance.

"Junk, it seems they want a fight!" the twin exclaims, cracking his knuckles with a piercing intensity. The air crackles with tension as he braces himself. And that's exactly what they're about to get. With a fierce determination, Junkie lunges forward, his fist morphing into solid ice, a chilling weapon aimed directly at Crimson.

Thinking fast, Crimson conjures a shimmering shield just in time, the impact reverberating as he deflects the icy blow. Seizing the moment, he counters with a brutal headbutt, sending Junkie reeling and dazed. "Miles, hurry—now is our—" Crimson tries to shout, but before he can finish, Junk retaliates.

In a flash of motion, Junk lunges at Crimson, his icy grip tightening around Crimson's throat, freezing him in a panic. Just as despair begins to envelop them, Miles springs into action, blurring through the chaos. He swings his sword with devastating precision, slicing through Junk's wrists, and severing the hands that threaten his friend. Blood splatters across Miles's face, an unwelcome reminder of the violence surrounding them.

With a scream of agony, Junk's brother witnesses the grisly scene, his eyes wide with horror. "Brother!" he cries, the sound piercing through the clamour of battle. Anger ignites within Junkie as he shifts his focus to Miles, a feral rage consuming him. In an instant, he transforms his hand into a brutal ice axe, aiming directly for Miles's head, his fury palpable in the air.

But Crimson is not about to let his friend face this menace alone. With a surge of adrenaline, he rises to his feet.