"Argh!"

Keaton's anguished scream echoed through the air, though it sounded as if it came from a different dimension. Tyron and the Violet Rain Bird froze in disbelief. They had clearly seen what happened, but they hadn’t heard a thing—until now. The sound felt distant, disconnected from the scene before them.

Tyron’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at Adrian. Beside him, the Violet Rain Bird stood silently, carefully sensing the distorted space. With its heightened perception, it could feel the strange rhythms, though it couldn’t fully grasp the mechanics of the space Adrian occupied.

"Master Adrian is terrifying..." the Violet Rain Bird whispered.

"Let’s go! We have to save Keaton!" The remaining three charged toward Adrian, lightning-fast. In an instant, they were upon him, but as they got closer, they realized something was terribly wrong.

"Sorry, but you’re too late. Keaton is about to die." Adrian sneered, holding an invisible blade aimed at Keaton’s neck.

"No!" they sc