The receptionist tapped away at her keyboard. “I hope you enjoyed your stay with us. Was everything to your satisfaction?”
“Quite so, thank you,” Professor Mackenzie responded with a polite nod.
As she processed his check-out, he glanced around the lobby. Plush armchairs and elegant sofas formed cozy seating areas, where a few guests were engrossed in newspapers or engaged in quiet conversation.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and unlocked the screen. A message from an unregistered number appeared. Frowning slightly, he tapped the message open.
“Meet me on the rooftop of the abandoned building, three blocks away from the hotel. Your son, Kenzie.”
His hand nearly faltered, almost dropping the phone. He stared at the message, his mind racing. He glanced around the lobby, scanning the bustling guests and the soft murmur of conversation.
“Is this some kind of trick?” he thought to himself.
Another message appeared from the same number:
“Want me to prove it? I’m still pounding the keys on the climactic parts, just like you hated when I was younger.”
His heart pounded in his chest, the weight of disbelief sinking in. He stood frozen for a moment. His grip tightened on the phone as the reality of the message lingered. Without another thought, he shoved the phone back into his pocket and rushed toward the exit. The cool morning air hit his face as he pushed through the hotel doors, the street still quiet at this early hour.
He ran down the empty streets, his footsteps quick and urgent, the city slowly waking up around him. The sky was a pale blue, the first light of dawn barely touching the horizon. His mind focused solely on one thing—the abandoned building mentioned in the message.
By the time he reached the third block, he didn’t slow down. Just ahead, he spotted it—a dilapidated structure, its silhouette standing dark against the soft morning light.
Without wasting another second, Professor Mackenzie rushed toward the entrance of the building. He sprinted up the stairs, the worn metal steps creaking under his weight. The air was thick with dust, the silence broken only by the sound of his shoes hitting the stairs. He barely registered the oppressive darkness around him, his focus entirely on reaching the rooftop.
With each step, his anticipation built. Finally, he reached the top. He shoved open the rusted door with force, stepping onto the rooftop.
The cold morning air hit him, and ahead, four figures stood waiting. But his gaze was fixed on one—his son, Kenzie. Everything else blurred as his heart seemed to freeze in place.
“Hand us the Resonance Key,” Kenzie said, his voice firm.
Professor Mackenzie stood motionless, still staring blankly at his son. The world around him felt distant, surreal.
“He can’t hear you, Kenzie,” Ivy added.
“I thought you were dead,” Professor Mackenzie said, his voice thick with disbelief.
“You can put it that way,” Kenzie replied with a distant tone, almost casual.
“How?” Professor Mackenzie asked, his voice barely audible.
“We’re not here for that story,” Kenzie said flatly. “Just hand us the Resonance Key. Or we’ll take whatever means necessary to get it.”
Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind him. “Not if we kick your butts!”
Professor Mackenzie spun around, and saw a familiar figure step through the door. It was Keilee, her stance confident, a playful smirk on her lips.
As she stepped forward, the others emerged behind her. Jazz, his eyes sharp with determination; Leeland, standing tall with an air of quiet authority; and Gabe, his presence solid and unshaken. They stood together, a united front.
“You’ve got some nerve, little girl,” Ivy sneered, her sharp gaze narrowing at Keilee.
Keilee’s smirk didn’t fade. “We’ll see who’s crying after,” she shot back.
Professor Mackenzie pulled the Resonance Key from his pocket, the gold tuning fork gleaming in the early morning light.
“Take it, Keilee. You’re the fastest among the four of you,” he said.
Keilee was surprised and hesitated, not wanting to take it, but one look at their mentor’s serious expression made her realize the gravity of the situation. She took the Resonance Key, gripping it tightly.
“You need to work as a team to protect it,” Professor Mackenzie continued. “Stick together and run. We can’t let them get their hands on this.”
“But Professor…” Jazz said with a concern voice.
“Go!” Professor Mackenzie urged, his tone leaving no room for argument.
The four Rogue Resonants leaped towards them, their movements swift and aggressive. In a split second, the Conductor summoned his Echo, and orbs of blue fire materialized around him, forming a protective barrier. The fiery orbs flared brilliantly, their intense light casting long shadows on the rooftop.
The Rogue Resonants collided with the barrier, the blue flames forcing them back. Kenzie and Titus struggled against the searing heat, while Kellan and Ivy were pushed away by the force of the orbs.
Taking advantage of the momentary defense, Jazz, Leeland, Keilee, and Gabe turned and started to run.
Seeing their advance thwarted, Kenzie and Ivy summoned their Echoes. Kenzie’s Echo manifested as a sword, its blade gleaming with dark purple and black, exuding a menacing aura. Ivy’s Echo was a violin, its strings shimmering with an ominous black hue. As she drew the bow across the strings, the violin morphed seamlessly into a whip, crackling with dark energy.
Titus stood ready, his Echo taking the form of three percussions, not morphed into a weapon. His hand hovered above them, poised as if ready to strike and unleash their power at any moment.
Kellan’s Echo materialized as a flute, which he held delicately with his left hand, his fingers already moving as if preparing to play.
“Kenzie, son, let’s talk about this. I don’t want to hurt you,” Professor Mackenzie said.
“You are no longer my father!” Kenzie shouted with rage.
As Kenzie’s words hung in the air, Titus suddenly tapped his percussions. The moment his hand struck them, invisible forces surged through the air, slamming into Professor Mackenzie. He was thrown back, his feet sliding across the rooftop as the shockwave hit him with brutal force. But in an instant, he regained his composure, his stance firm once more.
He glanced around quickly, and to his surprise, he saw that one of his opponents was already missing—the one holding the flute. It had only been a split second, but the movement was swift. Before he could process it, Titus tapped his percussions again. This time, the air around the Professor seemed to explode with force, but he reacted quickly, leaping to the side to avoid the blast, narrowly escaping the invisible explosion that ripped through the space where he had just been.
Just as his feet landed on the ground, he was met with the flash of Kenzie’s sword, slicing through the air with dark purple and black energy. Professor Mackenzie’s blue orbs immediately responded, forming a fiery shield in front of him just as the sword collided. The energy crackled and roared, the force of the blade clashing against the protective barrier in a surge of raw power.
Just then, Professor Mackenzie turned his attention, his eyes catching the woman leaping onto the building next to them, quickly following the other Resonants. He was about to pursue when, in a split second, Kenzie was already behind him, the tip of his dark sword aimed straight for his back. The blue orbs surrounding Professor Mackenzie instantly morphed into a gleaming sword, meeting Kenzie’s strike head-on as it landed in the Conductor’s hands. The clash was deafening, a violent burst of energy as the two blades collided, sparks flying in every direction.
Kenzie didn’t pause. His attacks came faster, relentless—slashes, jabs, and thrusts, each one aimed to overpower his father. Professor Mackenzie parried each strike with calculated precision, his sword moving in fluid, defensive motions.
Suddenly, shockwaves erupted across his body. He hadn’t noticed the tap of the percussion, his focus entirely consumed by defending against Kenzie’s relentless strikes. Before he could recover, a forceful kick struck his chest, sending him skidding backward across the ground.
“Join the pursuit, Titus,” Kenzie said. “I can handle this.”
“Don’t do this, Kenzie,” The Conductor said as he stood, his voice filled with a mix of disbelief and urgency.
“You think that I can’t defeat you?” Kenzie replied.
Professor Mackenzie stood frozen for a moment, confusion swirling in his mind. His thoughts raced, each one jostling for dominance as he tried to process the impossible situation unfolding before him. The son he had believed to be lost—dead—was now standing before him, an enemy, and he had no idea what to do next.
* * *
Keilee led the way, her movements fluid and swift as she sprinted across the rooftops, effortlessly leaping from one building to the next. Her agile form barely touched the ground before she was airborne again, always one step ahead. Behind her, Jazz followed closely, his strides long and determined, his focus sharp as he matched her pace, eyes scanning the distance for the next leap. Leeland was third, pushing himself with a speed that bordered on reckless, yet calculated, his eyes set on the path ahead. Gabe brought up the rear, his breath steady as he maintained a rapid pace, his large form surprisingly agile as he kept up with the group, refusing to fall behind.
Each jump was calculated, but the terrain was unpredictable, with rooftops that seemed to vary in height and distance. Sometimes they jumped to a building lower than the last, only to find the next one would be higher. The pace was relentless, the jumps coming faster, their bodies moving with the flow of the chase.
Soon, they came to a wide gap between rooftops. Keilee, spotting the distance, shouted to the group, “Careful, this one’s far!”
Without hesitation, she leaped into the air, her body cutting through the space between buildings. She landed with ease, her feet striking the next rooftop with perfect precision.
Next was Jazz. He launched himself with determination, soaring through the air, and with a soft thud, he landed just so—his feet gripping the edge as he absorbed the impact and sprinted forward.
Leeland followed. His legs pushed hard, but as he sailed through the air, his foot just grazed the building’s edge. His momentum carried him forward, and he managed to grip the ledge with his hands before pulling himself onto the roof, narrowly avoiding a fall.
Lastly, Gabe assessed the gap. He knew his larger frame wouldn’t make the leap as easily. With a grunt, he summoned his Echo—a battle axe—and jumped with all his might, his axe raised high. As he neared the edge of the building, he drove the blade deep into the side of the structure. The weight of the axe secured him, and with a swift motion, he pushed himself back, climbing up the building and landing safely on the rooftop with a grunt of relief.
“Nice one, Deep Tone!” Keilee shouted at Gabe. But before she could fully appreciate the moment, she felt an unexpected force tug at her, as if someone had tripped her from behind. With her speed, she lost her balance but quickly rolled across the rooftop, her body moving fluidly with the momentum. In an instant, she used the force of the roll to spring back onto her feet, her instincts kicking in. She barely had time to catch her breath before she saw a shadow hurtling toward her from the corner of her vision. Without thinking, she sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the oncoming strike. As she glanced down, she saw the rooftop beneath her feet crack, the force of the unseen attack leaving a deep mark in the surface, with cracks crawling outward from where the weapon had struck.
Just then, Jazz appeared from the corner of her eye, his foot leading as he launched a powerful kick toward the invisible assailant. The moment his foot made contact, a muffled thud echoed through the air, and suddenly, Kellan’s form materialized in front of them, his once invisible figure now becoming visible, his camouflage broken by Jazz’s swift attack.
Kellan stepped back, his eyes scanning the group with a calculating look as he assessed the situation. Leeland and Gabe arrived on the scene, both quickly positioning themselves beside Jazz and Keilee, ready for whatever came next.
Ivy and Titus, having closed the distance, now arrived, prepared to reinforce Kellan.
“We’ll deal with them here. It’s four against three; we can take them,” Keilee said, looking determined.
“The Conductor said we should run,” Leeland replied with a hesitant voice.
“And do you think we’ll let you run any further?” Ivy cut in, her tone sharp and filled with contempt.
Ivy stood her ground, and she began to rotate her whip above her head, the weapon gleaming with dark purple and black energy. As the rotation increased in speed, the air around it seemed to crackle with power, the dark hues blending into a vortex of energy. Slowly, a portal began to form at the center of the swirling energy, its edges glowing ominously. The portal widened, pulsating with an eerie light, and from its depths, a Gore Hound leaped out. The moment its heavy paws hit the ground, the rooftop began to vibrate under its weight, the tremors spreading out like a shockwave, adding to the sense of impending danger. The vibration continued, and cracks suddenly appeared, spreading rapidly like a web, snaking outward in all directions.
Their faces seemed to predict the impending danger, eyes widening in alarm. Jazz shouted, “The rooftop will collapse, run!”
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