Henry and Marie finally spoke.
"Tim... what do we do?" Marie whispered.
Tim stared at the empty space where Rei had stood.
"We fight."
_ _ _
The night was silent, but Tim's mind roared like a storm. He stood at the base's training ground, his Solar Saber planted in the dirt, the faint glow of its blade flickering like a dying star.
The weight of Rei's words - her challenge - hung over him like a dark cloud.
Henry and Marie watched from a distance, concerned.
"Tim, you should rest," Henry said softly. "You have a huge battle tomorrow - four monsters, four cities. You can't fight if you're exhausted."
Tim didn't move. His grip on the hilt of his sword tightened.
Henry said "She's trying to break you - not just physically, but mentally. She wants you off balance."
Tim closed his eyes, the memory of Rei's cold smile flashing before him.
"I know," he said, his voice steady. "But I have to win. Not just for the cities - for her."
Henry sighed. "You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved."
Tim didn't answer. Deep down, he refused to believe Rei was lost forever.
He didn't seem to be slacking this time.
The Next Day
The sun barely peeked over the horizon when the alarms blared. Four simultaneous alerts echoed through the base - each one marking a city under attack.
Henry, scanning the radar, grimaced. "The monsters are spread out - the Fire Beast in Solara City, the Ice Serpent in Frostvale city, the Thunder Titan in Ferrow city, and the Wind Reaper in Gale city."
Marie bit her lip. "It's a trap, Tim. She's testing your limits."
Tim grabbed his saber, his Solar energy already burning at his fingertips. "I don't care. I'm taking them down."
Henry looked at the map again. "There's no way you can reach them all alone in time."
Tim's gaze hardened. "Watch me."
Battle 1: Solara City
Tim arrived in a flash of golden light, his Solar energy surging as he faced the first monster. The Fire Beast was massive - a towering creature of molten lava and flames. Buildings crumbled as its fiery claws slashed through the streets, smoke filling the air.
Tim didn't hesitate.
"SOLAR SABER SLASH!"
A wave of blazing energy cut through the air, clashing with the beast's fire as Tim put his entire power to it.
Their elements collided, sending sparks everywhere. The battle raged - - but Tim's speed overwhelmed the slow, lumbering creature.
With a final, powerful strike, Tim pierced its molten core, causing the Fire Beast to explode into embers.
One down.
Battle 2: Frostvale
Tim wasted no time. The moment the Fire Beast fell, he bolted to Frostvale, the freezing air biting at his skin.
The Ice Serpent slithered through the city, freezing everything it touched. Its body coiled around buildings, and its icy breath turned the streets into frozen wastelands.
Tim's Solar energy flared - fire clashing against ice.
The serpent attacked, launching ice shards like daggers, but Tim dodged each one with precision. He leapt onto the creature's back, driving his glowing sword into its frozen scales.
The serpent shrieked - a sound like shattering glass - before collapsing into a pile of ice.
Two down.
Battle 3: Ferrow
Tim barely caught his breath as he arrived at Ferrow city.
The Thunder Titan was a hulking figure, electricity crackling over its massive body. It roared, sending bolts of lightning into the sky. Each step caused thunderous shockwaves, splitting the ground.
Tim grit his teeth. This one was fast and powerful - a deadly combination.
"SOLAR DASH!"
He moved like a beam of light, dodging bolt after bolt. But the titan grabbed him mid-dash, sending a shock through Tim's entire body.
Pain seared through him.
But Tim roared back, summoning every ounce of his Solar energy.
"SOLAR STRIKE!"
A blinding blast shot from his blade, striking the titan's core and dispersing the electric storm.
The titan collapsed.
Three down.
Battle 4: Gale
Tim staggered into Gale town, his body aching, his vision blurring.
The Wind Reaper was like a phantom - a creature made of swirling gales, moving too fast for Tim to track. Buildings were torn apart by tornadoes, and the wind howled like a thousand voices.
Tim's mind screamed for him to stop - but he didn't.
"I won't lose!"
He focused his Solar energy, creating an aura of pure light around himself.
The Wind Reaper struck from all directions, but Tim spun his blade in a perfect arc.
"SOLAR CYCLONE!"
His light clashed with the wind, creating a massive explosion of energy.
When the air finally settled, the Wind Reaper was gone.
Four down.
Tim fell to his knees, his energy nearly drained. Blood dripped from a gash on his arm, and his breathing was ragged.
But he did it. He defeated all four monsters.
As the sun set, a dark figure emerged from the shadows.
Rei.
She looked... unfazed.
"Impressive," she said softly. "You passed the test."
Tim glared at her. "Are you satisfied now?"
Her cold smile returned. "Not yet."
Tim's fists clenched. "I'm coming for you, Rei. You said I could infiltrate your base - don't back out now."
Rei chuckled. "You're welcome to try."
And with that, she vanished again - leaving Tim broken, bleeding... but undefeated.
Henry and Marie arrived moments later, rushing to his side.
"Tim!" Marie gasped.
Henry helped him to his feet. "You did it, but at what cost?"
Tim wiped the blood from his face, his gaze hard and unrelenting.
"I'm going to save her," he whispered.
_ _ _
The next day, Tim stood at the edge of the launch bay, his Solar Saber strapped to his back, his body still aching from yesterday's brutal battles - but his resolve was stronger than ever.
The sky above Soluna shimmered with distant stars, and high above them, like a dark scar against the universe, floated the Dark Void Base-Ship - a monstrous structure of black steel and glowing crimson lights. It hovered menacingly outside the planet's atmosphere, a fortress of evil.
Henry and Marie exchanged worried glances as they prepared their spaceship for takeoff.
"Are you sure about this?" Henry asked again. "This is their stronghold - it's not like fighting monsters in a city. This is Dark Void's territory."
Tim's gaze never wavered from the distant base-ship.
"I don't care," he said. "Rei promised I could infiltrate their base if I passed her test. I'm holding her to that."
Marie sighed. "She set you up. She wants you there - it's a trap."
"Then I'll break the trap."
With that, Tim boarded the spaceship.
As they left Soluna's atmosphere, the gravity shifted, and the weightlessness of space pressed against Tim's body. The base-ship loomed larger now - a twisted, angular design with glowing red veins running through its hull, like a living creature rather than a machine.
The entrance was guarded by dozens of soldiers clad in dark armor - Dark Void's forces. Their weapons crackled with dark energy.
Henry kept the spaceship circling at a safe distance.
"We can't land," he said. "They'll shoot us down immediately."
Tim stood by the ship's door, his Solar Saber glowing faintly at his side.
"Then I'll jump."
Marie's eyes widened. "Tim, that's insane! You'll get shot out of the sky!"
Tim grinned, his Solar energy beginning to flicker around him.
"They won't hit what they can't see."
Before they could argue, Tim slammed the door release button.
The hatch opened - a gust of vacuum pulling at him - and in a flash of golden light, Tim leapt into the void.