Darkness. That’s all he saw. Blinded by the dagger’s rawshka, he had attempted to drive Striker’s dagger through the traitor’s icy heart. Trying to save the world. That’s what he tried to do.

Now, barely conscious and coughing up blood, he didn’t think he saved anybody.

Terrisk wearily opened his eyes, trying to get up, biting his tongue as he felt himself being pressed down by something on his back. Everything hurt.

The city was in shambles from his failure. Striker, a nobody who had once been referred to as Ryon before changing his name in reference to the former hero, had destroyed everything. Terrisk couldn’t help but chuckle. Oh, the irony… it was like reciting history; even the villains had the same names as the foes of the past.

Clouded by drifting thoughts, Terrisk found it difficult to focus.

He wasn’t hit that hard, he told himself. Once he got his thoughts together; he could come up with a plan to stop Striker and the Jaws from their savage reign. He just needed to think.

Time passed. He thought.

Striker had been his friend, his comrade. Ever since he witnessed Finchfall City fall, Striker had wanted to bring peace back to their broken society. Striker had been the one to come up with their team name, The Torchlights. He had been the one to find others willing to join them; Silver, Venin, Inferno, and Jade. Terrisk felt a flicker of terror. He was supposed to protect Jade. Would she side with him, or would she have fled and waited for things to settle?.. or try to take matters into her own hands, thinking her sibling could be saved?

With a massive huff, he pushed himself up, falling back down on his stomach as the seemingly massive boulders shifted their weight but nothing more.

He was alive. That’s all he needed.

Grunting, Terrisk gripped the soil of the ground. He hadn’t spent decades training to go out like this. Pushing himself up, he managed to drag himself free from beneath the rubble. His back and shoulders burned. He could almost taste the blood he knew was now cascading down his body.

Finally free, he turned around to assess his wounds. He couldn’t see his back, clearly, but he knew he was bleeding. His black and lavender hero outfit was torn in many places, unrecognizable. He could just barely make out the logo of a flaming torch if he squinted his eyes, coughing as the dust finally settled.

It wasn’t boulders that had crushed him. It was a full-on entire building he had gotten trapped beneath.

Gasping, Terrisk grabbed his neck, searching—yes, it’s still there. A necklace featuring a pure diamond centerpiece. A silver chain tangled in an elegant pattern swirled around his neck, ending as the web finally touched; turning blue at the tips, ensnaring a cobalt blue gemstone.

It was a gift. Jade had found it during their Trials, and had given it to him because of his eye color. Like everything else in the Trials, it was probably enchanted. And Jade had given it to him.

And she didn’t even know who he truly was.

Ever since the start, Venin was Kandra. Jade was Gloria. Inferno was Ren. It was only he and Striker who never revealed themselves to their fellow superheroes. It was only them who preferred to remain anonymous.

“Oh, Jade…”

She hadn’t known because of his earring. She hadn’t known that he had been in the Trials before, that he had... Terrisk knew the necklace did nothing, anyway.

But his earring… his earring helped greatly.

“I wish I kept that crystal.” Terrisk hissed through his teeth as he stood, trying to ignore the pain that seemed to come to him in waves. Silver had the crystal. The healing crystal. They had a plan; lead Shark and Fang to the central wing, Striker would use his hallucination ruby to confuse them, take them out, and then the rest of the Jaws would be easy slaughter. Except it wasn’t.

Striker had betrayed them, telling the Jaws of their plan beforehand, taking Terrisk out, and who knows what happened to the rest of the team while he was unconscious.

He didn’t have a moment to waste, running as quickly as his body would allow from being half-crushed from a gigantic building. He was lucky nothing was broken. Maybe it was purposeful, so he could watch as Striker and the Jaws take over the world himself instead of from whatever afterlife comes next.

Looking around, Terrisk felt fear.

Much like his trust, everything was shattered. Even as the moon rose up high in the sky, flames still licking the ground clean, he couldn’t help but stare in terror at what the Jaws have done.

They weren’t getting away with this.

But first? Silver.

“Silver!” Terrisk called out. It was stupid. It was terribly stupid to be shouting for a friend who was probably unconscious, dead, or planning to betray you too, but he did it anyway. Because he was loyal to those he cared for.

“Sil-“

“Here!”

Sprinting, Terrisk ran to a store. The lights were off, the power out. Everything was either on the ground or on top of other things on the ground.

“I’m fine!” Silver’s voice assured him, if her tone wasn’t anything to go by.

Spotting a flash of long blonde hair, Nightshade stumbled to where Silver sat, her hands clinching a bright pink crystal which was rudely shoved into his chest the moment her eyes met his. “For crying out loud, Terrisk!” She cursed, her eyes not filled with anger but with worry.

“I’m fine.” Terrisk insisted, sighing in relief once the worst of his injuries seemingly melted away.

Silver stared in disbelief.

“Okay, well, now I am. Striker betrayed us.”

Silver blinked, growing more serious now that Terrisk had brought that up.

“That weasel. An opportunist at best. How ironic that he named himself after one of the best—he’s tainting the name!” Silver spat, standing.

“How long has it been?” Terrisk questioned.

“Hours.” Silver vaguely responded, focused entirely on something else.

“Either Jade, Venin…”—Silver rolled her eyes—“…and Inferno are kidnapped and held hostage, or they somehow figured out the plan and are waiting for us back at headquarters.”

Terrisk hoped that was the case.

Either way, he still heard the words Silver had refused to awknowledge.

_What if they’re dead?_

On their way back to headquarters, Terrisk saw more of what ruin the Jaws have left this city in.

“At this rate, they won’t even have anyone to rule over, with everyone dying and all.” Silver spoke.

“_Is _that their goal?” Terrisk couldn’t help but be a little uncertain.

“Striker has… oh no.” Silver froze, blue eyes growing wide.

“If Striker has Inferno, we’re doomed.”

Terrisk was about to ask why when realization dawned on him.

“They have to be at headquarters.” He determined.

There was no way they were going to survive if he wasn’t.

* * *

“Silver.” Inferno greeted, standing tall. His bronze hair gleamed, copper eyes filled with uncertainty “Terrisk.”

Terrisk raised a brow at the hero’s stoic greeting, knowing instantly something was wrong.

Inferno didn’t smile. But his eyes pleaded that they understood.

And then, for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, everything went pitch dark.

* * *

“Oh.” Silver’s voice was what woke him up.

“Oh. I’m so sorry.”

“What..?” Terrisk blinked, trying to come to terms with what was happening.

He was tied up, his wrists bound and head throbbing.

“Look who joined us!” An overly cheerful man exclaimed. “The infamous Terrisk! Hello, old friend!”

“_Striker_.” Even now, it felt ironic. Striker was one of the founders of the Trials. Rarely anybody took them because of how dangerous it was. Artifacts of old and new all resided there, waiting for worthy hands. How Striker was worthy, Terrisk had no clue.

“Jade?” Terrisk looked up at the female, his eyes questioning and filled with hurt.

She stood beside Striker.

No wonder that moron was smiling.

“I’ll join you.” Silver whispered, her voice uncharacteristically soft.

“What?” Terrisk blinked, staring at her as Venin and Storm untied Silver and allowed her to rise.

“I’m so happy you joined us.” Striker said, his eyes never leaving Terrisk.

“No, it’s a trap!” Terrisk cried, his eyes resting on the faint pulse the opal around Striker’s neck emitted. _Thump, thump, thump,_ like his heartbeat.

Jade only shook her head, Inferno giving a nervous smile. Venin avoided his gaze altogether. Silver gave Terrisk a sorry look.

Terrisk hadn’t looked at his surroundings until now, but he certainly recalled what this place was used for.

“You wouldn’t.” He snapped.

“I would.” Striker met his gaze, calm.

Without a word, Venin and Storm lifted Terrisk, forcing him to walk.

“You’re all being controlled.” Terrisk insisted, looking at Inferno’s person, hoping desperately that he still had the orb.

“This isn’t you.”

“Terrisk…” Jade’s eyes glistened. “We need you.”

In front of Terrisk was a pool of rawshka. Unlike water, it flickered through every color of the rainbow, undecided on which it liked best.

“Get in.” Striker’s voice was harsh. Sharp eyes were visible in the distance. Terrisk could barely make out Shark’s curly hair.

“I won’t ask again.”

“Terrisk, please, it’s for the best.” Jade reasoned, her eyes still full of hope.

Rawshka was the source of power each stone, crystal, enchanted artifact every held. Drinking the liquid burned one from the inside out. Stepping inside…

“Why? How could this be your plan? How does this help you?” Terrisk yelled, looking at Striker.

It was Shark who answered.

“We need something. The pool is willing to give it to us, at a cost.”

“You’re mad.” Terrisk tried to back up, only hitting Storm’s chest.

“You have the orb.”

Shark only smiled in response.

Turning around, Terrisk threw himself onto Storm, trying to move past the flailing girl to get to Striker and take the orb himself.

Seeing the attack, Striker rubbed his opal, his eyes glowing white.

“No!” Jade yelled, stepping between the two.

“Please listen. Understand!” She looked at Terrisk.

“My brother is trapped in there…”

Terrisk grunted. “Jade, _listen to me_.” He demanded, his eyes cold. He knew now what Striker must have told her. “Your brother is dead. He has been for a long time.”

She froze.

“He died reviving me.”

Striker paused.

“Because _I’m_ Striker.” Terrisk met Striker’s eyes, full of hate.

“The original.”

History repeats itself.

Orpheus, a young boy caught between clashing sides, had went through the trials and found the healing crystal. By giving his own life, his final wish was to restore peace. To protect Jade… and Striker had only needed to glimpse at the world to see what was really happening.

“Give me the orb.” He demanded, his voice absolute.

There was a change in him. There was no going back.

Without waiting, he reached for his copy, but instead of looking for the orb— he tore out the opal.

Screaming, the fake fell to the ground.

The rawshka seemed to hum with energy.

Shark and the Jaws stood still, frozen as they realized how much trouble they were in.

When—the opal shattered.

Striker knew what would happen. He knew what the opal did. He and the originals had created it, after all. It was the most powerful vessel for magic… which meant that once it was destroyed…

“Oh my stars…” Jade gasped.

Striker felt it. A loss, considering how much he had given up for it.

Magic faded.

The pool shrunk.

He laughed.

“Maybe it was a hollow dream.” He sighed.

Oroheus’ face flooded his mind.

He looked at Jade, sensing her sorrow.

“Maybe…” He looked into the shadows at Shark, his eyes ablaze as he watched the coward hold his hands up, surrendering to the legend.

Striker took the blue necklace off, Jade’s shocked face turning to him as he placed it on her.

“Maybe it’s time to start anew.”