STOCK VELLA FACILITY HOUSEHOLD:

  Four days later, at the Stock Vella Facility, Nesta suddenly appeared—teleporting into the center of the compound. He slowly raised his head and straightened his body, surveying his surroundings. Before him stood the Venda lady warriors, the Ndebele lady warriors, and the Swati lady warriors. The women were already prepared for his attack.

  With a sly smile, Nesta spoke.

  “Welcome, ladies. You know I’m not into polygamy, so let’s just do this one by one. You know, just to be fair. I don’t want too many wives, okay?”

  The ladies paid no attention to his words. They stood their ground, watching him carefully, waiting to see what he would do next.

  Seeing their lack of interest, Nesta sighed.

  “You know what? Let’s just get this over with.”

  At that very moment, a rock came flying at him in a sneak attack from behind. He did not anticipate it—but he blocked it instantly. Then more rocks followed. The Venda lady warriors were using telekinesis—their ability—to control the stones, sending them floating straight toward Nesta. He blocked each one that came his way.

  Just as he was about to advance, a shield suddenly formed around him.

  Nesta frowned. He did not understand what was happening—until he realized it was the Ndebele warriors’ ability: shield creation.

  He began punching the shield repeatedly until it shattered. But the moment it broke, another one formed. And another. And another. Every time he destroyed one, they created more.

  What they did not realize was this: the more they formed shields, and the more he punched through them, the more Nesta adapted. He began to understand their structure. Soon, he no longer needed consecutive punches. With a single strike—one clean, devastating blow—he shattered the shields with ease.

  Nesta surged forward to attack the other warriors, but the Venda ladies intensified their telekinesis. Rocks swarmed him from every direction. He blocked many, but there were too many attackers. Some rocks struck him—not to injure him, but to push him back to the exact spot where he had teleported in.

  Every time he tried to move forward, they forced him back. Rocks slammed into him, driving him backward. Shields formed to restrict his path. He broke through them—but still, they kept repeating the same pattern.

  Nesta paused. Why were they doing the same thing over and over again?

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  Then he saw it.

  Across the battlefield, the Swati lady warriors were performing a ritual dance.

  His expression changed instantly. He understood. That ritual was dangerous. Once completed, it would unleash a power he would not be able to block—or escape from. The ritual required more than five individuals to manifest its full strength.

  Nesta leapt forward, trying to break through the defensive line and reach the dancers. But the telekinesis and shields stopped him again. He used his martial arts to maneuver between attacks, blocking rocks mid-air and blasting through the telekinetic warriors, sending several crashing away.

  Yet the others did not falter. They fought harder. They threw everything at him, fully unleashing their abilities. Even the shields began to grow stronger, denser, more durable.

  But Nesta was stronger.

  The ritual dancers’ power began to manifest in the air. Energy pulsed around them.

  Nesta felt the pressure rising—and he responded. He teleported. But not in the usual way. He extended his teleportation ability to a higher level, moving in rapid, overwhelming bursts that confused and overpowered the warriors around him. The battlefield turned chaotic.

  Both sides fought relentlessly, overwhelming each other in equal measure.

  Then Nesta used the same devastating power he had once used against the Pedi leader. He unleashed it upon the warriors, defeating many in a single, crushing surge.

  He tried to teleport directly to one of the Swati warriors performing the ritual.

  But instantly, a shield formed around him—and in the next second, he was transported back to the center of the battlefield. It was a fusion of Venda telekinesis and Ndebele shielding.

  Nesta’s anger flared.

  With magnificent force, he punched through the shield. The shockwave of his power tore through it and shot forward—aimed directly at one of the ritual dancers.

  A Venda warrior reacted immediately, forming a protective shield around the dancer. The energy slammed against it, cracking it. The warrior poured everything she had into maintaining that barrier. Her veins bulged. Her body trembled. She refused to let it fall.

  Nesta’s eyes locked onto her.

  With brutal precision, he redirected another surge of power straight at the shield-forming warrior herself. The blast struck her. She collapsed. The shield dissipated instantly.

  The original attack pierced through—heading toward the ritual dancer.

  But what Nesta did not realize was this: the ritual did not depend on a single individual. There were many Swati warriors present. Even if one fell, the dance continued.

  Suddenly—

  A blinding flash of light surrounded him.

  BING.

  BING.

  BING.

  BING.

  BING.

  The ritual was complete.

  An overwhelming surge of power erupted and shot straight toward Nesta.

  In that split second—less than a split second—Nesta understood: if he stayed, he would die.

  He tries teleporting out but his powers were not engaging due to his excessive use. Nesta tries again and again as he realizes he is in a huge problem. Nesta relaxes himself remembers what the Pedi leader taught him about focus on one power at a time, so he doesn't restrain himself. Nesta does that and tries again.

  He teleported out of the facility.

  The unleashed energies collided with each other inside the compound, forming a massive explosion that shook the entire structure. The facility was consumed in a violent blast.

  Outside, in the open world, Nesta reappeared. He inhaled deeply, steadying himself.

  Frustration burned inside him.

  He had failed to retrieve one of the Embers.

  But this was not the end.

  He would gather the remaining Embers first.

  And then—

  He would return.