The Warden’s War

Kay woke to raised voices echoing through the Warden base's corridors. At first, half-asleep, he thought an alarm had gone off. But the deep timbre of Soma's anger clashed against another, calmer voice, and Kay scrambled off his bunk. He yanked on his shoes and rushed into the hallway, following the reverberations toward the training hall.

He spotted Raven outside the entrance, dark hair unkempt, eyes worried. Shadows coiled faintly around her ankles, revealing her tension. "Soma's been training alone since dawn," she said softly, "and Master Yue tried to intervene. It sounds… bad."

Kay felt a twist of dread. Soma's half-demon lineage was a double-edged sword, granting immense Exorcist Flames but requiring constant emotional checks. If he was unleashing that fury now, something must have pushed him to the edge. "Let's see what's going on," Kay murmured.

Inside, they found Soma in the middle of the padded floor, chest heaving. Wisps of orange-gold Exorcist Flames curled around his forearms. Master Yue stood calmly a few yards away, yet her posture betrayed a readiness to act if necessary. The air crackled with heat. Kay and Raven approached, stopping near the wall.

Master Yue's voice was gentle but firm. "Soma, we do not pursue more power by sacrificing self-control. I feel your frustration—why give it so much hold over you?"

Soma's eyes glowed a fierce amber, a sign of his demon blood stirring. "I'm sick of tiptoeing around," he snapped. "Every day, we patch up new Rifts, but never go on the offensive. My demon side wants me to push harder, burn everything that stands in our way. Why not use it?"

Master Yue maintained her poise. "Azaroth thrives on negative emotions, remember? If you rely on rage to fuel your flames, corruption can take root. You risk losing yourself."

Soma's gaze flicked to Kay and Raven, voice edged with bitterness. "We're on the defensive while Azaroth spreads corruption. If my demon side can give me the strength to wipe out his creatures for good, shouldn't I embrace it?"

Raven clenched her hands, but said nothing yet. Kay took a step forward, keeping his tone calm. "Soma, you saw what happens when someone surrenders to corruption. Like the possessed Channeler we fought. That could be you if you let anger consume you."

Soma's jaw tightened, embers flaring. "Save your lectures. That demon inside me is always clawing at my control. It wants to break free. Holding it back feels pointless right now."

Master Yue lifted a hand in a calming gesture. "Enough. Soma, stand down. We can resolve this without aggression." A soothing wave of energy radiated from her, but Soma shook it off, stepping backward. A pulse of flame singed the mat under his feet.

Raven tensed. Kay's heartbeat thudded. Would Soma lash out? Instead, with a frustrated snarl, Soma yanked the protective charm from his belt—an amulet that helped stabilize his Exorcist Flames—and tossed it aside. Then he stormed off the training floor. The charm clattered on the mat, the flame around it sizzling faintly.

A chill ran through Kay. Without that charm, Soma's demon side had no buffer. "We should—"

Master Yue placed a hand on his shoulder, halting him. "Let him go for now. He hasn't lost control entirely, but his anger is dangerous." She stooped to retrieve the charm, slipping it into a small pouch. "Keep an eye out; if he leaves the base, we must ensure he doesn't do something reckless."

The day crawled on in tense quiet. Kay forced himself to focus on routine tasks—running minor Rift scans, helping Zeke with a cryptid-tech calibration. Raven spent hours in the Archives, searching for references to half-demon Channelers. But an undercurrent of worry for Soma permeated everything. Even other Wardens passing by looked uneasy, aware a meltdown could occur.

By midday, Kay found Zeke in the rec room, flipping through a cryptid-tech manual while half-heartedly eating an energy bar. "Seen Soma?" Kay asked.

Zeke shook his head. "No. Someone said they spotted him leaving the base on foot. If he's out there without his charm, that's a ticking time bomb."

Kay sighed. "We can't ignore this. If Azaroth's corruption stirs up negativity in him, he could lose control or do something drastic." Together, they went to Master Yue's office, finding Raven there already, requesting permission to track Soma down. Yue listened gravely, then nodded.

"Go," she said. "But approach gently. An aggressive confrontation may provoke him further."

So Kay, Raven, and Zeke piled into a Warden SUV. Zeke rigged a partial ID trace for Soma, hoping his standard Warden items—like the phone or comm device—still pinged. They drove through the city's outer districts, past decaying strip malls and empty lots, following faint signals. By mid-afternoon, they pulled up at a deserted yard near the river, dotted with rusty shipping containers.

Zeke squinted at his handheld monitor. "He's close," he murmured.

They stepped out onto cracked asphalt. Kay felt a slight hum of spiritual tension. Rounding a corner of stacked containers, they found Soma slumped against a steel wall, arms draped over his knees, faint embers flickering around his hands. At their appearance, he tensed, eyes flashing amber again.

Kay halted a few steps away, raising his palms. "We're not here to fight."

Soma let out a derisive snort. "Then go away. I'm not a kid who needs coddling."

Raven, illusions subdued around her ankles, spoke quietly. "You left your charm. That's dangerous, Soma."

Soma stared at the smoldering flame on his arm. "I'm tired of caging my demon side. Azaroth's out there, spreading corruption, and we're just reacting. If I unleashed everything, maybe we'd finish his legion faster."

Zeke joined Kay's side, voice steady. "But you know raw anger alone can push you into corruption. You're risking exactly what we're fighting against."

Soma slammed a fist against the container, denting it. A spark of flame arced near Kay, who flinched but stayed calm. "I know! You think I don't? But all I feel is this pointless leash. I want to crush Azaroth's minions, not seal Rifts forever."

Kay took a slow breath. "We get it. We're all frustrated. But if you lose control, Azaroth wins. Don't give him that chance."

Soma's gaze locked on Kay, flickering from rage to guilt. Slowly, the flame on his arms waned. "I… fine. I don't want to become a monster." He exhaled shakily, letting Kay pull him up. "But if Master Yue starts preaching again—"

Raven interjected gently. "She wants to help, not preach. Please, come back with us."

Zeke nodded. "We'll figure this out. Just don't go demon-mode on your own, okay?"

Soma let out a long sigh, the last sparks fading from his fingertips. "All right, fine."

Back at the base, Master Yue convened them in a quiet lounge. Soma leaned against the wall, arms folded, expression guarded. Kay, Raven, and Zeke sat around a low table, listening.

"Soma," Yue began in a calm tone, "your frustration is valid. We do respond piece by piece to Azaroth's threats, but that's to protect innocents and gather intel. We aren't ignoring the bigger fight."

Soma stared at the floor. "Feels like we'll never beat him at this rate."

Yue continued, "But letting your demon anger burn unchecked only aids Azaroth. Instead, we must find a true balance—an acceptance of your demon side, not a suppression or indulgence."

Soma tensed. "And how do I do that? Telling me to stay calm doesn't make the anger vanish."

Yue inclined her head. "We have specialized meditation and integration techniques for half-demons. The Wardens have encountered many over the centuries who succeeded in harnessing demonic power without corruption. I can guide you through them, if you're willing."

Soma's fists tightened briefly. Then he gave a curt nod. "Fine. Better than losing my mind."

Yue offered a gentle smile, then gestured to Kay. "Kay, you'll assist. Your empathic approach helps with emotional conflicts. Raven and Zeke can also support. Soma, retrieve your charm; we begin tomorrow."

Soma grumbled but picked up his abandoned charm from the table. Casting Kay a sidelong glance, he mumbled, "Don't expect me to gush about my feelings, all right?"

Kay gave a small smile. "No gushing needed. Just try."

Over the next several days, Master Yue held specialized sessions in a private training room. Soma knelt in a circle of warding runes, Exorcist Flames held at a low burn while Kay sat nearby, ready to channel ghost energy if needed. Raven sometimes added illusions that gently tested Soma's emotional reactions. Zeke monitored the spiritual flux with a handheld sensor, offering real-time feedback on whether Soma's demon aura spiked beyond safe limits.

It was grueling. Soma had to confront the negativity he normally suppressed—anger, fear, the constant sense of being "less human." But Master Yue's guidance helped him shift from battling the demon side to acknowledging it as part of himself. Kay saw small improvements each day: fewer outbursts, calmer transitions when the flames roared, a subtle acceptance behind Soma's eyes.

Late one afternoon, Kay arrived to see Soma kneeling, sweat dripping down his brow, Exorcist Flames hovering above his palms. Master Yue quietly chanted a grounding mantra. Soma's face was set in concentration, but he managed to keep the flames from flaring into chaos. Kay felt relief, remembering how violent these sessions could have been if anger took over.

Yue offered an approving nod. "Better. Don't force the demon side away—guide it. Maintain Harmony, as we taught you."

Soma breathed shakily, the flames shimmering. He met Kay's gaze, lips twitching in a near-smile. "Quit staring like that, ghost boy."

Kay laughed softly. "You're the one with flames in your hands. Hard not to stare."

Soma huffed, letting the fire recede. Still, Kay read gratitude in his eyes. They had come a long way from this morning's near-disaster. Even Raven, watching from the corner, smiled gently.

But Azaroth's threat was never far. Word came of a mid-level Rift forming near a riverside park at twilight. Witnesses spotted odd amphibian-like creatures slipping out. The city's police needed Warden help to secure the area. With Lian still away finalizing her own family obligations, Master Yue dispatched Kay, Soma, Raven, and Zeke.

They arrived at dusk, streetlamps casting feeble light across winding paths. Civilians clustered behind police tape, confused by the swirling Rift at the water's edge. Kay glimpsed flashes of reptilian shapes darting around. He inhaled, hoping this wouldn't push Soma too hard.

They advanced as a unit, illusions from Raven disguising them from onlookers. Zeke scanned the Rift with his drone, reading multiple signatures. Soma's belt charm glowed faintly, Exorcist Flames swirling in readiness around his fists. Kay felt tension knot his stomach, but also a newfound hope that Soma wouldn't break under stress.

Sure enough, a bulky, scaly amphibian demon emerged with a guttural croak, lunging toward them. Soma met it head-on, but not recklessly. Raven's illusions disoriented the creature, Kay blasted it with ectoplasmic bolts, and Zeke fired a disruptor pulse. The demon swung a claw, raking Soma's forearm. Pain flared across Soma's face, flames dancing dangerously. Kay's heart lurched, worried he'd snap. But Soma grit his teeth, controlling the surge of fury instead of unleashing it blindly.

He hammered the demon's chest with a focused torrent of Exorcist Flames. The beast shrieked, slime sizzling under the heat, then collapsed into embers. Two smaller reptilian spirits tried to flank Kay and Raven, but they overcame them with a rapid combination of illusions and ectoplasmic blasts. Once free of interference, Zeke stabilized the Rift's edges, letting Kay and Raven channel enough energy to seal it. Soma added a final wave of flame, the demon side fueling his strike without overrunning his mind.

The fight ended quickly. Kay rushed to Soma, noticing the bleeding cut. "You okay?"

Soma's hands trembled a bit, but he nodded. "Yeah. I… didn't lose it." Relief underpinned his voice, as if he was still in disbelief.

Raven finished dispersing illusions, her posture relaxing. "That demon was strong, but we handled it."

Zeke flashed a proud grin. "You especially, Soma. Good job."

Medics—quietly coordinated by the Wardens—slipped in to treat minor injuries. Most civilians never realized a supernatural battle had occurred, thanks to illusions and hush protocols. The policeman in charge thanked them for resolving the "strange disturbance." Soma's face remained stoic, yet Kay could sense the triumph simmering beneath.

Back at the base, Master Yue listened to their report and nodded, eyes shining with approval. "Soma, you have taken a crucial step in managing your demon flames. Keep this momentum."

Soma crossed his arms, trying not to look too pleased. "I'm still me," he said quietly. "But it's a start."

Even so, the atmosphere in the base felt lighter. Kay and Soma grabbed dinner together—something that rarely happened. Soma, bandage on his forearm, devoured protein bars while Kay recounted funny details of the fight, like the amphibian demon's croaky roar. Soma actually laughed, a short bark of amusement. For a moment, Kay glimpsed the camaraderie they all craved.

Later, in the hallway, Kay paused. "Hey, about earlier… thanks for letting us help. I know it's not easy for you to ask."

Soma rolled his eyes, but a faint smile tugged at his mouth. "Yeah, well, don't spread it around. I just… realized I don't wanna be Azaroth's puppet. If losing control hands me over to him, that's worse than any slow plan."

Kay nodded, relieved. "We won't let that happen."

Soma's gaze flicked to the protective charm on his belt. "If it ever does, though—"

"We'll bring you back," Kay said firmly. "Count on it."

Soma snorted, but a flash of gratitude shone in his eyes. "Fine. Don't screw it up."

That night, Kay found himself in the rec room with Raven and Zeke, quietly marveling at how far Soma had come in just a day. Raven admitted she'd worried the demon side would trigger a meltdown at the park, but seeing Soma hold steady reassured her. Zeke teased that next time they should record Soma's victory for posterity, to which Raven replied that illusions didn't show on camera well. Kay just laughed, feeling their bond strengthen.

Crawling into bed later, Kay replayed the evening's events. Soma's fight, the harrowing moment when anger nearly tipped him over, and the relief when he harnessed his power instead. If a half-demon like Soma could shape raw fury into a tool for good, then maybe they all had hope of mastering their fears—Raven her shadows, Lian her draconic fire, Kay his ghostly intangibility. Each of them carried vulnerabilities Azaroth could exploit, but maybe each vulnerability could transform into a strength.

As he drifted off, Kay pictured the entire team standing side by side—Soma with contained Exorcist Flames, Lian with draconic embers, Raven conjuring illusions, Zeke brandishing cryptid-tech, and Kay channeling spectral blasts. A unity forged from acceptance, not denial. Azaroth was still out there, sowing new seeds of chaos, yet their synergy felt unbreakable in that moment.

Tomorrow, there'd be more Rifts, more anomalies, more corruption attempts. But at least for tonight, Kay felt a calm sense of victory. Because the biggest fights weren't always with monstrous spirits—they were with themselves, and Soma had just won a pivotal round.