The woman's cold, calculating gaze fixed on Shiebe. The air seemed to thrum with tension, as if the palace itself could feel the danger closing in. It was clear that she wasn't just any intruder. She was a threat, and Shiebe could sense it deep in his bones.
He extended his hand toward the door, barring her way.
Shiebe: "Sorry, Miss. Eros isn't here, and you can't just waltz in without permission."
His voice was polite, even strained, trying to maintain control in the face of an unknown danger. But as the woman stared back with a cold, impassive expression, his instincts flared. He had no idea who she was, but one thing was clear—she wasn't here for tea.
Shiebe began to gently close the door, his movements slow to avoid provoking her.
Shiebe: "...Shi—"
The door jerked violently from his hands. A surge of force ripped it open, and Shiebe was thrown backward, crashing to the floor. His heart raced. She hadn't even touched him. He scrambled to his feet, but the woman's foot was planted firmly in the doorway, preventing him from shutting it.
Her voice came cold and commanding.
???: "Eros gave me permission to take you with me."
Shiebe: "Take me... where?"
Before she could answer, her eyes flashed, and with an almost imperceptible motion, a shockwave of force surged from her foot. The palace floor buckled, and the ground beneath Shiebe trembled violently. He was torn from his footing, dragged by an invisible force away from the door, his body crashing down further into the corridor.
???: "Tch. Don't make this harder than it needs to be. I'll take you—whether you want to go or not."
Shiebe: "—?! Whoa!"
A thick stone wall suddenly erupted from the floor, slamming into the space between him and the woman. Dust and debris filled the air as the massive slab of rock shot upward. Shiebe didn't wait to see if it would hold. His reflexes kicked in, and he scrambled to his feet, putting some distance between them.
Shiebe:Who the hell is this woman?
His eyes darted around the marble hall, seeking anyone else who might be able to help. And then he saw her—Zaneff, the elf with the white hair, stepping forward, her arm raised in front of him, an icy shield forming between them and the woman.
Zaneff: "I thought I told you to stay away."
The woman's lips curled into a sneer. She raised her hand, and before anyone could react, shards of concrete exploded from the broken wall, tearing through the air with deadly speed. Zaneff didn't flinch. With a gesture, she summoned a barrier of thick ice, blocking the incoming shrapnel. The impact rang through the hall as fragments clattered to the floor.
The woman didn't seem to care. She flicked the dust off her black dress, her expression hardening.
???: "That's all you've got?"
Her voice was calm but dripping with venom.
CRASH!
She launched herself toward Zaneff, her pink aura flaring behind her like a violent storm. The energy seemed to trail in her wake as if her very presence was warping the air. The woman moved like a blur, her power twisting and adapting to every strike and every defense they threw at her.
Maz (from the air): "Nice try, but I've got wings."
Maz dove from above, lightning crackling around his form. He summoned a bolt of electricity, hurling it at the woman, but she didn't seem phased. With a sudden surge of energy, she dodged the attack effortlessly, the ground beneath her feet splintering as she moved with unnatural speed. She was adapting to every movement, learning and countering them in real-time.
Maz: "...Crap, she's faster than I thought."
Maz gritted his teeth. He wasn't going to give up. With a growl, he summoned another bolt, this one stronger and more focused. He launched it straight down toward her. The crackling lightning arced through the air, but the woman twisted, sidestepping at the last second. She reached out, her hand glowing, and a wall of stone erupted beneath her, shielding her from the attack.
Zaneff (shouting): "Maz, get ready!"
Maz: "I don't need to be told twice!"
He shot into the air, his wings flapping hard to keep him aloft, and he began charging a massive bolt of lightning. Zaneff turned her attention to the woman, her eyes flashing with concentration. She raised her hand, summoning water from the marble floors, surrounding the woman in an ever-tightening whirlpool.
The woman, now trapped in the water vortex, fought to break free, her powers adapting rapidly. Her eyes glowed with ferocity as she shifted her body into a fluid form, the water morphing around her as she turned it into steam. She pushed through the barrier with a violent, forceful pulse of energy.
???: "You think you can trap me?"
The woman's body sparked with electric energy. She was adapting, countering the very elements they used against her. In the blink of an eye, she was out of the water and charging directly toward them, her speed too fast to follow. Maz released his lightning strike, but she twisted, her body shifting and changing mid-flight to avoid the bolt. Instead, the lightning struck the water, sending arcs of electricity toward her—but she seemed to absorb it, her power adapting, growing stronger with each attack.
Shiebe, watching all of this unfold, felt the weight of the situation. He couldn't just stand there. He needed to act, to end this before they were all overpowered.
He summoned an orb of destruction in his hand, focusing his energy into it. It shimmered with raw power, growing larger as he channeled his abilities. He hurled it toward the woman, hoping that the explosive force would give them the advantage. But she didn't flinch.
Instead, she raised her hand, her body twisting to the side as she adapted to the trajectory of the orb. She summoned a jagged wall of stone, the orb crashing into it, detonating in a thunderous explosion that shook the entire palace.
Dust and debris flew everywhere, but the woman remained unharmed. She stood tall, her eyes now glowing brighter, as if she had absorbed the energy from the blast.
Shiebe (shouting): "No way..."
The woman grinned, her aura flaring brighter. She was evolving with each attack, her adaptability making her nearly impossible to defeat.
???: "Is that all? You're going to have to try harder than that."
Zaneff, seeing how they were quickly losing ground, formed a massive wall of ice around the woman, trapping her. Maz's lightning crackled around the ice, electrifying the whole structure. But the woman's expression remained unchanged.
???: "Enough."
She slammed her hand against the ice, and in an instant, the ice shattered into a thousand pieces. The shockwave sent Zaneff and Maz stumbling back. But the woman wasn't finished. She charged forward, fist raised, ready to strike them down.
And then, in an instant, something shifted. Shiebe, still reeling from his earlier explosion, rose to his feet. His power surged again. He didn't want to kill her, but she had to be stopped.
He summoned one last orb—a massive one, larger and more destructive than any he'd ever made. His entire being pulsed with the energy. It was a gamble, but it was all he had left.
He threw it with all his might, his body burning with the effort. The orb collided with the woman just as she was about to strike, sending out a wave of destructive force that blasted her off her feet. The impact shook the palace to its core, the ground cracking beneath them.
She hit the floor hard, and the dust settled.
Shiebe stood panting, his energy spent. He couldn't believe it. He had done it. She was still breathing, but she was down.
The last remnants of dust hung in the air, thick and choking. Shiebe's chest heaved as he stood over the woman, who was now crumpled on the floor, her body battered by the massive orb of destruction. Her breathing was shallow, ragged, the only sound breaking the otherwise silent hall. For a moment, it felt like time itself had stopped—frozen, heavy with the weight of what had just happened.
But Shiebe wasn't finished. His hands trembled, not from fear, but from the tension that had been building in him since this whole mess started. His anger wasn't just about the woman lying there in front of him—it was about everything. The fear for his parents, the uncertainty about his future, the constant feeling of being hunted. This woman, this battle—it was only a small part of the bigger picture, but it felt like the world was crashing down on him.
He could barely keep his voice steady as he spoke.
Shiebe (low, barely contained): "Who are you? What did you want from me?"
Her bloodied lips twisted into a grin, despite the pain. Shiebe's eyes burned with fury as she coughed, her body jerking with each shallow breath.
???: "You think you've won? This isn't over... There are more like me... coming..."
Shiebe's pulse quickened, and the urge to summon another orb—to make her pay for everything—was almost unbearable. But before he could even raise his hand, a voice rang out, cutting through the charged atmosphere with icy precision.
Eros (from the doorway): "That's enough, Shiebe."
Shiebe turned quickly, his heart still racing, but the sight of Eros caused a pause. The older man stood in the doorway, drenched in blood, his clothes torn, and his usual stoic demeanor cracked with the weight of the moment. His dark eyes, usually calm and controlled, were hard with something deeper—something Shiebe hadn't seen before. His breath came in heavy bursts, but it wasn't from exhaustion; it was from something else, something more dangerous.
Eros's gaze swept over the room, the woman on the ground, and then to Shiebe. For a moment, there was no judgment in his eyes—just an understanding, a shared intensity. But then, his voice cut through the tension like a knife.
Eros (calm, but commanding): "Let her live, Shiebe."
Shiebe's frustration flared again, but this time, he forced himself to steady his breathing. He didn't want to get angry. He didn't want to do something he'd regret. But it was hard to ignore the building rage inside him.
Shiebe (his voice low but intense): "You think letting her live will solve anything? She's part of something bigger, Eros. Something we don't fully understand. People are dying out there!"
Eros's expression softened ever so slightly, though his voice remained firm.
Eros (with quiet authority): "I know. But this woman—she's just one piece of a much larger puzzle. The Council of Despair... they've been planning this for a long time. They've done this before. The same kidnapping tactics, the same ruthless strategies they used in Ruina."
Shiebe blinked, taken aback. His mind raced as he processed the information. He had heard about the attack on Ruina, but he hadn't realized the scope of what was happening.
Shiebe (trying to understand): "So... this is just like what happened in Ruina? You mean they're trying to do the same thing here?"
Eros (nodding grimly): "Yes. They've been targeting key individuals. It's not just you they're after, Shiebe. It's anyone with power, anyone who could challenge their rule. The Council has already converted a number of prisoners in the Ruina prison system. They've made it their mission to spread their influence, to create an army of killers."
Shiebe felt a chill run down his spine as the weight of Eros's words settled in. It wasn't just an attack on him—it was an attack on everything. His family, his friends, the people he'd grown up with. And this woman was just a small part of a much darker plan.
Shiebe (softly, trying to process it all): "So, what do we do now? How do we stop this?"
Eros stepped forward, his eyes never leaving Shiebe's. The blood on his clothes seemed to reflect the harsh light of the palace, the darkness of what had happened—and what was yet to come.
Eros (darkly): "We don't stop. We fight. We regroup and prepare for what's to come. There are more like her—more who will stop at nothing to bring despair to this world."
A heavy silence settled over the room as Eros's words hung in the air. Shiebe didn't speak immediately. He was too caught up in the realization of how big this threat was. They were up against something far more dangerous than he'd anticipated.
Behind Eros, several soldiers had entered, moving with swift efficiency. They approached the woman, binding her with black ropes that seemed to pulse with dark energy. Despite her earlier defiance, the woman was too weak to resist. She was lifted from the ground, her body limp, as the soldiers carried her out of the palace, their footsteps echoing in the hall.
Shiebe, still trying to catch his breath, watched them go. The anger that had burned so brightly inside him was now dulled, replaced by a heavy sense of duty. It wasn't over. This was just the beginning.
Eros turned toward the door, his movements purposeful. He didn't look back, but his voice carried one final command.
Eros: "You've done well, all of you. But the real work starts now. Rest, while you can. Tomorrow, we prepare."
Shiebe watched him leave, his mind still spinning with the weight of everything. He hadn't realized how deep this conflict ran, how interconnected everything was. This wasn't just about a single battle—it was a war.
As the last of the soldiers filed out, Shiebe glanced at Maz and Zaneff, both of whom were equally silent, taking in the gravity of the situation.
Maz (after a long pause, trying to lighten the mood): "Well, that was certainly a night to remember."
Zaneff didn't laugh. She simply nodded, her face drawn tight with concern. Shiebe felt the same, his mind still reeling from the encounter. He wasn't ready to relax yet.
Shiebe (quietly): "Yeah... but I'm not sure how much time we have left."
The three of them stood in the silent aftermath, the enormity of what lay ahead weighing heavily on their shoulders. The battle had just begun.