The forest moaned around the bridge, a living thing in itself.
Distant wails echoed through the trees, twisted and hollow, as if unseen creatures mourned some ancient wrong.
The mist curled and thickened, curling around the wooden planks like fingers of smoke, and the faint scent of wet earth clung to the air.
Doran moved slowly through it, steps measured, almost ceremonious.
His gaze fell to Nessy, sprawled unconscious, Auroracrusher dim against her pale skin.
He bent with careful precision, fingers brushing the glowing gauntlets from her hands.
For a moment, he lingered, studying her relaxed face, the faint rise and fall of her chest under the misty light.
A small, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.
He reached down, patting her head lightly, as a mentor might to a student who had endured too much.
The gesture carried warmth and reassurance, unspoken words of pride in her strength and endurance.
Rising slowly, he held the gauntlets at his side, the faint glow pulsing softly against his hand.
The forest seemed to shift around him, leaves rustling as if aware of his presence, the air thick with expectation.
Doran stepped into the center of the bridge, the wood groaning beneath his careful weight.
He paused, letting the mist wrap around him, the shadows playing across his calm features.
His eyes scanned the edges of the forest, alert, unflinching, waiting.
Every creature's cry seemed to settle, as if the forest itself had quieted to watch the duel about to unfold.
He straightened fully, shoulders relaxed but ready, the faint glow of Auroracrusher a pulse against the foggy gloom.
The center of the bridge was his stage now, and he waited with quiet patience for Casco to arrive.
Casco rose from the edge of the mist, a tanned man with the air of someone who had survived too much.
A frightening smile tugged at his lips, sharp and knowing, the kind that promised pain before words ever reached the tongue.
Tarvan leaned close, whispering something that made Casco's grin widen just slightly, a flicker of amusement lighting his eyes.
Scars crisscrossed his body, etched deep into his skin — across his hands, arms, and shoulders, each one a silent testament to battles survived and enemies bested.
He stepped toward the center of the bridge, every movement deliberate, predatory, the mist bending around him like it feared his presence.
From a hidden sheath, he drew a dagger, faint purple light pulsing along its blade, casting eerie reflections across the damp wood.
Casco held it loosely at first, then tightened his grip, the purple glow sharpening as his intent solidified.
The forest seemed to tense around him, shadows stretching and twisting, every rustle of leaves echoing like a heartbeat in anticipation.
He stopped at the center, facing Doran, the air between them heavy with quiet menace.
The dagger shimmered faintly, an ominous promise of what was about to unfold.
Casco shifted slightly, dagger raised, stance tense but fluid, ready for anything.
Doran mirrored him, feet planted firmly, hands gripping Auroracrusher.
With a sharp motion, he slammed the gauntlets together, and shockwaves rippled across the bridge, mist swirling violently around them.
The energy pulsed outward, vibrating the wood beneath their feet, bending the air with invisible force.
Doran's voice cut through the hum, calm but edged with curiosity.
"Why do you seem so happy?" he asked, eyes locking onto Casco's grin.
"Are you… perhaps close to getting everything you ever wanted?"
He let his fists hum with Veil energy, the glow of Auroracrusher reflecting off the faint purple of Casco's dagger.
"Your smile says more than words, you know."
Doran's tone softened slightly, almost pitying. "I'm sorry for what this world has done to you."
He paused, letting the words hang in the mist, weighty and deliberate.
"But don't worry. Most people give up when they get this close… or lose everything."
The wind stirred around them, carrying Doran's final question like a challenge.
"Will you… stand back if that happens?"
Casco's grin faltered for the briefest moment, replaced by a flicker of annoyance.
He lunged forward, dagger aimed at Doran, the purple glow slicing through the mist.
But Doran was already moving, his body coiling and shifting with fluid precision.
He sidestepped effortlessly, and with a sharp motion, slammed Auroracrusher into Casco's chest.
The impact sent the man crashing to the bridge, wood groaning beneath the force as mist swirled violently around them.
Doran's voice rose over the echoes of the blow, calm, measured, almost scolding.
"Anger is the downfall of warriors."
He stepped closer, Auroracrusher pulsing faintly in his hands.
"Don't think rashly. Think calmly. You're a Valerian warrior… you know this better than anyone."
The bridge creaked under their weight, the forest around them seeming to hold its breath.
"Is it overwhelming," Doran continued, voice steady, "the strength difference between us?"
He shook his head slightly, eyes cold yet patient.
"This is… an unnecessary fight."
Casco pushed himself up from the splintered bridge, dusting off the remnants of the impact.
His tanned skin gleamed faintly in the mist, the purple dagger still gripped tightly in one hand.
A crooked smile twisted across his scarred face.
"You're… really strong," he admitted, voice low but grudgingly respectful.
Then, with quick, precise movements, he withdrew a small vial of distilled Mist Essence from his belt.
Using a slender piece of wood, he carefully injected the glowing liquid into his veins.
The essence pulsed faintly, tracing through his body, and his eyes flickered with renewed intensity.
Mist swirled violently around him, reacting to the sudden surge of power coursing through his veins.
Casco flexed his fingers around the dagger, purple light sharpening as his body tensed, ready to strike once more.
Casco's grin vanished, replaced by a serious, focused expression as the Mist Essence coursed through his veins.
His eyes glinted with sharpened intent, and the purple dagger pulsed with renewed energy.
He lunged forward, blade aimed to slice Doran across the chest.
But Doran moved like liquid, sidestepping with effortless precision, Auroracrusher glinting as it caught the faint mist light.
Casco spun, slashing again, faster this time, each strike leaving arcs of purple in the foggy air.
Doran met each blow, parrying and dodging smoothly, the gauntlets humming with restrained energy.
The bridge groaned under their feet, mist curling around every movement, reacting to the Veil and essence at play.
Neither gave an inch, attacks and dodges flowing in a deadly, rhythmic dance.
The forest seemed alive, leaves trembling and shadows stretching as if watching the clash with bated breath.
Each strike carried weight, each dodge precision, the fight escalating without pause, both warriors locked in a perfect storm of skill and power.
From the edge of the forest, the Kharuun warriors whispered among themselves, voices trembling with curiosity.
"Who… who will win this?" one murmured, eyes wide as the clash echoed across the bridge.
A sharp voice cut through the murmur.
Ember, a smart and calculating Kharuun warrior, stepped forward slightly, her gaze fixed on the battle.
"This fight… it's strangely close," she said, her tone laced with fascination and caution.
She tilted her head, analyzing Doran with careful attention.
"His Veil affinity… it leans more toward the world — the physical, tangible aspect of things," she observed quietly.
"The Veil usually grants you the ability you excel at the most," she continued, voice soft but certain.
Her eyes flicked back to the clash, watching Doran's every movement.
"And his… ability? It's simple, yet terrifying," she murmured, almost to herself.
"He can dodge anything… everything that poses a threat to him."
The forest seemed to shiver at her words, mist twisting as the warriors held their breath, watching the deadly dance unfold.
Casco stepped back, eyes narrowing as the Mist Essence coursed through him, sharpening every movement.
He raised his dagger, the purple glow intensifying, and began drawing in vast amounts of Veil into the blade.
The energy swirled violently, crackling along the metal, feeding into a storm that radiated outward.
Doran's eyes widened slightly, a rare flicker of unease passing over his calm features.
He raised his voice, cutting through the mist and the echo of strikes.
"Everyone! Duck! Get down!" he shouted, urgency threading through his normally steady tone.
He scanned the bridge, calculating, realizing the distance was too great for the others to evade the incoming attack.
The forest seemed to hold its breath, leaves trembling under the tension of gathered Veil.
Doran's jaw tightened, decision made, his body coiling like a spring.
With a single burst, he leapt upward, leaving the others behind, intending to dodge only for himself.
Mist whipped violently around him as he arced into the air, the shockwave of Casco's gathering energy rippling through the bridge and forest below.
Every leaf, every shadow seemed to recoil from the impending clash, anticipation thrumming through the misty air.
As Doran arced through the air, time seemed to stretch for a fraction.
In that instant, memories clawed through the edges of his mind.
Childhood nights spent running from the shadows of his own failures, the sharp taste of shame lodged deep in his throat.
He remembered the first time he had fled a fight, a mere boy, trembling as his comrades' eyes burned with disappointment.
The sting of dishonor had never left him.
He remembered abandoning his post, leaving the innocent to fend for themselves while he ran.
Convinced he would live another day to try again—yet knowing, deep down, that every step away had been a betrayal.
Fear had always been his companion, a quiet, poisonous whisper in his ear:
Run. Don't face it. You cannot win.
And yet, here he was.
Auroracrusher's glow pulsed in his hands as if sensing the storm within him, the world bending subtly to his focus.
The child who ran had not vanished—he had been tempered, shaped, and forged by guilt and fear into someone capable of standing against the impossible.
Doran's heart pounded—not from the fight, but from the memory of all he had once been.
A boy who ran from danger, who abandoned duty and honor, who carried the shame of every life left undefended.
He clenched Auroracrusher tighter. I will not run again, he thought, a mantra more solid than steel.
I will protect. I will endure. I will face what I feared, and I will not fail.
The memory of his younger self, trembling and desperate, slid behind his eyes, almost like a shadow.
It was still there, yes, but now it was a reminder, a teacher rather than a master.
Doran twisted mid-air, narrowly evading the violet arc of Casco's blade, and felt the Veil pulse in harmony with his resolve.
Every movement from that point on was deliberate, precise, a silent declaration:
The boy who ran is gone. The man who stands here… faces everything.
Casco's eyes blazed with the violet glow of gathered Veil as he lifted the dagger high.
His voice tore across the mist, sharp and commanding.
"It's over!" he shouted, every ounce of his anger and intent packed into the words.
The purple energy along his blade surged violently, crackling like lightning about to strike.
The Kharuun warriors froze, wide-eyed, fear and awe rippling through their ranks.
Casco swung with brutal force, the Veil-charged blade slicing through the air.
The attack moved faster than a speeding bullet, leaving a streak of violet light cutting through the mist.
Screams erupted from the Kharuun warriors, carried across the forest, sharp and raw, as they realized the unstoppable force hurtling toward them.
The bridge and forest trembled beneath the raw force of the attack, and the Kharuun warriors' screams tore through the air.
A shadow crossed Casco scarred face, the grin gone, replaced by something heavier — regret, understanding, sorrow.
"Sorry…" he murmured quietly, voice almost swallowed by the chaos.
As he watched the trail of light and the cries it left behind.
The mist curled and twisted around him, carrying the echoes of fear and pain.
While Casco remained still, staring at the consequences of his own power.