The assassins struck like lightning—silent, coordinated, merciless. Their blades were curved like fangs, designed to puncture arteries and sever tendons.
Hyunjae moved with instinct, his sword intercepting strikes faster than thought, but each clash sent vibrations through his arm. These were no ordinary disciples. Their qi was corrupted, heavy with the residue of shadow.
Seoyeon's ribbons flashed, crimson arcs weaving through the air like living serpents. One assassin lunged, only to be entangled mid-strike. With a twist of her wrist, the ribbon coiled tighter, slicing through flesh as the man's scream was swallowed by the temple's darkness.
The masked leader stepped forward, ignoring his fallen disciple. He raised his hand, and shadow pooled around his fingers, coalescing into claws. "The Shadowed Lotus accepts only those who bleed willingly," he intoned.
Hyunjae felt it then—the same whispers from before, urging him to release the restraints on his qi, to let the shadow seep into his veins. Power promised. Power demanded.
Seoyeon's voice broke through the temptation: "Don't listen. The path of the Shadowed Lotus will consume you."
Hyunjae's jaw tightened. He raised his sword, its crimson veins glowing faintly. "If I must step into shadow to cut it down, then so be it."
The clash between Hyunjae and the masked leader shook the ruins. Every strike was faster, heavier, more desperate than the last. Stone cracked, dust fell in sheets, inscriptions glowed faintly as if awakening to bloodshed.
The battle reached its peak when Hyunjae, cornered and exhausted, drew upon the forbidden flow he had resisted moments before. His strike tore through the leader's defenses, slicing through his mask and splitting it in two.
For a brief moment, Hyunjae saw the man's face—not entirely human, eyes dark pits filled with writhing shadows. The wound bled not red, but black smoke.
"You…" the leader whispered, voice distorting. "…you are already chosen."
With that, his form disintegrated into mist, vanishing into the cracks of the temple. The remaining assassins fled.
Silence returned, broken only by the rasp of Hyunjae's breath.
Seoyeon looked at him with fear—not of the assassins, but of the change she saw flicker in his eyes. A darkness, however faint, lingered there.
"You can't keep drawing on it," she said quietly.
Hyunjae sheathed his blade. His hand trembled. "…and if it's the only way to defeat them?"
Neither had an answer.