The night still burned with the echoes of battle. Smoke from fallen torches twisted through the ruins of the forest, curling around broken trees like restless spirits. Ragnar leaned against a jagged stone wall, muscles aching, talons dimmed but still humming with residual heat. Every breath carried the taste of blood and dust.
Selene rested on the far side of the cave, silver veins faintly glowing beneath her skin, her chains of light flickering like a dying heartbeat. She didn't speak; each shallow exhale was a reminder of the curse gnawing at her life with every use of her power.
Kael stood near the entrance, statuesque and unblinking, eyes scanning the darkness beyond. Every shadow, every rustle of leaves made him tense, ready to strike. He hadn't spoken since their meeting, and his silence pressed against the cave like a living thing.
The fragile quiet broke when Dax kicked a loose stone into the fire. Sparks leapt up, dancing across the cave ceiling, making the darkness tremble.
"This is insane," Dax muttered, pacing, voice sharp as broken glass. "We're hunted like dogs. Half-dead already… and now we're just… sitting here?" He glared at Ragnar, anger and frustration etched into every line of his face. "What's your plan, Law Thief? Or do you even have one?"
Ruin leaned back lazily, arms crossed, smirking. "He doesn't need a plan. He'll just devour the next poor bastard who shows up. That's what he does."
Ragnar's crimson-black eyes glinted in the firelight, twin embers of something primal. "You have something to say? Say it to me, not to the shadows," he said, voice calm but sharp, slicing through the tension.
Ruin stepped closer, a grin curling across his face. "Fine. You're dangerous, Ragnar. Too dangerous. Stay near you, maybe I'll get stronger… or maybe I'll just end up dead. So tell me—why should any of us follow you?"
The cave went silent. Even Selene lifted her gaze, silver eyes piercing. Kael's shadow stretched long against the stone, but he remained still, watching.
Ragnar rose, the fire casting a monstrous silhouette behind him. His voice was low, deliberate, each word heavy with truth. "You shouldn't follow me. Not unless you're ready to die. Everyone near me becomes a target. I won't lie. I don't save anyone. I don't protect anyone. I survive—and if that survival means tearing down every sect, every hunter, every god that stands in my way… then I will."
His shadow writhed, tendrils flickering against the walls like hungry snakes, whispering in the dark. For a fleeting moment, the others saw not a man, but the nightmare that had torn through the Purge Unit.
Then Ragnar's expression softened—not with kindness, but bitter honesty. "But if you stay, you'll live longer than you would alone. Monsters attract monsters… and I kill them before they kill me."
Dax exhaled, half a whistle, half a sigh. "Hell of a pep talk… but he's not wrong."
Ruin frowned, muttering as he leaned back. "We'll see how long that lasts."
Selene's voice broke the momentary calm, soft yet sharp. "Careful, monster. People who fight beside you won't stay forever. The stronger the bond, the heavier the grave."
Kael finally spoke, quiet, deliberate, a smile teasing the edges of his lips. "Graves or not… when blood starts flowing, I'll be there. And I'll crush anyone who stands in the way."
The fire dwindled, shadows stretching long and hungry across the cave walls. For the first time, Ragnar wasn't alone—but each new bond weighed on him like chains, pressing against his soul.
He closed his eyes, letting the whisper of the shadow curl inside his skull. Friends or enemies… in the end, they all bleed the same.