The first attack was sudden. Black-armored figures appeared through the shadows, moving impossibly fast. Their eyes glowed faintly beneath their helmets. Kael barely had time to react.
"Stay behind me," Aria said, drawing a strange device from her case — a glowing rod that hummed with energy.
Kael's heart pounded. His body had no memory of how to fight this. And yet, instinct took over. Energy surged from the mark on his chest, forming a force barrier that knocked the first wave of agents back.
Aria's device pulsed, sending arcs of electricity across the street. Kael dodged debris, feeling the raw thrill of power that was both terrifying and intoxicating.
They ran. Kael realized: the world he knew was over. And the Null Order was already inside it.