The masked figure stood between us and escape, his crimson armor gleaming faintly in the dim light. His presence was suffocating—like a storm cloud ready to unleash its fury. Even without seeing his face, I could feel the weight of his gaze boring into me, assessing every move, every breath.
"So," he said, his voice smooth but edged with malice, "you're the infamous Jin Hao. The last heir of the Celestial Bloodline."
I clenched my fists, trying to mask my unease. "And you are?"
He chuckled darkly, tilting his head slightly. "Let's just say I'm someone who's been waiting a long time for this moment."
Kai stepped forward, positioning himself between me and the stranger. "Commander Ren," he growled, his tone icy. "I should've known they'd send you."
Ren tilted his head again, almost mockingly. "Kai Wei. Still playing both sides, I see. Tell me—how does it feel knowing your sister doesn't trust you either?"
Kai's jaw tightened, but he didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he glanced back at Lin and me, his expression unreadable. "We don't have time for games. If we're going to get out of here alive, we need to act fast."
"And what makes you think you'll survive this encounter?" Ren countered, raising a hand. Crimson energy crackled around his fingers, forming a sphere of flames that illuminated the tunnel. "You're outnumbered, outmatched, and running out of options."
Lin stepped up beside Kai, her dagger glinting menacingly. "Then let's make it quick," she said sharply. "Jin Hao, stay behind us. We'll handle this."
I opened my mouth to argue, but the look in her eyes silenced me. This wasn't the time to play hero—not when the odds were stacked so heavily against us. Reluctantly, I nodded, channeling Qi into my palms as I prepared to support them if needed.
Ren moved first, launching the fireball straight at us with terrifying speed. Kai reacted instantly, throwing one of his knives to intercept it. The blade struck the sphere mid-air, causing it to explode in a shower of sparks. Before the smoke cleared, Lin darted forward, aiming for Ren's exposed side.
But Ren was no ordinary fighter. With a casual flick of his wrist, he summoned a Qi-infused barrier that deflected her attack effortlessly. Then, with a swift kick, he sent her sprawling backward.
"Lin!" I shouted, rushing to her side. She waved me off, gritting her teeth as she climbed back to her feet.
"I'm fine," she snapped, though her wince betrayed her words.
Kai didn't waste a second. While Ren focused on Lin, he lunged at the commander, his remaining knife flashing toward Ren's throat. But Ren sidestepped with ease, countering with a brutal punch that sent Kai crashing into the wall.
"This is pathetic," Ren sneered, shaking his head. "Did you really think you could stand against me?"
I couldn't take it anymore. Charging forward, I unleashed a wave of Qi-enhanced strikes, targeting the weak spots revealed by my meridian sight. To my surprise, Ren actually staggered under the assault, his barrier faltering momentarily.
"Not bad," he admitted, recovering quickly. "But brute force won't save you."
He retaliated with a flurry of attacks, each strike infused with Qi energy that left trails of heat in their wake. I managed to dodge most of them, but one grazed my shoulder, sending searing pain shooting through my arm.
"Jin Hao!" Lin yelled, stepping in to cover me.
As Lin engaged Ren, Kai stumbled to his feet, blood trickling from a cut on his forehead. Despite his injuries, he grabbed another set of throwing knives and joined the fray, forcing Ren to divide his attention.
For a moment, it seemed like we might actually hold our own. Lin's agility, Kai's precision, and my raw power created a deadly combination that kept Ren on the defensive. But it was only a matter of time before his superior strength tipped the scales.
With a roar, Ren unleashed a massive burst of Qi energy, knocking all three of us off our feet. Lin hit the ground hard, groaning in pain, while Kai skidded across the floor, barely conscious.
"That's enough," Ren declared, stepping over Lin's prone form. He raised his hand, summoning another fireball aimed directly at me.
"No!" Kai shouted, throwing himself in front of the attack. The flames engulfed him, and he collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest.
"Kai!" Lin screamed, crawling toward him despite her own injuries.
Ren smirked, clearly satisfied with the carnage he'd caused. "Pathetic," he muttered, turning his attention back to me. "Now, where were we?"
But before he could finish me off, Kai reached into his coat and pulled out a small device. With a flick of his wrist, he activated it, triggering a blinding flash of light that temporarily blinded everyone in the tunnel—including Ren.
"Go!" Kai rasped, shoving Lin and me toward the exit. "I'll hold him off."
"No way," I protested, hesitating. "We're not leaving you here!"
"You don't have a choice," he snapped, his voice strained but resolute. "If you die, everything we've done is meaningless. Now go!"
Before I could argue further, Lin grabbed my arm and dragged me away, tears streaming down her face. Behind us, the sound of battle erupted once more as Kai confronted Ren alone.
We didn't stop running until we reached the surface, emerging into the cold night air of Neo-Aurion. My legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed onto the pavement, gasping for breath. Lin knelt beside me, her hands trembling as she clutched her dagger.
"He's gone," she whispered, her voice hollow. "He sacrificed himself for us."
I wanted to say something—anything—to comfort her, but the words caught in my throat. Kai had always been an enigma, his motives unclear and his loyalty questionable. But in the end, he'd proven where his heart truly lay—with his sister, and with the fight against the Crimson Veil.
"We can't let his sacrifice be in vain," I said finally, forcing myself to stand. "We need to keep moving. Finish what we started."
Lin nodded, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "You're right. But first…" She hesitated, looking back toward the tunnels. "We need answers. About Ren. About why they hate us so much."
As we regrouped in a nearby alley, Lin pulled out the encrypted data drive Kai had given her earlier. Plugging it into her wrist device, she began sifting through the files, searching for anything that might shed light on Ren's identity—or the true nature of the Crimson Veil's vendetta against me.
"Wait," she murmured suddenly, her eyes widening. "This… this changes everything."
"What is it?" I asked, leaning closer.
She turned to me, her expression grim. "It's about your bloodline. And why they erased it in the first place."
Before she could elaborate, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the alley.
"They found us," Lin whispered, drawing her dagger once more.
I clenched my fists, feeling the fiery symbol on my palm pulse angrily. Whoever was coming, they'd better be ready—for Kai's sake, and for ours.