The Fallen Spire rose like a broken dagger against the crimson sky, half-collapsed but still towering over the ruins.
Kaela, Arin, and Riven sprinted across the shattered plaza, the Genesis Core wrapped tight against Kaela's chest.
Their footsteps echoed over old bloodstains and cracked stone.
They were so close.
So close.
> "Keep moving!" Kaela barked, sensing something wrong.
And then —
the shadows shifted.
A man stepped out from behind a crumbling pillar, dressed in black tactical armor, his face half-hidden by a cracked mask.
A deep scar ran across his jaw, and his eyes gleamed like a predator's.
> "Leaving already?"
His voice was low, almost amused.
---
The Hunter Revealed
Name: Vraen, "The Eclipse Fang"
Affiliation: Unknown
Strength: Above standard human; enhanced speed, strength, and battle instincts.
Vraen wasn't part of the scrambling warbands.
He was something different.
He had been hunting them alone — stalking their every move through the ruined city.
And now, he'd cornered them.
---
The Battle Begins
Without warning, Vraen lunged.
Kaela barely raised her sword in time — the impact threw her backward, sliding across the stone.
Arin stepped in, twin daggers flashing, but Vraen caught his wrists easily and hurled him aside like a toy.
Only Riven's bullet caught Vraen off-guard — a shallow graze across the mask.
> "Tch."
"You're quicker than the rumors said," Vraen muttered, voice colder now.
He moved like a ghost, striking with blinding speed and savage force.
---
For a moment, it looked hopeless.
Kaela's sword arm shook from the force of every block.
Arin's breathing grew heavier, blood dripping from a wound on his side.
Riven fought like a wounded wolf, fierce but tiring.
They couldn't win alone.
Not against him.
---
Working Together
Kaela gritted her teeth.
> "Team up!
No hero moves!"
Understanding flashed between the three of them.
Kaela drew Vraen's attention, keeping him locked with furious strikes.
Arin darted behind him, slicing tendons and joints.
Riven circled from a distance, landing precise shots when Vraen exposed an opening.
Bit by bit, the tide shifted.
Vraen grunted as Kaela's blade finally slipped through his guard, cutting deep into his shoulder.
> "Hmph... interesting," he said, almost smiling under his mask.
Still not using all his strength...
Still holding back.
But they had no choice.
---
The Genesis Core Awakens
As Kaela bled and fought, the Genesis Core pulsed again —
its energy whispering to her heart.
She felt strength fill her limbs.
Not overwhelming, not burning —
just enough.
Enough to stand.
Enough to win.
> "For everyone still alive...!"
Kaela roared, charging again.
Together, with perfectly timed strikes, they overwhelmed Vraen —
Arin slashed his thigh, dropping him slightly —
Riven landed a bullet through his leg —
Kaela slammed her blade across his chest, sending him crashing back against the fallen pillar.
Breathing heavily, the three friends stood ready for another attack...
But Vraen laughed — a dry, cold chuckle.
> "You're better than I thought.
Fine. This isn't over.
Not yet."
Before they could stop him, smoke grenades burst around them.
When the smoke cleared —
Vraen was gone.