The silence shattered.
Not gradually.
Not with warning.
But instantly—
Like a thin layer of stillness breaking under pressure that had already built too far.
The figures moved.
At once.
Not like beasts.
There was no wildness in their motion.
No reckless aggression.
And not like humans either.
There was no hesitation.
No individuality.
No instinct.
They moved with something in between—
Controlled.
Precise.
Unnatural.
Duryodhana stepped forward.
Mace already raised.
His body aligned for combat before the attack even fully began.
There was no hesitation in him.
No doubt.
No fear.
"If it's a trap—"
A brief pause.
His grip tightened.
"—then we break it."
The first figure lunged.
Fast.
Faster than anything they had faced before.
Its movement cut through the air like a blade—
Direct.
Efficient.
Duryodhana reacted instantly.
His mace swung with full force.
A powerful arc.
The air itself cracked under the pressure of the strike—
But—
The figure twisted.
