The ridge ended.
Not gradually—
but suddenly.
Beyond it, the land dropped into a vast expanse of shattered terrain. Broken stone pillars rose like the remains of something ancient, casting long, uneven shadows across the ground.
Kael stepped forward first.
No hesitation.
Elara followed.
But slower.
Something still lingered inside her.
Not pain.
Not fear.
Something… unfinished.
Riven walked beside her this time.
Not behind.
Not joking.
"…You good?" he asked quietly.
Elara didn't look at him.
"…I don't know."
That was answer enough.
Kael's voice came from ahead.
"Stay focused."
Riven muttered under his breath,
"Yeah… because that's easy right now."
The wind shifted.
Low.
Heavy.
Wrong.
Kael stopped.
Again.
This time—
sharper.
"…It's changed."
Elara's grip tightened.
"…What has?"
Kael's gaze moved slowly across the terrain.
"Their intent."
Silence.
Riven frowned.
"…You mean those Eclipse watchers?"
Kael shook his head slightly.
"No."
A pause.
"They were observing."
His voice dropped.
"This… is hunting."
The word settled like a weight.
Elara's eyes sharpened.
"…From where?"
Kael answered immediately.
"Everywhere."
The ground beneath them shifted—
just slightly.
Riven stepped back.
"…Okay, that's not normal."
A crack spread across the stone.
Thin.
Fast.
Then—
it stopped.
Silence returned.
Too fast.
Too controlled.
Elara whispered,
"…It's waiting."
Kael didn't respond.
But he didn't deny it either.
A shadow flickered across one of the stone pillars.
Riven turned instantly.
"…There!"
Nothing.
But the feeling—
closer now.
Watching.
Tracking.
Kael moved forward again.
Faster this time.
"Move."
No one argued.
They advanced through the broken terrain, weaving between massive stone remains.
The air grew heavier with each step.
Then—
a sound.
Not loud.
But sharp.
Like something cutting through air—
without touching it.
Elara turned—
too late.
A strike passed inches from her shoulder—
splitting the stone behind her clean in half.
Riven reacted instantly.
"…CONTACT!"
Kael was already moving.
His hand lifted—
and the space around them tightened.
Invisible pressure—
locking the area.
"Show yourself."
Silence.
Then—
a figure appeared.
Not from distance.
From within the air itself.
Tall.
Lean.
Wrapped in dark layers that moved unnaturally.
Eyes—
silver.
Cold.
Focused.
An Eclipse warrior.
But different.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
Riven exhaled slowly.
"…That's not one of the watchers."
Kael's voice confirmed it.
"No."
A pause.
"This one was sent."
The warrior tilted his head slightly.
"…Kael."
Recognition.
But no warmth.
Only purpose.
Elara stepped forward.
"…You're here to confirm again?"
The warrior's gaze shifted to her.
"No."
A pause.
"I'm here to end uncertainty."
Riven blinked.
"…That sounds like a very polite way of saying 'kill'."
The warrior didn't deny it.
The air shifted violently.
And in the next instant—
he vanished.
Riven's eyes widened.
"…FAST—"
Too late.
The strike came from above.
Kael intercepted it.
Steel met steel—
a sharp clash of energy and force.
For the first time—
Kael drew his weapon.
A dark-edged sword—
simple.
But deadly.
The impact sent a shockwave through the ground.
Elara moved next—
water surged upward—
forming a curved barrier that deflected a second unseen strike.
"…There's more than one," she said.
Kael's voice remained steady.
"I know."
Riven grinned slightly.
Finally.
"…Good."
A pause.
"I was getting bored again."
Kael didn't look at him.
"Don't fall behind."
Riven cracked his neck.
"…Try and stop me."
The shadows around them shifted again.
One became two.
Two became four.
Figures forming—
silent—
precise—
deadly.
Not watchers anymore.
Hunters.
Elara stepped forward, power rising again—
controlled this time.
"…They're not holding back."
Kael's grip tightened on his weapon.
"Neither are we."
The first attacker moved.
Then all of them.
The battlefield erupted—
faster than thought.
And far away—
in a place untouched by light—
a presence watched.
Not surprised.
Not concerned.
Only… satisfied.
"The pressure increases…"
"Good."
A pause.
"Let them struggle."
Silence.
"Because the hunt… is only beginning."