The words echoed through the silent street.
"We have come for the child."
For a moment—
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
The knight stepped forward slowly.
His sword raised.
His body positioned firmly between the hunters and the boy.
Solid.
Unyielding.
Unbreakable.
Behind him, Arin felt his heart pounding against his ribs.
Fast.
Loud.
Relentless.
Fear crept into his chest.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unfamiliar.
He had never seen so many armed men before.
Not soldiers.
Not travelers.
Not villagers.
These men were different.
Their armor was dark.
Practical.
Battle-worn.
Their faces carried no emotion.
No hesitation.
No mercy.
The leader took another step forward.
His boots pressed heavily into the dirt.
The sound echoed across the empty street.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Threatening.
He studied the knight carefully.
Measuring him.
Evaluating him.
Respecting him.
"You are not a villager," the leader said calmly.
The knight did not respond.
His eyes remained locked on the man.
Focused.
Steady.
Ready.
Silence stretched between them.
Tense.
Dangerous.
Then—
The knight spoke.
"You should leave," he said.
His voice was quiet.
Controlled.
Certain.
The leader tilted his head slightly.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"That is not possible," he replied.
Another step forward.
Closer now.
More dangerous.
"We have orders," the leader continued.
The knight's grip tightened around his sword.
"So do I," he answered.
The street grew colder.
Heavier.
More suffocating.
Behind the hunters, more figures appeared.
Moving silently through the darkness.
Spreading out.
Blocking escape routes.
They were prepared.
Organized.
Professional.
This was not a random attack.
This was a mission.
The leader raised one hand slowly.
The hunters stopped instantly.
Perfect discipline.
Perfect control.
He looked directly at the knight.
His voice calm.
Almost polite.
"You are outnumbered," he said.
The knight nodded once.
"I know."
No fear.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Only resolve.
The leader's expression hardened slightly.
"Then do not make this difficult," he said.
"Hand over the boy."
Behind the knight, Arin felt his hands begin to tremble.
Not from weakness.
From anger.
He understood now.
These men had come for him.
Because of his power.
Because of who he was.
The knight took one slow step forward.
His voice low.
Firm.
Unbreakable.
"No."
The single word struck like a hammer.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Explosive.
The leader exhaled slowly.
Disappointment flickered across his face.
"That is unfortunate," he said.
He lowered his hand.
And the hunters moved.
Steel flashed in the moonlight.
Swords drawn.
Bows raised.
Boots shifted across the dirt.
The sound of weapons filled the air.
Sharp.
Cold.
Final.
The knight rolled his shoulder once.
Ignoring the pain.
Ignoring the blood.
Ignoring the odds.
His breathing slowed.
Steady.
Controlled.
Focused.
Behind him, Arin whispered:
"I won't run."
The knight's expression tightened.
"You will," he said.
His voice carried authority.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Certainty.
Arin clenched his fists.
Frustration burned inside him.
"I can help," he insisted.
The knight shook his head once.
"Not yet."
The words stung.
But they were honest.
The leader drew his sword slowly.
The blade gleamed under the moonlight.
Cold.
Deadly.
Unforgiving.
He raised it.
"Take the child," he ordered.
The hunters surged forward.
Boots thundered against the dirt.
Weapons cut through the air.
Shouts echoed across the village.
The attack had begun.
The knight stepped forward instantly.
His sword moved like lightning.
CLANG.
Steel collided.
The impact rang through the night.
A hunter staggered backward.
Another lunged from the side.
A third raised his weapon.
The knight moved without hesitation.
Years of battle guided every motion.
Every strike.
Every step.
Every breath.
He fought like a wall.
Unbreakable.
Unmoving.
Unyielding.
But there were too many.
More hunters surrounded him.
Closing in.
Pressing forward.
Relentless.
Arin watched from behind.
His chest tightening.
His breathing quickening.
Fear returned.
Stronger than before.
The same feeling he had felt in the forest.
When the beast attacked.
When the knight almost died.
Warmth spread slowly through his chest.
The air around him shifted.
Subtle.
Unnatural.
Leaves trembled.
Dust lifted from the ground.
The knight felt it instantly.
That pressure.
That dangerous signal.
He turned his head sharply.
"Stop!" he shouted.
But it was too late.
Arin's eyes began to glow again.
Silver.
Bright.
Unstable.
The hunters froze.
Confusion flashed across their faces.
The leader's expression changed.
Shock.
Recognition.
Fear.
He whispered:
"It's true…"
The pressure surged.
The air thickened.
Harder to breathe.
Harder to move.
And deep inside Arin's chest—
The Null Core began to awaken again.