Ye Yang, being in the first batch of soldiers, had felt the bitter truth of this war firsthand: survival meant anyone could turn against him. He had chosen his path.
He began moving forward, leaving the others behind, stepping over the still-warm bodies of soldiers from both sides.
Unbeknownst to him, high above in a hidden stronghold, the Shadow Syndicate's leader, a gaunt man with eyes like chips of obsidian, watched the entire brutal display through a shimmering, crystal artifact. Two others stood beside him.
"This is unacceptable!" snarled the first, a hulking brute named Kael with a scarred face, his fists clenching. "A lone Crimson Kingdom soldier lays waste to our ambushers! I'll go down there myself and tear him apart!"
The second, a slender, sharp-featured woman named Lyra, placed a calm hand on Kael's arm. "Hold, Kael. Look closer. He killed his own unit first, without a flicker of hesitation. Does that seem like a loyal Crimson Kingdom soldier to you?"
