The clearing was now a living storm—blades ringing, beasts roaring, spells lighting the air in flickers of blue, gold, and shadow. The scent of churned earth and burnt ozone hung heavy, every heartbeat carrying the risk of a blade at one's back.
Kai stepped into the maelstrom like a shadow given form.
No one noticed him at first. That was by design. His gait was relaxed, his eyes half-lidded, as if he were just another exhausted participant wandering into the wrong fight. But beneath that calm, every muscle was coiled and ready. His ears picked out the nearest isolated target—the sound of labored breathing to his right, the scrape of boots on dirt.
Vex, flank.
The Phantom Lynx slipped into the chaos like a ghost, melting between legs and weapons without a whisper. Vael gave a quiet screech from above, marking the exact location of two token-bearers locked in a brutal duel. Kai altered his trajectory.
