The assassin's blade still hummed with the aftershock of his last swing. Akira, breathing slow and deliberate, closed the gap between them with feline grace.
"You've been chasing me for… how long now?" she whispered, circling him like a shadow. "Must be exhausting."
His grip tightened on his sword. "Don't play with me."
"Oh, I'm not playing…"
Her fingers brushed his jaw, a slow, deliberate touch. Her crimson eyes locked with his, the world narrowing to just the two of them. She could feel his pulse quicken beneath her hand, taste the adrenaline on the air.
The city noise faded. For a moment, the fight became a dance.
Akira leaned in, her lips just shy of his neck. "You smell like… defiance." Her fangs grazed his skin, barely breaking the surface—enough for a single drop of blood to touch her tongue.
Power surged. Her muscles coiled with newfound strength, her senses exploding outward like fireworks. Rank 9. The air itself seemed to bend around her.
But the assassin didn't falter. In fact… he smirked.
"You think you're the predator here?"
Before she could react, the street beneath her feet shifted. She felt the crunch—realized too late she had stepped directly onto a trigger plate.
The ground opened beneath her. Chains—gleaming black, humming with runes—shot upward, wrapping around her wrists and ankles like living serpents. She tried to teleport, but the magic burned against her skin, canceling her ability mid-cast.
The assassin stepped forward, blade lowered now. "You're not the first. You won't be the last."
Her eyes narrowed. "You planned this…"
From the shadows ahead, a new figure emerged—taller, broader, draped in ceremonial armor etched with red sigils. His voice was deep, commanding.
"She has reached the threshold. Rank 9. Bring her to the altar."
Two more masked figures appeared, each holding enchanted spears that sparked with arcs of blue lightning.
Akira smiled despite the pain biting into her wrists. "Oh, this is going to be fun."
Her fangs glinted. Even trapped, even outnumbered, the fire in her gaze burned hotter than ever.
And somewhere deep inside, she felt it— the chains feeding on her power, dragging it out of her… yet leaving behind something different. Something she didn't understand… yet.
🔥 Cliffhanger: She's caught, outnumbered, and on her way to an altar for a ritual she knows nothing about—but the ritual itself might unlock something far worse than death…