Kael and his team reacted instantly to the warning, scattering from their defensive formation just as massive earth spikes erupted from the ground where they'd been standing moments earlier. The stone pillars shot upward with devastating force, each one positioned precisely where a person had been moments before.
The coordinated attack was perfect. The Mountain Bear had forced them to break formation.
And the assassin had been waiting for exactly that moment of stress, and formation break.#
As they scattered, dodging the emerging spikes, the hidden killer made their move.
The assassin materialized mid-strike, their dagger aimed directly at Kael's exposed throat while the prodigy was still recovering from his dodge.
"Got you," a voice whispered from behind the mask.
Kael's expression changed as he sensed the imminent danger. Fire began forming in his hands, but the dagger was approaching too rapidly. He wouldn't complete the spell in time.
