POV: RAVION
Timeline: Immediate
Location: The Shadowlands – Exterior Battle
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I've been in thousands of battles.
This is the first one that matters.
---
Shadows erupt from me—
not controlled,
not precise,
just pure destructive force.
---
The first wave of Shadow Court members doesn't stand a chance.
My shadows pierce.
Slash.
Crush.
Three down in seconds.
---
"LEFT!" Nyx shouts.
I spin.
A shadow blade forms.
Cuts through two more attackers.
---
Beside me, Nyx is a whirlwind of water.
His constructs are everywhere—
spears,
whips,
walls—
all moving with deadly precision.
---
And Kaelis—
Kaelis is chaos incarnate.
---
Water explodes from the ground.
Unpredictable.
Wild.
It catches Shadow Court members off guard, throwing them into each other, creating confusion.
---
"THAT'S MY BOY!" Nyx shouts proudly.
"LESS TALKING, MORE FIGHTING!" Kaelis yells back.
---
More Shadow Court members appear.
They keep coming.
---
"There's too many!" Kaelis gasps.
"Then we fight harder!"
I slash through three more.
---
A Shadow Court member gets past my defenses.
Blade aimed at my chest.
---
Nyx's water whip catches him.
Throws him into void space.
---
"You're welcome!" Nyx calls.
"I had that!"
"Sure you did!"
---
We're being pushed back.
Slowly.
Steadily.
---
They're not trying to kill us.
They're herding us.
Toward the building.
Toward the trap.
---
"They want us inside," I realize.
"Then we don't go in!" Kaelis blasts another wave of attackers.
"Kieran is inside!"
"So is Isolde probably! And worse traps!"
"I don't care!" I cut through two more Shadow Court members. "My husband is in there. I'm getting him out."
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"Even if it kills you?!"
"ESPECIALLY IF IT KILLS ME!"
---
Nyx appears beside us.
"New plan. I'll hold them here. You two go inside. Get Kieran. Get out."
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"You can't hold them alone!" I protest.
"Watch me." His eyes glow. "I'm the Sea God. I don't die easily."
He looks at Kaelis.
"Protect him. Bring Kieran home. That's an order."
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"Nyx—"
"GO!"
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We run for the building.
Shadow Court members try to stop us.
---
Nyx summons a tidal wave from nowhere.
It crashes over them.
Buying us seconds.
---
We reach the door.
It opens.
Revealing darkness.
---
"This is a trap," Kaelis says.
"I know."
"We're going in anyway."
"Obviously."
"We're idiots."
"Absolutely."
---
We step inside.