Raging chaos

Chaos had ensued all over the city of Hadia. In the middle of the night, as everyone held their breaths, waiting for the army outside to knock on the city gates, something unexpected happened. The soldiers, who were supposed to protect them from Jai's forces, suddenly turned on each other.

Sulten Lyokis had not brought his entire army into the city, but he didn't need to. He had brought more than enough men to cause significant damage. Between the defenders' already dwindling forces and their low morale, it wasn't difficult for his men to cut down the enemy. Moreover, their mission was never to win the fight outright.

Lyokis's men had already advanced toward the gates, attempting to seize them. The defenders quickly rallied to protect their position, but it was a grueling battle. Being betrayed was one thing, but fighting a battle before facing another siege was daunting—especially when they were certain the next day would bring annihilation.

Even so, the men fought bitterly. They were convinced of their righteousness, fighting to vanquish Jai the usurper, a traitor to the kingdom. The small battle demonstrated the fire still burning within them. Though on the losing side, they would fight and bleed for their cause.

A young woman named Fatima, Sulten Burak's daughter, stood among the soldiers. She was in charge of defending the gates that Sulten Lyokis's men were trying to seize, and she carried out her duties with precision and determination.

"Stay in formation!" she commanded. "Don't let them near the gates! Hold your positions!"

Her men quickly obeyed, forming a defensive wall between the gate and the attackers.

As the defenders reorganized, a woman stepped forward from among the traitors. She wore silver-plated armor like the others, her helmet concealing her identity. Without hesitation, she removed her helmet, revealing her face. Gasps echoed through the defenders.

"General Zai," Fatima said, her tone sharp with disdain. "You've allied yourself with the usurper, and now you're trying to take the only city left loyal to the true king? How despicable. Your loyalty should be to the new king, not Jai!"

"Burak's brat, lecturing me about loyalty?" General Zai scoffed. "Surely, you're not naïve enough to think your father is some kind of saint, are you?"

"My father has been fighting to stop Jai ever since the rebellion began. His loyalty is beyond question," Fatima replied, her voice steady.

"Oh, really? That doesn't sound right," General Zai said, smirking. "The Burak I know is as power-hungry as any other Sulten I've met."

Zai's words dripped with derision as she continued, "Do you think your father intends to hand over the throne to anyone if he wins? His ambitions are anything but selfless. He's doing this for himself, and anyone who can't see that is a fool."

Fatima gritted her teeth, anger flaring within her. She refused to believe the words of a traitor over her father's actions. Burak's fight against Jai had always seemed just and true, even against overwhelming odds.

Surveying the battlefield, Fatima assessed her situation. They could still repel the attackers, but first, they needed to neutralize General Zai, the most dangerous person present.

Before she could act, one of Zai's men fired an arrow into the sky. General Zai's lips curled into a smile.

"Our reinforcements are already approaching the city," she said. "It's only a matter of time before they arrive. You can drop your weapons now, and we'll spare your lives, or you can fight and die. What's it going to be, little child?"

"That's not going to happen," Fatima retorted firmly. Though outnumbered, they had the advantage for the moment. They just needed to defeat the enemy.

Meanwhile, chaos reigned at the command center, where Sulten Burak was directing his forces. The building had been reduced to a ruin, with walls crumbling and bodies strewn both inside and out. The area was in a pitiful state, a testament to the betrayal that had descended upon them.

No one had suspected Sulten Hafe until it was too late, and many had paid the price for his treachery—including Hafe himself, who had merely been a pawn in this larger game.

Amid the carnage, Sulten Burak stood locked in a defiant battle with Larry Dew, one of Jai's infiltrators. Larry had used Sulten Hafe's forces to gain access to the city.

Larry Dew's sharp gaze locked onto Sulten Burak, his breathing heavy, his frustration palpable. The poison in Burak's veins should have ensured an easy victory, but the man before him defied all logic, standing resilient like an immovable force. Larry's pride wavered, but his fury burned brighter. He clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening, and let out a low growl that rumbled like distant thunder.

"You're one tough bastard," Larry spat through gritted teeth, his voice laced with both frustration and reluctant admiration. "Even with poison coursing through your veins, you still keep me on my toes. I see why they fear you."

Burak's lips curled into a smirk, his composure unshaken. "I'm happy Jai sent you. If it had been someone like Karim or Hammed, I might have been in trouble. But you..." His words trailed off, dismissively.

Larry's eyes flared with anger, his hands trembling not from fear but from the intensity of his barely contained wrath. The taunt struck him like a dagger. "You bastard," he snarled, his voice trembling with restrained rage. "We'll see if that smug face of yours survives what's coming next."

The air around Larry seemed to shift, growing heavier as an unnatural energy crackled to life. His body convulsed violently, his muscles swelling and twisting as though they had a mind of their own. Bones cracked and reformed, the sound echoing like breaking glass, each snap a testament to the agonizing metamorphosis. His veins bulged monstrously, glowing faintly under his now-stretching skin, pulsating with an unnatural vitality that defied nature itself.

His shoulders broadened, splitting his armor as flesh stretched taut over a rapidly expanding frame. His once-human face contorted into something primal, his jaw elongating with an audible pop as rows of jagged, metallic fangs erupted from his gums. Two jagged, ebony horns burst forth from his skull, curling like the talons of a predator meant to rend and destroy. His fingers extended into grotesque claws, each tip glinting like forged steel in the dim light.

Larry's eyes glowed a deep, menacing crimson, twin infernos that burned with unrelenting hunger and hatred. The air around him thickened, heavy with an oppressive aura of despair that made even the most battle-hardened soldiers tremble. He let out an unearthly roar that shook the very walls, a guttural, primal scream of defiance and rage.

Burak stood his ground, his smirk never faltering, though his grip on his sabre tightened. He could feel the raw malice radiating from Larry's form like heat from an inferno. "A beast..." Burak muttered under his breath, his voice steady but laced with a hint of amusement. "So, Jai sent his attack dog after all."

Larry, now unrecognizable as the man he had been moments before, crouched low like a predator preparing to pounce. His voice, guttural and dripping with venom, was a shadow of its former self. "You'll regret underestimating me, Burak. I'll tear that arrogance out of you with my claws."

Burak raised his sabre, its blade catching the faint light, and stepped forward. His smirk grew wider. "Then come, beast. Let's see if you can do better than bark."