The Forgotten Enemy

A Silent Battlefield

The world was still.

Not the stillness of peace.

But of unease.

Ethan stood at the center of the battlefield, his golden-shadow aura flickering weakly around him. The Rift had closed. The masked figure had vanished.

And yet—he still felt them.

Watching. Waiting.

His fingers clenched. The weight of the figure's words refused to leave him.

"The Rift was never the enemy. It was a test."

Ethan exhaled slowly, trying to make sense of it.

Behind him, his team stirred.

Mia was the first to push herself up, her expression dark. "Tell me that didn't just happen."

Orion checked his rifle, as if making sure he was still real. "We got taken out in seconds. That's not normal."

Kieran groaned, rubbing his temples. "Forget normal. What the hell was that thing?"

Nefera's eyes flickered with something sharp—distrust. "It didn't attack us. It didn't need to."