Secrets

Kai surged forward, his blade crackling with energy. The shadowy figures reacted instantly, their movements eerily synchronized. One lashed out with elongated tendrils of darkness, another warped around him like mist, and the third raised an arm, summoning a vortex of black energy.

Kai's instincts screamed at him—he had to move.

He activated Flash Step, twisting mid-air to evade the tendrils. His sword slashed through the mist-like form of one entity, but as before, it reformed almost instantly. The second figure's vortex expanded, pulling him toward its center like a black hole.

Kai gritted his teeth. Not this time.

He slammed his blade into the ground, releasing a shockwave of raw energy. The force shattered the pull of the vortex, sending debris flying. The moment of disruption gave him an opening—he leaped toward the nearest shadow, his blade glowing with an intense, focused light.

This time, when his sword met the entity's form, something shifted.

The creature's violet eyes flared in surprise as the light embedded in Kai's strike tore through it. The entity shrieked, its form crackling like broken glass before dispersing into wisps of fading darkness.

Kai landed with a smirk. "Looks like you're not invincible after all."

The remaining two figures halted. Their glowing eyes locked onto him, and for the first time, they hesitated.

Lyria stepped beside him, her staff burning with renewed intensity. "Light. They can't regenerate against direct energy."

Sylara vanished and reappeared behind one of the figures, her blade shimmering with a silvery glow. She struck in a blur, her sword cutting deep. The shadow convulsed, its body flickering erratically before collapsing into nothingness.

Only one remained.

The final entity stood motionless, watching. The silence stretched, thick with an unspoken understanding.

Then it did something none of them expected.

It smiled.

A jagged, eerie grin formed beneath its glowing eyes. Its body rippled, shifting, warping. Then, in a swirl of black mist, it retreated—melting into the darkness of the forest.

Kai didn't lower his blade. His heart pounded in his chest. "What the hell was that?"

Eryndra approached, her expression grim. "A warning."

Lyria's flames dimmed as she let out a slow breath. "Or an invitation."

Kai exhaled sharply, sheathing his sword. He wasn't sure which was worse.

---

The Aftermath

They gathered near a fallen tree, catching their breath. The unnatural cold lingered, though the presence of the entities had vanished.

Ryn frowned. "We need to move. That thing retreated, but it's not gone."

Sylara's gaze was distant. "It wasn't fighting to kill us."

Kai met her eyes. "It was testing us."

Silence.

Eryndra finally spoke, her voice low. "That thing… it recognized you, Kai."

Kai stiffened. He didn't want to admit it, but he had felt it too. The way it watched him. The way it reacted when he struck.

Like it had expected something from him.

He clenched his fists. "Then we find it. And we end this."

Lyria shook her head. "No. We need answers first."

Kai sighed, running a hand through his hair. He hated waiting. But she was right.

Ryn crossed his arms. "So, where do we start?"

Eryndra's expression darkened. "There's only one person who might know."

Kai frowned. "Who?"

She hesitated before answering.

"Alphonso."

The name sent a chill through the group.

Kai exhaled, his grip tightening. Of course.

If there were answers to be found, they would be buried in the shadows of Alphonso's secrets.

And something told him they wouldn't like what they found.