Chapter 7: Time’s Rebellion

The Shadeborn's blade was at Kael's throat. Cold. Sharp. Final.

But Kael was done being prey.

He reached within himself, tapping into the raw force that had awakened since his rebirth. The air around him thickened, warping as if reality itself hesitated.

Time bent to his will.

"Slow."

The assassin's movement staggered not stopping completely, but dragging, like fighting against an invisible current. Its blade inched forward in slow motion, its violet eyes widening in confusion.

Kael moved.

Faster than thought, he ducked, twisting away from the deadly edge. His muscles screamed in protest, but adrenaline and something deeper drove him forward.

The moment his body left the assassin's attack range, time snapped back to normal.

The Shadeborn's blade slashed through empty air.

Kael exhaled sharply, his heart pounding. His ability was still unstable. It hadn't frozen time completely only slowed it for a fraction of a second.

Not enough.

The other Shadeborn reacted instantly.

"The anomaly adapts."

"Eliminate him before he becomes a true threat."

Two of them vanished into the shadows, their figures melting into pure darkness. Kael's instincts screamed. They were fast. Too fast.

Then pain.

A blade sliced across his side, barely missing his ribs. Another grazed his shoulder, the sting sharp and immediate.

Kael spun, his mind racing. They were toying with him. Testing him.

I need more power.

His vision blurred as he focused, trying to push his ability further. He couldn't just slow time he needed to bend it completely.

Another Shadeborn lunged.

Kael threw up a hand not to block, but to command.

"Stop!"

The world froze.

For the first time, the Shadeborn halted mid-air, its blade inches from Kael's face. The assassin's eyes flickered, its body trembling against an unseen force.

Kael gasped, feeling his pulse slow to an unnatural crawl. His entire being strained under the weight of holding time itself in place.

But then a crack.

Like glass fracturing, reality itself seemed to resist. The Shadeborn's form twisted unnaturally, as if the frozen moment was breaking apart. Kael felt his strength draining fast too fast.

His grip on time shattered.

The Shadeborn snapped forward, regaining motion instantly. Kael barely dodged as the blade tore through his cloak, missing his skin by a hair's breadth.

He staggered back, breathing hard. His power was growing but it was still unstable. Still too costly.

"Enough games."

The Shadeborn surrounded him, moving in unison, their blades gleaming under the pale moonlight.

Kael's body screamed in protest. His power flickered, unreliable.

This wasn't a fight he could win.

Not yet.

He had one chance.

Kael clenched his fists, forcing himself to focus. If he couldn't defeat them now, then he had to do the one thing he hated most.

Run.

With a final burst of energy, he turned and vanished into the ruins, leaving the Shadeborn behind.

But their voices followed him.

"The Celestial Sovereign has returned."

"Inform the High Council."

"The hunt begins."