The Chains Of Fate

The weight of unseen eyes pressed against Liam's back as he and Iris continued walking through the dimly lit streets of Ardentia. The city was alive, but something about it felt… wrong. Like a beast watching its prey.

Liam tried to act normal, but he could feel it—the tension, the danger.

"We need to move," Iris whispered, her voice barely audible over the murmur of the crowd.

Liam nodded. He didn't know who was after him, but after the monster attack and his "impossible" victory over the Chitin Tyrant, he had no doubts. Someone wanted him dead.

---

A City's Betrayal

They turned into a narrow alleyway, avoiding the main roads. The glow of lanterns flickered above, casting long shadows.

Then—a sound.

A soft rustling, the scrape of boots against stone.

Liam stopped.

Iris tensed, reaching for the dagger hidden beneath her coat.

Then the alley exploded.

Dark-clad figures lunged from both ends, their blades gleaming. Assassins.

Iris reacted first. She twisted, parrying a strike with her dagger, then drove her knee into an attacker's gut. Fast, efficient, deadly.

Liam?

He barely dodged the first strike before stumbling backward. His heartbeat thundered in his ears. They're here for me.

A sword swung toward his neck.

Instinct took over.

Liam raised his brush. The ink within shimmered, twisting into a barrier of black tendrils. The blade struck—but instead of slicing through, it sank into the ink, as if the brush had absorbed the attack itself.

The assassin's eyes widened. "What—?"

Liam didn't give him time to react.

The ink surged forward. It wrapped around the man's arm before violently slamming him into the alley wall.

The second assassin hesitated.

Iris took advantage of it. She moved like a blur, cutting his leg before flipping him onto the ground.

Silence.

The alley reeked of sweat and blood.

Liam's breath came fast and ragged. I just… fought off an assassin.

Iris wiped her blade clean. "We need to go. Now."

Liam nodded. No arguments.

Ardentia had just tried to kill him.

And that meant his time in the city was over.

---

A Fateful Escape

They moved quickly, keeping to the shadows. Getting out of Ardentia wouldn't be easy.

The gates were watched. The guards had descriptions. And someone—someone powerful—had put a target on Liam's back.

Iris led him toward the eastern district. "There's a smuggler route near the docks. If we can reach it, we'll be out before sunrise."

Liam exhaled. "And after that?"

She hesitated. "We find the one person who can help you."

Liam frowned. "Who?"

Iris's eyes met his. "An exile. Someone who knows what you are."

Liam felt his stomach tighten.

The city was behind them now. The unknown lay ahead.

And with it—the first step toward unlocking the truth of his power.