A Spear in the Dark

Liam's pulse thundered in his ears as the spear cut through the air—a flash of steel and death aimed straight at his heart.

Too fast.

Instinct roared through him. His brush moved, ink flaring as he scrawled a defensive rune midair. Barrier.

The spear struck.

BOOM.

The force sent shockwaves through the room. Liam's barrier shattered, ink splattering across the wooden floor like spilt blood. The impact hurled him backwards, his body slamming into the rough stone wall behind him.

Pain exploded through his ribs. His vision blurred.

The assassin didn't stop.

He surged forward, spear twisting in his grip. The movement was precise—measured. A killer who didn't waste motion.

Liam barely had time to roll aside as the spear pierced the spot where his skull had been a second ago. Stone cracked beneath the force.

Iris lunged.

Her dagger slashed toward the man's throat, a silent, lethal strike—

But he was faster.

With a flick of his wrist, the assassin spun his spear, the shaft colliding with Iris's blade. Sparks flew. The sheer force sent her skidding backwards, boots screeching against the wooden floor.

She barely stayed on her feet.

"Damn it," she hissed, shaking out her hand. That single block had numbed her entire arm.

The assassin exhaled softly. Not even winded. His stance shifted—low, controlled, like a predator waiting for the final blow.

Liam forced himself up, ignoring the stabbing pain in his side. His mind raced. His ink defences wouldn't hold against that spear. It wasn't just enchanted—it felt like it was cutting through magic itself.

Which meant…

He needed a new strategy.

The assassin's cold gaze flicked toward Liam. "You're the one they want."

He moved.

The spear came again—this time faster.

Liam's ink flared to life. He didn't try to block this time. He redirected.

"Ink Displacement."

The world warped for an instant—Liam's form twisting, shifting through his own ink, reappearing a foot to the left as the spear stabbed through an afterimage.

The assassin's eyes narrowed.

Liam didn't stop moving. His brush slashed through the air, ink spiraling outward in a wave—

"Ink Bind."

Black tendrils lunged toward the assassin's legs.

But—

SHING.

The spear spun in a sharp arc. The assassin cut straight through the ink as if it were nothing.

Liam's blood ran cold.

That weapon ignores my magic.

The assassin closed the distance.

Liam barely dodged the next strike, the spearhead slicing past his cheek. The cut burned—the blade was enchanted with something vicious.

Then the assassin twisted his grip—

And slammed the spear's shaft into Liam's stomach.

Pain erupted through him.

The force lifted Liam off his feet—his breath stolen, his body folding inward as he crashed against the wooden floor.

His limbs trembled. His mana flickered, unstable.

The assassin loomed over him, spear raised for the finishing blow.

"You're a disappointment," he murmured.

Then he struck down.

---

The Breaking Point

CLANG.

The spear halted inches from Liam's face.

A second blade had intercepted it.

Iris.

Her dagger locked against the spear, her muscles straining. She grit her teeth, sweat dripping down her temple.

"Not happening," she growled.

The assassin's eyes flicked to her—unamused.

"You're in my way."

He twisted his grip. The spear's shaft cracked against Iris's ribs, sending her crashing into the wall.

She didn't get up.

Liam's chest heaved. His vision blurred at the edges.

This wasn't a normal opponent.

This wasn't just an assassin.

This was a specialist. A trained killer meant for people like him.

His fingers clenched around his brush. His mana sputtered. Weak. Not enough.

The assassin exhaled again, lifting his spear one last time. "End of the line, Architect."

Liam's mind screamed.

No.

Not here.

Not like this.

Ink flared—not from his brush. From his body.

Not new. Familiar. The same sensation from the fight against Cain.

His status flickered. 

[Stat Fusion: Initiated.]

Not an awakening. A refinement.

Liam gritted his teeth. He didn't need more power.

He needed control.

His ink didn't just respond—it obeyed.

Black runes burned across his skin, stabilizing rather than raging out of control. His energy aligned. Strength, speed, perception—

Balanced. Fused. Enhanced.

The assassin hesitated.

That was all Liam needed.

His brush slashed forward.

This time, when the ink moved—

It wasn't just a spell.

It was a force.

The assassin's eyes widened—just before a wave of pure, controlled energy slammed into him.

The walls shook. The floor splintered.

The spear wielder was sent flying.

Liam's body trembled. His breathing was ragged. The power was stabilized, but his body wasn't.

Before he could react, his legs gave out.

Darkness took him.

To Be Continued…