When Shadows March

Silver Halo Guild — Manila, Philippines

The air in the Silver Halo compound was still, peaceful. The sea breeze whispered past their gleaming towers, and healers moved with quiet discipline. But that peace shattered in the blink of an eye.

Shadows danced through the hallways—silent, precise, and deadly.

Dao and Yao moved like specters. In their wake, guards and scouts collapsed with barely a sound. Not even their hearts had time to panic.

Mae Lou, clad in veils of shadow mist, floated behind them. Her soul magic gently silenced the dying, ensuring the alarms remained dead.

Kim Hwan moved separately, a predator with crimson eyes scanning the walls, hunting for something deeper. Vera stalked silently beside him, her presence almost undetectable.

They weren't here to destroy.

They were here to extract.

Deep Within the Guild Archives

A Silver Halo mage stumbled backward, arms raised, but Kim's hand phased through the man's chest—dark energy swallowing the heart within.

"Where is it?" Kim whispered.

From behind him, Maria del Rosario stepped out of the shimmering wall of light. Her golden hair caught the glint of moonlight filtering through the glass ceiling.

Maria: "You'll find nothing but death here, Kim Hwan."

Kim turned, calmly cracking his neck.

Kim: "I disagree. You have something my Triad needs. Something only your guild kept hidden from the rest of the world. A piece of the Origin Core."

Maria's eyes narrowed. Even in the face of assassination, she was calm.

Maria: "That core fragment is sealed under divine contract. It cannot be used by someone with tainted intent."

Kim: "That's where you're wrong. We won't use it—we'll feed it. And it'll awaken the real gates."

Maria didn't wait. The air split with a sonic boom as her staff ignited with holy flame. A radiant spear formed above her shoulder and launched with impossible speed.

Kim dodged, barely.

Chains of light snapped out like vipers. Kim vanished in a blur and reappeared at her flank.

Kim: "SS+ Healer? Your support magic is impressive. But this isn't your element."

Maria: "Who said I was only support?"

With a chant, thorns of pure divine light burst from the floor beneath Kim's feet. He jumped, scowling as a thorn grazed his side.

But then—black mist surged from his hand.

It became a fang of energy and ripped through Maria's shield.

She coughed blood, but her eyes were resolute.

Maria: "Why? Why destroy all this?"

Kim: "We don't want to destroy it. We want to break the illusion. The world you protect is built on lies and leashes. We'll end that era."

A final flash of darkness exploded around him.

When it cleared, Maria lay unconscious. The core vault door was open.

Kim stepped inside, retrieved the fragment—glowing with ancient, pulsating light—and vanished into shadow.

Dao, Yao, Mae, Vera—all disappeared as quickly as they came.

The Silver Halo Guild was left in chaos.

---

Celestial Order — Seoul, Korea

The core five sat beneath the cherry blossoms, enjoying skewers and drinks after the raid on Floor 36.

Roger Wilson: "Tch. I still feel off about that boneless creature. It didn't die right."

Hestia Roseberg: "It muttered something in an ancient tongue… something about 'convergence' before it disintegrated."

Martin Saunders: "Whatever it was, it wasn't native to Floor 36. We might be dealing with something older than the towers themselves."

Christoff Erickson: "Let's keep eyes on all the guilds. I have a feeling this peace won't last long."

Naiomi Sasaki: "...Agreed."

The Order clinked glasses under the waning sun.

They didn't know the storm was already brewing.

---

Back at Silver Halo – Aftermath

Guards swarmed. Healers rushed to Maria's side.

Guild Healer: "She's alive! Barely—but she fought hard."

Maria, even as she slipped into unconsciousness, whispered:

Maria: "The Origin Core… protect it… it's not just power. It's a key."

The room shook.

Far across the world, somewhere deep inside a buried temple, something ancient stirred.

To be continue...