Ethan led the group at a full sprint toward the rendezvous point they'd agreed on earlier. It didn't take long before they arrived—but when they got there, only Ataneya was waiting.
"Elira's not here?" Ethan frowned, scanning the area.
Among them, Elira was the strongest. She should've been the first to arrive.
Something's wrong.
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
BOOM!
A thunderous rumble echoed from the distance, followed by a blinding beam of light that split the sky.
RUMBLE!
A moment later, Elira appeared, flashing into view—her expression tense, almost panicked.
Ethan rushed toward her. "Elira! What happened?"
"My Lord!" she gasped. "We need to move—now! I ran into something… someone. He's bad news. Way beyond what we can handle. We have to go before he catches up!"
Ethan's eyes widened. Elira—being chased?
"Move! Now!"
Without hesitation, Ethan spun on his heel and bolted. The others—Feylora, Seraphina, and Ataneya—immediately followed, no questions asked.
