The broken arches of the Temple of Lyseria smoldered behind her as Lila raced through the hidden valley's narrow corridors—her bare feet touching the pulse-laced ground as if guided by something ancient and alive.
Mana roared behind her.
The Hybrids—those bred through the fusion of divine essence and mortal flesh—had descended like an execution squad, intent on erasing her from existence.
But the temple, the last fragment of Lyseria's soul, had not betrayed its heir.
The golden threads of her bloodline glowed through her skin as she ran. Her Seer eyes, now shining with layers of sapphire and ivory, mapped the exit routes in flickers of foresight, and her breath kept a steady rhythm even as the air behind her trembled with the chasing hounds of the capital's inner guard.
A sharp voice from behind echoed.
"There she is!"
Five elite hybrids lunged from the rooftops above—clad in celestial-forged armor, their movements graceful as wind, cruel as thunder.
