The man in the center rose slowly as though time itself bowed to the rhythm of his movements.
Out of nothing, a blade materialized in his hand. A saber, pitch-black and lined with pale blue fire. He twirled it once, twice. The weapon sang through the air with a whispering hum.
Cassandra's pupils shrank. The pieces slammed into place in an instant.
"You…" Her throat tightened. "You're him. The upstart criminal they can't shut up about. The prodigy of the Vesper Consortium..."
Her lips shaped the name as if it were a curse.
"Devil."
The faintest smile curved his mouth, all but confirming it. And with that recognition, her eyes darted around the clearing, her vision sharpening.
They were here.
The short samurai with a katana strapped at her waist, stance poised and deadly.
Blade.
The berserker with the large axe, aura thick with bloodlust that made the air taste metallic.
Scourge.
The elf with her drawn bow, steady as stone, eyes glinting with cold focus. Solace.
