The alley was a storm of steel and shadow.
Kael's blade sliced through snarling flesh, sparks of stolen mana crackled from his dagger's edge. Beside him, Celeste moved with lethal grace, frost weaving from her fingers to freeze attackers mid-lunge. Lira was a whirlwind of blades, her twin daggers dancing through the cursed beasts with deadly precision.
Despite the chaos, Kael's mind raced faster than his strikes. These creatures—twisted by dark enchantments—were far more than mere guards. They were living weapons, born from the forbidden magic House Varnel had long buried beneath their gilded halls.
"Who are you, really?" Kael shouted to Lira as they fought back to back, their breaths sharp in the cold night air.
She didn't answer at first, eyes locked on an incoming beast. With a swift spin, she plunged a dagger into its throat, then finally spoke.
"I'm what happens when you survive their cruelty and refuse to be broken."
Kael blinked, confusion mixing with awe.
Lira's eyes softened for the briefest moment before hardening again. "I was one of them—taken as a child, like you. But I escaped. And I've spent years in the shadows, gathering what I could to fight back."
Celeste's silver gaze flicked to Lira, a silent acknowledgment passing between them. Allies born of shared scars.
The last of the beasts fell beneath their combined assault, a terrible howl echoing into the night before fading away.
Kael's breath came in ragged gasps. The children they'd rescued stirred nearby, safe but trembling.
"Why come to us now?" Kael asked Lira, voice low.
"Because the Varnels are preparing something worse," Lira said grimly. "Something that could drown the whole city in blood and magic."
Celeste's fingers clenched around her blade's hilt.
"We need to strike before they do."
Kael nodded slowly, the weight of the ledger heavy in his satchel, the flames of rebellion burning hotter in his chest.
Tonight wasn't just about revenge anymore. It was war.