The wind shifted. It carried with it the faint, metallic tang of magic — the kind that set every hair on Dillon's arms upright.
Zain froze mid-step. "He's close."
"Who?" Dillon asked, scanning the ridgeline.
Chris's sword hummed, the resonance building as he tightened his grip. "Doesn't matter. We'll find out in about ten seconds."
The first sign was a ripple in the air, like heat distortion. Then, from the shimmer, a cloaked figure stepped forward. His hood hid most of his face, but Dillon caught a glimpse of silver eyes, cold and unblinking.
The Hunter.
Without a word, the man raised his hand — and the ground at their feet split open. Skeletal arms clawed their way up from the earth, grasping for ankles and dragging at boots.
Chris charged first, his sword glowing as he swung in a wide arc. Each strike shattered bones and sent shockwaves of kinetic force through the ground. "Come on!" he roared. "Pick on someone who hits back!"
Talia blurred, splitting into three identical versions of herself. The illusions darted in opposite directions, drawing the skeletal swarm into chaos. The Hunter's head turned slightly, tracking the wrong Talia for just a moment.
Zain took the opening. He hurled a glass vial to the ground at the Hunter's feet, where it burst into green fire. The air filled with a choking, acrid smoke. "Breathe that in, and even your bones will ache," he muttered.
Dillon fought to break free of the skeletal grip on his legs. One bony hand dug in deeper, claws biting into his skin — and suddenly, a surge of warmth erupted inside him.
Light burst from his palm, searing through the skeletal arm. The bones crumbled to dust instantly. Dillon stared at his hand, where a faint golden glow pulsed just beneath the skin.
The Hunter's head snapped toward him.
"That's not shadow magic," the man said, voice low and dangerous. "That's something else."
Dillon swallowed hard. He could feel the power fading already, slipping back beneath the surface. But the Hunter had seen it — and now, Dillon knew there would be no hiding.
The man stepped forward, skeletal minions closing in again. "You're worth far more than I thought."
Chris planted himself between Dillon and the Hunter. "Yeah? Well, you're worth a broken jaw."
And then the fight truly began.
A/N:Yo Guys guess what? My sister actually initiated this chapter she told me to add more things that y'all would notice 😉
Shout out to her 🎉