The revenant's charge shook the ground, each step hammering like a drumbeat. Dust swirled in its wake as the jagged stone-sword swung in a vicious arc.
Liora barely raised her blade in time. Steel met stone with a scream that rattled her bones. The impact threw her back a step, her arms trembling from the force.
"Move!" Kael barked, lunging past her. His dagger flashed silver as he drove it into the revenant's side. Sparks erupted, but the blade skittered uselessly off the fused armor. The creature did not flinch.
Its helm turned toward him, pale fire blazing brighter. With one brutal sweep, it hurled Kael across the cobbled street. He struck a broken wall and collapsed with a groan.
"Kael!" Liora cried, but she had no time to reach him. The revenant was already upon her.
Instinct took over. She ducked beneath its sword and slashed upward, aiming for the seam in its armor. This time, her strike bit — a thin crack glowing faintly where steel had pierced stone. The revenant staggered, its hum turning into a distorted shriek.
The sound was not just noise. It clawed at her mind, dredging up memories she had buried — her commander's voice, the night Caelthorn burned, the cries of those she failed to save.
Liora clenched her teeth, forcing the visions away. "You're not him," she hissed. "You're nothing but a shadow."
The revenant roared, raising its sword high for the killing blow.
And then Kael's voice cut through the chaos.
"Liora — the crack! Its chest!"
He was already dragging himself upright, blood at the corner of his mouth, eyes sharp despite the pain.
The revenant swung down. Liora planted her feet, lifted her blade, and struck straight into the glowing seam.
A sound like shattering glass echoed across the street. The revenant froze, pale fire flickering wildly… then crumbled, stone and armor collapsing into a heap of ash and rubble.
Liora stood panting, sweat stinging her eyes. The hum faded, leaving only the wind.
Kael limped to her side, smirking despite the blood. "Not bad. Though next time, I'd prefer you take the hit first."
She shot him a glare, though relief softened it. Yet as she looked at the revenant's remains, her stomach twisted.
Because among the rubble, lying untouched by decay, was a single rusted medallion — marked with the silver sun of her fallen order.
Chapter Three Ends