Chaos continued.
Not the loud kind born from explosions or screams, but a quieter one that crept into people's minds and settled there.
And for some, doubt had just been born.
Aeryn stood motionless, straight and imposing, surrounded by her men in black. They formed a perfect circle around her, their silhouettes rigid and disciplined. Not a single unnecessary movement disturbed the formation. They looked less like soldiers and more like parts of a machine, a living weapon forged through absolute obedience.
Yet at the center of that controlled silence stood Aeryn.
And she was thinking.
That was the problem.
Selara's words continued to echo in her mind like a blade reopening the same wound.
"Marcellus knew."
It was such a simple sentence, yet it refused to disappear.
Aeryn narrowed her eyes. Her gaze briefly dropped toward the ground before snapping back up, as if even a moment of distraction could be considered weakness.
"...tch."
The click of her tongue was quiet, but it carried unmistakable irritation.
She hated doubt.
She hated hesitation.
Most of all, she hated not understanding.
Crossing her arms, she turned her attention toward the massive building ahead. Its silent presence felt almost threatening.
"You."
One of the men stepped forward immediately.
"Ma'am."
Aeryn stared at him for a moment before speaking.
"Go down to the dungeon. Check."
A brief silence followed.
No explanation was needed.
The man understood at once.
"As you command."
A second later, he disappeared into the shadows.
Aeryn remained where she was. Surrounded by loyal soldiers, yet strangely isolated.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the building, but her thoughts drifted elsewhere.
"...Ryuji."
The whisper barely escaped her lips.
She couldn't explain it, but something felt wrong.
And she hated that.
---
Deep below, the air was heavy with humidity and the metallic scent of blood.
Always blood.
Ryuji stood.
Or rather, he tried to.
His trembling legs barely supported him, while every breath sent a wave of agony through his chest. The arrow lodged in his back burned with a pain that felt unnatural, as though it was consuming something deeper than flesh.
"...poison..."
His rough voice barely carried through the room.
Across from him stood Marcellus.
Calm.
Far too calm.
"Ryuji."
His voice was soft, almost polite.
"That's your name, isn't it?"
A heavy silence followed.
Ryuji stared at him for several seconds before answering.
"...if I'm not mistaken."
A faint smile appeared on Marcellus's face.
"I suppose you're not stupid."
He took a single step forward, yet somehow it seemed to fill the entire room.
"And you know why I'm here."
Ryuji met his gaze. His eyes were red and exhausted, but there was still life behind them.
"Sorry."
A weak smirk appeared.
"I'm dumber than you think."
For a moment, Marcellus simply watched him, amused by his refusal to break.
Meanwhile, Ryuji slowly moved his hand behind his back until his trembling fingers found the arrow.
He grabbed it and clenched his teeth.
Then he pulled.
Pain exploded through his body.
"...gh..."
"If I were you," Marcellus said calmly, "I wouldn't do that."
Ryuji froze.
"That arrow is coated with a very interesting poison."
The smile on Marcellus's face was cold and calculated.
"If you pull it out..."
He paused before letting out a genuine laugh.
The rest didn't need to be explained.
Ryuji released the arrow and let his arm fall.
His breathing grew faster.
"...shit..."
He understood.
Removing it would kill him faster.
Leaving it would kill him slower.
A wonderful choice.
Marcellus resumed walking, his eyes fixed on the glowing core pulsing like a living heart.
"You know, I have nothing against you."
He took another step.
"You have potential. Especially considering what you've survived."
Ryuji remained silent.
"But I don't feel like fighting a man who's already dead."
Marcellus stopped only a few meters away.
"So..."
His eyes gleamed.
"Give me the core."
Silence stretched between them.
"And I'll let you go."
Ryuji glanced around the room.
Debris.
Bodies.
Blood.
His sword lay shattered.
He had nothing left.
A suicide mission.
The thought was cold and undeniable.
Yet he slowly lifted his head.
A spark still burned within his eyes.
Fragile.
But real.
"No."
The single word carried surprising weight.
"You want it?"
A tired smile crossed his face.
"Come and get it."
For the first time, Marcellus's expression shifted.
Only slightly.
But enough.
"...very well."
He made a simple gesture.
"Kill him."
The guards charged simultaneously.
Eight against one.
Ryuji remained still until the very last second.
Then he crouched, grabbed a stone, and hurled it.
CRACK.
The projectile smashed directly into the first guard's face, collapsing his nose and dropping him instantly.
Without hesitation, Ryuji grabbed another stone and threw it.
A second guard fell before he even understood what had happened.
There was no technique.
No elegance.
Only efficiency.
Ryuji seized the first fallen body and threw it into the others, creating just enough confusion to open a gap.
That was all he needed.
He lunged forward, snatched a sword from one of the guards, and attacked.
Fast.
Brutal.
Precise.
One strike dropped a guard.
Then another.
Then a third.
Blood splattered across the floor, the walls, and his hands.
But his body was beginning to fail.
His movements grew heavier as the poison, blood loss, and exhaustion crashed down on him all at once.
A movement came too quickly.
A force far too strong.
"...!"
Ryuji raised his blade.
CLANG.
CRACK.
The sword shattered instantly.
A monstrous impact hurled him backward across the room.
He slammed into the ground and felt the air leave his lungs.
Then he saw him.
Marcellus.
Standing before him.
Untouched.
Perfectly calm.
His blade remained raised as if nothing had happened.
With a slight gesture, he addressed the guards.
"Fall back."
They obeyed immediately.
Marcellus stepped forward alone and locked his gaze onto Ryuji.
Cold.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
"...I'll handle this."
A faint smile formed on his lips.
"Show me whether you truly deserve that power."
Ryuji clenched his teeth.
His body screamed.
His mind wavered.
But something deep inside him refused to break.
Even now.
Even here.
His fingers dug into the ground as he forced himself back to his feet.
Slowly.
Painfully.
But he rose.
His eyes burned with something that wasn't fear.
Not yet.
Only will.
And as he faced Marcellus once more, both men understood the truth.
The real fight was just beginning.