As they neared the compound, its imposing iron gates was as the last divide between them and their mission.
Dim lights from inside of it cast irregular patches of illumination on the structure, but the perimeter remained blanketed in darkness. Lucian's eyes picked out the silhouettes of guards pacing the entrance, their movements precise, methodical, unaware of the danger approaching.
Iralis crouched beside him, her lithe figure nearly indistinguishable from the shadows of the trees. Her eyes, though hidden behind her mask, were fixed on the guards near the gate.
Without a word, she slid into motion, her body flowing like water toward the compound's edge, fading into the darkness as if she were some trick of the night.
Lucian exhaled slowly, watching her disappear. Iralis had mastered the abilities given by Vashara, the Goddess of Shadows, to an almost unnatural degree. The darkness bent to her will, cloaking her completely. To anyone unaware, she was little more than a wisp of smoke drifting unseen.
Moments later, she reappeared on the other side of the gate. She moved with surgical precision, her hand reaching out to snap the lock quietly before easing the heavy gate open just enough for Lucian to slip through.
Lucian rose from his crouch, his grip tightening around the hilt of the sword Ash had provided. The blade was sharp and deadly, its unnatural sharpness glinting in the faint light. He stepped forward, knowing what needed to be done. Hesitation was not an option.
The gate creaked softly as Lucian slipped through the opening, his gaze locking onto the two guards standing nearby, oblivious to his approach. Moving with quiet purpose, Lucian closed the distance swiftly.
The first guard, a man in his mid-thirties with a plasma rifle slung over his shoulder, didn't even have time to react. Lucian's blade cut through his neck in one clean stroke, his eyes widening in shock as his body crumpled to the ground.
A brief, subtle tug registered in Lucian's mind. Then, a flash of the rune:
[You have absorbed the soul of: Mortal Human]
It was a fleeting pulse of energy, as though he had claimed something that didn't belong to him. A dark thread of energy slithered into his core, settling there.
'No need to manually take the souls anymore,' Lucian thought.
Unlike with the head priest, the souls now flowed into him automatically. There was no pause, no ritual. Just cold efficiency.
He moved to the second guard, who had just started to turn at the sound of his comrade's fall. Lucian struck again, this time driving his blade into the man's chest. His gasp was silenced as Lucian withdrew the sword, and once again the rune flashed before his eyes:
[You have absorbed the soul of: Mortal Human]
Lucian exhaled slowly, the blade in his hand steady. A coldness began to settle in his chest, familiar yet new. He had killed before, many times as a slum child, but something had changed since the head priest. The act of absorbing a soul left an unsettling imprint on his mind, as if he was stealing a piece of existence that wasn't his to take.
But he shoved the discomfort away. There was no room for hesitation.
Iralis emerged from the shadows at his side, her movements as silent as ever. She gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, showing neither approval nor disdain for his actions. With a gesture, she signaled toward the compound's inner courtyard, where more guards waited.
Lucian nodded in return. Together, they advanced into the compound, leaving the two dead guards behind. The gate now stood open, their bodies lying still in the dirt, their souls absorbed by Lucian.
A crackle in his earpiece broke the silence. Ash's voice came through, calm and measured. "Seems you've made it past the gate. The ones inside will be more of a challenge."
Neither Lucian nor Iralis responded. They were both skeptical that any non-chosen could truly pose a threat to them.
Entering the courtyard, they found themselves facing a group of two dozen men, already assembled and waiting, hinting their stealthy infiltration was not stealthy enough. Some brandished swords and daggers, while others held the more dangerous rifles that glinted menacingly in the dim light.
These weren't just ordinary soldiers; they were enhanced—super soldiers, courtesy of the very technology that had been implanted in Lucian aswell.
But rather than feel threatened, Lucian felt something else entirely: exhilaration. The deaths of the two guards had caused something in him. The raw power surging through his veins from their souls left him craving more. It was an intoxicating, forbidden rush—a dark euphoria that came with taking lives and absorbing what made them human.
"Go," Lucian muttered to Iralis as the standoff with the soldiers stretched on.
"What?" Iralis's confusion was clear in her voice.
"Find the target," Lucian replied, his eyes never leaving the group of men. "I'll handle these ones."
Iralis hesitated for only a moment before giving a final glance in his direction. She saw the steel in his eyes, a determination that told her he wasn't bluffing. With a silent nod, she melded into the shadows once again and vanished into the night.
Lucian stepped forward, the sword in his hand glowing faintly in the darkness.
One of the soldiers, a man who seemed to be in charge, stepped forward and demanded, "Who are you, and why do y—"
Lucian cut him off with a cold smile. "Listen, gentlemen. We don't need to waste time with pointless conversation. It would be easier for everyone if you simply stepped forward… and died."