Sirius stood atop the corpse of an Abyssal Shade, its body limp beneath his feet. It looked exactly like the shade he had turned into a statue. Two more shades circled him, their faces twitching as if seeking an opening. They moved in jerky motions, their claws flexing with anticipation. But Sirius gave them no room to strike. His stance was unwavering, and his sharp, violet gaze was locked on them, waiting.
The shades were intelligent enough to assess danger, but not enough to display real patience. They suddenly lunged at him, intending to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. Their shrill screeches pierced the air, sounding more like a warning to the others in the dark, dead forest. But Sirius had already faced this before.
Moving with deadly precision, Sirius stepped aside from one of the attacking shades and swung his blade across the mouth of the other, carving a line of black ichor from its head down to its torso. As it recoiled with a guttural snarl, he pivoted, his body twisting to meet the second shade's cleaver-like hand, which was dangerously close to his head. With the hilt of his sword, he struck the attacking limb, sending the creature stumbling back with a hollow whimper.
Before the creature could recover, Sirius swiftly decapitated it. Its head hit the ground with a dull thud, followed by an eerie silence that seemed to devour the sound of his heavy breathing. The forest had fallen unnaturally quiet, as if the very air was holding its breath. The only movement now was the dripping of dark blood from Sirius's makeshift sword, staining the ground beneath him. His clothes were spattered with the shade's blood, and he could feel fresh wounds stinging, old ones reopening, reminding him of his fragile state.
"I need water," he murmured under his breath, his voice rough, almost foreign in the silence.
He moved cautiously, limping towards the river, each step feeling heavier than the last. The water wasn't clean, but in this cursed land, nothing ever was. Yet, there were no shades lurking here. For now. He crouched down, cupping his hands to drink, the metallic taste of blood mingling with the cold water on his lips. After a brief rest, Sirius rose and forced himself to keep moving, heading deeper into the forest.
It wasn't long before he stumbled upon a scene far worse than the carnage he had left behind.
The bodies. Men, women, and children alike, slaughtered and discarded like broken dolls near the entrance of a cave. Blood pooled beneath them, black and thick, painting the ground in grotesque patterns. The sight drained whatever fatigue had clung to Sirius. A cold dread replaced it, crawling up his spine, tightening his chest. What kind of monstrosity had done this?
He scanned the area, his senses on high alert. Whatever it was, it had left recently. Or worse—it could still be near. Sirius knew he had to keep moving. Whatever killed these people could easily return, and he wasn't ready to face it, not in his current condition. He quickened his pace, moving past the bodies, but he couldn't shake the growing nausea in his gut.
Some distance later, he found another body. It was not like the others. This one was a Soul Weaver, and its death was far more deliberate. A gaping hole had been carved through its chest, right where the soul core should have been, and its head lay several meters away, cleanly severed.
Sirius's stomach churned. He stepped closer, recognizing the familiar face. It took a moment, but the realization hit him hard.
It was Andrew—one of Aurelia's bodyguards.
"They were running," Sirius muttered, his voice barely audible over the wind. "He stayed behind to slow whatever was chasing them."
A cold knot of fear tightened in Sirius's chest. If Andrew had been left behind, then Xander and the others were likely still ahead, fleeing deeper into this nightmare.
"I have to find them, Xander might be with them." Sirius whispered to himself, pushing down the rising panic. He clenched his fist, summoning the last of his strength. But just as he was about to follow the trail, the sky began to darken unnaturally.
"I need to rest first," he said quietly, knowing he couldn't go on like this. He scanned the area and spotted a large tree with a hollow at its base. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. He crawled inside, his body aching from fatigue and pain, ignoring the skittering of rats around him.
As he closed his eyes, the darkness outside seemed to seep into his mind, filling it with unsettling images and whispers
....
Back in Thane, the Abyssal Shades had all been eradicated, and a perimeter had been set around the Calamity Gate. Soldiers moved swiftly, ensuring the area was completely quarantined. A new military base had been established, and the Major commanded the troops when he spotted a helicopter approaching the site. He dismissed the soldiers before him and went to meet the person on board.
The mayor's secretary was already on-site when the helicopter landed. A man in his fifties emerged, wearing a business suit. A carefully groomed mustache enhanced the stern look on his face.
His secretary seemed somewhat at ease to see the stern mayor back in the city. She obediently moved to his side. Well, of course, she would; he was the strongest person in the city—or at least he was supposed to be. She hadn't witnessed Roy, the Tier 3 Soul Lord, and Ava, the Tier 2 Soul Grandmaster, fight, but she had heard how they had devastated a huge horde of monsters before swiftly dispatching the guardian and returning to help quell the horde. Apparently, the battle hadn't lasted more than forty minutes.
The remains of the Abyssal Shades, their dismembered bodies lying near the gate, were the greatest testimony to this. Before she could speak to the mayor, the major walked toward him and saluted.
The stern-looking mayor reciprocated with a salute of his own.
"Major, what's going on? I thought this was a Tier 3 gate."
"Of course it is, Mayor Lance," the major replied, barely able to hold back his annoyance. "We were just able to limit the overall damage to the city."
"I know that, but you've captured the gate, haven't you? It doesn't seem like something you could handle by yourself with just your men."
"We didn't capture the gate. We had help," the major said.
"Help? From whom?" the mayor inquired, quite curious.
"We had assistance from a Soul Lord and a Soul Grandmaster," the major answered.
The mayor was stunned. "A Soul Lord and a Grandmaster? Are you serious?"
A Soul Lord was technically also a Tier 3, but they couldn't compare to Soul Kings, who were already developing pseudo-domains. That was why Soul Kings were usually the prerequisite for protecting a city. However, it was hard to find one for every city, so Soul Lords were considered protectors of cities. But what they faced was an upper-rank Tier 3 gate. A Soul Lord could only hold a candle to it. Seeing his confusion, he secretary walked towards him. The mayor's eyes widened in realization as his secretary whispered in his ear.
"Is it possible? There are Soul Armor wielders in the city? Where are they? I need to thank them personally," he said, containing his excitement. It just showed how rare Soul Armor wielders were. Seeing his reaction, his secretary shook her head, knowing of his enthusiasm toward Soul Armor. It had always been a regret of his to not have one.
The major shook his head. "They aren't here, so you cannot see them."
"Oh, that's a shame! Should we close the gates now?" Lance said, walking forward, disappointed.
"No," the major replied, following him.
"Why not?" the mayor asked, puzzled.
"Because a search party has been sent after the people whisked inside," the major replied.
"But is it necessary? I mean, those people are most likely dead. This is just a waste of resources and good men who might possibly die in the Abyssal Plane," the mayor argued.
"Absolutely. Because it is what I agreed on to enlist the help of the two Soul Armor wielders," the major said, almost annoyed with the mayor's nonchalance.
The mayor was surprised. "Oh? Why is that?"
"Because the children of one of those soul weavers are in there. A parent would never abandon their children in such peril, even if the chances of survival are slim. At least if they're dead, they'll get some closure on it."
Hearing this, the mayor went silent. He sighed and said, "Alright, Major. You can give me your complaint."
At this, the major's pent-up frustration finally exploded, and he gave the mayor an earful.
---
Back in the Abyssal Plane, in a dead forest, dozens of people dressed in military Soul Weaver suits were sprinting, checking the area for signs of life, human life. Any other species was quickly dispatched with the cold sharp edges of blades or weapons of other kinds.
Ava and Roy, clad in armor, were leading the charge. They moved for hours before deciding that some rest was needed. Unfortunately, no survivors had been found—at least, not alive. The few times they had encountered people or traces of life, they had already long been devoured, leaving remains in various conditions.
As it was dangerous to move much at night because the creatures seemed more frantic, they set up camp. The soldiers had canned food as they sat around trying to lighten the mood.
Ava stood a few paces away, not feeling like socializing with anyone. Roy approached with some canned food and handed it over to Ava. She smiled and accepted it.
The two of them sat down and stared into the distance. Roy was about to break the silence but noticed Ava's focused gaze. He then shut his mouth and looked into the distance.
She hadn't lost hope yet. Of all the bodies they had found, a few were children, and none of them were Xander or Sirius. Although they hadn't checked the entire area, she believed they were safe.
"Let's go back. We'll begin our search properly tomorrow," Ava said as she finished her meal.
"Sure, boss," Roy answered before following her back to the camp.