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Scene: Deep Forest Outside the City, Nighttime
Mordryn stood rigid, his eyes locked onto Cyras, a man who had once been an ally and now stood before him as a ghost from his past. The moonlight cast long shadows across the clearing, and the air felt heavy with tension. Beside Mordryn, Kang Wo Hu gripped her crossbow, her face filled with confusion.
Kang Wo Hu:
"Mordryn... who is this guy?"
Cyras's cold smile widened as he slowly stepped forward, his voice smooth and mocking.
Cyras:
"You haven't told her, have you, old friend? There's so much she doesn't know..."
Mordryn's heart pounded, memories of betrayal and blood flooding his mind. He couldn't allow Kang Wo Hu to get involved in this. Cyras was dangerous—far more dangerous than any Shadowwolf. He couldn't risk her life. Not for this.
Without a word, Mordryn turned to Kang Wo Hu, his eyes hard and serious.
Mordryn:
"We're leaving. Now."
Before she could protest, Mordryn swept her off her feet in one swift movement, holding her close as he began to move through the forest with inhuman speed. The trees blurred around them as Mordryn carried Kang Wo Hu away from the clearing, away from Cyras.
Kang Wo Hu:
"Hey! What the hell?!" she struggled in his arms "I can handle myself, you know!"
Mordryn's grip didn't loosen. His voice was calm but firm.
Mordryn:
"This is not your fight, Wo Hu. He is more dangerous than anything you've faced. I will not let you be caught in the crossfire."
Kang Wo Hu glared up at him, clearly frustrated.
Kang Wo Hu:
"But I'm an A-rank Hunter! You can't just—"
Mordryn:
"This is not a hunt. This is a war from a time long before yours. And if I don't deal with him now, you will die."
His words silenced her, though she was still visibly upset. Kang Wo Hu looked over his shoulder, the dark forest rushing past them as Mordryn carried her deeper into safety. After a moment, she spoke again, her voice softer this time.
Kang Wo Hu:
"Who is he, Mordryn? What's going on?"
Mordryn didn't answer immediately, his thoughts racing. Cyras—one of the betrayers, one of those who had helped bring about the fall of Valendar. He should have been sealed away along with the others, locked in the dark realms for eternity. But here he was, alive and free in this modern world.
Mordryn (thinking):
"How? How is he here? He should have been sealed away... just like I was."
His grip on Kang Wo Hu tightened as the questions churned in his mind. If Cyras had survived, then who else from his past was still out there? And more importantly—why was he still alive?
He had willingly sealed himself away in that cave centuries ago, to escape the madness and the bloodshed. He had chosen to disappear. But had it truly been of his own will? Or was there something more at play?
The memory of his sealing was cloudy now, as though pieces of it had been ripped away.
Mordryn (thinking):
"Was I... truly sealed? Or was I... kept alive for a reason?"
Cyras's sudden reappearance had shattered the fragile understanding he had of his own existence. Mordryn felt a cold, creeping realization settle over him—he had been used. Someone, or something, had orchestrated his survival.
After what felt like an eternity, Mordryn slowed his pace, gently setting Kang Wo Hu down in a small clearing far from where they had encountered Cyras. She staggered slightly, still catching her breath, but she didn't argue this time.
Kang Wo Hu:
"You're not scared of him, are you?" she narrowed her eyes "You ran for me, didn't you?"
Mordryn met her gaze, his expression unreadable.
Mordryn:
"He is dangerous. More than you realize. This is not your battle to fight, and I will not see you harmed."
Kang Wo Hu folded her arms, a stubborn frown crossing her face.
Kang Wo Hu:
"Fine. But don't think I'm just going to sit around while you face him alone. I'll find a way to help, whether you like it or not."
Mordryn sighed, knowing there was no convincing her once she had set her mind on something. But for now, he needed to face Cyras alone. There were too many questions, too much at stake.
Mordryn:
"Stay here. I will return."
Before Kang Wo Hu could argue, Mordryn disappeared back into the forest, his figure a blur as he raced back toward Cyras. The memories of betrayal still burned in his mind, but now they were accompanied by a new fear—one that clawed at him from the inside.
Mordryn (thinking):
"Why am I still alive? What did they do to me?"
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Scene: Back at the Clearing
Cyras hadn't moved from where they left him, his arms folded as he waited with a lazy smirk on his face. When Mordryn reappeared, his eyes lit up with amusement.
Cyras:
"Back so soon? I thought you'd run off for good."
Mordryn stepped into the moonlight, his eyes cold and calculating.
Mordryn:
"I'm not here to play games, Cyras. How are you here? You should have been sealed away, just like the others."
Cyras chuckled, taking a step forward.
Cyras:
"Oh, Mordryn. You always did underestimate the depth of our betrayal, didn't you? We weren't just sealed. We were... preserved. Kept alive, just like you."
Mordryn's heart clenched at the implication.
Mordryn:
"Preserved? For what?"
Cyras's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with malice.
Cyras:
"For something much bigger than the war you think you survived. You were meant for more, Mordryn. You always were."
Mordryn's fists clenched at his sides, his mind racing. If what Cyras said was true, then everything he thought he had done to escape the war—to disappear from the world—had been in vain. He had been a pawn in a game much larger than himself.
Mordryn (thinking):
"What have I been a part of all these centuries?"
Cyras's voice cut through his thoughts, cold and cruel.
Cyras:
"It's time for you to stop running, Mordryn. Time to face the truth about who—and what—you really are."
Mordryn's eyes flashed with anger. He stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous.
Mordryn:
"You think I will just accept your lies? I will end this now, Cyras."
Cyras laughed softly, raising his hands in a mocking gesture of surrender.
Cyras:
"Go ahead, then. Try."
As the tension in the air thickened, Mordryn's power surged, crackling through the space between them. Cyras's own aura flared in response, and the two ancient sorcerers stood face to face, their magic swirling like a storm ready to be unleashed.
Mordryn's heart pounded, the weight of a thousand years of betrayal and unanswered questions pressing down on him.
Mordryn (thinking):
"What did they do to me... and why?"
With one final glance at Cyras, Mordryn knew there was only one way to get his answers now.
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End of Chapter 9