Shadowmaster Ren's blade plunged deep into Yuan Xia's heart. Blood spurted from the wound as she collapsed against the cave wall. Her eyes widened in shock, then glazed over as her body went limp.
Ren wiped his blade clean, his breath evening out after their intense battle. His gaze drifted to the floating dagger suspended above the black flowers. "Thank you for the distraction. She never saw it coming."
The cave's darkness pressed in around him as he searched for an exit among the skeletal remains. A flash of movement caught his eye - too late. Steel whistled through the air toward his neck. Pure instinct took over as Ren's form dissolved into shadow, the attack passing harmlessly through empty space.
He reformed several paces away, dropping into a defensive stance. His eyes widened beneath his hood. Yuan Xia stood before him, very much alive despite the gaping hole in her chest.
"Impossible." The word escaped his lips in a harsh whisper.
