"They're here for me," Aiden said coldly. He drew his blade, the soft hum of light and shadow emanating from its edge. His heart steadied. This wasn't panic. It was clarity.
"What?" Rowan shot back, spinning to face him. "No, that doesn't make any sense. Why would they—"
"Because hes the one the core called for," Sylva said quietly. Her glow dimmed as she glanced at Aiden, her gaze heavy with grim understanding. "They're his welcoming party."
"Then they're about to be disappointed," Kieran growled, stepping forward, shield raised. "They want you, Aiden? They'll have to get through us."
"No," Aiden said firmly. His eyes shifted, glancing toward the shifting undergrowth where the lone raptor moved away from the pack, slipping silently into the depths of the forest.
His breath steadied. "I'll catch up." He turned to the others, his eyes firm, unwavering. "I'll be the bait."
"Are you—" Rowan's voice rose with immediate protest, stepping forward like she might grab him by the arm. "No! Not again, Aiden! We stick together, just like always!"
"Listen to him," Kieran cut in, his tone hard as stone. His eyes locked with Aiden's. He sees it too. He understands. "Think. If we all run, they'll split us up anyway. They want him. If he leads them away, the rest of us stand a better chance."
"That's a stupid plan!" Rowan snapped, voice tight with frustration. "He's going to get cornered out there alone!"
Aiden turned, locking eyes with her, gaze steady but not cold. "I trust you, Rowan. So trust me this once, yeah?"
Rowan's breath hitched, anger mixing with something she didn't want to admit—fear, maybe. She clicked her tongue, throwing up her hands. "Fine. But you better come back, idiot."
He smiled faintly. "See you later."
Then he took a deep breath, exhaling slow and steady. The glow of the Ring of Vows pulsed once, then brightened. Mist rippled outward from his feet, spreading like waves across the forest floor.
"Ripples on a lake," he whispered. The words were calm, almost meditative. His body shimmered, edges distorting like heat haze. Light and shadow flickered across his skin in jagged patterns, his figure both whole and fragmented. His eyes burned faint pink, fierce and steady.
"Don't stop moving," he said, his voice layered with power. Then he vanished—a blur of motion and energy, leaving the air behind him rippling.
The raptors reacted instantly, their heads snapping in his direction. The shift was immediate—one after the other, they darted into the forest, their bodies weaving through trees with unnatural speed. Six of them. Seven. Eight. All chasing him.
"Clever," Kieran muttered as he watched them vanish into the undergrowth. "He'll have most of them on him. Means we can breath a little easier."
"Yeah, but what now?" Rowan asked, eyes sharp, body tense.
Amara's eyes narrowed as she scanned the foliage. "Away. Fast. Some of them stayed like we thought."
As if on cue, three raptors emerged from the undergrowth, slow, steady, deliberate. They were cornered.
"Move!" Kieran barked, slamming his shield into the nearest raptor, his sword arcing out in a brutal swing. "Sylva, you're with Rowan. Amara, you're with me."
"Lets go!" Sylva snapped, tugging Rowan's arm. But Rowan's feet didn't move right away. Her eyes darted to the forest, to the direction Aiden had gone. Her jaw tightened. She shook it off and ran.
"Stick close!" Kieran barked, his eyes darting to Amara. "Go high if you have to, I'll keep them grounded."
"Don't need to tell me twice," Amara snapped, vaulting over a broken tree trunk. Her sniper rifle clicked into place, her eyes sharp as she glanced back. "Keep up, old man."
"Old man?!" Kieran's bark of laughter echoed behind her, followed by the sharp clang of his shield smashing into a raptor's claws.
The group split, darting in opposite directions as the forest swallowed them whole. Shadows and snapping branches chased after them, the growls of hungry beasts hot on their heels.
Deep in the forest…
The lone raptor padded through the undergrowth, its movements slow, precise, predatory. No longer wild. Purposeful. It moved with patience, scanning its surroundings like a scout returning from war.
The clearing ahead was still, the air heavy and stagnant. A figure stood in the center. Silver hair cascaded down her back, her armor lined with faint green glow lines. She didn't move, didn't breathe, as though the world around her was waiting for her permission to turn.
The raptor approached, lowering its head. It sniffed the air once, then knelt, its body low to the ground in submission.
Lila turned slowly, her eyes glowing faint red. Her face was still. Not calm. Controlled. Her lips didn't move right away, but the cold stillness of her presence was like a sword left hanging in the air.
"Have you found him?" she asked softly. Her voice wasn't a question. It was a promise.
The raptor lifted its head, eyes blazing bright with unnatural intensity.
"Yes," it rasped. Its voice was guttural, unnatural, but clear.
Lila's eyes darkened—the faintest flicker of recognition, sharp and knowing, dancing in their depths.
"Good," she whispered, her tone honeyed and venomous. Her grin spreading like a crack in porcelain. The Core's presence seeped into her voice, its weight pressing into the air. "I want him to be tired when I break him."