The forest loomed around Kaiden, its towering trees casting long shadows under the pale moonlight. The air was heavy with tension, a hushed silence stretching through the woods as if even nature had paused to witness what was about to unfold. Somewhere ahead, Kasir's elite guards moved in a calculated formation, their movements precise and deliberate.
Kaiden crouched low behind a fallen log, his mismatched eyes narrowing as he studied their rhythm. The leader, a hulking figure with a scar slashed across his face, moved at the center, his steps purposeful. To his left was a wiry man, smaller but sharp-eyed, scanning the darkness like a predator sniffing for prey.
Trailing behind them was the youngest—a man who looked closer to Kaiden's age. His steps were uneven, his grip on his weapon loose. He moved like someone trying to keep up rather than someone confident in his abilities.
That's my mark, Kaiden thought.
But he couldn't just charge in. Not yet. If he engaged one, the others would close in before he could finish the fight. He needed to isolate them, to force them into situations where their discipline would crack.
The Plan
Kaiden glanced at the supplies in his satchel. Rope, a small metal clasp, and a few stones he'd pocketed earlier. Not much, but it would have to do.
He tied the rope to a sturdy branch and secured it to a nearby tree, forming a crude snare. It wasn't sophisticated, but he didn't need it to be. What mattered was the illusion.
Taking one of the stones, Kaiden tossed it to his right, letting it clatter noisily against a cluster of rocks. The guards immediately froze.
"Movement," the wiry man hissed.
The leader gestured with two fingers. "Split up. You two sweep the perimeter. I'll hold position here."
Kaiden smirked. Perfect.
The youngest guard veered off, heading toward the snare. Kaiden moved silently, circling around to flank him.
The Confrontation
The guard's boots crunched softly against the forest floor as he approached the trap. Kaiden stepped out from the shadows, his movements fluid and deliberate.
The guard froze, his eyes widening. "You..."
Kaiden's voice was calm, almost mocking. "Looking for something?"
The guard raised his blade, Flow flickering faintly along its edge. "You're dead, kid. You don't even know who you're messing with."
Kaiden tilted his head, his mismatched eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "Where is she?"
The guard sneered, gripping his weapon tighter. "You'll find her in hell."
Kaiden sighed, shaking his head. "Wrong answer."
The guard lunged, his blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. But Kaiden wasn't there. He sidestepped effortlessly, the blade whistling past him.
"You're sloppy," Kaiden said, his tone sharp.
The guard growled, pouring more Flow into his strikes. His movements grew faster, his blade cutting arcs of light through the darkness. Kaiden ducked low, narrowly avoiding a diagonal slash, before driving his elbow into the guard's ribs.
The man stumbled back, coughing. "You're not even using Flow," he spat, disbelief etched across his face.
Kaiden shrugged. "I don't need it."
The Fight
The guard charged again, his blade a blur. Kaiden stepped back, analyzing every move. The Flow-enhanced strikes were powerful, but they came at a cost—the guard's stamina was draining fast.
Kaiden waited for an opening. When the guard overextended on a downward swing, Kaiden stepped inside his guard, grabbing his wrist and twisting it sharply. The blade clattered to the ground.
Before the guard could react, Kaiden drove his knee into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. The guard collapsed to his knees, gasping for air.
Kaiden grabbed him by the collar, his mismatched eyes boring into his. "Where is Elira?"
The guard coughed, blood trickling from his mouth. "Go to hell," he rasped.
Kaiden frowned, then drove a sharp punch into the side of the guard's head, sending him sprawling.
The Aftermath
Kaiden dragged the body into a small clearing, his breathing steady. The fight had been quick—too quick. He couldn't afford to waste time.
He positioned the guard's body in a grotesque display, using the rope from his satchel to tie the lifeless form to a tree. The guard's head lolled unnaturally, his eyes wide and unseeing. Kaiden used the man's blade to carve a single word into the bark beside him:
"Run."
Kaiden stepped back, surveying his work. It wasn't about intimidation—it was a message.
The Two Guards' POV
The leader and the wiry man regrouped near the edge of the forest, their expressions grim.
"He's toying with us," the wiry man muttered, his voice tinged with frustration.
The leader didn't respond immediately, his sharp eyes scanning the darkness. Something about the silence felt wrong.
"Stay close," he finally said. "This isn't just some kid. He's a hunter."
They followed the faint sounds of disturbance, their weapons drawn. When they reached the clearing, they stopped cold.
The youngest guard's body hung limply from the tree, his blood-streaked armor glinting faintly in the moonlight. The word carved into the bark seemed to glow in the darkness, its meaning unmistakable.
The wiry man took a step back, his face pale. "He's not using Flow," he whispered. "How the hell did he—"
The leader's jaw tightened, his grip on his weapon firm. "It doesn't matter how. We end this now."
End of Chapter 37
Kaiden's calculated strikes have begun to turn the tide, but the game is far from over. As the remaining guards close in, the true test of his strength and resolve looms just ahead.