The team gathered in the same room as before, but this time, there was an unmistakable sense of unease in the air. It wasn't just the usual tension they carried after a battle—it was something heavier, something older. The newcomer in the room, the woman who had introduced herself as Kyne, stood at the center of the group, and her presence was enough to make everyone feel like they were teetering on the edge of something dangerous.
Kyne was tall, but not in an imposing way. Her frame was sleek, graceful, and every step she took seemed calculated, like a predator circling its prey. Her eyes glowed with an unnatural light, bright enough to make anyone in the room feel like they were being seen for the first time. Her presence was magnetic, and as the group exchanged glances, it was clear they were all trying to piece together what exactly she was, what she meant, and how she was going to fit into the puzzle of their fractured team.
Leno was gone. They were lost without him, scattered and unsure of how to move forward. They had hoped for a solution to their problems, and now, in the form of Kyne, it seemed they had one. Or maybe, they had just found another problem.
Jay sat on the far side of the room, fiddling nervously with his necklace. His magic was still new, and he wasn't quite sure how to handle it. But what had just happened—the surge of power, the realization that he was connected to something beyond his understanding—had already begun to weigh on him.
Kyne turned toward him and smiled. The smile was unsettling, like she knew something he didn't. She moved toward him, and the team watched her every step, not knowing what to expect. When she reached Jay, she didn't speak immediately. Instead, she studied him, her eyes glinting with some inner knowledge that seemed to stretch beyond her calm exterior.
"Well, well... so it's you," Kyne said, her voice soft, almost as if she were speaking to herself.
Jay's heart skipped a beat. He knew she wasn't speaking in a casual tone. There was something more to it. "What do you mean?" Jay asked, his voice unsteady as he looked up at her, still unsure of what she was.
Kyne's smile grew ever so slightly, but there was no warmth in it. "I knew it had to be someone like you," she said, leaning in closer to him. "You're just like him, aren't you?"
"Like who?" Jay asked, now even more confused. He glanced back at his teammates, who were watching the exchange with tense expressions.
Kyne didn't answer immediately. Instead, she turned away from him and looked over her shoulder at the rest of the team, a knowing glint in her eyes. "I suppose I should introduce myself properly," she said, her voice taking on a more formal tone. "My name is Kyne."
The room was silent for a moment, each member of the team processing her words. They all recognized her name from long ago, when Leno had briefly mentioned her. They had seen her once, introduced to them by Leno, but they hadn't learned much more than her name and face.
Kyne turned her eyes toward Andrei, and her smile returned, though it was colder now, as if she found amusement in his accusation. "Ah, Andrei. It was my kind who gave you that power." Her voice was casual, as if speaking of something trivial, and yet, the weight of her words hung heavily in the air.
Andrei's face twisted into an expression of confusion, anger, and curiosity all at once. "What do you mean, your kind?" He stepped forward, trying to keep his voice steady, though the curiosity in him was overwhelming. "What are you talking about?"
Kyne's eyes locked onto his, and for a moment, there was an eerie stillness in the room. "You've never asked yourself how you gained your powers, have you?" she asked, her voice slow, as if savoring every word. "Those abilities you wield, the ones you take for granted... They were given to you by my kind—those who walk the shadows, the ones who deal in curses. Your power was not a gift, Andrei. It was a price. You may not even know what that price was yet, but you will. In time."
Andrei's hands clenched into fists, his jaw tightening. "I didn't ask for this power," he growled. "I didn't want it."
Kyne's gaze softened, though only for a second. "It's not about what you wanted, Andrei. It's about what was taken from you."
"What was taken from me?" he repeated, his voice low, like he was trying to understand what Kyne was implying.
But Kyne only smiled cryptically. "That's a story for another time," she said dismissively. "I'm not here to unravel your past, not yet, at least."
There was a pause in the conversation as everyone digested Kyne's words. A curse... Andrei had always wondered how he had gained his powers, but to hear that they were the result of something so dark and twisted left a bitter taste in his mouth. He wanted answers, but Kyne didn't seem like she was going to give them freely.
Victor, his arms crossed, was watching Kyne intently, but he didn't interrupt. He was trying to piece together who she was and why she had appeared now.
"So, what is it you want?" Victor asked, his voice calm but his eyes sharp. "Why are you here, Kyne? What's your agenda?"
Kyne tilted her head, her smile fading. "What do I want?" she repeated, as if the question itself was beneath her. She looked around the room at the team, her eyes settling on each of them, assessing them. "I'm here because your team has a problem. A very big problem. One that needs to be handled, and I'm the only one who can do it."
Her words sent a ripple of tension through the room. No one dared speak, waiting for her to elaborate.
"I can help you," she continued, her voice softer now, as if she were offering them a lifeline. "But not in the way you're used to. You see, the world you're fighting in has changed. Magic is no longer just a tool—it's a weapon, and it's being wielded by forces far beyond your understanding."
"What kind of forces?" Reign asked, his voice clipped, but there was a curiosity in his eyes.
Kyne's gaze turned distant, her lips parting as if she were about to say something, but she hesitated. "I don't know all the details," she admitted, her tone shifting again, almost reluctantly. "There are those who are manipulating everything from behind the scenes, pulling strings. You've seen the power that controls you, Andrei. You've seen the darkness that comes with it. But it's bigger than that."
Victor narrowed his eyes. "Are you telling us you don't know who is behind all of this?"
"I'm not telling you that," Kyne snapped, her eyes flashing dangerously. "I'm telling you that what you think you know... is just the surface. The truth is far more complicated than any of you realize."
Andrei, ever the skeptic, stepped forward, his eyes never leaving hers. "Then why should we trust you? What makes you think you can fix this when we've already been through hell?"
Kyne's smile returned, but it was colder this time, sharper. "You don't have to trust me. You'll just have to follow my plan. It's the only way you'll survive."
The room fell into an uneasy silence, each member of the team processing her words in their own way. Kyne was right about one thing—she was here for a reason. They couldn't deny the truth that their world was shifting, and they didn't have the answers.
But could they trust her?
Before anyone could ask another question, Kyne spoke again, her tone commanding. "I don't have time to waste. A plan needs to be set in motion, and the team has no choice but to let me handle it. I know you all have your doubts, but you'll soon understand why."
Jay, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, suddenly stood up. "You... you're not human, are you?" he asked cautiously, his eyes searching her face.
Kyne's eyes locked onto his, and for a moment, there was a flicker of something ancient and powerful in them. She didn't answer, but her gaze told him everything he needed to know. She was something else entirely.
The air in the room thickened with tension as Kyne's presence seemed to expand, filling the space with an unspoken power. The team didn't know whether they were on the verge of salvation or a far deeper descent into chaos.
"I don't have time for questions anymore," Kyne said, her voice now cold and final. "Time is running out. The world is about to change, and you all need to be ready."
With that, she turned to face the door, her every movement deliberate and graceful, leaving the team behind to stew in their uncertainty. The only sound that filled the room was the low hum of the air conditioning, and the lingering weight of Kyne's words.
And as they watched her leave, they couldn't shake the feeling that something—something far more dangerous than they could have ever imagined—was about to unfold.
As the door closed behind her, the team was left with only one question:
Who could they trust now?