Vince stood firm in the heart of the crumbling battlefield, his orb hovering beside him, its glow intensifying with every second. Varik sneered, his gaunt face twisted into a grotesque mask of hatred. The dark flame projected by his shadow in his eye flickered erratically as if feeding on his emotions.
"You city-born wretch," Varik spat, his voice a low snarl. "You think your training makes you superior to us?"
Vince's expression remained cold, his golden eyes glowing faintly as he stared down the gang leader. "It's not about superiority. It's about survival—and you don't belong here."
Varik's Crest flared, the darkness around him congealing into jagged tendrils that lashed out at Vince like living snakes. They struck fast, seeking to envelop him, but Vince was faster.
The orb beside him pulsed once, and a radiant beam of light cut through the dark tendrils like a blade through mist. The light scorched the ground, leaving deep blackened marks where it touched.
Varik cursed, his shadow retreating briefly before splitting into multiple smaller forms, each darting toward Vince with sinister precision. Vince shifted his stance, his orb spinning rapidly as beams of concentrated light shot out in all directions. The shadow constructs dissolved on impact, the radiant energy tearing them apart.
"You'll have to do better than that," Vince said, his voice calm but edged with steel.
Varik snarled, his hand raised high as the dark flame in his eye burned brighter. The shadows around him condensed into a massive, grotesque figure—a hulking monstrosity of pure darkness with eyes that glowed a sickly green. It let out a guttural roar and lunged at Vince, its claws outstretched.
Vince moved like liquid light, his body twisting and dodging with fluid grace. His orb flared, emitting a concentrated burst of brilliance that struck the shadow beast square in its chest. The creature staggered, its form destabilizing, but it didn't dissipate.
"You think the light will always prevail?" Varik taunted, his voice laced with venom. He extended his hand, and the shadow beast surged forward again, its claws slamming into the ground where Vince had stood just moments before.
"I think the light exposes what cowards hide," Vince retorted.
With a sharp gesture, his orb released a focused beam that pierced through the shadow beast's head, causing it to implode in a burst of dark mist. The recoil sent Varik stumbling, his connection to the shadow severed.
But Varik was nothing if not cunning. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled a small vial from his belt and threw it to the ground. A thick, acrid smoke erupted, obscuring him from view.
Vince's orb emitted a faint glow, attempting to penetrate the smoke, but by the time it cleared, Varik was gone. The remnants of his shadow lingered briefly before dissipating.
"He'll run out of places to hide eventually," Vince muttered, his orb returning to a calm, steady glow beside him.
Outside the Ruins
At the entrance to the ruins, Lyra moved with an eerie elegance, her lunar Crest glowing softly on her hands. The scavengers, already demoralized by Flumen's earlier onslaught, tried to regroup, but Lyra gave them no chance.
Her hands moved in fluid, deliberate motions, weaving arcs of pale, silver light that cut through the darkness like a blade. Each movement was a deadly strike, her power manifesting as crescent-shaped blasts that sliced through the scavengers with brutal efficiency.
One scavenger tried to flank her, but she spun gracefully, her arm extending in a sweeping motion that sent a crescent of energy straight through his torso. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Another group of scavengers attempted to rush her, thinking their numbers might overwhelm her. Lyra raised her hands, and the light around her intensified. With a single, graceful motion, she unleashed a torrent of energy that tore through them, leaving behind only charred remains.
She moved forward, her gaze scanning for any survivors. A few stragglers fled into the shadows, but Lyra let them go. They were no threat now.
As the battlefield quieted, a faint tremor rippled through the air. Lyra's eyes narrowed, her Crest pulsing in response. She turned toward the ruins, her silver hair catching the dim light as she felt it—a strange, unnatural energy emanating from within.
"What now?" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
The explosion came suddenly, a pulse of dark energy erupting from the ruins and sending shockwaves through the ground. Lyra staggered, her Crest flaring as she stabilized herself. The air was thick with the acrid scent of burned stone and something far more eldritch.
"Flumen," she whispered, her heart sinking.
Without a moment's hesitation, Lyra sprinted toward the ruins, her light trailing behind her like a comet's tail. Whatever had caused that explosion, she knew it wasn't natural. And she had a sinking feeling that Flumen was at the center of it.